Tracking device

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a tracking device, which is based on short-range wireless communication technology and used for close-range tracking of a target. The tracking device comprises a main

Description

Tracking device Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the field of short-range wireless communication technology, and more particularly to a tracking device. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the development of communication technology, new communication methods have emerged that can be used both in industrial production and in people's daily lives. For example, in long-distance communication, communication technologies such as mobile networks, telephone networks, and the Internet, or in short-range wireless communication, communication technologies such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (i.e., mobile hotspots), and NFC (Near Field Communication) have emerged.

[0003] The diversification of people's lives today has led to an increasing number of personal belongings, making them easily forgotten or lost. Therefore, to facilitate tracking forgotten or lost items among their numerous possessions, people have come up with the idea of ​​attaching tracking devices to items. Prior art positioning technologies based on communication principles make it easy to determine the location of tracked items. However, positioning technologies require multiple distance conversions based on radio intensity, placing high demands on the distance conversion algorithm. Short-range positioning accuracy is insufficient, and accurate vertical location information is difficult to obtain. Therefore, when locating and tracking items at close range, people have come up with tracking technologies based on the principles of short-range wireless communication. These technologies can address the aforementioned shortcomings of positioning technologies, offering advantages such as simple algorithm requirements, accurate short-range tracking, and freedom from directional constraints.

[0004] However, in commonly used tracking technologies based on the principle of short-range wireless communication, beacons installed on the target (i.e., the tracked item) are mostly configured to emit radio signals at all times, thereby facilitating the tracking device to receive and track. Such beacons consume high power and have a short service life, which is not conducive to tracking targets that have been lost for a long time.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present disclosure is completed in view of the above-mentioned existing technical conditions, and its purpose is to provide a tracking device that can reduce the power consumption of a short-range beacon on a tracked or tracked target, thereby extending the service life of the tracking device.

[0007] To this end, the present disclosure provides a tracking device, which is a tracking device for short-range tracking of targets based on short-range wireless communication technology, including a main controller and at least one short-range beacon; the short-range beacon is attached to or integrated with at least one of the targets, and is configured to transmit a radio signal after receiving a wake-up signal, the radio signal including radio strength information and verification information characterizing parameter information of the short-range beacon; the main controller is configured to send the wake-up signal and receive the radio signal, establish a communication connection with the short-range beacon to be tracked among the short-range beacons based on the verification information in the radio signal, and send an alarm prompt based on the radio strength information in the radio signal after establishing the communication connection, the alarm prompt being used to characterize the relative position of the main controller and the short-range beacon to be tracked.

[0008] In the tracking device disclosed herein, a main controller is used to establish a communication connection with a short-range beacon attached to or integrated with a target. An alarm can be issued based on the radio strength information in the radio signal transmitted by the short-range beacon to determine the relative position of the main controller and the short-range beacon, that is, the target can be tracked through the main controller. In addition, the main controller and the short-range beacon are communicated based on the verification information, which enables the main controller to match the correct short-range beacon, that is, to match the target to be tracked, thereby improving the accuracy of tracking. In addition, the short-range beacon transmits a radio signal after receiving the wake-up signal transmitted by the main controller, which enables the short-range beacon to be in a state of not transmitting a radio signal before being awakened, thereby reducing the power consumption of the short-range beacon, that is, extending the service life of the short-range beacon.

[0009] In addition, in the tracking device of the present disclosure, optionally, if the power of the radio signal transmitted by the short-range beacon to be tracked does not meet the requirement for establishing the communication connection, the transmission power of the short-range beacon to be tracked is switched from low to high so that the short-range beacon and the main controller establish the communication connection. In this case, by switching the transmission power of the short-range beacon from low to high, the transmission range of the radio signal of the short-range beacon can be increased, thereby facilitating the establishment of the communication connection between the short-range beacon and the main controller.

[0010] Additionally, in the tracking device of the present disclosure, optionally, after establishing the communication connection with the main controller, the short-range beacon to be tracked switches its transmit power from high to low based on the radio strength information to a preset threshold that satisfies the requirements for establishing the communication connection, and transmits the radio signal at the preset threshold. In this case, by operating the short-range beacon at the preset transmit power threshold, the requirement for establishing a communication connection with the main controller is met while minimizing the short-range beacon's power consumption.

[0011] Additionally, in the tracking device of the present disclosure, the short-range beacon optionally transmits the radio signal periodically with a period of no less than 0.1 seconds. In this case, the short-range beacon transmits the radio signal at a more appropriate period, thereby reducing the problem of excessive power consumption caused by excessively frequent radio signal transmissions with a short period, thereby further reducing the power consumption of the short-range beacon.

[0012] In addition, in the tracking device involved in the present disclosure, optionally, when there are multiple short-range beacons to be tracked, the verification information of different short-range beacons to be tracked is different, and different wake-up signals correspond to different short-range beacons to be tracked. The main controller is further configured to select one or more short-range beacons to be tracked from at least one of the short-range beacons and send a wake-up signal corresponding to the short-range beacon to be tracked. In this case, different short-range beacons are selected through different wake-up signals, so that different short-range beacons can be tracked by the main controller, that is, different targets can be tracked, and the wake-up signal corresponds to the short-range beacon according to the verification information, thereby reducing the problem of inaccurate tracking.

