Asset Tracking Tag Integrating UWB and GNSS for Seamless Indoor Outdoor Positioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing asset tracking solutions fail to provide a seamless and efficient unified system for tracking assets across indoor and outdoor environments, due to fundamental differences in measuring and monitoring these environments, leading to additional hardware, infrastructure, and maintenance costs.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that integrates a UWB chip and a GNSS chipset into a singular hardware, utilizing a plurality of tags and anchor nodes to track assets in real-time, with predictive positioning algorithms enabling seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor environments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If separate indoor and outdoor tracking systems are used, then tracking accuracy in specific environments is improved, but hardware costs and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetracking accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines UWB indoor tracking and GNSS outdoor tracking into a single unified system. The asset tracking device integrates both UWB and GNSS receivers, allowing seamless transition between indoor and outdoor environments without requiring separate tracking systems, thereby reducing hardware costs and system complexity while maintaining tracking accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The asset tracking device is designed with multi-functionality to operate in both indoor and outdoor environments. It can switch between UWB technology for indoor tracking and GNSS for outdoor tracking, making a single device universal for all tracking scenarios rather than requiring environment-specific devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple positioning mechanisms are maintained active simultaneously, then seamless transition between indoor and outdoor is improved, but battery consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransition capabilityVSAvoidbattery consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically switches between UWB and GNSS positioning mechanisms based on the detected environment. The asset tracking device determines whether it is indoors or outdoors and activates only the appropriate positioning system, enabling seamless transition while avoiding continuous operation of both systems that would drain battery power.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system periodically checks the environment type (indoor/outdoor) and switches positioning mechanisms accordingly. Rather than maintaining both systems active continuously, it uses periodic environmental assessment to determine which positioning mechanism to activate, reducing energy consumption while ensuring appropriate tracking capability is always available.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Measurement precision

If base stations are installed for outdoor positioning, then positioning capability is improved, but infrastructure costs and maintenance effort increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoutdoor positioning capabilityVSAvoidinfrastructure cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the outdoor positioning function from a dedicated infrastructure-based system and implements it using portable GNSS receivers in asset tracking devices. This eliminates the need for installing and maintaining expensive base station infrastructure, as GNSS satellites provide global coverage without requiring ground-based installations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Device complexity

If a unified tracking system is implemented, then hardware costs are reduced, but communication reliability between tags and anchor nodes deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehardware costVSAvoidcommunication reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses an intermediary approach where anchor nodes serve as fixed reference points that emit heartbeat signals, and asset tracking devices (tags) listen to these signals to determine indoor position. This intermediary communication mechanism through heartbeat signals ensures reliable indoor tracking while the unified system architecture maintains cost-effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20250147192A1Method and system for seamless tracking of an asset across indoor and outdoor environments

Publication Date: 2025.05.08 LTIMINDTREE LTD

AI summary

The disclosure provides a method and system for seamless tracking of an asset across indoor and outdoor environments by utilizing tags affixed on assets and anchor nodes deployed across a facility. Each anchor node emits heartbeat signals that are received by neighboring anchor nodes that comprise information pertaining to coordinates and timestamp of anchor nodes. A data acquisition module receives processed data from each tag to listen to heartbeat signals being shared. A tracking module determines live positional information of the asset based on data retrieved from the data acquisition module. The tracking module, by utilizing predictive positioning algorithms, detects an indoor location of each tag affixed on the asset using a UWB chipset and detects an outdoor location of each tag affixed on an asset using a GNSS chipset.