Asset Location Estimation Using Related-Asset Tracking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current asset tracking systems require the permeation or saturation of extra attached devices and/or external devices for scaled usefulness, limiting practical implementation, and existing methods do not efficiently estimate the location of assets without constant observation or explicit tagging.
Innovation Solution
An asset tracking system that estimates the location of a tracked asset by identifying relationships with related assets and calculating a confidence score based on these relationships, timestamps, and the quantity of related assets, without the need for explicit tracking devices on the asset.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If positioning devices are attached to every asset or external observation devices are deployed throughout the network, then location tracking accuracy is improved, but system complexity and implementation cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach by using related assets as mediators to infer the location of tracked assets. Instead of directly tracking every asset with dedicated devices, the system uses assets that are known to be spatially or temporally related to the target asset as intermediaries to indirectly determine location, thereby reducing the need for pervasive tracking infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual representation of asset locations by copying location information from related assets. When direct tracking is unavailable, the location of a tracked asset is inferred by copying spatial relationships from associated assets (e.g., cargo location copied from vehicle location, or asset location copied from assets in the same facility), reducing the need for physical tracking devices on every asset
2Reliability
If positioning devices are installed on every vehicle or wayside devices cover the entire network, then complete asset visibility is achieved, but the quantity of devices and their cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Related assets serve multiple functions: they are tracked for their own operational purposes and simultaneously serve as reference points for inferring the locations of other related assets. This multi-functionality allows the same tracking infrastructure to provide both direct asset tracking and indirect inference capabilities, improving tracking completeness without proportionally increasing device quantity
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges direct tracking data with indirect inference data from related assets into a unified tracking framework. By combining information from multiple sources (directly tracked assets and their related assets), the system achieves more complete asset visibility than would be possible with either approach alone, while using a moderate quantity of tracking devices
3Measurement precision
If continuous observation or constant tracking is performed, then real-time location accuracy is maintained, but energy consumption and system resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous tracking, the system uses periodic updates from related assets to infer the locations of tracked assets. When related assets report their locations at periodic intervals, the system updates the inferred positions of associated assets accordingly, maintaining reasonable real-time accuracy while consuming significantly less energy than continuous direct tracking would require
Solution Approach 2:
The system leverages the self-service capability of related assets by using their own tracking systems and location reports to provide location information for other assets. The related assets' tracking infrastructure serves dual purposes: tracking the related assets themselves and providing location data for inferring the positions of their related assets, thereby reducing the energy burden on the overall system
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A system and method are provided that track one or more related assets to estimate an asset location and assign a confidence score for the estimated asset location. One or more relationships between a tracked asset and one or more related assets are identified, then one or more reported locations of the one or more related assets and one or more timestamps at which the one or more reported locations of the one or more related assets were determined are obtained. An asset location of the tracked asset is estimated based on the one or more reported locations of the one or more related assets and a confidence score is calculated for the asset location that is estimated.