[0013] In addition, in the tracking device involved in the present disclosure, optionally, the main controller includes a radio unit and a microcontroller unit, the radio unit is configured to send the wake-up signal and receive the radio signal, and the microcontroller unit is configured to establish a communication connection with the short-range beacon to be tracked through the radio unit based on the verification information in the radio signal, and send the alarm prompt based on the radio strength information in the radio signal. In this case, the main controller sends and receives radio signals through the radio unit, and analyzes the verification information in the radio signal through the microcontroller unit to facilitate the establishment of a communication connection, thereby enabling the wake-up signal to start the short-range beacon, and thereby enabling the short-range beacon to be tracked based on the radio signal emitted by the short-range beacon, that is, it is convenient to track the target and the short-range beacon can be placed in a state of not emitting radio signals before tracking to reduce the power consumption of the short-range beacon.

[0014] In addition, in the tracking device involved in the present disclosure, optionally, the main controller further includes an indication unit, and the alarm prompt is prompted by the indication unit in at least one of sound, light or vibration, and the radio strength information is the intensity value when the short-range beacon transmits the radio signal, and different radio strength information corresponds to different alarm prompts. In this case, the alarm prompt is prompted by the indication unit in at least one of sound, light or vibration. For example, in the form of light, it can be a graphic, light color, or light intensity, etc., and in the form of sound, it can be music, prompt words, etc., which can facilitate the judgment of the radio intensity in the radio signal, thereby enabling the tracking of the target based on the radio intensity. In addition, different radio strength information corresponds to different alarm prompts, that is, different intensities when transmitting radio signals correspond to different alarm prompts, which can improve the recognizability of radio signals, thereby facilitating the tracking of targets.

[0015] In addition, in the tracking device involved in the present disclosure, optionally, the main controller further includes an information selection unit, the information selection unit being configured to select one or more short-range beacons to be tracked from at least one of the short-range beacons, and the microcontroller unit being further configured to send a wake-up signal corresponding to the short-range beacon to be tracked in response to the information selection unit selecting the short-range beacon to be tracked. In this case, the information selection unit and the microcontroller unit can select and track from at least one short-range beacon to be tracked, thereby enabling targeted tracking and management of multiple targets.

[0016] In addition, the tracking device involved in the present disclosure may optionally further include an acceleration sensing unit and a direction sensing unit attached to or integrated with the target, the acceleration sensing unit and the direction sensing unit being electrically connected to the short-range beacon, respectively, the acceleration sensing unit being configured to detect the acceleration information of the target relative to the main controller, the direction sensing unit being configured to detect the direction information of the target relative to the main controller, and the radio signal also including the acceleration information and the direction information. In this case, obtaining the acceleration of the target through the acceleration sensing unit and obtaining the direction of the target through the direction sensing unit can assist the main controller in more accurately controlling the state of the target, thereby improving the tracking device's ability to track the target.

[0017] In addition, in the tracking device of the present disclosure, the microcontroller unit is optionally further configured to receive the acceleration information and the direction information via the radio unit and indicate them graphically via the indication unit. In this case, the tracking device can visualize the process of tracking the target via the graphical representation, thereby facilitating target tracking.

[0018] In addition, in the tracking device involved in the present disclosure, optionally, the short-range beacon includes a transmitting unit, a receiving unit and a processing unit, the transmitting unit is configured to transmit the radio signal based on the wake-up signal, the receiving unit is configured to receive the wake-up signal, and the processing unit is configured to start the transmitting unit to periodically transmit the radio signal based on the wake-up signal. In this case, the transmitting unit and the receiving unit of the short-range beacon operate independently of each other. After the receiving unit receives the wake-up signal from the main controller, the transmitting unit periodically sends the radio signal under the control of the processing unit, which can reduce unnecessary power consumption generated by the transmitting unit when it does not need to be tracked, thereby reducing the power consumption of the short-range beacon and extending the service life of the short-range beacon.

[0019] Additionally, in the tracking device of the present disclosure, the communication connection method may optionally include at least one of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, UWB, and ZigBee. In this case, the appropriate type of radio signal can be selected to track the target in different scenarios, thereby increasing the diversity of the tracking methods of the tracking device and meeting the needs of different scenarios.

[0020] In addition, in the tracking device of the present disclosure, the parameter information may optionally include the sequence, identification code, transmit power, and transmit period of the short-range beacon. In this case, the main controller can easily identify the short-range beacon to be tracked based on the sequence, identification code, transmit power, and transmit period, thereby improving the accuracy of target tracking.

[0021] According to the present disclosure, a tracking device can be provided that can reduce the power consumption of a short-range beacon on a tracked or tracked target, thereby extending the service life of the tracking device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The present disclosure will now be explained in further detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing an application scenario of the tracking device involved in the example of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG2 is a block diagram showing the structure of a tracking device according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a communication process between a main controller and a short-range beacon in a tracking device according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG4A is a schematic diagram illustrating a scenario in which the transmission power of a short-range beacon is switched from low to high according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG4B is a schematic diagram illustrating a scenario in which the transmission power of a short-range beacon is switched from high to low according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG5 is a block diagram showing the structure of a short-range beacon involved in examples of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a communication process between a main controller and a plurality of short-range beacons in a tracking device according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a structure of a main controller involved in an example of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG8 is a block diagram showing a second structure of the tracking device involved in the examples of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG9 is a block diagram showing a structure of a main controller involved in an example of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG10 is a schematic diagram showing an alarm prompt sent when the main controller and the short-range beacon involved in the example of the present disclosure are close to each other.

