Beacon Device Tool Tracking System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power tool tracking methods are inefficient and costly, as they rely on manual documentation, smartphone-based location logging with limited scope, and do not accurately track the location of tools, leading to potential theft and undue burden on site supervisors.
Innovation Solution
A tool management system incorporating beacon devices with communication circuitry that upload system information to a cloud-based computing system, providing real-time location tracking and alerts when out of communication range, allowing for reliable and cost-effective tool monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual documentation is used to track tools, then site supervisors can monitor tool locations, but it places an undue burden on supervisors and distracts them from their primary job responsibilities
Solution Approach 1:
The tool tracking system performs automatically through beacon devices that continuously broadcast their location and tools that automatically report their status. The system serves itself by autonomously collecting, transmitting, and processing tracking data without requiring supervisor intervention, thereby eliminating the burden on supervisors while maintaining reliable tool tracking.
2Measurement precision
If smartphone-based location logging is used, then tool locations can be recorded, but the scope of coverage is limited and phones are not allowed at many work sites
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the tracking functionality from smartphones and embeds it directly into dedicated beacon devices and tools. This separation allows the tracking system to operate independently of mobile phones, enabling deployment at work sites where phones are prohibited while maintaining accurate location tracking capabilities through beacon broadcasts and wireless communications.
3Loss of information
If smartphone location logging is used, then last known location can be recorded, but the app does not know the actual location of the tool which may be far from the smartphone
Solution Approach 1:
The beacon device serves as an intermediary between the tool and the tracking system. The beacon continuously broadcasts its precise location and identity, and tools within range automatically report their status and location. This intermediary mechanism ensures that the actual tool location is accurately captured and transmitted to the cloud-based system, eliminating the gap between smartphone location and tool location while enabling real-time tracking.
4Reliability
If expensive tools are tracked using existing methods, then tool security can be improved, but the cost of implementation is high
Solution Approach 1:
The beacon devices serve multiple functions: they provide location tracking, enable tool identification, facilitate theft prevention, and support operational monitoring. By consolidating these functions into a single beacon system rather than requiring separate solutions for each function, the implementation cost is reduced while maintaining comprehensive tool security and monitoring capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Tool monitoring systems and beacon devices used in the tool monitoring systems are provided. The tool monitoring systems permits one or more beacon devices to upload tool information to a cloud-based computing system either directly or indirectly. Direct communication between the beacon devices and the cloud-based computing system 12 utilizes a communication module and a server. Indirect communication between the beacon devices and the cloud-based computing system utilizes a mobile application running on a mobile computing device or platform and a web services running on the server. The beacon devices are worn by a tool user or installed in a fixed location and communicate with one or more tools to retrieve tool information from the one or more tools and upload the tool information to the cloud-based computing system's database.