Multi-interface transponder device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to multi-interface transponder devices. Methods for performing power management for multi-interface transponder (MIT) devices, such as, for example, location tag devices, are disclosed. The MIT devices can transition between various power states, for example, based on a detected event, such as detecting movement of the MIT device, receiving a wake-up signal, receiving an indication of a transportation mode transition, and / or detecting that the MIT device can be lost, such as based on losing contact with another device for more than a threshold period of time.

Description

[0001] Priority data

[0002] This application is a divisional application of Chinese national application number 202010120544.7, filed on February 26, 2020, entitled "Multi-interface transponder device".

[0003] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62 / 810,492, entitled “Multi-Interface Transponder Device,” filed February 26, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety as fully and completely set forth herein. Technical Field

[0004] This patent application relates to wireless communication, including techniques for designing and operating multi-interface radio frequency transponder devices (or “tags”). Background Technology

[0005] Location tags, such as those used in electronic tracking devices, offer users numerous methods to track the location of individuals and / or objects. For example, Global Positioning System (GPS) technology can be used to determine the location of tagged objects associated with individuals, and this location can be transmitted to another device. Similarly, location tags can be attached to valuables (e.g., keys, wallets, briefcases, clothing, backpacks, computing devices, identification items, etc.) and, through communication with accompanying devices (e.g., phones, tablets, laptops, Internet of Things (IoT) devices), can update the location of valuables and aid in their recovery if lost.

[0006] Traditional location tags (or tracking devices) and corresponding systems typically have one or more drawbacks. For example, communicating with location tags beyond near-field communication requires considerable power relative to their form factor. Consequently, the battery life of location tags is often limited. Furthermore, long-range communication with such devices is relatively expensive and often requires complex circuitry for operation in conjunction with associated electronic devices (e.g., mobile devices). Additionally, the low-power options for location tags are often limited to communication with nearby objects that may require users associated with one or more tracking devices to be located in the vicinity of the location tag (e.g., within the near field), which limits the usefulness of such devices. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The embodiments described herein relate to multi-interface transponder (MIT) devices, such as location tag devices. Additionally, the embodiments described herein relate to power management of MIT devices and various applications of such devices. Some embodiments relate to a wireless station configured to communicate with the MIT device, for example, to utilize a location server to determine and / or update the location of the MIT device and / or assist users of the MIT device in physically locating the device if it is misplaced and / or lost.

[0008] In some embodiments, the MIT device may be configured to determine a transition to a second power state, at least in part, based on the detection of an event, while operating in a first power state. In some embodiments, the event may be detected via either a first interface of the MIT device or motion sensing circuitry. Furthermore, the MIT device may be configured to transmit one or more beacons via either a second or third interface of the MIT device while operating in the second power state. In some embodiments, the selection of the second or third interface may be at least in part based on an event. In some embodiments, the first interface may be an ultra-low power radio frequency (RF) interface (e.g., such as a wake-up radio component and / or a wake-up receiver), the second interface may be a Bluetooth interface, and the third interface may be an ultra-wideband (UWB) RF interface. In some embodiments, the first power state may be associated with a low power consumption (e.g., sleep) state, while the second power state may be associated with a higher power consumption state. For example, the second state may be associated with the transmission of Bluetooth beacons (or signals) at a first or second rate and / or with the transmission of UWB beacons (or signals). In some implementations, the MIT device may be configured to receive an indication from a neighboring wireless device that its location has been updated at a location server, which may be associated with both the neighboring wireless device and the MIT device. The MIT device may be configured to transition to a first power state, at least in part, based on the indication received.

[0009] In some embodiments, the MIT device may be configured to enter a low-power mode in which the second radio component is disabled, and to receive a wake-up signal from a neighboring radio component while in low-power mode. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal is received via low-power / ultra-low-power (LP / ULP) communication. The MIT device may be configured to transmit a beacon via the second radio component after switching to a higher-power mode in response to receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may indicate a transmission rate, which may be based at least in part on one or more of a transport mode detected by a neighboring radio component and / or an expected medium congestion detected by a neighboring radio component. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may indicate a transmission power, which may be based at least in part on one or more of a transport mode detected by a neighboring radio component and / or an expected medium congestion detected by a neighboring radio component. In some embodiments, the second radio component may include an ultra-wideband radio component.

[0010] In some embodiments, the MIT device may be configured to operate in a low-power mode in which its ultra-wideband (UWB) radio component may be disabled. The MIT device may be configured to receive a wake-up signal from a neighboring wireless device and transition out of the low-power mode while operating in low-power mode, and to enable the UWB radio component in response to receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may be received by the ultra-low-power radio component, for example, via ULP / LP communication with the neighboring wireless device. The MIT device may be configured to transmit a location beacon to the neighboring wireless device via the UWB radio component. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may be received via either a Bluetooth radio component or an ultra-low-power radio component (e.g., a wake-up radio component and / or a wake-up receiver) communicating with at least one processor. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may indicate the transmission rate and power of the location beacon.

[0011] The present invention is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subject matter described in this document. Therefore, it should be understood that the above features are merely illustrative and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or essence of the subject matter described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0012] A better understanding of the subject matter can be obtained by considering the following detailed description of the implementation scheme in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0013] Figure 1 Examples of wireless communication systems according to some implementation schemes are shown.

[0014] Figure 2AExamples of wireless device communication according to some implementation schemes are shown.

[0015] Figure 2B An exemplary simplified block diagram of a wireless device according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0016] Figure 2C An exemplary WLAN communication system according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0017] Figure 3A An exemplary simplified block diagram of a WLAN access point (AP) according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0018] Figure 3B An exemplary simplified block diagram of a wireless station (UE) according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0019] Figure 3C An exemplary simplified block diagram of a wireless node according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0020] Figure 4 An exemplary simplified block diagram of a location tagging device according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0021] Figure 5 An exemplary state diagram of various power modes of a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device according to some implementations is shown.

[0022] Figures 6A-6C An example is shown of an MIT device updating its location via neighboring devices according to some implementation schemes.

[0023] Figure 7 A block diagram illustrating an example of a power management method for MIT devices according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0024] Figure 8A An example of a transmission cycle for a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0025] Figure 8B An example of transmission power adjustment as a function of time since the last location update is shown according to some implementation schemes.

[0026] Figure 9 A block diagram illustrating an example of a method for power management of an MIT device based on detected conditions, according to some implementation schemes.

[0027] Figure 10 A block diagram is shown as an example of a method for power management of MIT devices based on the detection of transport mode transitions, according to some implementation schemes.

[0028] Figures 11-14A block diagram illustrating an example of an MIT device operation method according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0029] Figure 15 A block diagram illustrating an example of a method for detecting MIT devices through scanning according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0030] While the features described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternatives, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and are described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and the detailed description thereof are not intended to limit this document to the specific forms disclosed, but rather are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the substance and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. Detailed Implementation

[0031] acronym

[0032] Various acronyms are used throughout this application. The definitions of the most prominent acronyms that may appear throughout this application are as follows:

[0033] UE: User Equipment

[0034] AP: Access Point

[0035] TX: Transmission / Transmission

[0036] RX: Receive / Receive

[0037] WURx: Wake-up of the receiver

[0038] UWB: Ultra Broadband

[0039] BT / BLE: Bluetooth TM / Bluetooth TM Low power consumption

[0040] LP / ULP: Low Power / Ultra-Low Power Communication

[0041] LAN: Local Area Network

[0042] WLAN: Wireless Local Area Network

[0043] RAT: Radio Access Technology

[0044] TTL: Time to Live

[0045] SU: Single User

[0046] MU: Multi-user

[0047] the term

[0048] The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure:

[0049] Memory media—any of various types of nontransitory memory devices or storage devices. The term "memory media" is intended to include mounting media, such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or magnetic tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory such as flash memory, magnetic media, such as hard disk drives or optical storage devices; registers or other similar types of memory elements, etc. Memory media may also include other types of nontransitory memory or combinations thereof. Furthermore, memory media may reside in a first computer system executing a program, or may reside in a different second computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term "memory media" may include two or more memory media that may reside in different locations on different computer systems, for example, connected via a network. Memory media may store program instructions (e.g., representing a computer program) that can be executed by one or more processors.

[0050] Carrier media—memory media as described above, and physical transmission media such as buses, networks, and / or other physical transmission media that transmit signals such as electrical signals, electromagnetic signals, or digital signals.

[0051] Computer system—any of all types of computing or processing systems, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, network devices, internet devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations thereof. In general, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0052] Location tag (or tracking device) — any type of computer system device that is mobile or portable and performs wireless communication, such as communicating with neighboring or accompanying devices to share, determine, and / or update the location of the location tag. Wireless communication may be via various protocols, including but not limited to Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi, Ultra Wideband (UWB), and / or one or more proprietary communication protocols.

[0053] Mobile device (or mobile station) — any of a variety of computer system devices that are mobile or portable and perform wireless communication using WLAN communication. Examples of mobile devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone). TM Based on Android TM(phone), and devices such as iPads TM Samsung Galaxy TM Tablet computers, etc. Various other types of devices that include Wi-Fi or cellular and Wi-Fi communication capabilities also fall into this category, such as laptops (e.g., MacBooks). TM ), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS) TM PlayStation Portable TM Gameboy Advance TM iPhone TM Portable internet access devices and other handheld devices, as well as wearable devices such as smartwatches, smart glasses, headphones, pendants, and handsets. Generally, the term "mobile device" can be broadly defined to encompass any electronic, computing, and / or telecommunications equipment (or combination of devices) that is easily portable by the user and capable of wireless communication using WLAN or Wi-Fi.

[0054] A wireless device (or wireless site) is any of a variety of computer system devices that perform wireless communication using WLAN communication. As used herein, the term "wireless device" can refer to a mobile device as defined above or a static device such as a static wireless client or wireless base station. For example, a wireless device can be any type of wireless site in an 802.11 system, such as an access point (AP) or client site (STA or UE). Other examples include televisions, media players (such as Apple TV), and other similar devices. TM Roku TM Amazon FireTV TM Google Chromecast TM (etc.), refrigerators, washing machines, thermostats, etc.

[0055] WLAN—The term “WLAN” has the full range of its common meaning and includes at least wireless communication networks or RATs that are served by WLAN access points and provide connectivity to the Internet through these access points. Most modern WLANs are based on the IEEE 802.11 standard and are marketed under the name “Wi-Fi.” WLAN networks are different from cellular networks.

[0056] Processing elements refer to various specific implementations of digital circuitry that perform functions in a computer system. Furthermore, processing elements can refer to various specific implementations of analog or mixed-signal (a combination of analog and digital) circuitry that perform functions (or multiple functions) in a computer or computer system. Processing elements include, for example, circuitry such as integrated circuits (ICs), ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits), portions or circuitry of individual processor cores, entire processor cores, individual processors, programmable hardware devices (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)), and / or a large portion of a system comprising multiple processors.

[0057] Automatic—means that an action or operation is performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or device (e.g., circuits, programmable hardware components, ASICs, etc.) without requiring direct specification or execution of the action or operation through user input. Therefore, the term "automatically" is the opposite of an operation performed or specified manually by a user, where the user provides input to directly perform the operation. An automatic process may be initiated by user-provided input, but the subsequent "automatically" performed actions are not specified by the user, for example, not performed "manually," where, in a manual case, the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out a form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typing information, selecting a checkbox, selecting a radio component, etc.) is considered manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user's actions. The form can be automatically filled out by a computer system, where the computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) analyzes the fields of the form and fills it out without any user input specifying answers for the fields. As indicated above, the user may invoke the automatic filling of the form but does not participate in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify answers for the fields, but they are completed automatically). This manual provides various examples of operations that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by the user.