[0034] FIG11 is a schematic diagram showing an alarm prompt sent when the main controller and the short-range beacon involved in the example of the present disclosure are far apart.

[0035] Description of reference numerals:

[0036] 10…tracking device, 11…short-range beacon, 12…main controller, 13…acceleration sensing unit, 14…direction sensing unit, 111…transmitting unit, 112…receiving unit, 113…processing unit, 121…radio unit, 122…microcontroller unit, 123…indication unit, 124…information selection unit, 20…target. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments filled in by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0038] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", "third" and "fourth" in the specification and claims of the present disclosure and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units that are not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units that are inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices. In the following description, the same symbols are given to the same components, and repeated descriptions are omitted. In addition, the drawings are only schematic diagrams, and the ratio of the sizes of the components to each other or the shapes of the components may be different from the actual ones.

[0039] The present disclosure provides a tracking device for tracking targets at close range based on short-range wireless communication technology. In short-range wireless communication technology, the signal strength between a transmitter (such as a beacon) and a receiver (such as a main controller) is inversely proportional to the distance. That is, the smaller the distance, the greater the radio signal strength between the transmitter and the receiver. Therefore, the relative position of the transmitter and the receiver can be determined by determining the signal strength between the transmitter and the receiver. In other words, this principle can be used to form a simple tracking device by using the receiver as a tracker and the transmitter as the target to be tracked.

[0040] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an application scenario of a tracking device 10 according to an example of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a structure of a tracking device 10 according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0041] In some examples, the tracking device 10 involved in the present disclosure is sometimes also referred to as a "tracker", "tracking device", "tracking device" or "tracker". In the tracking device 10 involved in the present disclosure, by reducing the power consumption of the short-range beacon 11 on the tracked or tracked target 20, the service life of the tracking device 10 can be extended. In some examples, as shown in Figure 1, the target 20 referred to in the present disclosure may include but is not limited to personal items such as personal wearable devices, household items or office supplies. In other examples, the target 20 referred to in the present disclosure may also include but is not limited to movable objects such as infants, pets, etc.

[0042] As shown in FIG1 or FIG2 , the tracking device 10 of the present disclosure may include a main controller 12 and a short-range beacon 11. By establishing a radio communication connection between the main controller 12 and the short-range beacon 11, the relative positions of the main controller 12 and the short-range beacon 11 can be determined based on the radio signal therebetween, i.e., the target 20 can be tracked via the main controller 12. For example, when the short-range beacon 11 is attached to or integrated with the target 20, obtaining the relative position of the short-range beacon 11 and the main controller 12 means obtaining the relative position of the target 20 and the main controller 12.

[0043] FIG3 is a schematic diagram showing the communication process between the main controller 12 and the short-range beacon 11 in the tracking device 10 involved in the example of the present disclosure. FIG4A is a schematic diagram showing a scenario in which the transmission power of the short-range beacon 11 involved in the example of the present disclosure is switched from low to high. FIG4B is a schematic diagram showing a scenario in which the transmission power of the short-range beacon 11 involved in the example of the present disclosure is switched from high to low. It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity and aesthetics, FIG4A and FIG4B have virtualized the short-range beacon 11, that is, the figure does not illustrate the actual shape of the short-range beacon 11. In addition, the radio intensity values ​​exemplified in the figures are for illustration only and are not used to refer to the actual value of the radio intensity. For example, the transmission power of the radio can be a positive number, but the radio intensity obtained by measurement is usually a negative number. Therefore, the signs of the illustrative values ​​are not restricted in the figures.

[0044] As described above, the tracking device 10 involved in the present disclosure may include a short-range beacon 11. In some examples, as shown in FIG3 , the short-range beacon 11 may be configured to transmit a radio signal. Specifically, the short-range beacon 11 may be configured to transmit a radio signal after receiving a wake-up signal. In this case, the short-range beacon 11 transmits a radio signal after receiving the wake-up signal transmitted by the main controller 12, which enables the short-range beacon 11 to be in a non-radio transmission state before being awakened, thereby reducing the power consumption of the short-range beacon 11, that is, extending the service life of the short-range beacon 11.

[0045] In some examples, the power (i.e., transmit power) of the radio signal transmitted by the short-range beacon 11 can be switched, as can the strength of the transmitted radio signal. In some examples, transmit power, typically expressed as power or gain, with units of W (watts) and dBm (decibel milliwatts), can be switched from low to high before the short-range beacon 11 establishes a communication connection with the main controller 12 to increase the transmission range (i.e., the transmission range of the radio signal of the short-range beacon 11). After the short-range beacon 11 establishes a communication connection with the main controller 12, it can be switched from high to low to a fixed power to save power consumption and enable the short-range beacon 11 to be tracked by the main controller 12 at the fixed power.

