Multi-interface transponder device

Abstract

To provide techniques for the design and operation of a multi-interface radio frequency transponder device.SOLUTION: Methods for performing power management of a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device, e.g., such as positional tag device. The MIT device may transition between various power states, e.g., based on detected events, such as detecting movement of the MIT device, receiving a wakeup signal, receiving an indication of a transition in transportation mode, and / or detecting that the MIT device may be lost, such as based on a lack of contact with another device for more than a threshold period of time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (priority data) This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 810,492, entitled "Multi-Interface Transponder Device," filed February 26, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety as if fully and completely set forth herein.

[0002] (Technical field) This application relates to wireless communications, including techniques for the design and operation of multi-interface radio frequency transponder devices (or "tags"). [Background technology]

[0003] Location tags, such as electronic tracking devices, have created numerous ways for users to track the location of associated people and / or objects. For example, Global Positioning System (GPS) technology can be used to determine the location of a tagged object associated with a person, and the location can be communicated to another device. As a further example, location tags can be attached to important items (e.g., keys, wallets, briefcases, clothing, backpacks, computing devices, identification items, etc.), and through communication with companion devices (e.g., phones, tablets, laptop computers, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, etc.), the location tags can update the location of important items and aid in recovery if the items are missing.

[0004] Conventional location tags (or tracking devices) and corresponding systems typically have one or more shortcomings. For example, communication with location tags outside of short-range communication requires a significant amount of power compared to their form factor. Thus, the battery life of location tags is often limited. Additionally, long-range communication for such devices is relatively expensive and often requires sophisticated circuitry to operate in conjunction with an associated electronic device (e.g., a mobile device). Additionally, low-power options for location tags are often limited to communication with nearby objects, thereby requiring a user associated with the tracking device(s) to be in close proximity (e.g., short distance) to the location tag, which may limit the usefulness of such devices. Summary of the Invention

[0005] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Embodiments described herein relate to Multi-Interface Transponder (MIT) devices, such as location tag devices. Additionally, embodiments described herein relate to power management for MIT devices, as well as various uses of such devices. Some embodiments relate to a radio station configured to communicate with an MIT device, for example, to determine and / or update the location of the MIT device with a location server and / or to assist a user of the MIT device in physically locating the MIT device if it is misplaced and / or lost.

[0006] In some embodiments, the MIT device may be configured to determine, while operating in a first power state, to transition to a second power state based at least in part on the detection of an event. In some embodiments, the event may be detectable via one of the MIT device's first interface or motion sensing circuitry. Furthermore, while operating in the second power state, the MIT device may be configured to transmit one or more beacons via one of the MIT device's second interface or third interface. In some embodiments, the selection of the second interface or the third interface may be based at least in part on the event. In some embodiments, the first interface may be an ultra-low power radio frequency (RF) interface (e.g., a wake-up radio 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, and the second power state may be associated with a higher power consumption state. For example, the second state may be associated with transmitting Bluetooth beacons (or signals) at a first or second frequency and / or with transmitting UWB beacons (or signals). In some embodiments, the MIT device may be configured to receive an indication from a neighboring wireless device that a location associated with the MIT device has been updated in a location server, which may be associated with both the neighboring wireless device and the MIT device. Upon receiving the indication, the MIT device may be configured to transition to the first power state based at least in part on the indication.

[0007] In some embodiments, the MIT device may be configured to enter a low power mode in which the second radio is disabled and, while in the low power mode, receive a wake-up signal from a neighboring wireless device. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may be received via low power / ultra low power (LP / ULP) communication. The MIT device may be configured to transmit a beacon via the second radio after transitioning to a higher power mode in response to receiving the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may indicate a transmission frequency that may be based at least in part on one or more modes of transport detected by the neighboring wireless device and / or anticipated medium congestion detected by the neighboring wireless device. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may indicate a transmission power that may be based at least in part on one or more modes of transport detected by the neighboring wireless device and / or anticipated medium congestion detected by the neighboring wireless device. In some embodiments, the second radio may comprise an ultra-wideband radio.

[0008] In some embodiments, the MIT device may be configured to operate in a low-power mode in which the MIT device's ultra-wideband (UWB) radio may be disabled. While operating in the low-power mode, the MIT device may be configured to receive a wake-up signal from a neighboring wireless device and, in response to receiving the wake-up signal, transition out of the low-power mode and enable the UWB radio. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may be received by an ultra-low-power radio, 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. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may be received via one of a Bluetooth® radio or an ultra-low-power radio (e.g., a wake-up radio and / or a wake-up receiver) in communication with at least one processor. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may indicate a transmission frequency and a transmission power for the location beacon.

[0009] This Summary is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subject matter described in this document. Accordingly, it will be understood that the above-described features are examples only and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or spirit 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. The present subject matter can be better understood when the following detailed description of the embodiments is considered in conjunction with the following drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system according to some embodiments. [Figure 2A] 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless device in communication according to some embodiments. [Figure 2B] 1 illustrates an exemplary simplified block diagram of a wireless device according to some embodiments. [Figure 2C] 1 illustrates an exemplary WLAN communication system according to some embodiments. [Figure 3A] 1 illustrates an exemplary simplified block diagram of a WLAN access point (AP), according to some embodiments. [Figure 3B] 1 illustrates an exemplary simplified block diagram of a wireless station (UE), according to some embodiments. [Figure 3C] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary simplified block diagram of a wireless node according to some embodiments. [Figure 4] 1 shows an exemplary simplified block diagram of a position tag device according to some embodiments. [Figure 5] 1 illustrates an example state diagram for various power modes of a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device, according to some embodiments. [Figure 6A] 1 illustrates an example of an MIT device updating its location via neighboring devices, according to some embodiments. [Figure 6B] 1 illustrates an example of an MIT device updating its location via neighboring devices, according to some embodiments. [Figure 6C] 1 illustrates an example of an MIT device updating its location via neighboring devices, according to some embodiments. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example method for power management of an MIT device, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8A] 1 illustrates an example of a transmission cycle for a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8B] 10 illustrates an example of transmit power adjustment as a function of time since the last location update, according to some embodiments. [Figure 9] 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example method for power management of an MIT device based on detected conditions, according to some embodiments. [Figure 10] 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example method for power management of an MIT device based on detection of a transition in transport mode, according to some embodiments. [Figure 11] 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example method of operation of an MIT device, according to some embodiments. [Figure 12] 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example method of operation of an MIT device, according to some embodiments. [Figure 13] 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example method of operation of an MIT device, according to some embodiments. [Figure 14] 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example method of operation of an MIT device, according to some embodiments. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example scanning method for an MIT device, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] While the features described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present subject matter as defined by the appended claims.

[0012] (Abbreviation) Various abbreviations are used throughout this application. Provided below are definitions of the most prominently used acronyms that may appear throughout this application.

[0013] UE: User Equipment

[0014] AP: Access Point

[0015] TX: Send / Transmit

[0016] RX: Receive / Receive

[0017] WURx: Wake-up receiver

[0018] UWB: Ultra-wideband

[0019] BT / BLE: BLUETOOTH(trademark) / BLUETOOTH(trademark) Low Energy

[0020] LP / ULP: Low power / Ultra low power communication

[0021] LAN: Local Area Network

[0022] WLAN:Wireless LAN

[0023] RAT: Radio Access Technology

[0024] TTL: Time to live

[0025] SU: Single User

[0026] MU: Multi-User

[0027] (technical term) Below is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure.

[0028] Storage medium—Any of various types of non-transitory memory or storage devices. The term “storage medium” is intended to include installation media, e.g., CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or tape drives; computer system memory or random access memory, such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM; non-volatile memory, such as flash, magnetic media, e.g., hard drives, or optical storage devices; registers, or other similar types of memory elements. Storage media may also include other types of non-transitory memory, and combinations thereof. Additionally, a storage medium may be located within a first computer system on which a program is executed, or may be located within a second, different computer system connected to the first computer system through a network, such as the Internet. In the latter example, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer system for execution. The term “storage medium” may include two or more storage media that can reside in different locations, e.g., in different computer systems connected through a network. A storage medium may store program instructions (e.g., embodied as a computer program) that can be executed by one or more processors.

[0029] Carrier Medium - storage media as described above, and physical transmission media such as buses, networks, and / or other physical transmission media that transmit signals, such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals.

[0030] Computer System - Any of various types of computing or processing systems, including a personal computer system (PC), a mainframe computer system, a workstation, a network appliance, an Internet appliance, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a television system, a grid computing system, or any other device or combination of devices. 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 storage medium.

[0031] Location Tag (or Tracking Device)—Any of various types of computer system device that is mobile or portable and that performs wireless communication, such as communication with neighboring or companion devices, to share, determine, and / or update the location of the location tag. The 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.

[0032] Mobile device (or mobile station)—any of various types of computer system devices that are mobile or portable and perform wireless communication using WLAN communications. Examples of mobile devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone™, Android™-based phones), and tablet computers such as iPad™ and Samsung Galaxy™. Various other types of devices fall into this category if they include Wi-Fi or both cellular and Wi-Fi communication capabilities, including, for example, laptop computers (e.g., MacBook™), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS™, PlayStation Portable™, Gameboy Advance™, iPhone™), portable Internet devices and other handheld devices, and wearable devices such as smart watches, smart glasses, headphones, pendants, and earpieces. In general, the term “mobile device” can be broadly defined to encompass any electronic, computing, and / or telecommunications device (or combination of devices) that is easily carried by a user and capable of wireless communication using WLAN or Wi-Fi.

[0033] Wireless Device (or Wireless Station)—Any of various types of computer system devices that perform wireless communications using WLAN communications. As used herein, the term “wireless device” may refer to a mobile device as defined above, or a stationary device such as a stationary wireless client or wireless base station. For example, a wireless device may be any type of wireless station in an 802.11 system, such as an access point (AP) or a client station (STA or UE). Further examples include televisions, media players (e.g., AppleTV™, Roku™, Amazon FireTV™, Google Chromecast™, etc.), refrigerators, washing machines, thermostats, etc.

[0034] WLAN - The term "WLAN" has the full scope of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a wireless communication network or RAT served by WLAN access points and providing connectivity to the Internet through these access points. Modern WLANs are based on the IEEE 802.11 standard and are marketed under the name "Wi-Fi." WLAN networks are distinct from cellular networks.

[0035] Processing Element—refers to various implementations of digital circuitry that performs a function within a computer system. In addition, processing element may refer to various implementations of analog or mixed-signal (combination of analog and digital) circuitry that performs a function(s) within a computer or computer system. Processing elements include, for example, circuitry such as an integrated circuit (IC), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a portion or circuitry of an individual processor core, an entire processor core, an individual processor, a programmable hardware device such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and / or a larger portion of a system including multiple processors.

[0036] Automatically—refers to an action or operation being performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by a computer system) or device (e.g., circuitry, programmable hardware element, ASIC, etc.) without user input directly specifying or executing the action or operation. Thus, the term “automatically” is in contrast to an operation being manually performed or specified by a user, where a user provides input to directly perform an operation. An automatic procedure may be initiated by user-provided input, but subsequent actions performed “automatically” are not specified by the user, e.g., not performed “manually” where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out an electronic form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typing information, selecting checkboxes, selecting radio buttons, etc.) is manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user actions. A form may also be automatically filled out by a computer system, where the computer system (e.g., software executing on the computer system) analyzes the form fields and fills out the form without any user input specifying answers for those fields. As mentioned above, a user can invoke automatic form filling but is not involved in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify answers for fields; rather, they are completed automatically). This specification provides examples of various actions that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by the user.