[0058] Concurrency refers to the parallel execution or implementation of tasks, processes, signaling, messages, or programs in a manner that overlaps at least partially. For example, concurrency can be achieved using “strong” or strict parallelism, where tasks are executed in parallel (at least partially) on corresponding computing elements; or using “weak parallelism,” where tasks are executed in an interleaved manner (e.g., by time multiplexing of execution threads).

[0059] "Configured as"—Various components can be described as being "configured as" to perform one or more tasks. In such contexts, "configured as" is a broad expression generally meaning "having" a "structure" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently performing one (e.g., a set of electrical conductors can be configured to electrically connect one module to another, even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, "configured as" can be a broad description generally meaning a structure that "has a circuit system that performs one or more tasks during operation." Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently switched on. Typically, the circuit forming the structure corresponding to "configured as" can include hardware circuitry.

[0060] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase "configured to". Statements describing a component as configured to perform one or more tasks are explicitly intended not to invoke the interpretation of 35 U.S.SC §112(f) for that component.

[0061] Approximately—means a value close to the correct or precise value. For example, approximately could mean a value within 1% to 10% of the precise (or expected) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold (or tolerance) can vary depending on the application. For example, in one implementation, “approximately” could mean a difference of within 0.1% from a specified or expected value, while in various other implementations, the threshold could be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc., depending on the expectations or requirements of the specific application.

[0062] Figure 1 —Wireless communication system

[0063] Figure 1 An exemplary wireless communication system according to some implementation schemes is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 1The system described is only one example of a possible system, and embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in any of a variety of systems as needed. As shown, exemplary system 100 includes a plurality of wireless client sites or devices or user equipment (UE) 106 configured to wirelessly communicate with various components within system 100, such as access point (AP) 112, other client sites 106, wireless nodes 107, and / or location tag devices 108. Some specific implementations may include one or more base stations in addition to or in place of AP 112. AP 112 may be a Wi-Fi access point and may include one or more other radio / access technologies (e.g., Bluetooth (BT), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), etc.) for wirelessly communicating with various components of system 100. AP 112 may communicate with one or more other electronic devices (not shown) and / or another network (such as the Internet) via wired and / or wireless communication channels. AP 112 may be configured to operate according to any of a variety of communication standards, such as various IEEE 802.11 standards and one or more proprietary communication standards, such as those based on broadband, ultra-wideband, and / or additional short-range / low-power wireless communication technologies. In some implementations, at least one client site 106 may be configured to communicate directly with one or more adjacent devices (e.g., other client sites 106, wireless node 107, and / or location tag device 108) without using access point 112 (e.g., peer-to-peer (P2P) or device-to-device (D2D)). As shown, wireless node 107 may be implemented as any of a variety of devices, such as wearable devices, gaming devices, etc. In some implementations, wireless node 107 may be various Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as smart appliances (e.g., refrigerators, stoves, ovens, dishwashers, washing machines, clothes dryers, etc.), smart thermostats, and / or other home automation devices (e.g., smart power outlets, smart lighting fixtures, etc.).

[0064] As shown in the figure, the location tag device 108 can communicate with one or more other components within the system 100. In some embodiments, the location tag device 108 can be associated with an accompanying device (e.g., client site 106) and is additionally capable of communicating with one or more additional devices (e.g., other client sites 106, wireless node 107, AP 112). In some embodiments, communication with the accompanying device can be via one or more access technologies / protocols, such as Bluetooth. TM (and / or Bluetooth) TMShort-range peer-to-peer (BLE) wireless communication technologies include BT / BLE, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer (e.g., Wi-Fi Direct, Neighbor-Aware Networking (NAN), etc.), millimeter wave (mmWave) (e.g., 60 GHz, such as 802.11ad / ay), and any of various proprietary protocols (e.g., via broadband or ultra-wideband (UWB) and / or low-power and / or ultra-low-power (LP / ULP) wireless communication). In some embodiments, communication with additional devices may be performed via BT / BLE and one or more other short-range peer-to-peer wireless communication technologies (e.g., various near-field communication (NFC) technologies, RFID, NAN, Wi-Fi Direct, UWB, LT / ULP, etc.). In some embodiments, the location tag device 108 is capable of updating the server via one or more additional devices and via accompanying devices using (e.g., determined by the tag device 108 and / or provided to the tag device 108 from another device) its current location.

[0065] Figures 2A-2B —Wireless communication system

[0066] Figure 2A An exemplary (and simplified) wireless communication system is shown in which various aspects of this disclosure can be implemented. It should be noted that... Figure 2A The system described herein is merely one example of a possible system, and embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in any of a variety of systems as needed.

[0067] As shown in the figure, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a ("first") wireless device 105 communicating with another ("second") wireless device 108. The first wireless device 105 and the second wireless device 108 can perform wireless communication using any of a variety of wireless communication technologies.

[0068] As a possibility, the first wireless device 105 and the second wireless device 108 may communicate using wireless local area network (WLAN) communication technology (e.g., IEEE 802.11 / Wi-Fi based communication) and / or WLAN-based wireless communication technology. One or both of wireless devices 105 and 108 may also (or alternatively) communicate via one or more additional wireless communication protocols, such as Bluetooth. TM (BT), Bluetooth TM Any of the following: Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), RFID, UWB, LP / ULP, GSM, UMTS (WCDMA, TDSCDMA), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), NR, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), Wi-MAX, GPS, etc.

[0069] Wireless device 105 and wireless device 108 can be any of a variety of wireless devices. As one possibility, wireless device 105 can be a substantially portable wireless user equipment (UE) device, such as a smartphone, handheld device, laptop computer, wearable device (such as a smartwatch), tablet computer, motor vehicle, or virtually any type of wireless device. As another possibility, wireless device 105 can be a substantially fixed device, such as a tollbooth / collection device, point-of-sale (POS) terminal, set-top box, media player (e.g., audio or video equipment), game console, desktop computer, appliance, door, access point, base station, or any of a variety of other types of devices. Wireless device 108 can be a location tagging device, for example, associated with, attached to, and / or otherwise integrated into another computing device in a separate form factor, and / or associated with, attached to, and / or integrated into personal items or devices (e.g., wallets, backpacks, luggage, briefcases, purses, keychains, personal identification, etc.) and / or commercial items (e.g., shipping containers, shipping / storage pallets, inventory items, vehicles, etc.).

[0070] Each of wireless devices 105 and 108 may include wireless communication circuitry configured to enhance the performance of wireless communication. This circuitry may include various digital and / or analog radio frequency (RF) components, one or more processors configured to execute program instructions stored in memory, one or more programmable hardware elements such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or any of various other components. Wireless device 105 and / or wireless device 108 may use any or all of these components to perform any of the method embodiments or operations described herein, or any portion thereof.

[0071] Each of wireless devices 105 and 108 may include one or more antennas and corresponding radio frequency front-end circuitry for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols. In some cases, one or more portions of the receive chain and / or transmit chain may be shared among multiple wireless communication standards; for example, the devices may be configured to communicate using BT / BLE or Wi-Fi with partially or fully shared wireless communication circuitry (e.g., using a shared radio or one or more shared radio components). The shared communication circuitry may include a single antenna, or may include multiple antennas for performing wireless communication (e.g., for MIMO). Alternatively, the devices may include independent transmit and / or receive chains (e.g., including independent antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured to communicate using them. As another possibility, the devices may include one or more radios or radio components shared among multiple wireless communication protocols, as well as one or more radios or radio components specifically used by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, the device may include a shared radio component for communication using one or more of LTE, CDMA2000 1xRTT, GSM, and / or 5G NR, and one or more separate radio components for communication using Wi-Fi and / or BT / BLE. Other configurations are also possible.

[0072] As mentioned above, it can be combined Figure 2A The aspects of this disclosure may be implemented using a wireless communication system. For example, a wireless device (e.g., either wireless device 105 or 108) may be configured to implement (and / or assist in implementing) the methods described herein.

[0073] Figure 2B An exemplary wireless device 110 (e.g., corresponding to wireless device 105 and / or wireless device 108) is illustrated and can be configured for use in conjunction with various aspects of this disclosure. Device 110 can be any of a variety of types of devices and can be configured to perform any of a variety of types of functions. Device 110 can be a substantially portable device or a substantially stationary device, and may include any of a variety of types of devices. Device 110 can be configured to perform any technology or feature shown and / or described herein, including with respect to any or all of the accompanying drawings.

[0074] As shown, device 110 may include processing element 121. The processing element may include or be coupled to one or more memory elements. For example, device 110 may include one or more storage media (e.g., memory 111), which may include any of a variety of types of memory and may be used for any of a variety of functions. For example, memory 111 may be RAM serving as system memory for processing element 121. Alternatively, memory 111 may be ROM serving as configuration memory for device 110. Other types and functions of memory are also possible.

[0075] Additionally, device 110 may include wireless communication circuitry 131. The wireless communication circuitry may include any of a variety of communication elements (e.g., antennas for wireless communication, analog and / or digital communication circuitry / controllers, etc.) and may enable the device to perform wireless communication using one or more wireless communication protocols.

[0076] It should be noted that in some cases, such as when processing element 121 is used, wireless communication circuitry 131 may include its own processing element (e.g., a baseband processor). For example, processing element 121 may be an "application processor" whose primary function may be to support application layer operations in device 110, while wireless communication circuitry 131 may be a "baseband processor" whose primary function may be to support baseband layer operations in device 110 (e.g., to facilitate wireless communication between device 110 and other devices). In other words, in some cases, device 110 may include multiple processing elements (e.g., it may be a multiprocessor device). Other configurations utilizing a multiprocessor architecture (e.g., alternatives to or other than the application processor / baseband processor configuration) are also possible.

[0077] Depending on the intended function of device 110, device 110 may additionally include any of a variety of other components (not shown) for implementing device functions, which may also include processing elements and / or memory elements (e.g., audio processing circuitry), one or more power supply elements (which may depend on battery power and / or external power), user interface elements (e.g., display, speaker, microphone, camera, keyboard, mouse, touch screen, etc.), and / or any of a variety of other components.

[0078] Components of device 110, such as processing element 121, memory 111, and wireless communication circuitry 131, may be operatively (or communicatively) coupled via one or more interconnect interfaces, which may include any of a variety of types of interfaces, and possibly combinations of multiple types of interfaces. As an example, a USB High Speed ​​Chip-to-Chip (HSIC) interface may be provided for chip-to-chip communication between processing elements. Alternatively (or in addition), any of the following communication interfaces may be used for communication between various device components: Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter (UART), Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), Internal Integrated Circuit (I2C), System Management Bus (SMBus), and / or various other communication interfaces. Other types of interfaces (e.g., on-chip interfaces for communication within processing element 121, peripheral interfaces for communication with peripheral components inside or outside device 110, etc.) may also be provided as part of device 110.

[0079] Figure 2C —WLAN system

[0080] Figure 2C An exemplary WLAN system according to some embodiments is illustrated. As shown, the exemplary WLAN system includes multiple wireless client sites or devices, or user equipment (UE) 106, configured to communicate with an access point (AP) 112 via a wireless communication channel 142. In some embodiments, the AP 112 may be a Wi-Fi access point. The AP 112 may communicate with one or more other electronic devices (not shown) and / or another network 152 (such as the Internet) via wired and / or wireless communication channels 150. Additional electronic devices, such as a remote device 154, may communicate with components of the WLAN system via network 152. For example, the remote device 154 may be another wireless client site. The WLAN system may be configured to operate according to any of the various communication standards, such as various IEEE 802.11 standards. In some embodiments, at least one wireless device 106 is configured to communicate directly with one or more adjacent mobile devices (such as location tag devices 108) without using the access point 112.

[0081] Furthermore, in some implementations, as further described below, wireless device 106 (which may be an exemplary specific implementation of device 110) may be configured to perform (and / or assist in performing) the methods described herein.

