Distributed Asset Tracking on Low-Bandwidth Mesh Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing asset-tracking systems face high network traffic load issues, particularly in low-bandwidth networks like ZigBee or BLE mesh, which are common in commercial buildings, leading to bandwidth constraints and incompatibility with existing infrastructure.
Innovation Solution
An asset-tracking system with a distributed processing approach, where listener nodes independently determine signal properties and announce measurement signals after a delay, selecting a subset of reporting nodes to reduce traffic load, allowing localization using low-bandwidth networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If all listener nodes send measurement signals to the gateway, then positioning accuracy is maintained, but network traffic load increases linearly with the product of tags and listener nodes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the listener nodes into different functional groups: detecting listener nodes that detect beacon signals, announcing listener nodes that relay measurements, and reporting listener nodes that send aggregated data to the gateway. This segmentation reduces the number of nodes communicating with the gateway while maintaining positioning accuracy through distributed measurement collection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple measurement signals from announcing listener nodes into aggregate signals at reporting listener nodes before transmission to the gateway. This combining approach reduces the total number of messages sent over the network while preserving the positioning information contained in individual measurements.
2Reliability
If a high bandwidth network is used to handle the traffic load, then positioning functionality is maintained, but network cost and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting listener nodes into detecting, announcing, and reporting roles, the patent enables the system to function on low-bandwidth networks. Only reporting listener nodes communicate with the gateway, dramatically reducing the bandwidth requirements and associated power consumption while maintaining positioning functionality.
3Measurement precision
If more listener nodes are deployed to improve positioning accuracy, then measurement precision increases, but network traffic load increases proportionally
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments listener nodes so that multiple detecting listener nodes can be deployed to improve measurement precision, but only a subset (reporting listener nodes) communicate with the gateway. This allows the system to benefit from multiple measurements while avoiding proportional increases in network traffic load.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple measurement signals from detecting and announcing listener nodes into aggregate signals at reporting listener nodes. This merging allows the system to utilize measurements from multiple listener nodes for improved accuracy while transmitting only consolidated data over the network.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention provides an asset-tracking system (100) for tracking a tag (10) in a space (500), wherein the tag (10) periodically emits a beacon signal (20), wherein the asset-tracking system (100) comprises a plurality of listener nodes (110) arranged in the space (500) and configured to detect the beacon signal (20), and wherein the asset-tracking system (100) comprises a control system (300), wherein the control system (300) has access to location data of the plurality of listener nodes (110), wherein in an operational mode: each listener node (110) of the plurality of listener nodes (110) determines a signal property upon detecting the beacon signal (20), wherein the listener node (110) determines an announcement delay based on the signal property; each listener node (110) announces a measurement signal (120) after the announcement delay to a related proper subset (111) of the plurality of listener nodes (110) unless the listener node (110) has received a predetermined number m of measurement signals (120); one or more reporting listener nodes (112) are selected from the plurality of listener nodes (110), wherein the one or more reporting listener nodes (112) are a proper subset of the plurality of listener nodes (110); the one or more reporting listener nodes (112) provide an aggregate signal (122) to the control system (300), wherein the aggregate signal (122) comprises data related to a plurality of measurement signals (120); the control system (300) determines a location of the tag (10) based on the aggregate signal (122) and the location data.