[0046] Specifically, as shown in FIG4A , if the power of the radio signal transmitted by the short-range beacon 11 (e.g., 15 dBm in FIG4A ) does not meet the requirements for establishing a communication connection, the transmission power of the short-range beacon 11 may be switched from low to high (e.g., 30 dBm in FIG4A ) to enable the short-range beacon 11 to meet the requirements for establishing a communication connection with the main controller 12. In some examples, the transmission power of the short-range beacon 11 may be switched from low to high multiple times. For example, each switching may be performed at one of 1 dBm, 2 dBm, 3 dBm, 4 dBm, or 5 dBm until the switching meets the requirements for establishing a communication connection.

[0047] As shown in FIG4B , if the power of the radio signal transmitted by the short-range beacon 11 (such as 40 dBm in FIG4B ) can enable the short-range beacon 11 and the main controller 12 to meet the requirements for establishing a communication connection, after the communication connection is established, the power can be switched from high to low based on the radio strength information to a preset threshold that meets the requirements for establishing a communication connection (such as 20 dBm in FIG4B ), and the radio signal is transmitted at the preset threshold (such as 20 dBm). In some examples, the preset threshold can be a minimum value, that is, the minimum value that can enable the short-range beacon 11 and the main controller 12 to meet the requirements for establishing a communication connection between the short-range beacon 11 and the main controller 12. In some examples, the transmission power of the short-range beacon 11 can be switched from high to low in multiple times. For example, the transmission power of each switch can be one of 1 dBm, 2 dBm, 3 dBm, 4 dBm, or 5 dBm until it switches to the preset threshold.

[0048] In other examples, in conjunction with Figures 4A and 4B, after determining whether the short-range beacon 11 can establish a communication connection with the main controller 12, the short-range beacon 11 may first switch the transmission power from low to high and then switch from high to low to a preset threshold. For example, if the preset threshold is 20dBm, the short-range beacon 11 may directly switch to a transmission power greater than 20dBm (such as 30dBm) when the initial transmission power is 15dBm, and then switch to 20dBm. In some examples, the short-range beacon 11 may first switch the transmission power from high to low and then switch from low to high to the preset threshold. For example, if the preset threshold is 20dBm, the short-range beacon 11 may directly switch to a transmission power less than 20dBm (such as 15dBm) when the initial transmission power is 40dBm, and then switch to 20dBm.

[0049] In some examples, the radio signal transmitted by the short-range beacon 11 may include radio strength information and verification information representing parameter information of the short-range beacon 11. For example, if the parameter information of the short-range beacon 11 includes an identification code, the identification code may be compiled and included in the verification information. In this case, the main controller 12 communicates with the short-range beacon 11 based on the verification information, enabling the main controller 12 to match the correct short-range beacon 11, that is, the target 20 to be tracked, thereby improving tracking accuracy.

[0050] In some examples, the radio strength information may refer to the strength value of the radio signal transmitted by the short-range beacon 11, that is, the radio strength information may indicate the strength of the radio signal transmitted by the short-range beacon 11. In some examples, the strength of the transmitted radio signal may be represented by RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication), in units of dBm (decibel milliwatts).

[0051] In some examples, the parameter information may include the sequence, identification code, transmit power, and transmit period of the short-range beacon 11. In this case, the main controller 12 can easily identify the short-range beacon 11 by the sequence, identification code, transmit power, and transmit period, thereby improving the accuracy of tracking. In some examples, the identification code can be an information element with specific information used to distinguish short-range beacons 11 of the same sequence. For example, referring to Figure 6, the sequence of short-range beacons 11a and short-range beacons 11b manufactured in the same batch can be the same. In this case, different identification codes can be included in the parameter information to form verification information a2 and verification information b2 to distinguish specific short-range beacons 11.

[0052] In other examples, the radio signal may also include acceleration information and direction information, that is, the radio signal may include radio strength information, verification information, acceleration information, and direction information. In this case, the tracking device 10 can determine the relative position of the target 20 and the main controller 12 using the radio strength information, establish a correct communication connection using the verification information, and monitor the state of the target 20 using the acceleration information and direction information to further accurately determine the relative position of the target 20 and the main controller 12.

[0053] In some examples, the communication connection method may include at least one of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC (Near Field Communication), UWB (Ultra Wide Band), and ZigBee (a low-speed, short-range transmission technology). In this case, the appropriate radio can be selected to track the target 20 in different scenarios, thereby increasing the diversity of tracking methods of the tracking device 10 to meet different needs.

[0054] In some examples, the short-range beacon 11 may transmit radio signals periodically with a period of no less than 0.1 seconds. In this case, the short-range beacon 11 transmits radio signals at a more appropriate period, which can reduce the problem of high power consumption caused by excessively frequent transmission of radio signals due to a short period, thereby further reducing the power consumption of the short-range beacon 11. In other examples, the short-range beacon 11 may transmit radio signals aperiodically, with each transmission interval being no less than 0.1 seconds.

[0055] FIG5 is a block diagram showing the structure of the short-range beacon 11 involved in the examples of the present disclosure.

[0056] In some examples, the short-range beacon 11 may include a transmitting unit 111 , a receiving unit 112 , and a processing unit 113 .