[0082] Figure 3A —Access Point Diagram

[0083] Figure 3A An exemplary block diagram of access point (AP) 112 is shown. Access point (AP) 112 can be... Figure 2B This is one possible exemplary implementation of the device 110 shown. It should be noted that... Figure 3A The block diagram of the AP is merely an example of a possible system. As shown, AP 112 may include one or more processors 204 capable of executing program instructions for AP 112. The one or more processors 204 may also be (directly or indirectly) coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 240 or other circuitry or device, which may be configured to receive addresses from the one or more processors 204 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 260 and read-only memory (ROM) 250).

[0084] AP 112 may include at least one network port 270. Network port 270 may be configured to couple to a wired network and provide internet access to multiple devices, such as mobile device 106. For example, network port 270 (or additional network ports) may be configured to couple to a local network, such as a home network or a business network. For example, port 270 may be an Ethernet port. The local network may provide connectivity to one or more additional networks, such as the internet.

[0085] AP 112 may include at least one antenna 234 and wireless communication circuitry 230, which may be configured to function as a wireless transceiver and further configured to communicate with mobile device 106 (and location tag device 108). Antenna 234 communicates with wireless communication circuitry 230 via communication link 232. Communication link 232 may include one or more receive links and / or one or more transmit links. Wireless communication circuitry 230 may be configured to communicate via Wi-Fi or WLAN, such as 802.11. Wireless communication circuitry 230 may also or alternatively be configured to communicate via various other wireless communication technologies, including but not limited to BT / BLE, UWB, and / or LP / ULP. Additionally, in some implementations, such as when the AP coexists with the base station in a small cell, or in other situations where it may be desirable for the AP 112 to communicate via various different wireless communication technologies, the wireless communication circuit 230 may also or alternatively be configured to communicate via various other wireless communication technologies, including but not limited to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), CDMA2000, etc.

[0086] Furthermore, in some implementations, as further described below, AP 112 may be configured to perform (and / or assist in performing) the methods described herein.

[0087] Figure 3B —Client Site Diagram

[0088] Figure 3B An exemplary simplified block diagram of client site 106 is shown. Client site 106 may be Figure 2B This is one possible exemplary embodiment of the device 110 shown. According to various embodiments, the client site 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, and / or a wireless device or wireless site. As shown, the client site 106 may include a system-on-a-chip (SOC) 300, which may include portions for various purposes. The SOC 300 may be coupled to various other circuitry of the client site 106. For example, the client site 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 310), connector interface (I / F) (or docking station) 320 (e.g., for coupling to a computer system, docking station, charging station, etc.), display 360, cellular communication circuitry 330 (such as for LTE, GSM, etc.), and medium-to-short-range wireless communication circuitry 329 (e.g., Bluetooth). TM The client site 106 may also include one or more smart cards 310 incorporating SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card) cards 345. Cellular communication circuitry 330 may be coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335 and 336, as shown. Medium- and short-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may also be coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 337 and 338, as shown. LP / ULP radio component 339 may be coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 347 and 348, as shown. Additionally, UWB radio component 341 may be coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 345 and 346. Alternatively, in addition to or instead of being coupled to a corresponding antenna or corresponding antenna group, the radio components may share one or more antennas. Any or all of the radio components may include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, for example, in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

[0089] As shown, the SOC 300 may include one or more processors 302 and display circuitry 304. The processors 302 execute program instructions for client site 106, and the display circuitry 304 performs graphics processing and provides display signals to display 360. The SOC 300 may also include motion sensing circuitry 370, which may detect motion of client site 106, for example, using a gyroscope, accelerometer, and / or any of various other motion sensing components. The processors 302 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340 and / or other circuitry or devices (such as display circuitry 304, cellular communication circuitry 330, short-range wireless communication circuitry 329, LP / ULP communication circuitry 339, UWB communication circuitry 341, connector interface (I / F) 320, and / or display 360). The MMU may be configured to receive addresses from the processors 302 and translate these addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310). MMU 340 can be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some implementations, MMU 340 may be included as part of one or more processors 302.

[0090] As described above, client station 106 can be configured to directly communicate wirelessly with one or more neighboring client stations and / or one or more location tag devices 108. Client station 106 can be configured to communicate according to a WLAN RAT used for communication in a WLAN network, such as... Figure 2C As shown in the diagram. Furthermore, in some embodiments, as further described below, client site 106 may be configured to perform (and / or assist in performing) the methods described herein.

[0091] As described herein, client site 106 may include hardware and / or software components for implementing the features described herein. For example, processor 302 of client site 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein, for example by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 329, 330, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340, 341, 345, 346, 347, 348, 350 and / or 360, processor 302 of UE106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0092] Furthermore, as described in this invention, processor 302 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 302 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 302. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of one or more processors 204.

[0093] Furthermore, as described herein, both the cellular communication circuit 330 and the short-range wireless communication circuit 329 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, each of the cellular communication circuit 330 and the short-range wireless communication circuit 329 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit 330 and the short-range wireless communication circuit 329, respectively.

[0094] Figure 3C —Wireless Node Diagram

[0095] Figure 3C A possible block diagram of wireless node 107 is shown. Wireless node 107 can be... Figure 2B One possible exemplary embodiment of the device 110 shown is illustrated. As shown, the wireless node 107 may include a system-on-a-chip (SOC) 301, which may include components for various purposes. For example, as shown, the SOC 301 may include one or more processors 303 and display circuitry 305. The processors 303 may execute program instructions for the wireless node 107, and the display circuitry 305 may perform graphics processing and provide display signals to a display 361. The SOC 301 may also include motion sensing circuitry 371, which may, for example, use a gyroscope, accelerometer, and / or any of various other motion sensing components to detect motion of the wireless node 107. The processors 303 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 341, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processors 303 and translate these addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 307, read-only memory (ROM) 351, flash memory 311). MMU 341 can be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some implementations, MMU 341 may be included as part of one or more processors 303.

[0096] As shown in the figure, the SOC 301 can be coupled to various other circuits of the wireless node 107. For example, the wireless node 107 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 311), connector interface 321 (e.g., for coupling to computer systems, docking stations, charging stations, etc.), display 361, and wireless communication circuitry (radio components) 381 (e.g., for LTE, LTE-A, CDMA2000, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, UWB, LP / ULP, etc.).

[0097] Wireless node 107 may include at least one antenna, and in some embodiments, may include multiple antennas 387 and 388 for performing wireless communication with a base station and / or other devices. For example, wireless node 107 may use antennas 387 and 388 to perform wireless communication. As described above, wireless node 107 may be configured in some embodiments to perform wireless communication using a variety of wireless communication standards or radio access technologies (RATs).

[0098] The wireless communication circuitry (radio component) 381 may include a Wi-Fi logic component 382, ​​a cellular modem 383, a BT / BLE logic component 384, a UWB logic component 385, and an LP / ULP logic component 386. The Wi-Fi logic component 382 enables the wireless node 107 to perform Wi-Fi communication over, for example, an 802.11 network and / or via peer-to-peer communication (e.g., NAN). The BT / BLE logic component 384 enables the wireless node 107 to perform Bluetooth communication. The cellular modem 383 may be capable of performing cellular communication according to one or more cellular communication technologies. The UWB logic component 385 enables the wireless node 107 to perform UWB communication. The LP / ULP logic component 386 enables the wireless node 107 to perform LP / ULP communication. Some or all components of the wireless communication circuitry 381 may be used to communicate with the location tag device 108.

[0099] As described herein, wireless node 107 may include hardware and software components for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, one or more components of wireless communication circuitry 381 of wireless node 107 may be configured to implement some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium), a processor configured as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and / or using dedicated hardware components that may include ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits). For example, in some embodiments, as further described below, wireless node 107 may be configured to perform (and / or assist in performing) the methods described herein.

[0100] Figure 4 Location tagging device

[0101] Figure 4 An exemplary simplified block diagram of a location tagging device 108 is shown, which may be... Figure 2B One possible exemplary embodiment of the illustrated device 110. According to the embodiment, the location tag device 108 may include a system-on-a-chip (SOC) 400, which may include one or more portions for performing one or more purposes (or functions or operations). The SOC 400 may be coupled to one or more other circuits of the location tag device 108. For example, the location tag device 108 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 410), connector interface (I / F) 420 (e.g., for coupling to a computer system, docking station, charging station, lamp (e.g., for visual output), speaker (e.g., for auditory output), etc.), power supply 425 (which may be non-removable, removable and replaceable, and / or rechargeable), and communication circuitry (radio components) 451 (e.g., BT / BLE, WLAN, LP / ULP, UWB).

[0102] Location tag device 108 may include at least one antenna, and in some embodiments, may include multiple antennas 457 and 458 for wireless communication with accompanying devices (e.g., client site 106, wireless node 107, AP 112, etc.) and other wireless devices (e.g., client site 106, wireless node 107, AP 112, other location tag devices 108, etc.). In some embodiments, one or more antennas may be dedicated to use with a single radio component and / or radio protocol. In some other embodiments, one or more antennas may be shared between two or more radio components and / or radio protocols. Wireless communication circuitry 451 may include any / all of the logic components of UWB logic component 452, LP / ULP logic component 453, and / or BT / BLE logic component 454. In some embodiments, wireless communication circuitry may optionally include logic components for any other protocol, such as Wi-Fi logic components and / or cellular (e.g., License Assisted Access (LAA)) logic components. BT / BLE logic component 454 is used to enable location tag device 108 to perform Bluetooth communication. UWB logic unit 452 enables the location tag device 108 to perform UWB communication. LP / ULP logic unit 453 enables the location tag device 108 to perform LP / ULP communication. In some embodiments, wireless communication circuitry 451 may include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration. UWB logic unit 452, LP / ULP logic unit 453, and BT / BLE logic unit 454 may each be independently configured to perform unidirectional or bidirectional communication.

[0103] As shown, the SOC 400 may include one or more processors 402 capable of executing program instructions for the location tag device 108. The SOC 400 may also include motion sensing circuitry 470, which may be configured to detect motion of the location tag device 108, for example, using a gyroscope, accelerometer, and / or any of various other motion sensing components. In some embodiments, a GPS receiver and associated circuitry may be used in addition to or instead of other motion sensing circuitry. One or more processors 402 may also be (directly or indirectly) coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 and / or other circuitry or devices, which may be configured to receive addresses from one or more processors 402 and translate these addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 406, read-only memory (ROM) 450, NAND flash memory 410), such as wireless communication circuitry 451. The MMU 440 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, the MMU 440 may be included as part of one or more processors 402.

[0104] As described above, the location tag device 108 can be configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more neighboring wireless devices. In some embodiments, as further described below, the location tag device 108 can be configured to perform (and / or assist in performing) the methods described herein.

[0105] Location tag power management

[0106] In some implementations, a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device (such as location tag device 108) may include multiple power levels and / or power modes. For example, Figure 5An exemplary state diagram of various power modes of an MIT device according to some embodiments is shown. As shown, the MIT device can operate in any of a variety of power modes, such as low power mode 502, ultra-low power mode 504, high power mode 506, and / or ultra-high power mode 508. Furthermore, as shown, the MIT device can switch (or transition) between any of these modes. The transition between modes can be based on any factor or combination of factors, including one or more received signals, sensor data, timing data, environmental data, activity data, location data, etc. Moreover, the MIT device can be configured to transition directly from the current mode to any other available mode. However, in some specific embodiments, the transition may include successive transitions through one or more intermediate modes. For example, the MIT device can transition between any of the following modes: low power mode 502 and ultra-low power mode 504 (e.g., via transition 510), higher power mode 506 (e.g., via transition 516), and / or ultra-high power mode 508 (e.g., via transition 518). As another example, the MIT device can switch between any of the following modes: ultra-low power mode 504 and low power mode 502 (e.g., via converter 510), higher power mode 506 (e.g., via converter 512), and / or ultra-high power mode 508 (e.g., via converter 514). Similarly, the MIT device can switch between any of the following modes: high power mode 506 and low power mode 502 (e.g., via converter 516), ultra-low power mode 504 (e.g., via converter 512), and / or ultra-high power mode 508 (e.g., via converter 520). Additionally, the MIT device can switch between any of the following modes: ultra-high power mode 508 and low power mode 502 (e.g., via converter 518), ultra-low power mode 504 (e.g., via converter 514), and / or high power mode 506 (e.g., via converter 520).

