Mobile Transceiver Alarm Profiles for Low-Power Asset Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
GNSS tracking devices face challenges with limited power and processing resources, particularly when crossing wireless carrier and network coverage boundaries during global and long-range transit, necessitating efficient operation and extended battery life.
Innovation Solution
A mobile transceiver with a satellite receiver and wireless transceiver, capable of switching between power modes to conserve energy, and an alarm profile system that triggers location and sensor data collection based on predefined conditions, allowing efficient tracking across coverage boundaries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the mobile transceiver continuously collects and transmits location data, then tracking accuracy and data availability are improved, but power consumption increases and battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile transceiver implements periodic sampling of location data at predetermined intervals rather than continuous collection. The processor wakes from low-power mode at scheduled times to collect location information via satellite receiver and transmit it through the wireless transceiver, then returns to sleep mode. This periodic operation significantly reduces power consumption while maintaining adequate tracking data availability for monitoring asset movement across coverage boundaries.
2Reliability
If the mobile transceiver operates in high-power mode to ensure reliable communication across coverage boundaries, then communication reliability is improved, but battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile transceiver dynamically adjusts its power mode based on operational needs. The processor alternates between low-power sleep mode and active high-power mode, switching to high-power mode only when location data collection and transmission are required, particularly when approaching or crossing wireless carrier coverage boundaries. This dynamic power management ensures communication reliability is maintained during critical transitions while extending battery life through prolonged low-power operation during stable tracking periods.
3Speed
If the mobile transceiver frequently wakes from low-power mode to check location, then tracking responsiveness is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile transceiver uses predetermined time intervals and event-triggered wake-up schedules to determine when location checking should occur. Rather than continuously monitoring or using aggressive polling, the processor is scheduled to wake at predetermined intervals and only when specific events occur (such as approaching coverage boundaries or receiving commands from remote servers). This preliminary scheduling of wake-up events optimizes tracking responsiveness by ensuring timely location updates while minimizing unnecessary wake-ups that would consume power.
4Loss of information
If the mobile transceiver processes and stores all collected data locally, then data availability for analysis is improved, but processing resources and memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile transceiver extracts and transmits only the essential location data and relevant sensor information to remote servers, rather than storing and processing all collected data locally. The processor filters location readings and determines which data points require transmission based on whether they indicate movement across coverage boundaries or meet predefined significance criteria. This extraction approach maintains data availability for remote analysis while minimizing local processing requirements and memory usage, allowing the device to operate with limited onboard resources.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables power-efficient, long-range tracking of assets with extended battery life, even when crossing international borders, by optimizing power consumption and data collection based on predefined triggers.
Implementation Method 1
a satellite receiver configured to receive satellite signals
Implementation Method 2
a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with remote servers
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
A mobile transceiver having an asset-based alarm profile and a method of operation are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method of operating a mobile transceiver: sending to an asset tracking service a message including a device identifier (ID); receiving from the asset tracking service an alarm profile assigned to the device ID, wherein the alarm profile defines a plurality of alarms, each alarm including a trigger condition and one or more actions; storing the alarm profile in a memory of the mobile transceiver; and applying the alarm profile.