[0037] Concurrent—refers to parallel execution or implementation, in which tasks, processes, signaling, messaging, or programs are executed in an at least partially overlapping manner. For example, concurrency can be implemented using “strong” or strict parallelism, in which tasks are executed (at least partially) in parallel on each computing element, or using “weak parallelism,” in which tasks are executed in an interleaved manner, for example, by time-division multiplexing of execution threads.

[0038] Configured to—Various components may be described as being “configured to” perform a task. In such contexts, “configured to” is a broad description generally meaning “having structure” to perform an operational task. In this way, a component can be configured to perform a task even if it is not currently performing that task (e.g., a set of electrical conductors may be configured to electrically connect a module to another module even if the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, “configured to” may be a broad description generally meaning “having circuitry” to perform an operational task. In this way, a component can be configured to perform that task even if it is not currently on. In general, the circuitry forming the structure corresponding to “configured to” may include hardware circuitry.

[0039] In the description herein, for convenience, various components may be described as performing tasks. Such descriptions should be construed to include the phrase "configured to." Describing a component as configured to perform one or more tasks expressly intends that 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) not be invoked to interpret the component.

[0040] Approximately—Refers to a value that is nearly accurate or precise. For example, “approximately” can refer to a value that is within 1-10 percent of an exact (or desired) value. It should be noted, however, that the actual threshold (or tolerance) may depend on the application. For example, in one embodiment, “approximately” may mean within 0.1% of a particular or desired value, while in various other embodiments, the threshold may be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc., as desired or required by the particular application.

[0041] (Figure 1-Wireless communication system) FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system, according to some embodiments. It should be noted that the system of FIG. 1 is merely one example of a possible system, and that embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of systems as desired. As shown, the exemplary system 100 includes multiple wireless client stations or devices, or user equipment (UE) 106, configured to wirelessly communicate with various components within the system 100, such as an access point (AP) 112, other client stations 106, wireless nodes 107, and / or location tag devices 108. Some implementations may include one or more base stations in addition to or instead of the AP 112. The AP 112 may be a Wi-Fi access point or may include one or more other wireless / access technologies (e.g., Bluetooth (BT), Ultra Wideband (UWB), etc.) for wirelessly communicating with various components of the system 100. The 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. The 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 based on, for example, wideband, ultra-wideband, and / or additional short-range / low-power wireless communication technologies. In some embodiments, at least one client station 106 may be configured to communicate directly with one or more neighboring devices (e.g., other client stations 106, wireless nodes 107, and / or location tag devices 108) without using an access point 112 (e.g., peer-to-peer (P2P) or device-to-device (D2D)). As shown, the wireless node 107 may be embodied as any of a variety of devices, such as a wearable device, a gaming device, etc.In some embodiments, the wireless nodes 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 electrical outlets, smart lighting fixtures, etc.).

[0042] As shown, the location tag device 108 may communicate with one or more other components in the system 100. In some embodiments, the location tag device 108 may be associated with a companion device (e.g., a client station 106) and may additionally be able to communicate with one or more additional devices (e.g., other client stations 106, wireless nodes 107, APs 112). In some embodiments, communication with the companion device may be via one or more access technologies / protocols, such as BLUETOOTH™ (and / or BLUETOOTH™ (BT) Low Energy (BLE)), Wi-Fi peer-to-peer (e.g., Wi-Fi Direct, Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN), etc.), millimeter wave (mmWave) (e.g., 60 GHz, e.g., 802.11 ad / ay), and any of a variety of proprietary protocols (e.g., via wideband or ultra-wideband (UWB), and / or low power and / or ultra-low power (LP / ULP) radio communications). In some embodiments, communication with the additional devices may be 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 may be able to update a server with its current location (e.g., determined by the tag device 108 and / or provided to the tag device 108 from another device) via one or more additional devices and via a companion device.

[0043] (Fig. 2A-Fig. 2B - Wireless Communication System) 2A illustrates an exemplary (and simplified) wireless communication system in which aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented. It should be noted that the system of FIG. 2A is merely one example of a possible system, and that embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of systems as desired.

[0044] As shown, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a (“first”) wireless device 105 in communication with another (“second”) wireless device 108. The first wireless device 105 and the second wireless device 108 may communicate wirelessly using any of a variety of wireless communication technologies.

[0045] As one 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 technology based on WLAN wireless communication. One or both of the wireless devices 105 and 108 may also (or alternatively) be capable of communicating via one or more additional wireless communication protocols, such as any of Bluetooth™ (BT), Bluetooth™ 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.

[0046] The wireless devices 105 and 108 may be any of a variety of types of wireless devices. As one possibility, the wireless device 105 may be a substantially portable wireless user equipment (UE) device such as a smartphone, a handheld device, a laptop computer, a wearable device (such as a smart watch), a tablet, a vehicle, or virtually any type of wireless device. As another possibility, the wireless device 105 may be a substantially stationary device such as a payment kiosk / payment device, a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a set-top box, a media player (e.g., an audio or audiovisual device), a game console, a desktop computer, an appliance, a door, an access point, a base station, or any of a variety of other types of devices. The wireless device 108 may be, for example, a standalone form factor location tag device associated with, attached to, and / or otherwise integrated with another computing device and / or associated with, attached to, and / or integrated with a personal item or device (e.g., a wallet, backpack, luggage, briefcase, purse, key ring / chain, personal identification tag, etc.); and / or a commercial item (e.g., a shipping container, shipping / storage pallet, inventory, vehicle, etc.).

[0047] Each of wireless devices 105 and 108 may include wireless communication circuitry configured to facilitate wireless communication, which may include various digital and / or analog radio frequency (RF) components, one or more processors configured to execute program instructions stored in memory, and 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 some or all of such components to perform any of the method embodiments or operations described herein, or any portion of any of the method embodiments or operations described herein.

[0048] Each of the 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 and / or transmit chains may be shared among multiple wireless communication standards. For example, a device may be configured to communicate using BT / BLE or Wi-Fi using 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 multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) to perform wireless communication. Alternatively, a device may include separate transmit and / or receive chains (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured to communicate with the device. As a further possibility, a device may include one or more radios or radio components shared among multiple wireless communication protocols and one or more radios or radio components used exclusively by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, a device may include a shared radio for communicating using one or more of LTE, CDMA2000 1xRTT, GSM, and / or 5G NR, and one or more separate radios for communicating using Wi-Fi and / or BT / BLE. Other configurations are possible.

[0049] As mentioned above, aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented in conjunction with the wireless communication system of Figure 2A. 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.

[0050] 2B illustrates an exemplary wireless device 110 (e.g., corresponding to wireless devices 105 and / or 108) that may be configured for use with various aspects of the present disclosure. Device 110 may be any of a variety of types of device and may be configured to perform any of a variety of types of functionality. Device 110 may be a substantially portable device or a substantially stationary device, which may include any of a variety of types of device. Device 110 may be configured to perform any of the techniques or features shown and / or described herein, including with respect to any or all of the figures.

[0051] As shown, device 110 may include a 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 memory media (e.g., memory 111), which may include any of a variety of types of memory and perform any of a variety of functions. For example, memory 111 may be a RAM that serves as system memory for processing element 121. Additionally or alternatively, memory 111 may be a ROM that serves as configuration memory for device 110. Other types and functions of memory are also possible.

[0052] Additionally, device 110 may include wireless communication circuitry 131. The wireless communication circuitry may include any of a variety of communication elements (e.g., a wireless communication antenna, analog and / or digital communication circuitry / controllers, etc.) and may enable the device to communicate wirelessly using one or more wireless communication protocols.

[0053] It should be noted that in some cases, wireless communication circuitry 131 may include its own processing element(s) (e.g., baseband processor) in addition to, for example, processing element 121. For example, processing element 121 may be an "application processor" whose primary function may support application layer operations within device 110, while wireless communication circuitry 131 may be a "baseband processor" whose primary function may support baseband layer operations within 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., may be a multiprocessor device). Other configurations utilizing a multiprocessor architecture are also possible (e.g., instead of or in addition to an application processor / baseband processor configuration).

[0054] Depending on the intended functionality of device 110, device 110 may additionally include any of a variety of other components (not shown) for achieving device functionality, which may include further processing and / or memory elements (e.g., audio processing circuitry), one or more power elements (which may rely on battery power and / or an external power source), user interface elements (e.g., a display, speaker, microphone, camera, keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, etc.), and / or any of a variety of other components.

[0055] 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 interconnection interfaces, which may include any of a variety of types of interfaces and, in some cases, a combination of multiple types of interfaces. As one example, a USB high-speed inter-chip (HSIC) interface may be provided for inter-chip communication between processing elements. Alternatively (or additionally), a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART) interface, a serial peripheral interface (SPI), an inter-integrated circuit (I2C), a system management bus (SMBus), and / or any of a variety of other communication interfaces may be used for communication between the various device components. Other types of interfaces (e.g., intra-chip interfaces for communication within processing element 121, peripheral interfaces for communication with peripheral components internal or external to device 110, etc.) may also be provided as part of device 110.

[0056] (Fig. 2C-WLAN system) 2C illustrates an exemplary WLAN system according to some embodiments. As shown, the exemplary WLAN system includes multiple wireless client stations 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 channel(s) 150. Additional electronic devices, such as a remote device 154, may communicate with components of the WLAN system via the network 152. For example, the remote device 154 may be another wireless client station. The WLAN system may be configured to operate according to any of a variety of 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 neighboring mobile devices, such as a location tag device 108, without using the access point 112.

[0057] Additionally, in some embodiments, as further described below, wireless device 106 (which may be an example implementation of device 110) may be configured to perform (and / or assist in the performance of) the methods described herein.

[0058] (Figure 3A - Access Point Block Diagram) 3A shows an exemplary block diagram of an access point (AP) 112, which may be one possible exemplary implementation of the device 110 shown in FIG. 2B. Note that the AP block diagram in FIG. 3A is merely one example of a possible system. As shown, the AP 112 may include a processor(s) 204 that may execute program instructions for the AP 112. The processor(s) 204 may also be coupled (directly or indirectly) to a memory management unit (MMU) 240, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor(s) 204 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 260 and read-only memory (ROM) 250) or other circuits or devices.

[0059] The AP 112 may include at least one network port 270. The network port 270 may be configured to couple to a wired network and provide access to the Internet for multiple devices, such as the mobile device 106. For example, the network port 270 (or additional network ports) may be configured to couple to a local network, such as a home network or an enterprise network. For example, the port 270 may be an Ethernet port. The local network may provide connectivity to one or more additional networks, such as the Internet.