[0107] In some embodiments, the ultra-low power mode 504 may be associated with an LP / ULP interface and / or LP / ULP logic components, for example, as described above with reference to location tag device 108. In some embodiments, the MIT device may remain in ultra-low power mode 504 until a trigger event occurs. In some embodiments, the trigger event may cause the MIT device to transition to a higher power operating mode (e.g., any of the low power mode 508, high power mode 504, and / or ultra-high power mode 508).

[0108] In some embodiments, the triggering event may be a signal / beacon received from a neighboring device. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal / beacon may be specific to the MIT device, or it may be a general signal / beacon, for example, applicable to a group of MIT devices or all MIT devices. In other words, the MIT device may receive the wake-up signal / beacon from a neighboring device that wants to wake up the MIT device, or the MIT device may receive the wake-up signal / beacon from a neighboring device that wants to wake up any MIT device (or any device of a particular type of MIT device) within the receiving range of the wake-up signal / beacon. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may be received via LP / ULP communication. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may be received by an ultra-low power radio component, for example via ULP / LP communication with a neighboring radio device. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal / beacon may cause the MIT device to switch to a higher power operating mode (e.g., any mode in low power mode 502, high power mode 504, and / or ultra-high power mode 508). In some implementations, the transition from ultra-low power mode 504 may be slowed down (or delayed) based at least in part on one or more factors, such as the current location of the MIT device and / or the movement of accompanying devices.

[0109] For example, if the MIT device determines that its current location is within a safe area (e.g., a user's home, workplace, car, and / or frequently visited locations, such as a friend's or relative's home), the MIT device may delay or not invoke a transition to a higher power mode. As another example, if the MIT device determines that the movement of an accompanying device is similar to the movement of the MIT device, the MIT device may determine a constant motion state and delay or not invoke a transition to a higher power state.

[0110] Conversely, in some implementations, the transition from the ultra-low power mode 504 may be accelerated based at least in part on one or more factors, such as the current location or location area of ​​the MIT device and / or the current transportation mode. For example, if the MIT device determines (or is notified) that a transportation transition is taking place or is about to take place (e.g., leaving a train, plane, ferry, taxi and / or boarding a train, plane, ferry, taxi), the MIT device may accelerate the transition to a higher power mode (e.g., the transition is implemented even in the absence of another triggering condition, such as separation from an accompanying device).

[0111] In some implementations, the triggering event may be the sensing of movement of the MIT device. For example, the MIT device may detect movement, for instance, via motion sensing circuitry, and switch from an ultra-low power mode 504 to a higher power mode based at least in part on the movement of the MIT device. In some implementations, the triggering event may be based at least in part on the time elapsed between location updates of the MIT device. In some implementations, the time elapsed between location updates may be based at least in part on the location mode of the MIT device (e.g., safe zone mode, danger zone mode, lost mode, etc.).

[0112] For example, based on a trigger event, the MIT device may switch to low-power mode 502 and begin transmitting beacons and / or scanning at a first rate through the low-power interface. In some embodiments, the beacon transmission period may be approximately 1 to 2 seconds. In some other embodiments, the beacon transmission period may be less than 1 second, 1-5 seconds, or more than 5 seconds. In some embodiments, the beacon may be transmitted via a BLE interface or via BLE logic components. In some embodiments, the beacon transmission power may be based at least in part on the MIT device's location mode and / or the time elapsed since the last location update. For example, in a secure area mode, the MIT device may transmit beacons at a lower frequency and lower power level upon wake-up compared to a dangerous area mode; in a dangerous area mode, the MIT device may transmit beacons more frequently and / or at a higher power level upon wake-up. In some embodiments, once the updated location is confirmed, the MIT device may switch back to ultra-low-power mode 504. In some implementations, prior to switching to ultra-low power mode 504, the MIT device may switch to one of high power mode 506 and / or ultra-high power mode 508 based on various criteria (e.g., detection of entry into a hazardous area, receiving instructions from an accompanying device, detection of movement, increased separation from the accompanying device, etc.).

[0113] As another example, based on a trigger event, the MIT device may switch to high-power mode 506 and begin transmitting and / or receiving beacons at a second rate via a low-power interface. In some embodiments, the periodicity of beacon transmission may be approximately 1 to 10 milliseconds. In some other embodiments, the periodicity may be less than 1 millisecond, tens of milliseconds, or hundreds of milliseconds. In some embodiments, the beacon may be transmitted via a BLE interface or via BLE logic components. In some embodiments, the beacon transmission power may be based at least in part on the MIT device's location mode and / or the time elapsed since the last location update. For example, in a secure area mode, the MIT device may transmit beacons at a lower frequency and / or lower power level upon wakeup compared to a dangerous area mode; in a dangerous area mode, the MIT device may transmit beacons at a higher frequency and / or higher power level upon wakeup. In some embodiments, once the updated location is confirmed, the MIT device may switch back to ultra-low-power mode 504. In some implementations, prior to switching to ultra-low power mode 504, the MIT device may switch to one of low power mode 502 and / or ultra-high power mode 508 based on various criteria (e.g., detection of entry into a hazardous area, receiving instructions from an accompanying device, detection of movement, separation from an accompanying device, etc.).

[0114] As another example, the MIT device may switch to ultra-high power mode 508 and begin transmitting a beacon at a first rate through the high-power interface. In some embodiments, the beacon may be transmitted via a UWB interface or via UWB logic components. In some embodiments, ultra-high power mode 508 may be initiated while an accompanying device is searching for (e.g., attempting to pinpoint) the MIT device. In some embodiments, once the updated location is confirmed, the MIT device may switch back to ultra-low power mode 504. In some embodiments, prior to switching to ultra-low power mode 504, the MIT device may switch to one of low power mode 502 and / or ultra-high power mode 508 based on various criteria (e.g., detection of entry into a hazardous area, receiving instructions from an accompanying device, detection of movement, etc.).

[0115] Figures 6A-6CAn example is illustrated whereby an MIT device updates its location via neighboring devices according to some embodiments. As shown, MIT device 608 may be within range of one or more neighboring devices, such as accompanying (or trusted) device 602 (e.g., a device associated with the MIT device, such as a device used to register the MIT device with a location server (e.g., location server 614)) and / or non-accompanying devices 604a and 604n (e.g., devices associated with a location server (e.g., location server 614), but not associated with the MIT device). MIT device 608 may detect / sensor trigger events, such as trigger events 620, 630, or 640. In response to a trigger event, MIT device 608 may switch from an ultra-low power operating mode to a higher power operating mode and begin transmitting a beacon / signal 610. It should be noted that the periodicity, power, and type of the beacon / signal transmitted by MIT device 608 may be at least partially based on the MIT device's power mode. Therefore, in some implementations, the beacon / signal 610 may be a low-power beacon / signal (e.g., a BLE beacon / signal) transmitted at a low rate (e.g., approximately every 1 to 2 seconds), a low-power beacon / signal transmitted at a high rate (e.g., approximately every 1 to 10 milliseconds), and / or a high-power beacon / signal (e.g., a UWB beacon / signal).

[0116] For example, such as Figure 6A As shown, after triggering event 620, MIT device 608 may transmit one or more beacons 610. At least one of the beacons 610 may be received by accompanying device 602. Upon receiving at least one beacon 610, accompanying device 602 may exchange communication 622 with MIT device 608. Based on communication 622, accompanying device 602 may update location server 614 via communication 624 and 626 using the updated location of MIT device 608. In some embodiments, communication 624 and 626 may be transmitted via a push notification connection with location server 614. Once location server 614 confirms the updated location of MIT device 608, accompanying device 602 may exchange one or more confirmation messages 628 with MIT device 608. At 629, for example, as described above, MIT device 608 may switch back to ultra-low power mode and / or one or more other power modes.

[0117] For example, such as Figure 6BAs shown, after triggering event 630, MIT device 608 may transmit one or more beacons 610. At least one of the beacons 610 may be received by non-accompanying device 604a. Upon receiving at least one beacon 610, non-accompanying device 604a may exchange communication 632 with MIT device 608. Based on communication 632, non-accompanying device 604a may update location server 614 via communication 634 and 636 using the updated location of MIT device 608. In some embodiments, communication 634 and 636 may be transmitted via a push notification connection with location server 614. Once location server 614 confirms the updated location of MIT device 608, non-accompanying device 604a may exchange one or more confirmation messages 638 with MIT device 608. At 639, for example, as described above, MIT device 608 may switch back to ultra-low power mode and / or one or more other power modes.

[0118] For example, such as Figure 6C As shown, after triggering event 640, MIT device 608 may transmit one or more beacons 610. At least one of the beacons 610 may be received by non-accompanying device 604n. Upon receiving at least one beacon 610, non-accompanying device 604n may exchange communication 642 with MIT device 608. Based on communication 642, non-accompanying device 604n may update location server 614 via communications 644 and 646 using the updated location of MIT device 608. In some embodiments, communications 644 and 646 may be transmitted via a push notification connection with location server 614. Once location server 614 confirms the updated location of MIT device 608, non-accompanying device 604n may exchange one or more confirmation messages 648 with MIT device 608. At 649, for example, as described above, MIT device 608 may switch back to ultra-low power mode and / or one or more other power modes.

[0119] Figure 7 A block diagram of an example method for power management of a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device, according to some implementation schemes, is shown. Among other things, Figure 7 The method shown can be used in conjunction with any of the systems or devices shown in the accompanying drawings. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown may be executed concurrently in a different order than that shown, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be executed as needed. As shown, the method operates as follows.

[0120] At 702, while in the first power state, the MIT device may determine to transition to the second power state based at least in part on the detection of an event. In some embodiments, the event may be detected via an interface of the MIT device (e.g., a first interface) and / or sensing circuitry (e.g., motion sensing circuitry). For example, in some embodiments, the event may include receiving a wake-up indication via the first interface (from an accompanying device, such as client site 106 and / or wireless node 107). In some embodiments, the first interface may be an ultra-low power radio frequency (RF) interface (e.g., a wake-up radio component and / or wake-up receiver). In some embodiments, the event may include detecting movement (and / or a change in movement) of the MIT device, for example, greater than a threshold. It should be noted that in some embodiments, for example, if the accompanying device indicates that the movement is associated with a transportation mode, the MIT device may ignore the movement detected by the motion circuitry.

[0121] At 704, the MIT device may transition to a second power state. In some embodiments, transitioning to the second power state may include activating a second interface of the MIT device. In some embodiments, the second interface may be one of a Bluetooth interface and / or an ultra-wideband (UWB) interface. In some embodiments, the MIT device may determine which interface to activate based at least in part on detected events.

[0122] At 706, while in the second power state, the MIT device may transmit one or more beacons via a selected interface, at least in part, based on detected events. For example, when the event includes receiving a wake-up indication, the wake-up indication may include instructions for activating a specific interface. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the instructions may include one or more transmission intervals and / or transmission power. For example, the instructions may indicate activation of a Bluetooth interface. Additionally, the instructions may indicate a transmission rate (e.g., a lower rate, approximately every one to two seconds, or a higher rate, e.g., approximately one to ten milliseconds). Furthermore, the instructions may indicate transmission power (e.g., based on congestion). As another example, the instructions may indicate activation of an ultra-wideband interface and associated transmission frequency and / or transmission power information.

