Asset Tracking Communication Element Using Periodic Broadcast and Motion Trigger
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack efficient and reliable methods for tracking and communicating information about assets, such as heavy equipment attachments, across construction sites, leading to inefficiencies in monitoring and managing asset usage and location.
Innovation Solution
A communication system comprising communication elements attached to assets and controllers in vehicles, which use a cycle of broadcasting and sleep modes to conserve battery life while transmitting asset information, and can connect via valid identification keys and jerking motion triggers to provide real-time data on asset location and usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If communication elements continuously transmit broadcast signals to provide real-time asset information, then information availability and tracking reliability are improved, but battery life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The communication element transmits broadcast signals periodically rather than continuously. It cycles between transmission phases (sending asset information) and reception phases (listening for controller signals), with the transmission phase lasting a predetermined time period followed by a reception phase. This periodic operation maintains tracking reliability while significantly extending battery life compared to continuous transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts communication behavior based on detected conditions. When motion is detected by the motion sensor, the communication element changes from periodic broadcast mode to event-triggered communication mode, transmitting information immediately upon motion detection. This dynamic adaptation ensures reliable tracking during active events while conserving energy during static periods.
2Loss of information
If communication elements continuously monitor and transmit asset information to ensure real-time tracking, then information availability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication element uses periodic broadcast transmissions during predetermined time periods to provide asset information without continuous energy consumption. The system alternates between transmission intervals and energy-saving idle periods, maintaining information availability while minimizing energy loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication element autonomously detects motion events through the motion sensor and triggers information transmission only when needed, rather than continuously monitoring and transmitting. This self-service approach based on event detection reduces energy consumption while ensuring information is available when asset movement occurs.
3Speed
If the system responds immediately to motion detection to provide real-time asset tracking, then response speed is improved, but communication complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication element incorporates a motion sensor that provides feedback about asset movement. When motion is detected, the sensor triggers the communication element to immediately transmit information to the controller, enabling fast response to events. The feedback mechanism keeps the system simple by using direct sensor-to-controller signaling rather than complex processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The motion detection function is extracted as a separate sensor component that independently monitors asset movement. This extraction allows the main communication element to focus on information transmission while the sensor handles motion detection, simplifying the overall communication protocol and reducing processing complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A communication element, comprising a communication element transceiver, a sensor (configured to detect jerking motion), and an electronic storage device, the communication element configured to: [A] repeat a sequence comprising a broadcast mode in which is sends broadcast signals followed by a sleep mode in which it does not send any broadcast signal, [B] discontinue the sequence and enter a communication mode (in which stored information regarding an asset, e.g., a heavy-duty attachment, is transmitted to a controller, e.g., in a heavy-duty vehicle, upon request) upon receiving (during the broadcast mode or within a set time span after detecting a jerking motion). Also, communication systems comprising one or more such communication elements and one or more controllers, and methods of broadcasting and, upon specific conditions being met, communicating. Also, an element for cumulatively tracking time that an element has been in use.