[0060] The AP 112 may include at least one antenna 234 and wireless communication circuitry 230, which may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver and further configured to communicate with the mobile device 106 (and the location tag device 108). The antenna 234 communicates with the wireless communication circuitry 230 via a communication chain 232. The communication chain 232 may include one or more receive chains and / or one or more transmit chains. The wireless communication circuitry 230 may be configured to communicate via Wi-Fi or WLAN, e.g., 802.11. The 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. Further, in some embodiments, the wireless communication circuitry 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 Advanced (LTE-A), Global System for Mobile (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), CDMA2000, etc., for example, when the AP is co-located with a base station in the case of a small cell, or in other examples where it may be desirable for the AP 112 to communicate via various different wireless communication technologies.

[0061] Additionally, in some embodiments, as further described below, the AP 112 may be configured to perform (and / or assist in performing) the methods described herein.

[0062] (Figure 3B - Client Station Block Diagram) 3B shows an exemplary simplified block diagram of a client station 106, which may be one possible exemplary implementation of the device 110 shown in FIG. 2B. According to an embodiment, the client station 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or station, and / or a wireless device or station. As shown, the client station 106 may include a system-on-chip (SOC) 300, which may include portions for various purposes. The SOC 300 may be coupled to various other circuits of the client station 106. For example, the client station 106 may include various types of memory (including, e.g., NAND flash 310), a connector interface (I / F) (or dock) 320 (e.g., for coupling to a computer system, dock, charging station, etc.), a display 360, cellular communication circuitry 330, e.g., for LTE, GSM, near- and medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 (e.g., Bluetooth™ and WLAN circuitry), a low-power / ultra-low-power (LP / ULP) radio 339, and an ultra-wideband radio 341. The client station 106 may further include one or more smart cards 310 incorporating SIM (subscriber identity module) functionality, such as one or more UICC (universal integrated circuit card(s)) 345. The cellular communication circuitry 330 may be coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335 and 336, as shown. The near- and medium-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 339 may be coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 347 and 348, as shown. Additionally, UWB radio 341 may be coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 345 and 346. Alternatively, the radios may share one or more antennas in addition to, or instead of, being coupled to a corresponding antenna or set of antennas. Any or all of the radios 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.

[0063] As shown, SOC 300 may include processor(s) 302 capable of executing program instructions for client station 106, and display circuitry 304 capable of performing graphics processing and providing display signals to display 360. SOC 300 may also include motion sensing circuitry 370 capable of detecting movement of client station 106 using, for example, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and / or any of a variety of other motion sensing components. The processor(s) 302 may be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor(s) 302 and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310) and / or to other circuits 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 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, the MMU 340 may be included as part of the processor(s) 302.

[0064] As mentioned above, the client station 106 may be configured to communicate wirelessly directly with one or more neighboring client stations and / or one or more location tag devices 108. The client station 106 may be configured to communicate in accordance with a WLAN RAT for communication within a WLAN network such as that shown in FIG. 2C. Additionally, in some embodiments, as described further below, the client station 106 may be configured to perform (and / or assist in the performance of) the methods described herein.

[0065] As described herein, the client station 106 may include hardware and / or software components for implementing the functionality described herein. For example, the processor 302 of the client station 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the functionality described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively (or in addition), the 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), the processor 302 of the UE 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the functionality described herein in cooperation with one or more of the other components 300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 329, 330, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340, 341, 345, 346, 347, 348, 350, and / or 360.

[0066] Additionally, as described herein, processor 302 may include one or more processing elements. Accordingly, 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 processor(s) 204.

[0067] Additionally, as described herein, the cellular communication circuitry 330 and the short-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may each include one or more processing elements. Accordingly, the cellular communication circuitry 330 and the short-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may each include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuitry 330 and the short-range wireless communication circuitry 329, respectively.

[0068] (Figure 3C - Wireless Node Block Diagram) 3C shows one possible block diagram of a wireless node 107, which may be one possible example implementation of the device 110 shown in FIG. 2B. As shown, the wireless node 107 may include a system-on-chip (SOC) 301, which may include portions for various purposes. For example, as shown, the SOC 301 may include a processor(s) 303 that may execute program instructions for the wireless node 107 and a display circuit 305 that may perform graphics processing and provide display signals to a display 361. The SOC 301 may also include a motion sensing circuit 371 that may detect movement of the wireless node 107 using, for example, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and / or any of a variety of other motion sensing components. Processor(s) 303 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 341, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor(s) 303 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 307, read only memory (ROM) 351, flash memory 311). MMU 341 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, MMU 341 may be included as part of processor(s) 303.

[0069] As shown, SOC 301 may be coupled to various other circuits of wireless node 107. For example, wireless node 107 may include various types of memory (including, e.g., NAND flash 311), a connector interface 321 (e.g., for coupling to a computer system, dock, charging station, etc.), a display 361, and wireless communication circuitry (radio) 381 (e.g., for LTE, LTE-A, CDMA2000, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, UWB, LP / ULP, etc.).

[0070] The wireless node 107 may include at least one antenna, and in some embodiments multiple antennas 387 and 388, to perform wireless communications with base stations and / or other devices. For example, the wireless node 107 may perform wireless communications using the antennas 387 and 388. As mentioned above, the wireless node 107 may in some embodiments be configured to communicate wirelessly using multiple wireless communication standards or radio access technologies (RATs).

[0071] The wireless communication circuitry (radio) 381 may include Wi-Fi logic 382, cellular modem 383, BT / BLE logic 384, UWB logic 385, and LP / ULP logic 386. The Wi-Fi logic 382 is for enabling the wireless node 107 to perform Wi-Fi communications, for example, over an 802.11 network and / or via peer-to-peer communications (e.g., NAN). The BT / BLE logic 384 is for enabling the wireless node 107 to perform Bluetooth communications. The cellular modem 383 may enable cellular communications according to one or more cellular communication technologies. The UWB logic 385 is for enabling the wireless node 107 to perform UWB communications. The LP / ULP logic 386 is for enabling the wireless node 107 to perform LP / ULP communications. Some or all of the components of the wireless communication circuitry 381 may be used to communicate with the location tag device 108.

[0072] As described herein, a wireless node 107 may include hardware and software components for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, one or more components of the wireless communication circuitry 381 of a wireless node 107 may be configured to implement some or all of the methods described herein, e.g., by a processor executing program instructions stored on a storage 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, which may include an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). For example, in some embodiments, as described further below, a wireless node 107 may be configured to perform (and / or assist in the performance of) the methods described herein.

[0073] (Figure 4: Location tag device) 4 shows an exemplary simplified block diagram of a location tag device 108, which may be one possible exemplary implementation of device 110 shown in FIG. 2B. According to an embodiment, location tag device 108 may include a system-on-chip (SOC) 400, which may include one or more portions for performing one or more purposes (or functions or operations). SOC 400 may be coupled to one or more other circuits of location tag device 108. For example, location tag device 108 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash 410), a connector interface (I / F) 420 (e.g., for coupling to a computer system, a dock, a charging station, light (e.g., for visual output), a speaker (e.g., for audible output), etc.), a power source 425 (which may be non-removable, removable, replaceable, and / or rechargeable), and communication circuitry (radio) 451 (e.g., BT / BLE, WLAN, LP / ULP, UWB).

[0074] The location tag device 108 may include at least one antenna, and in some embodiments, multiple antennas 457 and 458 for performing wireless communication with companion devices (e.g., client stations 106, wireless nodes 107, APs 112, etc.) and other wireless devices (e.g., client stations 106, wireless nodes 107, APs 112, other location tag devices 108, etc.). In some embodiments, one or more antennas may be dedicated for use with a single radio and / or radio protocol. In some other embodiments, one or more antennas may be shared across two or more radios and / or radio protocols. Wireless communication circuitry 451 may include any / all of UWB logic 452, LP / ULP logic 453, and / or BT / BLE logic 454. In some embodiments, the wireless communication circuitry may optionally include logic for any other protocol(s), such as Wi-Fi logic and / or cellular (e.g., licensed assisted access (LAA)) logic. The BT / BLE logic 454 is for enabling the position tag device 108 to perform Bluetooth® communications. The UWB logic 452 is for enabling the position tag device 108 to perform UWB communications. The LP / ULP logic 453 is for enabling the position tag device 108 to perform LP / ULP communications. In some embodiments, the 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. The UWB logic 452, the LP / ULP logic 453, and the BT / BLE logic 454 may each be independently configured to perform one-way or two-way communications.

[0075] As shown, SOC 400 may include processor(s) 402 that may execute program instructions for position tag device 108. SOC 400 may also include motion sensing circuitry 470, which may be configured to detect movement of position tag device 108 using, for example, a gyroscope, an 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 in place of other motion sensing circuitry. Processor(s) 402 may also be coupled (directly or indirectly) to memory management unit (MMU) 440, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor(s) 402 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 406, read-only memory (ROM) 450, NAND flash memory 410) and / or to other circuits or devices, such as wireless communication circuitry 451. 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 the processor(s) 402 .

[0076] As mentioned above, a location tag device 108 may be configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more neighboring wireless devices. In some embodiments, as described further below, a location tag device 108 may be configured to perform (and / or assist in the performance of) the methods described herein.

[0077] (Location tag power management) In some embodiments, a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device, such as the location tag device 108, may include multiple power levels and / or power modes. For example, FIG. 5 shows an example state diagram of various power modes of an MIT device, according to some embodiments. As shown, the MIT device may operate in any of various power modes, such as a low power mode 502, an ultra-low power mode 504, a high power mode 506, and / or an ultra-high power mode 508. Further, as shown, the MIT device may transition (or switch) between any of the various modes. Transitions between modes may 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. The MIT device may also be configured to transition directly from a current mode to any other available mode. However, in some implementations, the transition may include successive transitions through one or more intervening modes. For example, the MIT device may transition between low power mode 502 and any of 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 may transition between ultra-low power mode 504 and any of low power mode 502 (e.g., via transition 510), higher power mode 506 (e.g., via transition 512), and / or ultra-high power mode 508 (e.g., via transition 514). Similarly, the MIT device may transition between high power mode 506 and any of low power mode 502 (e.g., via transition 516), ultra-low power mode 504 (e.g., via transition 512), and / or ultra-high power mode 508 (e.g., via transition 520). Additionally, the MIT device may transition between ultra-high power mode 508 and any of low power mode 502 (e.g., via transition 518), ultra-low power mode 504 (e.g., via transition 514), and / or high power mode 506 (e.g., via transition 520).

[0078] In some embodiments, the ultra-low power mode 504 may be associated with an LP / ULP interface and / or LP / ULP logic, for example, as described above with reference to the position tag device 108. In some embodiments, the MIT device may remain in the ultra-low power mode 504 until a trigger event. In some embodiments, the trigger event may transition the MIT device to a higher power operating mode (e.g., any of the low power mode 508, the high power mode 504, and / or the ultra-high power mode 508).

[0079] In some embodiments, the trigger 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 may be a general signal / beacon applicable to, for example, a set of MIT devices or all MIT devices. In other words, the MIT device may receive a wake-up signal / beacon from a neighboring device intended to wake up the MIT device, or the MIT device may receive a wake-up signal / beacon from a neighboring device intended to wake up any MIT device (or either a specific type(s) of MIT devices) within reception 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, for example, via ULP / LP communication with a neighboring wireless device. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal / beacon may transition the MIT device to a higher power operating mode (e.g., any of low power mode 502, high power mode 504, and / or ultra-high power mode 508). In some embodiments, the transition from ultra low power mode 504 may be slowed (or delayed) based at least in part on one or more factors, such as the current location zone of the MIT device and / or movement of the companion device.