[0123] At 708, in the second power state, the MIT device can receive indications regarding location updates from neighboring wireless devices. In some embodiments, the neighboring wireless device can be a companion device (e.g., a device with a secure connection / secure relationship with the MIT device). In some embodiments, the companion device can be a wireless station, such as wireless station 106. In some embodiments, the companion device can be a wireless node, such as wireless node 107. Note that the companion device may also include a device that assists the MIT device in registering with the location server. In some embodiments, the companion device can support multiple MIT devices. In some embodiments, the neighboring wireless device can be a non-companion device associated with the location server (e.g., a device without a secure connection / secure relationship with the MIT device). For example, the non-companion device can communicate with the location server and can be configured to update the location of MIT devices not associated with the non-companion device. Therefore, the non-companion device can assist in updating the location of the MIT device, for example, when the MIT device is separated from the companion device (or outside the communication range).

[0124] At 710, the MIT device may transition from a second power state to a third power state, at least in part, based on an indication. For example, in some embodiments, the indication may cause (or instruct) the MIT device to transition back to an ultra-low power state (e.g., such as ultra-low power mode 504). Alternatively, the indication may cause (or instruct) the MIT device to transition from a low transmission rate to a higher transmission rate (e.g., from a low power state such as low power mode 502 to a higher power state such as high power mode 506). In some embodiments, the indication may cause the activation and / or deactivation of another interface. For example, the second power state may include the activation of a Bluetooth interface, and transitioning to the third power state may result in the activation of an ultra-wideband interface. Additionally, in some specific embodiments, transitioning to the third power state may result in the deactivation of a Bluetooth interface. Again, the second power state may include the activation of a Bluetooth or ultra-wideband interface, and transitioning to the third power state may include the deactivation of an already activated interface.

[0125] In some implementations, power management of a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device (such as device 108) may be based at least in part on the geographic location area and / or location pattern of the MIT device. For example, the MIT device may change its power pattern at least in part based on determining that the MIT device is lost (e.g., separated from accompanying devices for more than a specified period of time). As another example, the MIT device may change its power pattern at least in part based on determining, for example, that the MIT device is in a hazardous area (or within) during a mode of transport transition (e.g., train stopping, car stopping, airplane landing, ferry docking, etc.). Furthermore, the MIT device may consider multiple factors, such as accompanying and location factors, in relation to changing its power pattern. As yet another example, the MIT device may change its power pattern at least in part based on determining that the MIT device is in a safe area (or within), such as in a user's home, a place the user frequently visits (e.g., a friend's or relative's home, workplace, etc.).

[0126] For example, in some embodiments, a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device (e.g., such as location tag device 108) may determine its loss, for example, based on the duration since the last communication with an accompanying device. In some embodiments, this determination may also be based at least in part on the duration since a location update and / or receiving a signal from a device associated with a location server. In such cases, the MIT device may switch to a power state (or power mode) associated with a lost operation mode. In some embodiments, operation in lost mode may include the MIT device changing and / or adjusting transmission power and / or transmission rate to further conserve battery power and increase the probability of detection. For example, the transmission rate may be based at least in part on the time of day, such as Figure 8A As shown in the figure, the MIT device can transmit beacons at a higher rate during certain parts of the daytime, for example, when it is more likely to encounter neighboring devices. Furthermore, in some implementations, the MIT device can aggregate transmission sets for short periods (e.g., transmission bursts) while not transmitting for most of the 24-hour cycle (e.g., sleeping) to further conserve battery power. As another example, such as... Figure 8B As shown, the MIT device can adjust the transmission power based at least in part on the duration since a signal was received from a device associated with the location server. For example, the MIT device can increase the transmission power (e.g., to increase transmission range) when the duration increases and / or during certain parts of daylight. In some embodiments, the increase in transmission power can be offset by a decrease in transmission periodicity and / or transmission duration to maintain battery power, for example, as... Figure 8A As shown. Additionally, in some implementations, the transmission power can be incrementally increased as the duration (e.g., since the last location update) increases, such as... Figure 8BAs shown. In some implementations, after a certain period of time, the transmission power can be incrementally reduced to further conserve battery power. It should be noted that as the time period (time since the last contact) increases, the transmission decisions of the MIT device (e.g., transmission rate, transmission frequency, transmission power, etc.) can be altered to extend the battery life of the MIT device. In other words, when the time period is in the range of a few hours, the MIT device can employ a different transmission mode (e.g., the most aggressive transmission mode, with less consideration for battery conservation) compared to a time period in the range of a few days (aggressive transmission mode, but with some consideration for battery conservation), a time period in the range of a few weeks (less aggressive transmission mode, with more consideration for battery longevity), or even a time period in the range of a few months (most aggressive battery conservation, highly conservative transmission mode).

[0127] Figure 9 A block diagram is shown as another example of a power management method for a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device according to some implementation schemes. Among other things, Figure 9 The method shown can be used in conjunction with any of the systems or devices shown in the accompanying drawings. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown may be executed concurrently in a different order than that shown, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be executed as needed. As shown, the method operates as follows.

[0128] At 902, the MIT device, such as device 108, can determine the status of the MIT device. In some embodiments, this status may be based at least in part on the duration since communication with the accompanying device began. In some embodiments, this status may also be based at least in part on the duration since the MIT device received an indication that the location associated with the MIT device has been updated at a location server. In some embodiments, this status may also be based at least in part on the duration since the MIT device received a signal from a neighboring wireless device (e.g., wireless station 106, wireless node 107, and / or AP 112). In some embodiments, this status may be associated with determining that the MIT device has been lost (e.g., separated from the accompanying device).

[0129] At 904, the MIT device may at least partially transition to a first operating mode based on this condition. In some embodiments, this operating mode may be associated with a lost operating mode and may be configured to extend the operational lifespan of the MIT device. For example, in some embodiments, the first operating mode may include a long period of power saving (e.g., sleep), followed by short bursts of beacon transmission. In other words, the MIT device may transmit beacons at a high rate via a first interface (such as a Bluetooth interface) for a first portion of time (e.g., the first portion of a 24-hour cycle) and spend the remaining time in a power-saving state. In some embodiments, the first portion of time may at least partially correspond to the time of day (e.g., as sensed by the MIT device's light sensor or corresponding to the time held by the MIT device) to increase the probability of detection. In some embodiments, the MIT device may increase transmission power to increase detection range as the duration since the last location update increases. It should be noted that in some embodiments, since increasing transmission power adversely affects power consumption, the MIT device may mitigate the increased power consumption by reducing the number of beacons transmitted within a time period. In addition, in some implementations, the MIT device may change the transmission frequency (or transmission cluster) in an attempt to discover neighboring wireless devices.

[0130] For example, the MIT device may change its power mode at least in part based on determining, for example, that the MIT device is in (or within) a danger zone during a mode of transport transition (such as a train stopping, a car stopping, an airplane landing, a ferry docking, etc.). In some embodiments, accompanying devices such as client site 106 and / or wireless node 107 may determine the mode of transport (e.g., vehicle, airplane, train, ship, etc.). Furthermore, the accompanying devices may monitor movement to detect mode transitions (e.g., vehicle stopping, airplane landing, train deceleration, ship docking, etc.) or changes in location along a route (e.g., approaching a known transition point or destination). Upon detecting a mode of transport transition, the accompanying devices may notify the MIT device of the transition or signal the mode change. In some embodiments, the MIT device may then change its power mode to transmit at a higher rate and / or with higher transmission power.

[0131] For example, re-referencing Figure 5During transport, the MIT device may be in an ultra-low power mode 504 and may switch to a high power mode 506 upon notification. In some embodiments, the MIT device may activate the Bluetooth interface and transmit beacons at a higher rate (e.g., approximately every 1 to 10 milliseconds). In some embodiments, if the distance between the MIT device and the accompanying device increases to more than approximately 1 meter (e.g., 2 to 3 feet), an alert or notification (e.g., visual, auditory, and / or tactile) may be output from the accompanying device. Additionally, the accompanying device may send instructions to the MIT device to switch from high power mode 506 to a higher power mode, such as ultra-high power mode 508. In some embodiments, the MIT device may activate an ultra-wideband interface to improve the accuracy of location detection. In some embodiments, the MIT device may also deactivate the Bluetooth interface. Furthermore, in areas with greater (e.g., above average) access medium congestion (interference) (e.g., hazardous areas), the accompanying device may transmit instructions to supported MIT devices to further increase the location update rate (e.g., in addition to increasing the transmission rate and / or transmission power). In some implementations, the accompanying device may increase the scan window length and / or scan window frequency to mitigate increased congestion (and / or interference caused by increased access medium communication). It should be noted that in some implementations, the accompanying device may support multiple MIT devices. Therefore, in some implementations, the accompanying device may filter out beacons from unsupported MIT devices.

[0132] Figure 10 A block diagram is shown illustrating another example method for power mode switching of a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device based on geographic region, according to some implementation schemes. Among other things, Figure 10 The method shown can be used in conjunction with any of the systems or devices shown in the accompanying drawings. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown may be executed concurrently in a different order than that shown, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be executed as needed. As shown, the method operates as follows.

[0133] At 1002, an MIT device, such as device 108, may receive an indication of a transport mode transition. This indication may be received from an accompanying device via a first interface. The accompanying device may be a UE device, such as client site 106, a wearable device such as wireless node 107, and / or an access point device such as AP 112. The first interface may correspond to a first power state. Furthermore, the first interface may be an ultra-low power radio frequency interface (e.g., such as a wake-up radio component and / or a wake-up receiver). In some embodiments, the transport mode may include or indicate at least one mode of transport, such as a vehicle, train, ship, or aircraft.

[0134] At position 1004, in response to this instruction, the MIT device may switch to a second power state. In some embodiments, the second power state may be associated with the activation of a second interface. The second interface may consume more power than the first interface. In some embodiments, the second interface may be either a Bluetooth interface or an ultra-wideband interface.

[0135] At point 1006, the MIT device can transmit one or more beacons to an accompanying device via a second interface at a first transmission rate and a first transmission power. In some embodiments, the MIT device can receive an indication from the accompanying device that a transport mode transition has ended. In response, the MIT device can switch back to the first power state. In some cases, the MIT device can receive an indication from the accompanying device that the accompanying device has moved beyond a threshold distance from the MIT device. In response, the MIT device can increase the first transmission rate of one or more beacons to a second transmission rate. In some embodiments, the threshold distance can be approximately 1 meter (e.g., between 2 and 3 feet). In some embodiments, the MIT device can receive an indication from the accompanying device to increase the transmission power. In some embodiments, this indication can be based at least in part on determining the presence of a higher level (e.g., above average) of congestion.

[0136] In some implementations, accompanying devices such as wireless station 106 and / or wireless node 107 may use the last location of a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device (such as device 108) to help a user physically locate the MIT device, for example, even when the MIT device is not broadcasting to the accompanying device. For example, the accompanying device may send one or more signals to wake up the MIT device and determine the location of the MIT device (relative to the accompanying device) via ultra-wideband communication. Once the location of the MIT device is determined, the MIT device may interrupt transmission (e.g., switch to ultra-low power mode 504). For example, the MIT device's sensors may detect that it has been located, for example, by motion. Additionally, as part of MIT location, the accompanying device may display a map view and / or augmented reality (AR) view to indicate the location of the MIT device. In some implementations, the map view / AR view may be updated based on the movement of the accompanying device when it is moved. In other words, the location of the MIT device relative to the accompanying device may be updated at least in part based on the movement of the accompanying device.

[0137] Figures 11-14 A block diagram illustrating an example of an MIT operating method according to some implementation schemes is shown. Among other things, Figures 11-14The methods shown can be used in conjunction with any of the systems or devices shown in the accompanying drawings. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown may be executed concurrently in a different order than that shown, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be executed as needed. As shown, these methods can operate as follows.