[0057] In some examples, the transmitting unit 111 is configured to transmit a radio signal based on a wake-up signal. In some examples, the receiving unit 112 is configured to receive a wake-up signal. In some examples, the processing unit 113 is configured to start the transmitting unit 111 to periodically transmit a radio signal based on the wake-up signal. In this case, the transmitting unit 111 and the receiving unit 112 of the short-range beacon 11 operate independently of each other. After the receiving unit 112 receives the wake-up signal from the main controller 12, the transmitting unit 111 periodically transmits the radio signal under the processing and control of the processing unit 113. This can reduce unnecessary power consumption generated by the transmitting unit 111 when it does not need to be tracked, thereby reducing the power consumption of the short-range beacon 11 and extending the service life of the short-range beacon 11.

[0058] In some examples, the processing unit 113 can control the transmitting unit 111 to switch the power of the radio signal transmitted. Specifically, if the power of the radio signal transmitted by the transmitting unit 111 does not meet the requirements for establishing a communication connection, the processing unit 113 can control the transmitting power of the transmitting unit 111 to switch from low to high so that the short-range beacon 11 and the main controller 12 meet the requirements for establishing a communication connection; if the power of the radio signal transmitted by the transmitting unit 111 can enable the short-range beacon 11 and the main controller 12 to meet the requirements for establishing a communication connection, after the communication connection is established, the processing unit 113 can control the transmitting unit 111 to switch from high to low to a preset threshold that meets the requirements for establishing a communication connection, and continue to transmit radio signals at the preset threshold.

[0059] In some examples, transmitting unit 111 may include an antenna (i.e., a coil) for transmitting radio signals. In some examples, receiving unit 112 may include an antenna (i.e., a coil) for receiving radio signals. In some examples, the antennas of transmitting unit 111 and receiving unit 112 may be integrated, i.e., transmitting unit 111 and receiving unit 112 may share a set of antennas.

[0060] In some examples, processing unit 113 may include a processor. In some examples, the processor may have a preset program or instructions. In some examples, when the processor executes the preset program or instructions, it may be operated to start transmitting unit 111 to periodically transmit radio signals or control transmitting unit 111 to switch the power of transmitting radio signals based on the wake-up signal.

[0061] 1 , in some examples, the short-range beacon 11 can be attached to the target 20. For example, the short-range beacon 11 can be in the form of a label and attached to the target 20 by pasting, hanging, or snapping (such as the laptop and pet in FIG1 ). In other examples, the short-range beacon 11 can also be integrated into the target 20. For example, the short-range beacon 11 can be a radio module and can be integrated with other electronic components into an electronic device (such as the electronic watch in FIG1 ).

[0062] FIG6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a communication process between the main controller 12 and a plurality of short-range beacons 11 in the tracking device 10 according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0063] In some examples, the number of the short-range beacon 11 may be at least one, that is, there may be multiple short-range beacons 11. In this case, it is possible to facilitate tracking of multiple targets 20.

[0064] In some examples, as shown in FIG6 , when there are multiple short-range beacons 11, the verification information for different short-range beacons 11 may be different. Taking the two short-range beacons 11 shown in FIG6 as an example, the verification information corresponding to short-range beacon 11a may be verification information a2, and the verification information corresponding to short-range beacon 11b may be verification information b2. This improves the accuracy of matching between the main controller 12 and the short-range beacons 11, facilitating the tracking of different short-range beacons 11.

[0065] In some examples, when there are multiple short-range beacons 11 , different wake-up signals may correspond to different short-range beacons 11 .

[0066] As described above, the tracking device 10 involved in the present disclosure may include a main controller 12. Referring to FIG. 3 above, in some examples, the main controller 12 may be configured to send a wake-up signal. In some examples, the main controller 12 may be configured to receive a radio signal. In some examples, the main controller 12 may be configured to establish a communication connection with the short-range beacon 11. In some examples, the main controller 12 may be configured to send an alarm prompt. Specifically, the main controller 12 may be configured to send a wake-up signal and receive a radio signal, establish a communication connection with the short-range beacon 11 through the radio unit 121 based on the verification information in the radio signal, and send an alarm prompt based on the radio strength information in the radio signal after the communication connection is established.

[0067] In some examples, if the power of the radio signal transmitted by the short-range beacon 11 does not meet the requirements for establishing a communication connection, the transmission power of the short-range beacon 11 can be switched from low to high so that the short-range beacon 11 meets the requirements for establishing a communication connection with the radio unit 121. In this case, by switching the transmission power of the short-range beacon 11 from low to high, the transmission range of the radio signal of the short-range beacon 11 can be increased, thereby facilitating the establishment of a communication connection between the short-range beacon 11 and the main controller 12.

[0068] In some examples, after the short-range beacon 11 establishes a communication connection with the radio unit 121, the power of the radio signal transmitted by the short-range beacon 11 can be switched from high to low based on the radio strength information to a preset threshold value that satisfies the requirements for establishing the communication connection, and the radio signal is transmitted at the preset threshold value. In this case, by operating the short-range beacon 11 at the preset transmission power threshold value, the requirements for establishing a communication connection with the main controller 12 can be met while minimizing the power consumption of the short-range beacon 11.