[0080] For example, if the MIT device determines that its current location is within a safe zone (e.g., the user's home, the user's work, the user's car, and / or a frequent location such as a friend's or relative's house), 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 companion device's movements are similar to the MIT device's movements, the MIT device may determine that it is in a constant operating state and may delay or not invoke a transition to a higher power state.

[0081] Conversely, in some embodiments, the transition from ultra-low power mode 504 may be accelerated based at least in part on one or more factors, such as the MIT device's current location or location zone and / or current transportation mode. For example, if the MIT device determines (or is notified) that a transportation transition is occurring or is about to occur (e.g., exiting a train, plane, ferry, taxi, and / or entering a train, plane, ferry, taxi), the MIT device may accelerate the transition to a higher power mode (e.g., achieving the transition even without another trigger, such as separation from a companion device).

[0082] In some embodiments, the trigger event may be the sensing of movement by the MIT device. For example, the MIT device may monitor movement, e.g., via motion sensing circuitry, and transition from ultra-low power mode 504 to a higher power mode based at least in part on the movement of the MIT device. In some embodiments, the trigger event may be based at least in part on the time elapsed between location updates of the MIT device. In some embodiments, 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.).

[0083] For example, based on a trigger event, the MIT device may transition to low power mode 502 and begin transmitting beacons and / or scanning for beacons at a first frequency via the low power interface. In some embodiments, the periodicity of the beacon transmission may be approximately 1-2 seconds. In some other embodiments, the periodicity of the beacon transmission may be less than 1 second, less than 1-5 seconds, or more than 5 seconds. In some embodiments, the beacons may be transmitted via the BLE interface or via BLE logic. In some embodiments, the transmission power of the beacons may be based at least in part on the location mode of the MIT device and / or the time elapsed since the last location update. For example, in a safe zone mode, the MIT device may transmit beacons less frequently and at a lower power level upon wake-up, compared to a danger zone mode, in which the MIT device may transmit beacons more frequently and / or at a higher power level upon wake-up. In some embodiments, the MIT device may transition back to ultra low power mode 504 in response to an acknowledgment of the updated location. In some embodiments, the MIT device may transition to one of the high power mode 506 and / or the ultra-high power mode 508 depending on various criteria (e.g., detection of entry into a danger zone, commands received from a companion device, movement detection, increased separation from a companion device, etc.) before transitioning to the ultra-low power mode 504.

[0084] As another example, based on a trigger event, the MIT device may transition to high power mode 506 and begin transmitting and / or receiving beacons at a second frequency via the low power interface. In some embodiments, the periodicity of the beacon transmission may be approximately 1-10 milliseconds. In some other embodiments, the periodicity may be less than 1 millisecond, less than tens of milliseconds, or less than hundreds of milliseconds. In some embodiments, the beacons may be transmitted via the BLE interface or via BLE logic. In some embodiments, the transmission power of the beacons may be based at least in part on the location mode of the MIT device and / or the time elapsed since the last location update. For example, in a safe zone mode, the MIT device may transmit beacons less frequently and / or at a lower power level upon wake-up, compared to a danger zone mode, in which the MIT device may transmit beacons more frequently and / or at a higher power level upon wake-up. In some embodiments, the MIT device may transition back to ultra low power mode 504 in response to an acknowledgment of the updated location. In some embodiments, the MIT device may transition to one of the low power mode 502 and / or the ultra-high power mode 508 depending on various criteria (e.g., detection of entry into a danger zone, commands received from a companion device, movement detection, separation from a companion device, etc.) before transitioning to the ultra-low power mode 504.

[0085] As a further example, the MIT device may transition to ultra-high power mode 508 and begin transmitting beacons at a first frequency over the high-power interface. In some embodiments, the beacons may be transmitted over the UWB interface or via UWB logic. In some embodiments, ultra-high power mode 508 may be initiated when a companion device is searching for (e.g., attempting to precisely locate) the MIT device. In some embodiments, the MIT device may transition back to ultra-low power mode 504 in response to an acknowledgment of an updated location. In some embodiments, the MIT device may transition to one of low power mode 502 and / or ultra-high power mode 508 depending on various criteria (e.g., detection of entry into a danger zone, commands received from a companion device, movement detection, etc.) before transitioning to ultra-low power mode 504.

[0086] 6A-6C illustrate an example of an MIT device updating its location via neighboring devices, according to some embodiments. As shown, the MIT device 608 may be within range of one or more neighboring devices, such as a companion (or trusted) device 602 (e.g., a device associated with the MIT device, e.g., a device used to register the MIT device with a location server, such as location server 614), and / or non-companion devices 604a and 604n (e.g., devices associated with a location server, such as location server 614, but not associated with the MIT device). The MIT device 608 may detect / sense a trigger event, such as trigger event 620, 630, or 640. In response to the trigger event, the MIT device 608 may transition from an ultra-low power operating mode to a higher power operating mode and begin transmitting a beacon / signal 610. Note that the number of periods, power, and type of beacon / signal transmitted by the MIT device 608 may be based at least in part on the power mode of the MIT device. Thus, in some embodiments, the beacon / signal 610 may be a low-power beacon / signal (e.g., a BLE beacon / signal) transmitted slowly (e.g., approximately every 1-2 seconds), a lower-power beacon / signal transmitted quickly (e.g., approximately every 1-10 milliseconds), and / or a higher-power beacon / signal (e.g., a UWB beacon / signal).

[0087] 6A , after a trigger event 620, the MIT device 608 may transmit one or more beacons 610. At least one of the beacons 610 may be received by the companion device 602. Upon receipt of the at least one beacon 610, the companion device 602 may exchange communications 622 with the MIT device 608. Based on communications 622, the companion device 602 may update the location server 614 with the updated location of the MIT device 608 via communications 624 and 626. In some embodiments, communications 624 and 626 may be communicated via a push notification connection with the location server 614. Once the location server 614 confirms the updated location of the MIT device 608, the companion device 602 may exchange one or more confirmation messages 628 with the MIT device 608. In 629, the MIT device 608 may transition back to an ultra-low power mode and / or one or more other power modes, for example, as described above.

[0088] As another example, as shown in FIG. 6B , after a trigger event 630, the MIT device 608 may transmit one or more beacons 610. At least one of the beacons 610 may be received by the non-companion device 604a. Upon receipt of the at least one beacon 610, the non-companion device 604a may exchange communications 632 with the MIT device 608. Based on communications 632, the non-companion device 604a may update the location server 614 with the updated location of the MIT device 608 via communications 634 and 636. In some embodiments, communications 634 and 636 may be communicated via a push notification connection with the location server 614. Once the location server 614 confirms the updated location of the MIT device 608, the non-companion device 604a may exchange one or more confirmation messages 638 with the MIT device 608. In 639, the MIT device 608 may transition back to the ultra-low power mode and / or one or more other power modes, for example, as described above.

[0089] As a further example, as shown in FIG. 6C , after a trigger event 640, the MIT device 608 may transmit one or more beacons 610. At least one of the beacons 610 may be received by the non-companion device 604n. Upon receipt of the at least one beacon 610, the non-companion device 604n may exchange communications 642 with the MIT device 608. Based on communications 642, the non-companion device 604n may update the location server 614 with the updated location of the MIT device 608 via communications 644 and 646. In some embodiments, communications 644 and 646 may be communicated via a push notification connection with the location server 614. Once the location server 614 confirms the updated location of the MIT device 608, the non-companion device 604n may exchange one or more confirmation messages 648 with the MIT device 608. At 649, the MIT device 608 may transition back to the ultra-low power mode and / or one or more other power modes, for example, as described above.

[0090] 7 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary method for power management of a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device, according to some embodiments. The method illustrated in FIG. 7 may be used with any of the systems or devices illustrated in the figure, among other devices. In various embodiments, some of the illustrated method elements may be performed simultaneously, in a different order than that illustrated, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as desired. As shown, the method may operate as follows:

[0091] At 702, the MIT device may determine to transition to a second power state based at least in part on detecting an event while in the first power state. In some embodiments, the event may be detectable via an interface, e.g., the first interface, and / or sensing circuitry, e.g., a motion sensing circuitry, of the MIT device. For example, in some embodiments, the event may include receiving a wake-up indication (from a companion device, such as the client station 106 and / or wireless node 107) via the first interface. In some embodiments, the first interface may be an ultra-low power radio frequency (RF) interface (e.g., a wake-up radio and / or a wake-up receiver). In some embodiments, the event may include detecting movement (and / or a change in movement) of the MIT device, e.g., above a threshold. Note that in some embodiments, the MIT device may ignore movement detected by the movement circuitry, e.g., if the companion device indicates that the movement is associated with a transport mode.

[0092] 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 the detected event.

[0093] At 706, while in the second power state, the MIT device may transmit one or more beacons over the selected interface based at least in part on the detected event. For example, if the event includes receiving a wake-up indication, the wake-up indication may include instructions to activate a particular interface. Additionally, in some embodiments, the instructions may include one or more transmission intervals and / or transmission powers. For example, the instructions may indicate activation of a Bluetooth interface. Additionally, the instructions may indicate a transmission frequency (e.g., a slower frequency of about every 1-2 seconds, or a higher frequency of about every 1-10 milliseconds). Furthermore, the instructions may indicate a 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.

[0094] At 708, the MIT device may receive a location update indication from a neighboring wireless device while in the second power state. In some embodiments, the neighboring wireless device may be a companion device (e.g., a device that has a secure connection / secure relationship with the MIT device). In some embodiments, the companion device may be a wireless station, such as wireless station 106. In some embodiments, the companion device may be a wireless node, such as wireless node 107. Note that a companion device may also include a device that assisted the MIT device in registering with a location server. In some embodiments, a companion device may support multiple MIT devices. In some embodiments, a neighboring wireless device may be a non-companion device associated with a location server (e.g., a device that does not have a secure connection / secure relationship with the MIT device). For example, a non-companion device may communicate with a location server and be configured to update the location of an MIT device that is not associated with the non-companion device. Thus, a non-companion device may assist in updating the location of the MIT device, for example, when (or once) the MIT device becomes separated from (out of communication range of) the companion device.

[0095] At 710, the MIT device may transition from the second power state to a third power state based at least in part on the instruction. For example, in some embodiments, the instruction may cause (or instruct) the MIT device to transition back to an ultra-low power state (e.g., ultra-low power mode 504). Alternatively, the instruction may cause (or instruct) the MIT device to transition from a low transmission frequency to a higher transmission frequency (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 instruction may cause activation and / or deactivation of another interface. For example, the second power state may include activation of a Bluetooth interface, and transitioning to the third power state may cause activation of an ultra-wideband interface. Furthermore, in some implementations, transitioning to the third power state may cause deactivation of the Bluetooth interface. As another example, the second power state may include activation of a Bluetooth or Ultra Wideband interface, and the transition to the third power state may include deactivation of the activated interface.