[0138] Go to Figure 11 At 1102, an MIT device (such as MIT device 108) having any / all low-power radio interfaces (e.g., wake-up radio components and / or wake-up receivers), medium-power radio interfaces (e.g., Bluetooth (BT) and / or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)), and / or high-power radio interfaces (e.g., UWB, 60 GHz) can be in a low-power operating mode (e.g., operating in low-power operating mode). In low-power mode, the MIT device can periodically scan for messages addressed to the MIT device (e.g., beacons, polling, probes, etc.) via the low-power radio interfaces, which can signal to the MIT device to activate the higher-power radio interfaces. Messages can be received from associated devices (e.g., paired devices or devices associated with the same or related user accounts, such as wireless station 106, wireless node 107, and / or AP 112) or from unassociated devices (e.g., devices associated with different user accounts). In some embodiments, while in low-power mode, the MIT device may transmit intermittently (e.g., continuously or periodically) to conserve battery power. Furthermore, in response to one or more factors, such as battery level, congestion / interference, time of day, sensor data, etc., the scan window period (e.g., the width of the window) and interval (e.g., the period between intervals) can be set or dynamically adjusted. Additionally, the MIT device can respond to messages that uniquely address to the MIT device, to a group (or set) including MIT devices, or to all MIT devices. The MIT device can also ignore messages that are not addressed to the MIT device, such as messages that uniquely address to different MIT devices or to a group to which the MIT device does not belong.

[0139] At 1104, during the scanning window, a message addressed to the MIT device can be received from the wireless device via a low-power interface. At 1106, in response, the MIT device can activate at least one higher-power interface, such as a BT or BLE interface, and can establish communication with the wireless device, for example, by transmitting a response. At 1108, through communication, the MIT device can receive updated location information and / or one or more commands, such as commands for activating a high-power interface and / or outputting one or more signals (e.g., auditory, visual, tactile).

[0140] At 1110, the MIT device can determine whether to perform any remaining operations via the medium-power interface or the high-power interface. If there are no remaining operations to perform, the MIT device can deactivate all interfaces except the low-power interface and resume monitoring through the scan window.

[0141] Go to Figure 12 At 1202, an MIT device (such as MIT device 108) having any / all low-power radio interfaces (e.g., wake-up radio components and / or wake-up receivers), medium-power radio interfaces (e.g., Bluetooth (BT) and / or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)), and / or high-power radio interfaces (e.g., UWB, 60 GHz) can be in a low-power operating mode (e.g., operating in low-power operating mode). In low-power mode, the MIT device can periodically scan for messages addressed to the MIT device (e.g., beacons, polling, probes, etc.) via the low-power radio interfaces, which can signal to the MIT device to activate a higher-power radio interface. Messages can be received from associated devices (e.g., paired devices or devices associated with the same or related user accounts, such as wireless station 106, wireless node 107, and / or AP 112) or from unassociated devices (e.g., devices associated with different user accounts). In some embodiments, while in low-power mode, the MIT device may transmit intermittently (e.g., continuously or periodically) to conserve battery power. Furthermore, in response to one or more factors, such as battery level, congestion / interference, time of day, sensor data, etc., the scan window period (e.g., the width of the window) and interval (e.g., the period between intervals) can be set or dynamically adjusted. Additionally, the MIT device can respond to messages that uniquely address to the MIT device, to a group (or set) including MIT devices, or to all MIT devices. The MIT device can also ignore messages that are not addressed to the MIT device, such as messages that uniquely address to different MIT devices or to a group to which the MIT device does not belong.

[0142] At point 1204, the MIT device can detect motion via sensor data (e.g., from an accelerometer or gyroscope). In some implementations, at point 1206, the MIT device can activate another interface (e.g., BT / BLE) in response to motion and be able to periodically output beacons. The periodicity and number of beacons can depend on various factors, including location, type of motion, duration of motion, proximity of associated devices, etc.

[0143] At point 1208, the MIT device can determine that the motion has ended and that it has performed a position update operation with another device (e.g., an associated device). The MIT device can then return to low-power mode and resume monitoring through the scan window.

[0144] Go to Figure 13 At 1302, an MIT device (such as MIT device 108) having any / all low-power radio interfaces (e.g., wake-up radio components and / or wake-up receivers), medium-power radio interfaces (e.g., Bluetooth (BT) and / or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)), and / or high-power radio interfaces (e.g., UWB, 60 GHz) can be in a low-power operating mode (e.g., operating in low-power operating mode). In low-power mode, the MIT device can periodically scan for messages addressed to the MIT device (e.g., beacons, polling, probes, etc.) via the low-power radio interface, which can signal to the MIT device to activate a higher-power radio interface. Messages can be received from associated devices (e.g., paired devices or devices associated with the same or related user accounts, such as wireless station 106, wireless node 107, and / or AP 112) or from unassociated devices (e.g., devices associated with different user accounts). In some embodiments, while in low-power mode, the MIT device may transmit intermittently (e.g., continuously or periodically) to conserve battery power. Furthermore, in response to one or more factors, such as battery level, congestion / interference, time of day, sensor data, etc., the scan window period (e.g., the width of the window) and interval (e.g., the period between intervals) can be set or dynamically adjusted. Additionally, the MIT device can respond to messages that uniquely address to the MIT device, to a group (or set) including MIT devices, or to all MIT devices. The MIT device can also ignore messages that are not addressed to the MIT device, such as messages that uniquely address to different MIT devices or to a group to which the MIT device does not belong.

[0145] At 1304, the MIT device may activate at least one higher-power interface, for example, based on detected motion and / or messages received during the scanning window. At 1306, the MIT device may determine whether its current location corresponds to a safe area, a risk area, or some other defined area. The area (or zone) can be any defined or confined space (e.g., a geofenced area). At 1308, the MIT device may adjust its behavior based on the determined area. For example, when the MIT device determines that it is in a safe area, it may enter a low-power mode and select a scanning window setting that will allow the MIT device to enhance power savings. In some implementations, the MIT device's operating settings may be dynamically adjusted to achieve a target operating duration, such as 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, 36 months, etc. For example, when an MIT device determines that it is in a risky (or dangerous) area, such as in a traffic scenario, the MIT device may choose to set a scanning window that allows it to identify messages more quickly (e.g., a longer, more frequent scanning window), and may optionally activate a higher-power interface (e.g., BT / BLE) to actively transmit beacons. The risky area MIT device settings may be maintained until the MIT device determines an exit event, such as leaving the risky area, entering a safe area, or determining that it is lost (e.g., after not contacting another device for a threshold time period and / or being outside a known area).

[0146] At point 1310, once the trigger condition is met, the MIT device can return to a low-power mode. For example, after establishing contact with another device, after performing a successful location update operation, after returning to a safe area, when movement stops, or after detecting a nearby associated device, the MIT device can return to a lower-power operating mode.

[0147] Go to Figure 14At 1402, an MIT device (such as MIT device 108) having any / all low-power radio interfaces (e.g., wake-up radio components and / or wake-up receivers), medium-power radio interfaces (e.g., Bluetooth (BT) and / or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)), and / or high-power radio interfaces (e.g., UWB, 60 GHz) can be in a low-power operating mode (e.g., operating in low-power operating mode). In low-power mode, the MIT device can periodically scan for messages addressed to the MIT device (e.g., beacons, polling, probes, etc.) via the low-power radio interfaces, which can signal to the MIT device to activate a higher-power radio interface. Messages can be received from associated devices (e.g., paired devices or devices associated with the same or related user accounts, such as wireless station 106, wireless node 107, and / or AP 112) or from unassociated devices (e.g., devices associated with different user accounts). In some embodiments, while in low-power mode, the MIT device can transmit intermittently (e.g., continuously or periodically) to conserve battery power. Furthermore, in response to one or more factors, such as battery level, congestion / interference, time of day, sensor data, etc., the scan window period (e.g., the width of the window) and interval (e.g., the period between intervals) can be set or dynamically adjusted. Additionally, the MIT device can respond to messages that uniquely address to the MIT device, to a group (or set) including MIT devices, or to all MIT devices. The MIT device can also ignore messages that are not addressed to the MIT device, such as messages that uniquely address to different MIT devices or to a group to which the MIT device does not belong.

[0148] At 1404, the MIT device may activate at least one higher-power interface, for example, based on detected motion and / or messages received during the scanning window. At 1406, the MIT device may determine that it has been lost (e.g., in a lost state). For example, the MIT device may determine that it has not contacted another device for more than a threshold duration and / or is located outside a known area. At 1408, in response to determining that it is lost, the MIT device may switch to a mode in which at least one higher-power interface is periodically activated (e.g., adjusting behavior based on the lost state). For example, the MIT device may activate a medium-power interface (e.g., BT / BLE) and may periodically transmit one or more beacons. The beacon period, beacon interval, and number of beacons transmitted may be selected to save power, increase the probability of detection, or both. Furthermore, the transmission power of one or more beacons may be varied. For example, the beacon transmission power (e.g., -25dBm, -10dBm, 0dBm, +4dBm) may be periodically varied to cover a variety of ranges. Any number of different transmission power values ​​may be used, and the power shown is merely exemplary.

[0149] Furthermore, the amount and value of transmission power used, as well as the timing, can vary based on a variety of factors, such as remaining battery power, time of day, amount of light, and length of time since the last contact with another device. For example, a more aggressive beacon transmission can be performed while there is still sufficiently high battery power (e.g., above 50%, between 50% and 20%, above 10%, etc.). A more aggressive beacon transmission can also be performed during times when people are more likely to be present (e.g., based on the MIT device's clock, embedded light sensors, detected RF signals, etc.). Similarly, for example, when battery power drops below a predetermined level, the MIT device can switch to a more conservative beacon transmission during periods when people are less likely to be present.

[0150] At point 1410, once the triggering conditions are met, the MIT device can return to a low-power mode. For example, after establishing contact with another device, after performing a successful location update operation, after returning to a safe area, when movement stops, or after detecting a nearby associated device, the MIT device can return to a lower-power operating mode.

[0151] Figure 15 This illustrates example methods for scanning and detecting MIT devices according to some implementation schemes. Among other devices, Figure 15 The method shown can be used in conjunction with any of the systems or devices shown in the accompanying drawings. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown may be executed concurrently in a different order than that shown, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be executed as needed. As shown, the method operates as follows.

[0152] At 1502, a wireless device (such as wireless station 106, wireless node 107, and / or AP 112) can transmit messages to one or more MIT devices (or tags, transponders, etc., such as MIT device 108). The wireless device can be associated with one or more MIT devices. For example, the device can be a companion device (e.g., a telephone or mobile computing device) associated with a user account that is also associated with one or more MIT devices (a public user account), or previously paired with MIT devices. The wireless device can address messages to a specific MIT device (e.g., associated with an object to be located), a group of MIT devices (e.g., of a general type or connected by association), or generally, to all MIT devices. Additionally, messages can be transmitted using an interface that can be accommodated by a low-power interface of the MIT device (e.g., a wake-up radio component and / or a wake-up receiver).

[0153] At point 1504, the wireless device can establish communication with one of one or more MIT devices via a medium-power interface. It should be noted that in some embodiments, upon receiving a message, the MIT device may activate a medium-power (and range) interface, such as a Bluetooth (BT) interface or a BT Low Energy (BLE) interface. In some cases, the wireless device may utilize communication via the medium-power interface to locate the MIT device. For example, the wireless device may instruct the MIT device to output one or more signals, such as auditory signals, visual signals (e.g., light), and / or tactile signals. Alternatively or concurrently, the wireless device and the MIT device may use signal information (e.g., signal strength measurement (RSSI)) to perform the location operation. In other cases, the wireless device may instruct the MIT device to activate a high-power interface (such as a UWB interface) to provide (e.g., more accurate location information compared to other methods of determining the location of the MIT device). In some embodiments, the wireless device and the MIT device may use a single interface or multiple interfaces for location operations.

[0154] At point 1506, the wireless device may present a location interface, for example, on a display. The location interface may be a real-time image (e.g., a camera feed) or a rendering (e.g., a map, a blank screen, etc.), and may also include one or more location indicators corresponding to the location of the MIT device. For example, one or more arrows, dots, circles, or other such indicators. Additionally, the one or more location indicators may vary, for example, in size, color, shape, and / or intensity, to provide more information about the location of the MIT device. In some embodiments, the wireless device may present the location interface only when the high-power interface is active.