[0069] In some examples, referring to FIG. 4A or FIG. 4B above, the power of the wake-up signal transmitted by the main controller 12 (such as 30 dBm in FIG. 4A or FIG. 4B ) may remain unchanged and may be no less than a preset threshold (such as 20 dBm) of the power of the radio signal transmitted by the short-range beacon 11, that is, the power of the wake-up signal transmitted by the main controller 12 is at least set to a range in which the transmitted wake-up signal can cover all short-range beacons 11.

[0070] In some examples, the main controller 12 can determine the distance between the main controller 12 and the short-range beacon 11 by the strength of the received radio signal based on the RSSI ranging technology, and then perform positioning according to the corresponding data. In this case, the short-range beacon 11 can be positioned at a long distance (such as a distance range greater than 50 meters). Since the accuracy of positioning technology is not guaranteed in scenarios with shorter distances (such as a distance range less than 50 meters), in some examples, if the target 20 is far away from the main controller 12, the positioning technology can be used to obtain the approximate position of the target 20 first. When the target 20 is closer to the main controller 12, it can be switched to the tracking mode of the tracking device 10 involved in the present disclosure, that is, tracking the target 20 based on the strength of the radio signal.

[0071] In some examples, referring to FIG. 6 , the main controller 12 may be further configured to select one or more short-range beacons 11 to be tracked from the at least one short-range beacon 11 and send a wake-up signal corresponding to the short-range beacon 11 to be tracked. In this case, different short-range beacons 11 are selected using different wake-up signals, thereby enabling the main controller 12 to track different short-range beacons 11, i.e., different targets 20. Furthermore, the wake-up signal and the short-range beacon 11 are associated with each other based on the verification information, thereby reducing the problem of inaccurate tracking.

[0072] FIG7 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the main controller 12 according to the example of the present disclosure. FIG8 is a block diagram illustrating a second structure of the tracking device 10 according to the example of the present disclosure. FIG9 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the main controller 12 according to the example of the present disclosure. FIG10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an alarm sent when the main controller 12 and the short-range beacon 11 according to the example of the present disclosure are close to each other. FIG11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an alarm sent when the main controller 12 and the short-range beacon 11 according to the example of the present disclosure are far apart.

[0073] In some examples, as shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 8 , the main controller 12 may include a radio unit 121 and a microcontroller unit 122 .

[0074] In some examples, as shown in FIG9 , the radio unit 121 can be configured to send a wake-up signal and receive a radio signal. In some examples, the microcontroller unit 122 can be configured to establish a communication connection with the short-range beacon 11 through the radio unit 121 based on the verification information in the radio signal, and to send an alarm prompt based on the radio strength information in the radio signal. In this case, the main controller 12 can perform radio transmission and reception through the radio unit 121, and can analyze the verification information in the radio signal through the microcontroller unit 122 to facilitate the establishment of a communication connection, thereby enabling the short-range beacon 11 to be activated using the wake-up signal, and thereby enabling the short-range beacon 11 to be tracked based on the radio signal transmitted by the short-range beacon 11, that is, facilitating the tracking of the target 20 and enabling the short-range beacon 11 to be placed in a state of not transmitting a radio signal before tracking to reduce the power consumption of the short-range beacon 11.

[0075] In some examples, radio unit 121 may be a transceiver including a radio antenna.

[0076] In some examples, the power of the wake-up signal transmitted by the radio unit 121 can remain unchanged and can be no less than a preset threshold of the power of the radio signal transmitted by the short-range beacon 11, that is, the power of the wake-up signal transmitted by the radio unit 121 can at least be set to a range where the transmitted wake-up signal can cover all short-range beacons 11.

[0077] In some examples, microcontroller unit 122 may include a microcontroller. In some examples, a microcontroller, also known as a microprocessor or microcontroller, may be a controller in a microcontroller system, also known as a development board or single-chip microcomputer, and may include but is not limited to the 51 series, PIC series, AVR series, ARM series, MIPS series, and PPC series.

[0078] In other examples, the microcontroller system may be a Micro:bit microcontroller system. In this case, the program of the tracking device 10 of the present disclosure can be obtained through a graphical programming method, thereby facilitating the development of more functions to improve the accuracy of tracking.

[0079] In some examples, as shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 8 , the main controller 12 may further include an indication unit 123 .

[0080] In some examples, the warning prompt can be provided by the indicator unit 123 in at least one of sound, light, or vibration. In this case, the warning prompt is provided by the indicator unit 123 in at least one of sound, light, or vibration. For example, the light prompt can be a graphic, light color, or light intensity, and the sound prompt can be music, prompt words, etc., which can facilitate the determination of the radio intensity in the radio signal, thereby enabling the target 20 to be tracked based on the radio intensity.

[0081] In some examples, the indicator unit 123 may include, but is not limited to, a speaker, a screen, a light, or a buzzer. In some examples, the indicator unit 123 may be integrated into the aforementioned microcontroller system, thereby cooperating with the microcontroller unit 122 to visually, audibly, or perceptibly display the tracking device 10 tracking the target 20.