[0096] In some embodiments, power management of a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device, such as device 108, may be based, at least in part, on the geographic location zone and / or location mode of the MIT device. For example, the MIT device may change its power mode based, at least in part, on a determination that the MIT device is lost, e.g., separated from a companion device for more than a certain period of time. As another example, the MIT device may change its power mode based, at least in part, on a determination that the MIT device is in (or during) a danger zone during a transition in a transportation mode, e.g., a train stop, a car stop, an airplane landing, a ferry docking, etc. As yet another example, the MIT device may consider multiple factors, such as companion and location factors, with respect to changing its power mode. As yet another example, the MIT device may change its power mode based, at least in part, on a determination that the MIT device is in (or within) a safety zone, e.g., the user's home, a location the user frequently visits (e.g., a friend's or relative's home, work, etc.).

[0097] For example, in some embodiments, a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device, such as the location tag device 108, may determine that the device is lost based, for example, on the duration since its last communication with a companion device. In some embodiments, the determination may further be based, at least in part, on the duration since receiving a location update and / or signal from a device associated with a location server. In such cases, the MIT device may transition to a power state (or power mode) associated with a lost mode of operation. In some embodiments, operating in lost mode may include the MIT device changing and / or adjusting its transmit power and / or transmit frequency to further conserve battery power and increase the probability of discovery. For example, the transmit frequency may be based, at least in part, on the time of day, as shown in FIG. 8A. As shown, the MIT device may transmit beacons more frequently, for example, during daylight hours, when it may be more likely to encounter a neighboring device. Additionally, in some embodiments, the MIT device may cluster sets of transmissions (e.g., transmit bursts) within a short time frame while spending a large portion of a 24-hour cycle without transmitting (e.g., while sleeping) to further conserve battery power. As another example, as shown in FIG. 8B, the MIT device may adjust its transmit power based at least in part on the duration since receiving a signal from a device associated with the location server. For example, the MIT device may increase its transmit power as the duration increases and / or during daylight hours (e.g., to increase transmission range). In some embodiments, the increase in transmit power may be offset by a decrease in the number of transmit periods and / or transmit cycles to conserve battery power, for example, as shown in FIG. 8A. Furthermore, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8B, the transmit power may be increased incrementally as the duration increases (e.g., since the last location update). In some embodiments, the transmit power may be reduced incrementally after a period of time to further conserve battery power.Note that as the time period (time since last contact) increases, the MIT device's transmission decisions (e.g., transmission frequency, transmission frequency, transmission power, etc.) may be altered to increase the battery life of the MIT device. In other words, if the time period is within the range of hours, the MIT device may adopt a different transmission pattern (e.g., most aggressive transmission pattern, less concern for battery conservation) compared to if the time period is within the range of days (aggressive transmission pattern, some concern for battery conservation), or weeks (less aggressive transmission pattern, more concern for battery life), or even months (most aggressive for battery conservation, highly conservative transmission pattern).

[0098] 9 illustrates a block diagram of another example method for power management of a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device, according to some embodiments. The method illustrated in FIG. 9 may be used with any of the systems or devices illustrated in the above figures, among other devices. In various embodiments, some of the illustrated method elements may be performed simultaneously, in a different order than that illustrated, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as desired. As shown, the method may operate as follows:

[0099] At 902, an MIT device, such as device 108, may determine a state of the MIT device. In some embodiments, the state may be based at least in part on the duration since it has communicated with a companion device. In some embodiments, the state may further be based at least in part on the duration since the MIT device received an indication that a location associated with the MIT device has been updated at a location server. In some embodiments, the state may further be based at least in part on the duration since the MIT device received a signal from a neighboring wireless device, such as, for example, wireless station 106, wireless node 107, and / or AP 112. In some embodiments, the state may be associated with a determination that the MIT device is lost (e.g., separated from a companion device).

[0100] At 904, the MIT device may transition to a first operating mode based at least in part on the condition. In some embodiments, the operating mode may be associated with a lost operating mode or configured to extend the operating life 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 a short burst of beacon transmission. In other words, the MIT device may transmit beacons at a high rate over a first interface (e.g., a Bluetooth interface) for a first portion of time (e.g., the first portion of a 24-hour period) and spend the remaining portion of time in a power-saving state. In some embodiments, the first portion of time may correspond at least in part to daylight hours (e.g., as sensed by an optical sensor in the MIT device or corresponding to time maintained by the MIT device) to increase the probability of discovery. In some embodiments, the MIT device may increase its transmit power to increase its discovery range as the duration since its last location update increases. Note that in some embodiments, because increasing transmit power has a negative impact on power consumption, the MIT device may mitigate the increase in power consumption by reducing the number of beacons transmitted over a certain period of time. Additionally, in some embodiments, an MIT device may vary the frequency of its transmissions (or clusters of transmissions) in an attempt to discover neighboring wireless devices.

[0101] As another example, the MIT device may change power modes based at least in part on determining that the MIT device is in (or during) a danger zone during a transition in a transportation mode, such as, for example, a train stop, a car stop, an airplane landing, or a ferry docking. In some embodiments, a companion device, such as, for example, a client station 106 and / or a wireless node 107, may determine the transportation mode (e.g., vehicle, airplane, train, boat, etc.). Additionally, the companion device may monitor movement for a transition in transportation mode (e.g., a car stop, an airplane landing, a train slowdown, a boat docking, etc.) or a location along a route (e.g., approaching a known transition point or destination). Upon detecting a transition in transportation mode, the companion device may notify the MIT device of the transition or signal a change in mode. In some embodiments, the MIT device may change its power mode to transmit more frequently and / or with higher transmit power.

[0102] For example, referring again to FIG. 5 , during transportation, the MIT device may be in ultra-low power mode 504 and, upon notification, may transition to high power mode 506. In some embodiments, the MIT device may activate its Bluetooth interface and transmit beacons more frequently (e.g., approximately every 1-10 milliseconds). In some embodiments, if the distance between the MIT device and the companion device increases beyond approximately 1 meter (e.g., 2-3 feet), an alarm or notification (e.g., visual, audible, and / or tactile) may be output from the companion device. Additionally, the companion device may send a command to the MIT device to transition to a higher power mode, for example, from high power mode 506 to ultra-high power mode 508. In some embodiments, the MIT device may activate its ultra-wideband interface to improve location accuracy. In some embodiments, the MIT device may also deactivate its Bluetooth interface. Additionally, in areas of medium congestion (interference) (e.g., danger zones) with more (e.g., above-average) accesses, the companion device may send instructions to supported MIT devices to further increase their location update frequency (e.g., in addition to increasing their transmission frequency and / or transmission power). In some embodiments, the companion device may increase the scan window length and / or scan window frequency to mitigate the increased congestion (and / or interference caused by increased access medium traffic). Note that in some embodiments, the companion device may support multiple MIT devices. Thus, in some embodiments, the companion device can filter out beacons from unsupported MIT devices.

[0103] 10 illustrates a block diagram of another exemplary method for power mode switching of a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device based on geographic zone, according to some embodiments. The method illustrated in FIG. 10 may be used with any of the systems or devices illustrated in the above figures, among other devices. In various embodiments, some of the illustrated method elements may be performed simultaneously, in a different order than that illustrated, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as desired. As shown, the method may operate as follows:

[0104] At 1002, an MIT device, such as device 108, may receive an indication of a transition in a transport mode. The indication may be received via a first interface and from a companion device. The companion device may be a UE device, such as client station 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. Additionally, the first interface may be an ultra-low power radio frequency interface (e.g., a wake-up radio and / or a wake-up receiver). In some embodiments, the transport mode may include or indicate at least one vehicle, such as a vehicle, a train, a boat, or an airplane.

[0105] At 1004, the MIT device may transition to a second power state in response to the instruction. In some embodiments, the second power state may be associated with activation of a second interface. The second interface may consume more power than the first interface. In some embodiments, the second interface may be one of a Bluetooth or Ultra Wideband interface.

[0106] At 1006, the MIT device may transmit one or more beacons to the companion device via the second interface at a first transmission frequency and at a first transmission power. In some embodiments, the MIT device may receive from the companion device an indication of an end of the transition in the transport mode. In response, the MIT device may transition back to the first power state. In some cases, the MIT device may receive from the companion device an indication that the companion device has moved beyond a threshold distance from the MIT device. In response, the MIT device may increase the first transmission frequency of one or more beacons to a second transmission frequency. In some embodiments, the threshold distance may be approximately one meter (e.g., two to three feet). In some embodiments, the MIT device may receive from the companion device an instruction to increase the transmission power. In some embodiments, the instruction may be based at least in part on determining the presence of a higher level (e.g., above average) of congestion.

[0107] In some embodiments, a companion device, 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 assist a user in physically locating the MIT device, e.g., even if the MIT device is not broadcasting to the companion device. For example, the companion device may send one or more signals via ultra-wideband communication to wake up the MIT device and determine the location (relative to the companion device) of the MIT device. Once the location of the MIT device is determined, the MIT device may cease transmission (e.g., transition to ultra-low power mode 504). For example, sensors in the MIT device may detect that the MIT device has been located, e.g., through motion, etc. Additionally, as part of locating the MIT, the companion device may display a map view and / or an augmented reality (AR) view showing the location of the MIT device. In some embodiments, as the companion device is moved, the map view / AR view may be updated based on the movement of the companion device. In other words, the location of the MIT device relative to the companion device may be updated based at least in part on the movement of the companion device.

[0108] 11-14 illustrate block diagrams of example methods of operation of an MIT, according to some embodiments. The methods illustrated in FIGS. 11-14 may be used in conjunction with any of the systems or devices illustrated in the above figures, among other devices. In various embodiments, some of the illustrated method elements may be performed simultaneously, in a different order than illustrated, or omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as desired. As illustrated, the methods may operate as follows.

[0109] 11 , at 1102, an MIT device (such as MIT device 108) having any / all of a low-power radio interface (e.g., a wake-up radio and / or a wake-up receiver), a medium-power radio interface (e.g., Bluetooth (BT) and / or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)), and / or a high-power radio interface (e.g., UWB, 60 GHz) may be in a low-power operating mode (e.g., operate in a low-power operating mode). In the low-power mode, the MIT device may periodically scan for messages (e.g., beacons, polls, probes, etc.) addressed to the MIT device via the low-power radio interface, which may signal the MIT device to activate a higher-power radio interface. The messages may 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 a low-power mode to conserve battery power, the MIT device may not transmit regularly (e.g., continuously or periodically). Furthermore, the scan window duration (e.g., window width) and interval (e.g., interval period) may be set or dynamically adjusted in response to one or more factors, such as battery level, congestion / interference, time of day, sensor data, etc. Additionally, the MIT device may respond to messages uniquely addressed to the MIT device, to messages addressed to a group (or set) that includes the MIT device, or to messages addressed to all MIT devices. The MIT device may also ignore messages not addressed to the MIT device, such as messages uniquely addressed to a different MIT device or to a group to which the MIT device does not belong.

[0110] At 1104, a message addressed to the MIT device during the scan window may be received from the wireless device via the low-power interface. In response, at 1106, the MIT device may activate at least one higher-power interface, such as a BT or BLE interface, and establish communication with the wireless device, e.g., by sending a response. At 1108, through the communication, the MIT device can receive updated location information and / or one or more commands, e.g., a command to activate a high-power interface and / or a command to output one or more signals (e.g., audible, visual, tactile).