[0155] At point 1508, once the location of the MIT device is determined (e.g., via a high-power interface), the wireless device can send one or more messages instructing the MIT device to activate the high-power interface, for example, to reduce battery consumption. Additionally, the wireless device can instruct the MIT device to activate one or more other interfaces and / or terminate one or more (e.g., auditory, visual, tactile) outputs. Furthermore, the instruction can instruct the MIT device to return to a lower-power operating mode, for example, by periodically scanning for wake-up signals via a low-power interface (e.g., waking up the radio components and / or waking up the receiver).

[0156] MIT equipment usage implementation plan

[0157] In some implementations, a multi-interface responder (MIT) device, such as MIT device 108, can be used as a money device, for example, for money transfers and / or as a payment device. For example, the MIT device can be used to transfer funds, acting as a stored-value card or cash card, such as a prepaid transportation card, gift card, or other implementation of such a card. For example, in addition to communication circuitry, one or more sensors, a processor, memory, power supply, etc., the MIT device may include a secure processor and / or secure storage device. In such implementations, the MIT device can operate in standalone mode (or as a standalone device), for example, without accompanying equipment. In some implementations, the MIT device may be associated with an account (e.g., a bank account, such as a credit card, debit card, check, and / or savings account) or a money pool (e.g., a pre-funded account, such as one held by a service but not directly associated with a bank account). In some implementations, the MIT device may be enabled to perform “tap-to-pay” operations using an ultra-wideband interface, thereby allowing for a high level of transaction security. In some implementations, the MIT device may be implemented as a lending device, for example, enabling it to lend money via third-party services such as Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay, etc.

[0158] For example, MIT devices can be attached to (or associated with) items to be shared among user groups, such as neighbors within a neighborhood and / or members of a social group. In some implementations, MIT devices can assist in tracking items (e.g., last user, last and / or current location) and maintaining information associated with the items (e.g., user, location, usage, etc.). Similarly, MIT devices can be used for inventory tracking in companies, sports teams, communities, etc. (e.g., attached to / associated with items typically allocated to or shared with users).

[0159] In some implementations, a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device, such as MIT device 108, can be used as a form of identification, for example, for verifying a visitor. For example, in some implementations, the MIT device can be a digital representation of a person's identity. In some implementations, for example, the MIT device can store authentication information, such as a token, in secure storage. Furthermore, the authentication information can be encrypted in a manner that allows secure decryption and authentication. This representation may include a description of the person, an image, current location, and / or expected location. In some implementations, a user can scan to discover the MIT device and determine its location and the person's identity. For example, when the MIT device is discovered by scanning (e.g., via a wireless device, such as AP 112, wireless station 106, and / or wireless node 107), information can be provided to the user to confirm the person's identity, such as a photograph identifying the person, a marker of the person's expected location, etc. In some implementations, scanning can be implemented via a home security system, for example, for identity verification and / or authorized access, or conversely, for unauthorized access and notification of security. As another example, the MIT device can be implemented as part of a chain of trust, for example, to allow in-store pickup of online orders, signatures on received shipments, etc.

[0160] Other implementation plans

[0161] In some embodiments, such as those described herein, a multi-interface transponder device (MIT) may include one or more radio components (e.g., for supporting interfaces), at least one antenna, memory, and one or more processors (e.g., processing circuitry, processing elements, etc.). In some embodiments, the one or more radio components may include one or more of Bluetooth (BT) radio components (e.g., any radio component supporting various forms of Bluetooth, including Bluetooth Low Energy), ultra-wideband (UWB) radio components, and / or ultra-low power radio components (e.g., wake-up radio components and / or wake-up receivers). Furthermore, in some embodiments, the MIT device may include motion sensing circuitry (e.g., a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and / or any component of a variety of other motion sensing components).

[0162] In some implementations, the MIT device can be configured as follows:

[0163] Enter a low-power mode that disables the second radio component;

[0164] While in the low-power mode, receive a wake-up signal from a neighboring wireless device; and

[0165] After switching to a higher power mode in response to receiving the wake-up signal, a beacon is transmitted via the second radio component, wherein the second radio component is enabled in the higher power mode. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may be received by an ultra-low power radio component, for example, via ULP / LP communication with the adjacent wireless device.

[0166] In some implementations, neighboring wireless devices may include accompanying devices. In some implementations, the accompanying device may have already assisted the MIT device in registering with a location server. In some implementations, the accompanying device and the MIT device may be associated with a location server. In some implementations, the MIT may be configured to:

[0167] Receive from the neighboring wireless devices an indication that the location associated with the MIT device has been updated at the location server; and

[0168] The switch to the low-power mode is based at least in part on the instruction.

[0169] In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may indicate the transmission rate. In some embodiments, the transmission rate may be based at least in part on one or more of a transport mode detected by neighboring wireless devices and / or an expected medium congestion detected by neighboring wireless devices. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may indicate the transmission power. In some embodiments, the transmission power may be based at least in part on one or more of a transport mode detected by neighboring wireless devices and / or an expected medium congestion detected by neighboring wireless devices.

[0170] In some implementations, the second radio component may include an ultra-wideband radio component.

[0171] In some implementations, neighboring wireless devices may include non-accompanying devices. In some implementations, non-accompanying devices and MIT devices may be associated with a location server.

[0172] In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may be received via a first radio component. In some embodiments, the first radio component may include one of a Bluetooth radio component and / or an ultra-low power radio component (e.g., a wake-up radio component and / or a wake-up receiver).

[0173] In some embodiments, the MIT device may be further configured to determine a first state of the MIT device based at least in part on the duration since communication with the accompanying device, and to transition to a lost operation mode based on the first state. In some embodiments, the accompanying device may have assisted the MIT device in registering with a location server. In some embodiments, the accompanying device and the MIT device may be associated with a location server. In some embodiments, while in lost operation mode, the MIT device may be configured to transmit beacons via a first radio component at a first periodic interval during a first part of the day, and via the first radio component at a second periodic interval during a second part of the day. In some embodiments, the first part of the day may at least partially correspond to daytime, and the second part of the day may at least partially correspond to non-daytime. In some embodiments, the second periodic interval may be longer than the first periodic interval. In some embodiments, the MIT device may be configured to increase the transmission power of the beacons transmitted via the first radio component based at least in part on either the duration or the time of day. In some embodiments, the first radio component may include a Bluetooth radio component. In some implementations, the first state of the MIT device may be further based, at least in part, on the duration since the location update indication or the reception of a signal from a neighboring wireless device.

[0174] In some implementations, the MIT device can be configured as follows:

[0175] Operates in a low-power mode, wherein the ultra-wideband (UWB) radio component communicating with the at least one processor is disabled;

[0176] When operating in the low-power mode, a wake-up signal is received from a neighboring wireless device;

[0177] Generate instructions to switch out of the low-power mode, and enable the UWB radio component in response to receiving the wake-up signal; and

[0178] Commands are generated to transmit a location beacon to the neighboring wireless device via the UWB radio component. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may be received by an ultra-low power radio component, for example, via ULP / LP communication with the neighboring wireless device.

[0179] In some implementations, a wake-up signal may be received via either a Bluetooth radio component or an ultra-low power radio component (e.g., a wake-up radio component and / or a wake-up receiver) that communicates with at least one processor.

[0180] In some implementations, the wake-up signal can indicate the transmission rate and transmission power of the location beacon.

[0181] In some implementations, the MIT device may be further configured as follows:

[0182] Receive from neighboring wireless devices an indication that the location associated with the MIT device has been updated at the location server; and

[0183] Instructions are generated to switch to the low-power mode and disable the UWB radio component.

[0184] In some implementations, the wake-up signal may indicate the transmission rate and transmission power of the location beacon. In some implementations, each of the transmission rate and transmission power may be based at least in part on one or more of a transport pattern detected by neighboring wireless devices and / or anticipated media congestion detected by neighboring wireless devices.

[0185] In some implementations, the MIT device can be configured as follows:

[0186] The location beacon is broadcast at a first transmission rate and a first transmission power;

[0187] In response to the detection of the trigger condition, the first transmission rate is increased to the second transmission rate;

[0188] as well as

[0189] The location beacon is broadcast at a second transmission rate and a first transmission power.

[0190] In some embodiments, the triggering condition may include receiving an indication that the accompanying device has been moved beyond a threshold distance from the MIT device. In some embodiments, this indication may be received via a first radio component, and the location beacon may be transmitted via a second radio component. In some embodiments, the threshold distance may be approximately 1 meter.

[0191] In some implementations, the MIT device can be configured as follows:

[0192] Receive from accompanying equipment an indication to increase the transmission power to a second transmission power, wherein the indication is at least partially based on media congestion; and

[0193] The location beacon is transmitted to the accompanying equipment using a second transmission power.

[0194] In some implementations, the MIT device may be configured to: before broadcasting the location beacon at a first transmission rate and a first transmission power.

[0195] When operating in low-power mode, an instruction for a transport mode transition is received from the accompanying equipment, wherein the second radio component is disabled in low-power mode; and

[0196] Based on this instruction, the system switches to a higher power mode, in which the second radio component is enabled.

[0197] In some implementations, the MIT device can be configured as follows:

[0198] Receive an indication from the accompanying equipment that the transport mode transition has ended; and

[0199] It switches back to low power state in response to an indication.

[0200] In some implementations, the triggering condition may include detecting a change in transportation mode. This change may include the cessation of transportation mode. In some implementations, this determination may be based on a change in the speed of the MIT device.

[0201] In some implementations, the MIT device can be configured as follows:

[0202] When in the first power state, the transition to the second power state is determined at least in part based on the detection of an event detectable via a first interface of the MIT device (e.g., supported by a first radio component of one or more radio components) and / or a motion sensing circuit.

[0203] Transition from the first power state to the second power state;

[0204] When in the second power state, one or more beacons are transmitted via either the second interface of the MIT device (e.g., supported by the second radio component of one or more radio components) or the third interface (e.g., supported by the third radio component of one or more radio components);

[0205] While in the second power state, receive from neighboring wireless devices an indication that the location associated with the MIT device has been updated at the location server; and

[0206] The transition to the third power state is determined at least in part based on indications.

[0207] In some implementations, the selection of a second or third interface may be based at least in part on the detected events. In some implementations, both the neighboring wireless device and the MIT device may be associated with a location server.

[0208] In some implementations, the first interface may be an ultra-low power radio frequency (RF) interface (e.g., such as a wake-up radio component and / or a wake-up receiver). In other words, in some implementations, the first radio component may be an ultra-low power radio component. In some implementations, the first interface may be a Bluetooth (BT) interface. Therefore, in such implementations, the first radio component may be a Bluetooth radio component.

[0209] In some implementations, the second interface may be one of a Bluetooth interface and an ultra-wideband (UWB) radio frequency (RF) interface, and the third interface may be one of a Bluetooth (BT) interface and a UWB RF interface. In other words, in some implementations, the second and third radio components may be one of a BT radio component and / or a UWB radio component.

[0210] In some embodiments, events detectable via the first interface may include receiving a wake-up signal from an accompanying device. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may include instructions for transitioning to a second power state. In some embodiments, the instructions may instruct the MIT device to activate the third interface, for example, when the third interface includes a UWB RF interface. In some embodiments, the instructions may instruct the MIT device to activate the second interface, for example, when the second interface includes a BT interface.

[0211] In some implementations, the instruction may indicate a transmission rate. In some implementations, the transmission rate may be based at least in part on a transport pattern detected by the accompanying device. In some implementations, the transmission rate may be based at least in part on anticipated media congestion detected by the accompanying device.

[0212] In some implementations, the instruction may indicate transmission power. In some implementations, the transmission power may be based at least in part on the transport mode detected by the accompanying equipment. In some implementations, the transmission power may be based at least in part on (and / or further on) anticipated media congestion detected by the accompanying equipment.