[0082] In some examples, different radio strength information can correspond to different warning prompts. For example, as shown in FIG10 , at a relatively close distance (such as “distance d1” in FIG10 ), the radio strength information indicates a relatively strong radio strength, and the warning prompt can be in the form of a “strong” message (such as “Warning Prompt (Strong)” in FIG10 ), including but not limited to numerical values, colors, or voice messages to indicate the strength. As shown in FIG11 , at a relatively long distance (such as “distance d2” in FIG11 ), the radio strength information indicates a relatively weak radio strength, and the warning prompt can be in the form of a “weak” message (such as “Warning Prompt (Weak)” in FIG11 ), including but not limited to numerical values, colors, or voice messages to indicate the strength. In this case, different radio strength information corresponds to different warning prompts, i.e., different strengths of the transmitted radio signal correspond to different warning prompts, which can improve the discernibility of the radio signal, thereby facilitating the tracking of the target 20.

[0083] In some examples, different radio strength information can be divided into level ranges and correspond to different warning prompts. For example, when the radio strength information indicates that the radio strength is at level 1, the warning prompt may be strong, and when the radio strength information indicates that the radio strength is at level 2, the warning prompt may be weak.

[0084] In some examples, different radio intensity ranges can be simultaneously alerted using different alerting methods. Specifically, a radio intensity information representing a range of radio intensity levels can be used to provide an alert using at least one of sound, light, or vibration. For example, when the radio intensity is between 20dBm and 45dBm, any value between 20dBm and 45dBm may be displayed and a voice prompt may be issued. When the radio intensity is less than 20dBm, any value less than 20dBm may be displayed without any voice prompt. When the radio intensity is greater than 45dBm, any value greater than 45dBm may be displayed and both a voice prompt and a vibration prompt may be issued.

[0085] In some examples, as shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 8 , the main controller 12 may further include an information selection unit 124 .

[0086] In some examples, the information selection unit 124 may be configured to select one or more short-range beacons 11 to be tracked from at least one short-range beacon 11. In some examples, the microcontroller unit 122 is further configured to transmit a wake-up signal corresponding to the short-range beacon 11 to be tracked in response to the information selection unit 124. In this case, the information selection unit 124 and the microcontroller unit 122 can select and track at least one short-range beacon 11 to be tracked, thereby enabling targeted tracking and management of multiple targets 20.

[0087] In some examples, the information selection unit 124 may be an input component such as a button, a keyboard, or a virtual keyboard. In some examples, the information selection unit 124 may also be an input component for voice input, such as a microphone. In some examples, the information selection unit 124 may also be integrated into the aforementioned microcontroller system, that is, the information selection unit 124 may be an input module of the microcontroller system.

[0088] As shown in conjunction with Figures 6 and 9 , the information selection unit 124 may be a button. When the button is pressed (e.g., "input a" in Figure 9 ), the main controller 12 may transmit a wake-up signal a1 to wake up the short-range beacon 11a. The short-range beacon 11a may then be awakened and transmit a radio signal based on the wake-up signal. The verification information may be verification information a2, thereby enabling the short-range beacon 11a to be tracked. When the characters "a" and "b" are input, referring to Figure 6 , the main controller 12 may transmit a wake-up signal a1 and a wake-up signal b1 to wake up the short-range beacon 11a and the short-range beacon 11b. The short-range beacon 11a and the short-range beacon 11b may then be awakened and transmit a radio signal based on the wake-up signal. The verification information may include verification information a2 and verification information b2. At this point, the main controller 12 may be used to track the short-range beacon 11a or the short-range beacon 11b.

[0089] In some examples, the information selection unit 124 may input once to cause the microcontroller unit 122 to transmit a wake-up signal once. For example, if the short-range beacon 11 satisfies the requirement to establish a communication connection with the main controller 12 after receiving the wake-up signal once, the information selection unit 124 may not continue to input. For another example, if the short-range beacon 11 does not meet the requirement to establish a communication connection with the main controller 12 after receiving the wake-up signal once, the information selection unit 124 may continue to input multiple times to cause the microcontroller unit 122 to transmit the wake-up signal a corresponding number of times, thereby enabling the short-range beacon 11 to establish a communication connection with the main controller 12.

[0090] In other examples, the information selection unit 124 may be input once and cause the microcontroller unit 122 to periodically transmit multiple wake-up signals. For example, when the short-range beacon 11 can select to receive the wake-up signal multiple times to establish a communication connection with the main controller 12, the information selection unit 124 may be input once to cause the microcontroller unit 122 to periodically transmit multiple wake-up signals.

[0091] In some examples, as shown in FIG8 , tracking device 10 may further include an acceleration sensor unit 13 and a direction sensor unit 14. In some examples, acceleration sensor unit 13 and direction sensor unit 14 may be attached to target 20 together with short-range beacon 11. In other examples, acceleration sensor unit 13 and direction sensor unit 14 may also be integrated with short-range beacon 11 into target 20.

[0092] In some examples, the acceleration sensing unit 13 and the direction sensing unit 14 may be electrically connected to the short-range beacon 11 respectively, that is, the acceleration sensing unit 13 may be electrically connected to the short-range beacon 11 , and the direction sensing unit 14 may also be electrically connected to the short-range beacon 11 .