[0111] At 1110, the MIT device may determine whether any of the remaining operations are to be performed over the medium-power or high-power interface. If no remaining operations are to be performed, the MIT device may deactivate all interfaces except the low-power interface and resume monitoring over the scan window.

[0112] 12, at 1202, an MIT device (such as MIT device 108) having any / all of a low-power radio interface (e.g., a wake-up radio and / or a wake-up receiver), a medium-power radio interface (e.g., Bluetooth (BT) and / or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)), and / or a high-power radio interface (e.g., UWB, 60 GHz) may be in a low-power operating mode (e.g., operate in a low-power operating mode). In the low-power mode, the MIT device may periodically scan for messages (e.g., beacons, polls, probes, etc.) addressed to the MIT device via the low-power radio interface, which may signal the MIT device to activate a higher-power radio interface. The messages may 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 a low-power mode to conserve battery power, the MIT device may not transmit regularly (e.g., continuously or periodically). Furthermore, the scan window duration (e.g., window width) and interval (e.g., interval period) may be set or dynamically adjusted in response to one or more factors, such as battery level, congestion / interference, time of day, sensor data, etc. Additionally, the MIT device may respond to messages uniquely addressed to the MIT device, to messages addressed to a group (or set) that includes the MIT device, or to messages addressed to all MIT devices. The MIT device may also ignore messages not addressed to the MIT device, such as messages uniquely addressed to a different MIT device or to a group to which the MIT device does not belong.

[0113] At 1204, the MIT device can detect motion via sensor data (e.g., from an accelerometer or gyroscope). In some implementations, the MIT device can activate another interface (e.g., BT / BLE) in response to motion and periodically output beacons at 1206. The frequency and number of beacons can depend on various factors, including location, type of motion, duration of motion, proximity of associated devices, etc.

[0114] At 1208, the MIT device can determine that the movement has ended and that the MIT device has performed a location update operation with another device (e.g., an associated device), after which the MIT device can return to a low power mode and resume monitoring through the scan window.

[0115] 13 , at 1302, an MIT device (such as MIT device 108) having any / all of a low-power radio interface (e.g., a wake-up radio and / or a wake-up receiver), a medium-power radio interface (e.g., Bluetooth (BT) and / or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)), and / or a high-power radio interface (e.g., UWB, 60 GHz) may be in a low-power operating mode (e.g., operate in a low-power operating mode). In the low-power mode, the MIT device may periodically scan for messages (e.g., beacons, polls, probes, etc.) addressed to the MIT device via the low-power radio interface, which may signal the MIT device to activate a higher-power radio interface. The messages may 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 a low-power mode to conserve battery power, the MIT device may not transmit regularly (e.g., continuously or periodically). Furthermore, the scan window duration (e.g., window width) and interval (e.g., interval period) may be set or dynamically adjusted in response to one or more factors, such as battery level, congestion / interference, time of day, sensor data, etc. Additionally, the MIT device may respond to messages uniquely addressed to the MIT device, to messages addressed to a group (or set) that includes the MIT device, or to messages addressed to all MIT devices. The MIT device may also ignore messages not addressed to the MIT device, such as messages uniquely addressed to a different MIT device or to a group to which the MIT device does not belong.

[0116] 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 scan window. At 1306, the MIT device may determine whether its current location corresponds to a safety zone, a danger zone, or some other defined zone. A zone (or area) may be any bounded or defined space (e.g., a geofenced area). At 1308, the MIT device may adapt its behavior based on the determined zone. For example, if the MIT device determines that it is within a safety zone, the MIT device may enter a low-power mode and select a scan window setting that will enable the MIT device to enhance power conservation. In some implementations, the MIT device's operating settings can be dynamically adjusted to achieve a target operating duration, such as 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, 36 months, etc. As another example, if the MIT device determines that it is in a danger (or risk) zone, for example in a traffic scenario, it can select a scan window (e.g., a longer, more frequent scan window) that allows it to identify messages more quickly and, optionally, activate a higher power interface (e.g., BT / BLE) to actively transmit beacons. The MIT device configuration in the risk zone can be maintained until the MIT device determines an exit event, such as leaving the danger zone, entering a safety zone, or determining that the MIT device is lost (e.g., after no contact with another device has occurred for a threshold period and / or when located outside a known zone).

[0117] The MIT device may return to a lower power mode once a trigger condition is satisfied at 1310. For example, the MIT device can return to a lower power operating mode after establishing contact with another device, after a successful location update operation, after returning to a safety zone, upon cessation of movement, upon detecting an associated device in proximity, etc.

[0118] 14 , at 1402, an MIT device (such as MIT device 108) having any / all of a low-power radio interface (e.g., a wake-up radio and / or a wake-up receiver), a medium-power radio interface (e.g., Bluetooth (BT) and / or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)), and / or a high-power radio interface (e.g., UWB, 60 GHz) may be in a low-power operating mode (e.g., operate in a low-power operating mode). In the low-power mode, the MIT device may periodically scan for messages (e.g., beacons, polls, probes, etc.) addressed to the MIT device via the low-power radio interface, which may signal the MIT device to activate a higher-power radio interface. The messages may 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 a low-power mode to conserve battery power, the MIT device may not transmit regularly (e.g., continuously or periodically). Furthermore, the scan window duration (e.g., window width) and interval (e.g., interval period) may be set or dynamically adjusted in response to one or more factors, such as battery level, congestion / interference, time of day, sensor data, etc. Additionally, the MIT device may respond to messages uniquely addressed to the MIT device, to messages addressed to a group (or set) that includes the MIT device, or to messages addressed to all MIT devices. The MIT device may also ignore messages not addressed to the MIT device, such as messages uniquely addressed to a different MIT device or to a group to which the MIT device does not belong.

[0119] 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 scan window. At 1406, the MIT device may determine that it is lost (e.g., in a lost state). For example, the MIT device may determine that it has not been in contact with another device for more than a threshold duration and / or is located outside a known zone. At 1408, in response to determining that it is lost, the MIT device may transition to a mode in which at least one higher power interface is periodically activated (e.g., adapt behavior based on the lost state). For example, the MIT device may activate a medium power interface (e.g., BT / BLE) and periodically transmit one or more beacons. The beacon period, beacon interval, and number of transmitted beacons may be selected to conserve power, increase the probability of discovery, or both. Additionally, the transmit power for one or more beacons may be varied. For example, the beacon transmit power may be varied in a cyclical manner (e.g., -25 dBm, -10 dBm, 0 dBm, +4 dBm) to cover a range. Any number of different transmit power values may be used, and the powers shown are merely exemplary.

[0120] Additionally, the number and value of transmit powers used, as well as the timing, can vary based on various factors, such as remaining battery power, time of day, light level, and length of time since last contact with another device. For example, more aggressive beacon transmissions can occur while sufficient battery power remains (e.g., greater than 50%, between 50% and 20%, greater than 10%, etc.). More aggressive beacon transmissions can also occur when a person is more likely to be present (e.g., based on the MIT device's clock, an embedded light sensor, detected RF signals, etc.). Similarly, for example, if battery power falls below a predetermined level, the MIT device can transition to more conservative beaconing during periods when a person is less likely to be present.

[0121] The MIT device may return to a lower power mode once a trigger condition is satisfied at 1410. For example, the MIT device can return to a lower power operating mode after establishing contact with another device, after a successful location update operation, after returning to a safety zone, upon cessation of movement, upon detecting an associated device in proximity, etc.

[0122] 15 illustrates an exemplary method of scanning for an MIT device, according to some embodiments. The method illustrated in FIG. 15 may be used with any of the systems or devices illustrated in the figures above, among other devices. In various embodiments, some of the illustrated method elements may be performed simultaneously, in a different order than that illustrated, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as desired. As shown, the method may operate as follows:

[0123] At 1502, a wireless device (e.g., wireless station 106, wireless node 107, and / or AP 112) may transmit a message to one or more MIT devices (or tags, transponders, etc., of MIT device 108, etc.). The wireless device may be associated with one or more of the MIT devices. For example, the device may be associated with a user account and also associated with one or more MIT devices (a common user account), or may be a companion device (e.g., a phone or mobile computing device) previously paired with an MIT device. The wireless device may address the message to a specific MIT device (e.g., associated with an object to be located), a set of MIT devices (e.g., of a common type or linked via an association), or all MIT devices generally. Furthermore, the message may be transmitted using an interface that can be received by a low-power interface (e.g., a wake-up radio and / or a wake-up receiver) of the MIT device.

[0124] At 1504, the wireless device may establish communication with one or more MIT devices via a medium-power interface. Note that in some embodiments, upon receiving the message, the MIT device may activate a medium-power (and range) interface, such as a Bluetooth (BT) or BT Low Energy (BLE) interface. In some cases, the wireless device can utilize communication over the medium-power interface to locate the MIT device. For example, the wireless device can instruct the MIT device to output one or more signals, such as an audible signal, a visual signal (e.g., a light), and / or a tactile signal. Additionally or alternatively, the wireless device and the MIT device can use signal information (e.g., signal strength measurements (RSSI)) to perform location determination operations. In other cases, the wireless device may instruct the MIT device to activate a high-power interface, such as a UWB interface, to provide more accurate location information (e.g., compared to other methods of determining the location of the MIT device). In some embodiments, the wireless device and the MIT device can use a single interface or multiple interfaces for location determination operations.

[0125] At 1506, the wireless device may present a location interface, for example, on a display. The location interface may be a live image (e.g., a camera feed) or rendering (e.g., a map, a blank screen, etc.) and may 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. Further, the one or more location indicators may change, for example, in size, color, shape, and / or intensity, to provide further information regarding the location of the MIT device. In some embodiments, the wireless device may present the location interface only if the high-power interface is active.

[0126] At 1508, once the location of the MIT device is determined (e.g., via the high-power interface), the wireless device may transmit one or more messages instructing the MIT device to deactivate the high-power interface, e.g., to reduce battery consumption. Further, the wireless device may instruct the MIT device to deactivate one or more other interfaces and / or terminate one or more outputs (e.g., audible, visual, tactile). In addition, the instructions may direct the MIT device to return to a low-power operating mode, e.g., periodically scanning for wake-up signals via the low-power interface (e.g., wake-up radio and / or wake-up receiver).

[0127] (Embodiment using MIT device) In some embodiments, a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device, such as the MIT device 108, may be used as a financial device, for example, for transferring money and / or as a payment device. For example, the MIT device may be used to transfer money and function as a stored-value card or cash-on-card, such as a prepaid transit card, gift card, or other such card implementation. For example, the MIT device may include a secure processor and / or secure storage in addition to communications circuitry, one or more sensors, a processor, memory, a power source, etc. In such embodiments, the MIT device may operate in a standalone mode (or as a standalone device), for example, without a companion device. In some embodiments, the MIT device may be associated with an account (e.g., a bank account such as a credit card, debit card, checking and / or savings account) or a financial pool (e.g., a pre-funded account not directly associated with a bank account but stipulated by a service). In some embodiments, the MIT device may be enabled to use an ultra-wideband interface for “tap to pay” operations, which may enable a high level of transaction security. In some embodiments, the MIT device may be implemented as a lending device capable of lending money via third party services such as, for example, Venmo, PayPal, or Apple Pay.