[0213] In some implementations, neighboring wireless devices may be accompanying devices that have likely helped the MIT device register with the location server. In other implementations, neighboring wireless devices may be non-accompanying devices that may be associated with the location server.

[0214] In some implementations, the MIT device can be configured as follows:

[0215] The first state of the MIT device is determined at least in part based on the duration since communication with the accompanying device; and

[0216] Based on the first situation, switch to the first operating mode.

[0217] In some embodiments, the first operating mode may include any, any combination of, and / or all of the following operations: transmitting the beacon through the first interface at a first periodic interval during a first part of the day, transmitting the beacon through the first interface at a second periodic interval during a second part of the day, and / or increasing the beacon's transmission power at least partially based on either the duration and / or the time of day. In some embodiments, the first part of the day may at least partially correspond to daytime. In some embodiments, the second part of the day may at least partially correspond to non-daytime. In some embodiments, the second periodic interval may be longer than the first periodic interval.

[0218] In some implementations, the first state of the MIT device may be further based, at least in part, on the duration since the location update indication and / or the reception of a signal from a neighboring device.

[0219] In some implementations, the first periodic interval may be adjusted at least in part based on the transmission power.

[0220] In some implementations, the MIT device may be further configured as follows:

[0221] Receiving signals from neighboring wireless devices; and

[0222] The transmission frequency and / or transmission power are increased in response to the received signal.

[0223] In some embodiments, the first operating mode may further include a power-saving cycle. In some embodiments, the length of the power-saving cycle may be at least 10 times the length of the first or second part of a day. In some embodiments, the length of the power-saving cycle may be at least 100 times the length of the first or second part of a day. In some embodiments, the length of the power-saving cycle may be at least 1000 times the length of the first or second part of a day.

[0224] In some implementations, the first interface may be a Bluetooth interface.

[0225] In some implementations, the MIT device can be configured as follows:

[0226] Receives a transport mode switching instruction from the accompanying device via the first interface and while in a first power state;

[0227] In response to an indication, switch to a second low-power state; and

[0228] One or more beacons are transmitted to an accompanying device via a second interface at a first transmission rate and a first transmission power.

[0229] In some implementations, switching to a second power state can activate a second interface. In some implementations, the second interface can consume more power than the first interface.

[0230] In some implementations, the first interface may be an ultra-low power wake-up radio frequency (URF) interface. In some implementations, the second interface may be either a Bluetooth interface or an ultra-wideband RF interface.

[0231] In some implementations, the MIT device may be further configured as follows:

[0232] Receive an indication from the accompanying equipment that the transport mode transition has ended; and

[0233] It switches back to the first power state in response to the instruction.

[0234] In some implementations, the MIT device may be further configured as follows:

[0235] Receive an indication from the accompanying device that the accompanying device has moved beyond a threshold distance from the MIT device; and

[0236] Increase the transmission rate of one or more beacons in response to an instruction.

[0237] In some implementations, the threshold distance may be approximately 1 meter. In other implementations, the threshold distance may be greater than 2 feet but less than 3 feet.

[0238] In some implementations, the MIT device may be further configured to receive an indication to increase transmission power from an accompanying device, wherein the indication is at least in part based on media congestion.

[0239] In some implementations, the accompanying device may be at least one of a user device or a wearable device.

[0240] In some implementations, the mode of transport may include at least one of vehicles, trains, ships, or airplanes.

[0241] In some embodiments, wireless devices such as those described herein (e.g., client sites and / or wireless nodes) may be configured as companion devices to, for example, multi-interface transponder (MIT) devices as described herein. The wireless device may include one or more radio components (e.g., for supporting one or more interfaces), at least one antenna, memory, and one or more processors (e.g., processing circuitry, processing elements, etc.). In some embodiments, the one or more radio components may include one or more of Bluetooth (BT) radio components (e.g., any radio component supporting various forms of Bluetooth, including Bluetooth Low Energy), ultra-wideband (UWB) radio components, ultra-low power radio components (e.g., wake-up radio components and / or wake-up receivers), and / or cellular radio components. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the wireless device may include motion sensing circuitry (e.g., a gyroscope, accelerometer, and / or any component of a variety of other motion sensing components).

[0242] In some implementations, the wireless device may be configured as follows:

[0243] Transmit the command to the MIT device to activate the ultra-wideband interface;

[0244] Receive one or more signals from MIT devices via ultra-wideband communication;

[0245] The location of the MIT device relative to the wireless device is determined based on one or more received signals;

[0246] Displaying an indication of the MIT device's location relative to a wireless device via a user interface; and

[0247] The MIT device's position relative to the wireless device is updated based on the movement of the wireless device.

[0248] In some implementations, the instruction may be transmitted via an ultra-low power radio frequency signal.

[0249] In some implementations, the instruction can be displayed via a map shown on the display of a wireless device.

[0250] In some implementations, the instruction may include rendering an augmented reality representation of the MIT device's location relative to the wireless device.

[0251] In some implementations, the wireless device may be further configured to transmit instructions to the MIT device in response to determining the location of the MIT device, to deactivate the MIT device's ultra-wideband interface. In some implementations, the wireless device may be further configured to transmit a location update message to a location server in response to determining the location of the MIT device.

[0252] As described above, one aspect of this technology involves collecting and using data from specific and legitimate sources to track and / or update the location of a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device. This disclosure envisions that, in some instances, the collected data may include personal information data that uniquely identifies or can be used to identify a specific person. Such personal information data may include demographic data, location-based data, online identifiers, telephone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, data or records related to a user's health or fitness level (e.g., vital sign measurements, medication information, exercise information), date of birth, or any other personal information.

[0253] This disclosure recognizes that the use of such personal information data in the techniques of this invention can benefit users. For example, tracking and / or updating the location of MIT devices can help users keep track of the location of various important items such as keys, luggage, music devices, sports equipment, backpacks, briefcases, etc.

[0254] This disclosure assumes that entities responsible for collecting, analyzing, disclosing, transmitting, storing, or otherwise using such personal information data will comply with established privacy policies and / or privacy practices. Specifically, it is expected that such entities will implement and consistently apply privacy practices generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Such information regarding the use of personal data should be highlighted and easily accessible to users, and should be updated as the collection and / or use of data changes. Users' personal information should be collected only for lawful use. Furthermore, such collection / sharing should only occur after receiving user consent or other lawful grounds provided for in applicable law. In addition, such entities should consider taking any necessary steps to protect and safeguard access to such personal information data and ensure that others with access to personal information data comply with their privacy policies and processes. Additionally, such entities may be subject to third-party assessments to demonstrate their compliance with widely accepted privacy policies and practices. Furthermore, policies and practices should be tailored to the specific types of personal information data collected and / or accessed, and made applicable to applicable laws and standards, including jurisdiction-specific considerations that may be used to impose higher standards. For example, in the United States, the collection or access to certain health data may be governed by federal and / or state laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA); while health data in other countries may be subject to other regulations and policies and should be handled accordingly.

[0255] Regardless of the foregoing, this disclosure also anticipates implementation schemes for users to selectively block the use or access to personal information data. That is, this disclosure anticipates providing hardware and / or software components to prevent or block access to such personal information data.

[0256] Furthermore, the purpose of this disclosure is to manage and process personal information data to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Once data is no longer needed, this risk can be minimized by limiting data collection and deleting data. Additionally, and where applicable, including in certain health-related applications, data deidentification can be used to protect user privacy. Deidentification can be facilitated, where appropriate, by removing identifiers, controlling the amount or specificity of stored data (e.g., collecting location data at the city level rather than the address level), controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data among users), and / or other methods such as differentiated privacy.

[0257] Therefore, while this disclosure broadly covers the use of personal information data to implement one or more of the various disclosed embodiments, it is also contemplated that various embodiments can be implemented without access to such personal information data. That is, various embodiments of the present invention will not be rendered inoperable due to the absence of all or part of such personal information data. For example, content can be selected and delivered to the user based on aggregated non-personal information data or an absolute minimum amount of personal information, such as content processed only on the user's device or other non-personal information that can be used for content delivery services.

[0258] Embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments may be implemented as computer-implemented methods, computer-readable storage media, or computer systems. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0259] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured to store program instructions and / or data, wherein if the program instructions are executed by a computer system, the computer system performs a method, such as any method embodiment of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset or combination of any such subset of any method embodiments described herein.

[0260] In some implementations, the wireless device may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, and the processor is configured to read from and execute the program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable to cause the wireless device to implement any of the various method implementations described herein (or any combination of the method implementations described herein, or any subset or combination of any such subset of any method implementations described herein). The device may be implemented in any of a variety of forms.

[0261] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the disclosure is fully understood. This disclosure is intended to render the following claims as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A method for operating a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device, comprising: The MIT device. Communicating with accompanying devices in higher power mode; Entering a low-power mode, the radio components associated with the higher-power mode are disabled in the low-power mode; A first state of the MIT device is determined at least in part based on the duration since communication with the accompanying device, wherein the first state is associated with determining that the MIT device is lost; as well as Based on the first situation, the method transitions to a lost operation mode, wherein when in the lost operation mode, the method further includes the MIT device: The beacon is transmitted at first periodic intervals during a portion of a day that corresponds at least partially to the time of daytime via a first radio component associated with the low-power mode. The beacon is transmitted at second periodic intervals via the first radio component associated with the low-power mode, during a portion of the day that corresponds at least partially to the non-daytime hours. As the duration of communication with the accompanying device increases, one or more operating parameters associated with communication or power management are adjusted.

2. The method according to claim 1, The accompanying device assists the MIT device in registering with the location server.

3. The method according to claim 2, The accompanying device and the MIT device are associated with the location server.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: The MIT device. Receive from the accompanying device an indication that the location associated with the MIT device has been updated at the location server; as well as The system switches to the low-power mode at least in part based on the instruction.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The MIT device. When in the low-power mode, a wake-up signal is received from the accompanying device; as well as After switching to the higher power mode in response to receiving the wake-up signal, the beacon is transmitted via the radio component associated with the higher power mode.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: The MIT device. Before transmitting the beacon, the radio component associated with the higher power is activated.

7. The method according to claim 5, The wake-up signal indicates at least the transmission rate.

8. The method according to claim 7, The transmission rate is based, in part, on one or more of the following: The transportation mode detected by the accompanying device; or The anticipated media congestion detected by the accompanying device.

9. The method according to claim 5, The wake-up signal indicates at least the transmission power.

10. The method according to claim 9, The transmission power is based, in part, on one or more of the following: The transportation mode detected by the accompanying device; or The anticipated media congestion detected by the accompanying device.

11. The method according to claim 5, The wake-up signal is received via a radio component associated with the low-power mode.

12. The method according to claim 1, The radio component associated with the low-power mode includes either a Bluetooth radio component or an ultra-low power radio component.

13. The method according to claim 1, The radio components associated with the higher power mode include ultra-wideband radio components.

14. The method according to claim 1, The second periodic interval is longer than the first periodic interval.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The MIT device. The transmission power of the beacon transmitted via the first radio component associated with the low-power mode is increased, at least in part based on either the duration or the time of day.

16. The method according to claim 1, The first state of the MIT device is further based, at least in part, on the duration since the indication of a location update from the accompanying device.

17. The method according to claim 1, The first condition of the MIT device is further based, at least in part, on signals received from neighboring wireless devices.

18. The method according to claim 1, The one or more operating parameters associated with communication or power management include one or more of transmission rate, transmission power, interface selection, or beacon scheduling.

19. A multi-interface transponder MIT device, comprising: A first radio component, the first radio component including circuitry supporting at least a first radio access technology (RAT); The second radio component includes circuitry supporting at least a second RAT; as well as One or more processors, said one or more processors being coupled to the first radio component and the second radio component; and The one or more processors are configured to cause the MIT device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. An electronic device comprising: Memory; as well as At least one processor communicating with the memory; The at least one processor is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions executable by processing circuitry of a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

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