[0093] In some examples, the acceleration sensor unit 13 can be configured to detect acceleration information of the target 20 relative to the main controller 12. In some examples, the direction sensor unit 14 can be configured to detect direction information of the target 20 relative to the main controller 12. In this case, the acceleration of the target 20 can be obtained through the acceleration sensor unit 13, and the direction of the target 20 can be obtained through the direction sensor unit 14, thereby assisting the main controller 12 in more accurately understanding the state of the target 20, thereby improving the tracking device 10's ability to track the target 20.

[0094] In some examples, the acceleration sensing unit 13 may include an acceleration sensor, which is mainly used to obtain the acceleration of the target 20 relative to the main controller 12, also known as an accelerometer.

[0095] In some examples, the direction sensing unit 14 may include a direction sensor, which is mainly used to obtain the orientation of the target 20 relative to the center of the earth, also known as a magnetic sensor or a magnetometer.

[0096] In some examples, the microcontroller unit 122 of the main controller 12 may also be configured to receive acceleration information and direction information via the radio unit 121 and indicate the information in an image format via the indication unit 123. In this case, the process of the tracking device 10 tracking the target 20 may be visualized via images, thereby facilitating tracking of the target 20.

[0097] According to the present disclosure, a tracking device 10 can be provided that can reduce the power consumption of a short-range beacon 11 on a tracked or traced target 20 , thereby extending the service life of the tracking device 10 .

[0098] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples, it will be understood that the above description does not limit the present disclosure in any form. Those skilled in the art may modify and change the present disclosure as needed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and such modifications and variations all fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A tracking device is a tracking device based on short-range wireless communication technology for tracking a target at a close distance, characterized in that: including a main controller and at least one proximity beacon; The short-range beacon is attached to or integrated with at least one of the targets and is configured to transmit a radio signal after receiving a wake-up signal, wherein the radio signal includes radio strength information and verification information of parameter information representing the short-range beacon; The main controller is configured to send the wake-up signal and receive the radio signal, establish a communication connection with the short-range beacon to be tracked among the short-range beacons based on the verification information in the radio signal, and send an alarm prompt based on the radio strength information in the radio signal after establishing the communication connection, wherein the alarm prompt is used to characterize the relative position of the main controller and the short-range beacon to be tracked.

2. The tracking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: If the power of the radio signal transmitted by the short-range beacon to be tracked does not meet the requirement for establishing the communication connection, the transmission power of the short-range beacon to be tracked is switched from low to high so that the short-range beacon to be tracked establishes the communication connection with the main controller.

3. The tracking device according to claim 2, characterized in that: After establishing the communication connection with the main controller, the short-range beacon to be tracked switches the transmission power from high to low to a preset threshold that meets the requirements for establishing the communication connection based on the radio strength information and transmits the radio signal at the preset threshold.

4. The tracking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The short-range beacon transmits the radio signal periodically with a period not less than 0.1 seconds.

5. The tracking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: When there are multiple short-range beacons to be tracked, the verification information of different short-range beacons to be tracked is different, and different wake-up signals correspond to different short-range beacons to be tracked. The main controller is also configured to select one or more short-range beacons to be tracked from at least one of the short-range beacons and send a wake-up signal corresponding to the short-range beacon to be tracked.

6. The tracking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main controller includes a radio unit and a microcontroller unit, the radio unit is configured to send the wake-up signal and receive the radio signal, the microcontroller unit is configured to establish a communication connection with the short-range beacon to be tracked through the radio unit based on the verification information in the radio signal, and send the alarm prompt based on the radio strength information in the radio signal.

7. The tracking device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The main controller also includes an indication unit, and the alarm prompt is prompted by the indication unit in at least one of sound, light or vibration. The radio strength information is the strength value of the radio signal when the short-range beacon transmits the radio signal. Different radio strength information corresponds to different alarm prompts.

8. The tracking device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The main controller also includes an information selection unit, which is configured to select one or more short-range beacons to be tracked from at least one of the short-range beacons. The microcontroller unit is also configured to send a wake-up signal corresponding to the short-range beacon to be tracked in response to the information selection unit selecting the short-range beacon to be tracked.

9. The tracking device according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes an acceleration sensing unit and a direction sensing unit attached to or integrated with the target, the acceleration sensing unit and the direction sensing unit are electrically connected to the short-range beacon respectively, the acceleration sensing unit is configured to detect the acceleration information of the target relative to the main controller, the direction sensing unit is configured to detect the direction information of the target relative to the main controller, and the radio signal also includes the acceleration information and the direction information.

10. The tracking device according to claim 9, characterized in that The microcontroller unit is further configured to receive the acceleration information and the direction information through the radio unit, and indicate them in an image manner through the indication unit.

11. The tracking device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The short-range beacon includes a transmitting unit, a receiving unit and a processing unit, the transmitting unit is configured to transmit the radio signal based on the wake-up signal, the receiving unit is configured to receive the wake-up signal, and the processing unit is configured to start the transmitting unit to periodically transmit the radio signal based on the wake-up signal.

12. The tracking device according to claim 1, characterized in that The communication connection method includes at least one of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, UWB and ZigBee.

13. The tracking device according to claim 1, characterized in that The parameter information includes the sequence, identification code, transmission power and transmission period of the short-range beacon.

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