[0128] As another example, an MIT device may be attached to (or associated with) an item that is shared among a community of users, such as neighbors in a neighborhood and / or members of a social group. In some embodiments, the MIT device may help track the item (e.g., last user, last and / or current location) and maintain information associated with the item (e.g., user, location, amount of usage, etc.). Similarly, an MIT device may be implemented for inventory tracking (e.g., typically attached / associated with an item assigned to or shared with a user) for a business, sports team, community, etc.

[0129] In some embodiments, a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device, such as MIT device 108, may be used as a form of identification, such as for visitor verification. For example, in some embodiments, the MIT device may be a digital representation of a person's identity. In some embodiments, the MIT device may store authentication information, such as a token, for example, in secure memory. Furthermore, the authentication information may be encrypted in a form that allows for secure decryption and authentication. The representation may include a description, image, current location, and / or intended location of the person. In some embodiments, a user may scan the MIT device to confirm the location of the MIT device and the person's identity. For example, upon scanning the MIT device (e.g., via a wireless device such as AP 112, wireless station 106, and / or wireless node 107), the user may be provided with information to confirm the person's identity, such as a photograph identifying the person, a log of the person's intended location, etc. In some embodiments, the scan may be accomplished via a home security system, for example, to confirm the identity and / or to authorize entry or, conversely, to notify security without authorization. As another example, an MIT device may be implemented as part of a chain of trust to, for example, enable in-store pickup of online orders, signing for received shipments, etc.

[0130] Further embodiments In some embodiments, for example, a multi-interface transponder device (MIT) as described herein may include one or more radios (e.g., for supporting interfaces), at least one antenna, memory, and one or more processors (e.g., processing circuits, processing elements, etc.). In some embodiments, the one or more radios may include one or more of a Bluetooth® (BT) radio (e.g., any radio supporting various forms of Bluetooth®, including Bluetooth® Low Energy), an ultra-wideband (UWB) radio, and / or an ultra-low power radio (e.g., a wake-up radio and / or a wake-up receiver, etc.). Additionally, in some embodiments, the MIT device may include motion sensing circuitry (e.g., a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and / or any of various other motion sensing components).

[0131] In some embodiments, the MIT device comprises: Enters low power mode where the second radio is disabled, receiving a wake-up signal from a neighboring wireless device while in the low power mode; In response to receiving the wake-up signal, the wireless device may be configured to transition to the higher power mode and then transmit a beacon via a second radio enabled in the higher power mode. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may be received by the ultra low power radio, for example, via ULP / LP communication with a neighboring wireless device.

[0132] In some embodiments, the neighboring wireless device may comprise a companion device. In some embodiments, the companion device may have assisted the MIT device in registering with a location server. In some embodiments, the companion device and the MIT device may be associated with a location server. In some embodiments, the MIT may: receiving an indication from a neighboring wireless device that a location associated with the MIT device has been updated at a location server; The device may be configured to transition to a low power mode based at least in part on the instruction. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may indicate a transmission frequency. In some embodiments, the transmission frequency may be based at least in part on one or more of a mode of transport detected by a neighboring wireless device and / or expected medium congestion detected by the neighboring wireless device. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may indicate a transmission power. In some embodiments, the transmission power may be based at least in part on one or more of a mode of transport detected by a neighboring wireless device and / or expected medium congestion detected by the neighboring wireless device.

[0133] In some embodiments, the second radio may comprise an ultra wideband radio.

[0134] In some embodiments, the neighboring wireless devices may comprise non-companion devices. In some embodiments, the non-companion devices and the MIT devices may be associated with a location server.

[0135] In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may be received via a first radio, which may comprise one of a Bluetooth® radio and / or an ultra-low power radio (e.g., a wake-up radio and / or a wake-up receiver, etc.).

[0136] In some embodiments, the MIT may be further configured to determine a first state of the MIT device based at least in part on a duration since communicating with the companion device and transition to a lost mode of operation based on the first state. In some embodiments, the companion device may have assisted the MIT device in registering with a location server. In some embodiments, the companion device and the MIT device may be associated with a location server. In some embodiments, when in the lost mode of operation, the MIT device may be configured to transmit beacons via the first radio at a first periodic interval during a first portion of a day and to transmit beacons via the first radio at a second periodic interval during a second portion of a day. In some embodiments, the first portion of a day may correspond at least in part to daytime hours, and the second portion of a day may correspond at least in part to non-daytime hours. 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 transmit power of beacons transmitted via the first radio based at least in part on one of the duration or the time of day. In some embodiments, the first radio may comprise a Bluetooth® radio. In some embodiments, the first state of the MIT device may further be based at least in part on a duration since an indication of location update or signal reception from a neighboring wireless device.

[0137] In some embodiments, the MIT device comprises: operating in a low power mode in which an ultra-wideband (UWB) radio in communication with the at least one processor is disabled; receiving a wake-up signal from a neighboring wireless device while operating in the low power mode; generating instructions to transition out of the low power mode and enable the UWB radio in response to receiving a wake-up signal; The wireless device may be configured to generate instructions to transmit location beacons to neighboring wireless devices via the UWB radio. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may be received by an ultra low power radio, for example, via ULP / LP communication with the neighboring wireless devices.

[0138] In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may be received via one of a Bluetooth® radio or an ultra-low power radio (e.g., a wake-up radio and / or a wake-up receiver) in communication with at least one processor.

[0139] In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may indicate a transmission frequency and transmission power for the location beacon.

[0140] In some embodiments, the MIT device comprises: receiving an indication from a neighboring wireless device that a location associated with the MIT device has been updated at a location server; It may be further configured to generate instructions to transition to a low power mode and disable the UWB radio.

[0141] In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may indicate a transmission frequency and a transmission power for the location beacon, each of which may be based at least in part on one or more of a mode of transport detected by a neighboring wireless device and / or expected medium congestion detected by a neighboring wireless device.

[0142] In some embodiments, the MIT device comprises: broadcasting a location beacon at a first transmission frequency and a first transmission power; increasing the first transmission frequency to a second transmission frequency in response to detecting the trigger condition; The location beacon may be configured to broadcast at the second transmission frequency and the first transmission power.

[0143] In some embodiments, the trigger condition may include receiving an indication that the companion device has moved more than a threshold distance from the MIT device. In some embodiments, the indication may be received via a first radio and the location beacon may be transmitted via a second radio. In some embodiments, the threshold distance may be approximately one meter.

[0144] In some embodiments, the MIT device comprises: receiving an instruction from the companion device to increase a transmit power to a second transmit power, the instruction being based at least in part on medium congestion; The device may be configured to transmit the location beacon to the companion device at a second transmission power.

[0145] In some embodiments, before broadcasting the location beacon at the first transmission frequency and the first transmission power, the MIT device: receiving an indication of a transition in a transport mode from the companion device while operating in a low power mode in which the second radio is disabled; Upon instruction, the second radio may be configured to transition to a higher power mode in which the second radio is enabled. In some embodiments, the MIT device comprises: receiving an indication from the companion device of an end of the transition in the transport mode; It may be configured to transition back to a low power state in response to an instruction.

[0146] In some embodiments, the trigger condition may include detecting a transition in transport mode. The transition may include cessation of transport mode. In some embodiments, the determination may be based on a change in frequency of the MIT device.

[0147] In some embodiments, the MIT device comprises: determining, while in the first power state, to transition to the second power state based at least in part on detecting a detectable event via the first interface (e.g., supported by a first radio of the one or more radios) and / or one of the motion sensing circuits of the MIT device; transitioning from a first power state to a second power state; transmitting one or more beacons over one of a second interface (e.g., supported by a second radio of the one or more radios) or a third interface (e.g., supported by a third radio of the one or more radios) of the MIT device while in the second power state; receiving, while in the second power state, an indication from a neighboring wireless device that a location associated with the MIT device has been updated with a location server; The device may be configured to determine to transition to the third power state based at least in part on the instruction. In some embodiments, the selection of the second interface or the third interface may be based at least in part on the detected event. In some embodiments, the neighboring wireless device and the MIT device may each be associated with a location server.

[0148] In some embodiments, the first interface may be an ultra-low power radio frequency (RF) interface (e.g., a wake-up radio and / or a wake-up receiver, etc.). In other words, the first radio may be an ultra-low power radio in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the first interface may be a Bluetooth® (BT) interface. Thus, the first radio may be a Bluetooth® radio in some embodiments.

[0149] In some embodiments, 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 (BT) Bluetooth interface and a UWB RF interface. In other words, the second and third radios may be one of a BT radio and / or a UWB radio in some embodiments.

[0150] In some embodiments, the event detectable via the first interface may include receiving a wake-up signal from the companion device. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may include instructions for transitioning to the second power state. In some embodiments, the instructions may direct the MIT device to activate the third interface, for example, if the third interface includes a UWB RF interface. In some embodiments, the instructions may direct the MIT device to activate the second interface, for example, if the second interface comprises a BT interface.

[0151] In some embodiments, the instructions may indicate a transmission frequency. In some embodiments, the transmission frequency may be based at least in part on a mode of transport detected by the companion device. In some embodiments, the transmission frequency may be based at least in part on expected medium congestion as detected by the companion device.

[0152] In some embodiments, the instructions may indicate a transmit power. In some embodiments, the transmit power may be based at least in part on a mode of transport detected by the companion device. In some embodiments, the transmit power may be based at least in part on (and / or further based on) expected medium congestion detected by the companion device.

[0153] In some embodiments, the neighboring wireless device may be a companion device that may have assisted the MIT device in registering with a location server, hi some embodiments, the neighboring wireless device may be a non-companion device that may be associated with a location server.

[0154] In some embodiments, the MIT device comprises: determining a first state of the MIT device based at least in part on a duration since communicating with the companion device; The device may be configured to transition to the first operating mode based on the first state. In some embodiments, the first mode of operation may include any, any combination thereof, and / or all of the following: transmitting a beacon over the first interface at a first periodic interval during a first portion of a day, transmitting a beacon over the first interface at a second periodic interval during a second portion of the day, and / or increasing a transmit power of the beacon based at least in part on one of a duration and / or a time of day. In some embodiments, the first portion of the day may correspond at least in part to daytime hours. In some embodiments, the second portion of the day may correspond at least in part to non-daytime hours. In some embodiments, the second periodic interval may be longer than the first periodic interval.

[0155] In some embodiments, the first state of the MIT device may be further based at least in part on a duration since an indication of location update and / or signal reception from a neighboring device.

[0156] In some embodiments, the first periodic interval may be adjusted based at least in part on the transmit power.

[0157] In some embodiments, the MIT device comprises: Receive signals from neighboring wireless devices; The transmitter may be further configured to increase the transmission frequency and / or the transmission power in response to receiving the signal.

[0158] In some embodiments, the first operating mode may further include a power saving period. In some embodiments, the power saving period may be at least 10 times as long as the first or second portion of a day. In some embodiments, the power saving period may be at least 100 times as long as the first or second portion of a day. In some embodiments, the power saving period may be at least 1000 times as long as the first or second portion of a day.

[0159] In some embodiments, the first interface may be a Bluetooth interface.

