Battery-Powered Asset Tracker Using Mobile Intermediaries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current real-time location systems (RTLS) in healthcare environments are expensive, time-consuming to install, and suffer from accuracy issues due to interference and line-of-sight limitations, requiring extensive infrastructure and relying on human behavior for accurate asset tracking.
Innovation Solution
A battery-powered, multimodal transmitter/receiver device with directional antennas and low-power communication technologies like Bluetooth Low Energy, which can operate with minimal infrastructure, crowdsource data from mobile badges, and adjust its power state based on activity levels to conserve energy and improve accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If RFID and infrared reader infrastructures are installed into buildings to capture position information, then location tracking capability is improved, but installation cost and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, wearables) as intermediary components that leverage existing wireless networks instead of installing dedicated RFID/infrared infrastructure. These mobile devices act as mediators between assets and the tracking system, using standard Wi-Fi and cellular networks already present in healthcare facilities to transmit location data, thereby eliminating the need for extensive specialized infrastructure installation
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes multi-functional mobile devices that already serve various purposes (communication, information access, patient monitoring) to also perform asset tracking functions. By making mobile devices universal platforms that combine multiple healthcare functions including location tracking, the system avoids adding separate dedicated tracking infrastructure, reducing overall system complexity and installation requirements
2Reliability
If RFID sensors are placed on people and assets to be tracked, then location tracking is enabled, but location accuracy deteriorates due to tolerance of approximately plus-or-minus ten feet
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the tracking network into multiple distributed mobile device nodes throughout the facility. Instead of relying on a single RFID reader with large tolerance zones, numerous mobile devices create overlapping detection zones that provide finer spatial resolution. This segmentation allows the system to determine asset location based on which specific mobile device detects the asset, improving precision beyond traditional RFID tolerance ranges
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional RFID zone-based tracking to three-dimensional spatial tracking by utilizing the mobile device's physical location, movement patterns, and signal strength data. By adding temporal and spatial dimensionality to the tracking system through GPS, Wi-Fi positioning, and accelerometer data, the system achieves superior location accuracy that accounts for precise positioning rather than broad tolerance zones
3Reliability
If RFID and IR-based sensors are used for tracking, then location monitoring is achieved, but measurement reliability deteriorates due to drift from environmental interference and cross talk between locations
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses mobile devices with multiple communication interfaces (Wi-Fi, cellular, Bluetooth) as intermediaries to transmit location data through diverse communication channels. This mediation through multiple independent communication paths prevents environmental interference and cross-talk from affecting tracking reliability, as data can be transmitted through alternative channels if one is compromised
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where mobile devices continuously report their own location, signal strength, and detection status to the central server. This feedback allows the system to identify and correct potential drift or interference issues by comparing data from multiple sources over time, maintaining measurement precision even in challenging environmental conditions through continuous validation and adjustment
4Reliability
If extensive infrastructure with power and data cabling is installed to support tracking systems, then tracking coverage is improved, but installation complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces mobile devices as intermediary tracking nodes that leverage existing wireless infrastructure (Wi-Fi routers, cellular networks) already deployed in healthcare facilities. These intermediaries eliminate the need for installing dedicated power and data cabling throughout the facility, as mobile devices communicate wirelessly with the central server using existing network infrastructure, dramatically simplifying installation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the tracking system to utilize existing infrastructure (wireless networks, mobile devices, power outlets for charging) that the facility already possesses. The system is self-sufficient by leveraging the facility's existing technological ecosystem rather than requiring separate dedicated infrastructure, allowing rapid deployment without extensive construction or cabling work
Data Source
AI summary
Improved fixed receiver devices including both transmit and receive circuitry and operating on battery power are disclosed. An example transmitter/receiver location device includes a network interface to enable transmission and receipt of messages via a first communication medium and transmission and receipt of messages via a second communication medium. The example device includes a battery to provide power to the device, the battery to have a battery level and to be chargeable. The example device includes a memory to store instructions and data. The example device includes a processor to at least: process a beacon message received via the network interface; generate an information message for a location server based on location information from the beacon message and status information based on the battery level for the device; and adjust an operating state of the device based on the battery level.