IoT Mesh Tracking for GPS-Denied Object Location Relay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fixed-location asset tracking in various indoor/outdoor environments is challenging due to infrastructure limitations, particularly when GPS signals are unavailable, and existing systems struggle to maintain accurate location tracking of objects without additional infrastructure.
Innovation Solution
A network of IoT devices using a combination of long-range and short-range signals, such as GPS and Bluetooth, forms a mesh network to track objects, allowing location information to be shared even when long-range communication is unavailable, with precise time synchronization and battery-powered devices that can draw power from vehicle OBD ports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS signals are used for location tracking, then tracking accuracy is improved, but the system becomes unreliable in GPS-denied areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mesh network of IoT devices that relay location information between GPS-available and GPS-denied areas. When a tracked device loses GPS signal, the system uses intermediate devices in the mesh network to forward location data, maintaining tracking reliability without sacrificing accuracy when GPS is available.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking system is segmented into multiple functional components: GPS modules for outdoor tracking, short-range communication modules for indoor/proximal tracking, and mesh network infrastructure for data relay. This segmentation allows the system to switch between different tracking methods based on environmental conditions, resolving the contradiction between accuracy and reliability.
2Reliability
If additional traditional infrastructure is installed for tracking, then tracking reliability is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mesh network devices serve multiple functions: they act as tracking nodes, relay stations, and communication bridges. A single IoT device in the mesh network can support multiple tracked devices simultaneously, providing universal service without requiring dedicated infrastructure for each tracking function, thus reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mesh network operates autonomously without central infrastructure support. Devices self-organize into the network, automatically establishing communication paths and relaying location data. This self-service capability eliminates the need for complex centralized infrastructure while maintaining reliable tracking across diverse environments.
3Reliability
If short-range signals are used for tracking, then reliability in GPS-denied areas is improved, but tracking range is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from two-dimensional GPS satellite-based tracking to three-dimensional mesh network tracking by adding vertical and lateral relay paths. Short-range signals operate effectively in the local three-dimensional space around each node, and the mesh network extends this capability across large areas by chaining multiple nodes together, compensating for the limited range of individual short-range transmissions.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for detecting the location of objects using a network of internet of things (IoT) sensors (“tracking devices”). The tracking devices may be capable of determining location information (for example, through GPS signals) and may communicate this information to a central server. However, in some cases, a tracking device may be unable to communicate with the central server using a long-range communication network. The tracking device may also be unable to ascertain its own location. In such situations, other tracking devices may communicate with the tracking device over short-range signals, determine the location of the tracking device, and relay this information to the central server.