[0160] In some embodiments, the MIT device comprises: receiving, via the first interface, from the companion device while in the first power state, an indication of a transition in a transport mode; transitioning to a second power state in response to the instruction; The device may be configured to transmit one or more beacons via the second interface to the companion device at a first transmission frequency and a first transmission power. In some embodiments, transitioning to the second power state may activate a second interface, hi some embodiments, the second interface may consume more power than the first interface.

[0161] In some embodiments, the first interface may be an ultra-low power wake-up radio frequency interface, and in some embodiments, the second interface may be one of a Bluetooth interface or an ultra-wideband RF interface.

[0162] In some embodiments, the MIT device comprises: receiving an indication from the companion device of an end of the transition in the transport mode; The power supply may be configured to transition back to the first power state in response to an instruction.

[0163] In some embodiments, the MIT device comprises: receiving an indication from the companion device that the companion device has moved beyond a threshold distance from the MIT device; The device may be further configured to increase the transmission frequency of one or more beacons in response to the instruction.

[0164] In some embodiments, the threshold distance may be about 1 meter. In some embodiments, the threshold distance may be greater than 2 feet and less than 3 feet.

[0165] In some embodiments, the MIT device may be further configured to receive an instruction from the companion device to increase transmit power, the instruction being based at least in part on medium congestion.

[0166] In some embodiments, the companion device may be at least one of a user equipment device or a wearable device.

[0167] In some embodiments, the mode of transportation may include at least one of a car, a train, a boat, or an airplane.

[0168] In some embodiments, a wireless device, such as a client station and / or wireless node, as described herein, may be configured as a companion device to a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device, as described herein. The wireless device may include one or more radios (e.g., supporting one or more interfaces), at least one antenna, memory, and one or more processors (e.g., processing circuits, processing elements, etc.). In some embodiments, the one or more radios may include one or more of a Bluetooth® (BT) radio (e.g., any radio supporting various forms of Bluetooth®, including Bluetooth® Low Energy), an ultra-wideband (UWB) radio, an ultra-low power radio (e.g., a wake-up radio and / or a wake-up receiver, etc.), and / or a cellular radio. Additionally, in some embodiments, the wireless device may include motion sensing circuitry (e.g., a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and / or any of various other motion sensing components).

[0169] In some embodiments, the wireless device Sending an instruction to the MIT device to activate the ultra-wideband interface; receiving one or more signals from the MIT device via ultra-wideband communications; determining a location of the MIT device relative to the wireless device based on the received one or more signals; displaying, via a user interface, an indication of the location of the MIT device relative to the wireless device; The MIT device may be configured to update the location of the MIT device relative to the wireless device based on movement of the wireless device.

[0170] In some embodiments, the instructions may be transmitted via an ultra-low power radio frequency signal.

[0171] In some embodiments, the instructions may be displayed via a map displayed on the display of the wireless device.

[0172] In some embodiments, the instructions may include an augmented reality rendering of the location of the MIT device relative to the wireless device.

[0173] In some embodiments, the wireless device may be further configured to, in response to determining the location of the MIT device, send an instruction to the MIT device to deactivate an ultra wideband interface of the MIT device. In some embodiments, the wireless device may be further configured to, in response to determining the location of the MIT device, send a location update message to the location server.

[0174] As mentioned above, one aspect of the present technology is to collect and use available data from specific and legitimate sources to track and / or update the location of a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device. The present disclosure contemplates that, in some cases, this collected data may include personal information data that uniquely identifies or can be used to identify a particular person. Such personal information data may include demographic data, location-based data, online identifiers, telephone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, data or records regarding a user's health or fitness level (e.g., vital sign measurements, medication information, exercise information), date of birth, or any other personal information.

[0175] This disclosure recognizes that the use of such personal information data in the present technology may be for the benefit of the user. For example, tracking and / or updating the location of an MIT device may assist a user in maintaining the location of various important items, such as keys, luggage, musical equipment, sports equipment, backpacks, briefcases, etc.

[0176] This disclosure intends that those entities involved in the collection, analysis, disclosure, transmission, storage, or other use of such personal information data will adhere to robust privacy policies and / or privacy practices. Specifically, such entities would be expected to implement and consistently apply privacy practices generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Such information regarding the use of personal data should be prominent and easily accessible by users and should be updated as data collection and / or use changes. Personal information from users should be collected only for legitimate uses. Furthermore, such collection / sharing should occur after receiving the user's consent or based on other legitimate grounds specified in applicable law. Furthermore, such entities should consider taking all necessary measures to protect and secure access to such personal information data and to ensure that others with access to that personal information data comply with their privacy policies and procedures. Furthermore, such entities may be able to undergo third-party assessments to demonstrate their adherence to widely accepted privacy policies and practices. Additionally, policies and practices should be tailored to the specific types of personal information data collected and / or accessed, and should comply with applicable laws and standards, including jurisdiction-specific considerations that may serve to impose higher standards. For example, in the United States, the collection of 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 addressed accordingly.

[0177] Notwithstanding the foregoing, the present disclosure also contemplates embodiments in which a user selectively blocks use of or access to personal information data, i.e., the present disclosure contemplates that hardware and / or software elements may be provided to prevent or block access to such personal information data.

[0178] Furthermore, it is the intent of this disclosure that personal information data should be managed and handled in a manner that minimizes the risk of unintended or unauthorized access or use. Risk can be minimized by limiting data collection and deleting data when it is no longer needed. Furthermore, where applicable, de-identification of data can be used to protect user privacy in certain health-related applications. De-identification may be facilitated by removing identifiers, where appropriate, controlling the amount or specificity of data stored (e.g., collecting location data at a city level rather than an address level), controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data across users), and / or other methods such as differential privacy.

[0179] Thus, while this disclosure broadly encompasses the use of personal information data to implement one or more various disclosed embodiments, this disclosure also contemplates that the various embodiments may be implemented without requiring access to such personal information data. That is, various embodiments of the present technology are not rendered inoperable by the absence of all or part of such personal information data. For example, content may be selected and delivered to a user based on aggregated, non-personal information data, such as content available only on a user's device, or minimal personal information, or other non-personal information available to a content delivery service.

[0180] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments may be implemented as a computer-implemented method, a computer-readable storage medium, or a computer system. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices, such as an ASIC. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements, such as an FPGA.

[0181] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured to store program instructions and / or data that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform the method, e.g., any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets.

[0182] In some embodiments, a wireless device may be configured to include a processor (or set of processors) and a storage medium, where the storage medium stores program instructions, and the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the storage medium, the program instructions being executable to cause the wireless device to implement any of the various method embodiments described herein (or a combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be implemented in any of a variety of forms.

[0183] While the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated, and it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. a first radio comprising circuitry supporting a first radio access technology (RAT); a second radio comprising circuitry supporting a second RAT; one or more processors coupled to the first radio and the second radio, The one or more processors may include: causing the second radio to enter a low power mode in which it is disabled; receiving a wake-up signal from a neighboring wireless device while in the low power mode; and, in response to receiving the wake-up signal, after transitioning to a higher power mode, causing a beacon to be transmitted via the second radio enabled in the higher power mode. Multi-Interface Transponder (MIT) devices.

2. 10. The MIT device of claim 1, wherein the neighboring wireless devices comprise companion devices that assist the MIT device in registering with a location server, the companion devices and the MIT device being associated with the location server.

3. The one or more processors may include: receiving an indication from the neighboring wireless device that a location associated with the MIT device has been updated at the location server; and further configured to transition to the low power mode based at least in part on the instruction. The MIT device of claim 2 .

4. The wake-up signal indicates a transmission frequency, the transmission frequency being: a mode of transport detected by said neighboring wireless devices; or anticipated medium congestion detected by said neighboring wireless device; based at least in part on one or more of The MIT device of claim 2 .

5. The wake-up signal indicates a transmission power, and the transmission power is a mode of transport detected by said neighboring wireless devices; or anticipated medium congestion detected by said neighboring wireless device; based at least in part on one or more of The MIT device of claim 2 .

6. The MIT device of claim 1 , wherein the second radio comprises an ultra-wideband radio.

7. the neighboring wireless devices comprise non-companion devices, and the non-companion devices and the MIT device are associated with a location server; The MIT device of claim 1 .

8. the wake-up signal is received via the first radio, the first radio comprising one of a Bluetooth radio or an ultra-low power radio. The MIT device of claim 1 .

9. The one or more processors may include: and determining a first state of the MIT device based at least in part on a duration since communication with a companion device, the companion device assisting the MIT device in registering with a location server, the companion device and the MIT device being associated with the location server; and further configured to transition the MIT device to a lost mode of operation based on the first state. The MIT device of claim 1 .

10. When in the lost mode of operation, the one or more processors may instruct the MIT device to: transmitting a beacon via the first radio at first periodic intervals during a first portion of a day corresponding at least in part to daylight hours; transmitting beacons via the first radio at second periodic intervals longer than the first periodic intervals during a second portion of a day corresponding at least in part to times other than daylight; or and increasing a transmit power of a beacon transmitted via the first radio based at least in part on one of the duration or the time of day. The MIT device of claim 9.

11. the first radio comprises a Bluetooth radio; The MIT device of claim 10.

12. the first state of the MIT device is further based at least in part on a duration since an indication of location update or signal reception from a neighboring wireless device. The MIT device of claim 10.

13. It is a device Memory and at least one processor in communication with the memory; The at least one processor operating in a low power mode in which an ultra-wideband (UWB) radio in communication with the at least one processor is disabled; receiving a wake-up signal from a neighboring wireless device while operating in the low power mode; generating instructions to transition out of the low power mode and enable the UWB radio in response to receiving the wake-up signal; generating instructions to transmit, via the UWB radio, a location beacon to the neighboring wireless devices; The apparatus is configured to:

14. the wake-up signal is received via one of a Bluetooth radio or an ultra-low power radio in communication with the at least one processor; 14. The apparatus of claim 13.

15. the wake-up signal instructs the location beacon on a transmission frequency and a transmission power; 14. The apparatus of claim 13.

16. The at least one processor receiving an indication from the neighboring wireless device that a location associated with the device has been updated at a location server; and generating instructions to transition to the low power mode and disable the UWB radio.

14. The apparatus of claim 13.

17. 1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions, the program instructions being configured to cause a processing circuit of a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device to: operating an ultra-wideband (UWB) radio of the MIT device in a low-power mode in which it is deactivated; receiving a wake-up signal from a neighboring wireless device while operating in the low power mode; in response to receiving the wake-up signal, after transitioning to a higher power mode, cause a location beacon to be transmitted via the UWB radio that was activated as part of the transition to the higher power mode. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

18. The wake-up signal indicates a transmission frequency and a transmission power for the location beacon, and the transmission frequency and the transmission power are each set to: a mode of transport detected by said neighboring wireless devices; or anticipated medium congestion detected by the neighboring wireless devices; 20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17.

19. the wake-up signal is received via one of a Bluetooth radio or an ultra-low power radio of the MIT device; 20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17.

20. The program instructions are receiving an indication from the neighboring wireless device that a location associated with the MIT device has been determined; and generating instructions to transition to the low power mode and disable the UWB radio.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17.

Images