Multi-Bluetooth Listener Tracking via Network Relay
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tracking systems using Bluetooth low energy (BLE) devices are limited in range and compatibility, preventing location information retrieval when the user equipment is outside the communication range or lacks the specific client application, which can lead to unsuccessful recovery of lost items.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a tracking service framework that utilizes a network of user equipment with BLE listening capabilities, allowing devices to passively detect and transmit tracking device signals, even when outside the initial communication range, and differentiate between fully authenticated, semi-authenticated, and unauthenticated devices to adjust communication and notification strategies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tracking device uses Bluetooth low energy to transmit signals to paired user equipment, then the tracking device can communicate location information to the user, but the user equipment must be within the tracking device's communication range to receive signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces network servers as intermediaries that receive location information from the tracking device via Bluetooth and relay it to user equipment over the internet. This mediator extends the effective communication range beyond Bluetooth's physical limitations, allowing users to access tracking information globally through network connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from purely local Bluetooth communication to a multi-dimensional system that combines Bluetooth short-range transmission with network-wide cloud-based communication. This adds a network dimension to the originally local tracking system, enabling remote access to location data.
2Reliability
If a tracking device is paired with specific user equipment having a client application, then the tracking device can transmit location information to that equipment, but the tracking device has limited compatibility with other user equipment lacking the specific client application
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal communication architecture where the tracking device can interact with multiple types of user equipment through different interfaces. Network-enabled devices can communicate through the cloud server, while paired devices use direct Bluetooth communication, making the system adaptable to various equipment types without requiring specific client applications on all devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the communication system into two independent pathways: direct Bluetooth communication for paired devices and network-based communication for unpaired devices. This segmentation allows each pathway to be optimized independently, expanding overall system compatibility.
3Measurement precision
If the tracking device transmits signals continuously to maintain location tracking, then the location information can be updated frequently, but the tracking device consumes more power
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic transmission where the tracking device sends location updates at intervals or when location changes occur, rather than continuously. This periodic action maintains adequate tracking precision while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback mechanisms where the server or user equipment requests location updates only when necessary, and the tracking device adjusts its transmission frequency based on these requests and movement detection, optimizing the balance between tracking precision and power consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described herein for tracking an item of interest using a plurality of user equipment that can communicate with a tracking device that is configured to attach to the tracked item. The techniques include: storing a unique tracking device identifier corresponding to a tracking device associated with a first user equipment; receiving a location information of the tracking device from a second user equipment in response to the second user equipment receiving a tracking device signal transmitted by the tracking device, the tracking device signal comprising the location information of the tracking device and the unique tracking device identifier corresponding to the tracking device; authenticating the second user equipment to facilitate communication between the second user equipment and the tracking device; and transmitting the location information of the tracking device to the first user equipment.