Portable Location Tracker Using Offset Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing GPS-based location tracking systems for personnel and pet containment suffer from accuracy issues due to atmospheric variations and obstacles, require substantial computation and battery power, and are dependent on continuous communication with a base station, leading to limited portability and potential loss of functionality when GPS signals are blocked.
Innovation Solution
A self-contained portable location tracking device using a lookup table with a secret reference point, where the device determines its location relative to this point and transmits offsets to a monitoring apparatus, allowing for secure and efficient communication and reducing the need for continuous GPS fixes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS-based location tracking is used with continuous computation and communication, then location accuracy can be maintained, but battery consumption increases and portability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores location zone information in a lookup table before the device needs to determine its status. The table contains pre-computed data about which zones correspond to which geographic areas, eliminating the need for real-time mathematical calculations of zone boundaries. This preliminary preparation significantly reduces the computational power and battery consumption required during actual operation while maintaining accurate location tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a simplified, low-power computational approach by replacing complex real-time mathematical calculations with a simple table lookup operation. The lookup table acts as a pre-processed, lightweight data structure that can be queried with minimal computational resources. This substitution of heavy computation with a simple memory access operation dramatically reduces energy consumption while preserving location accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If complex mathematical calculations are performed to determine device location relative to nodes, then location precision is improved, but device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the complex mathematical work of calculating zone boundaries and geographic area mappings in advance, storing the results in a lookup table. During actual operation, the device simply needs to query this pre-computed table based on its current GPS coordinates, transforming a complex real-time calculation problem into a simple data retrieval operation. This maintains location precision while dramatically reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the geographic zone information in the form of a lookup table that mirrors the spatial relationships without requiring the full mathematical complexity of the original coordinate system transformations. This copied representation allows the device to determine zone membership through simple comparison operations rather than complex geometric calculations.
3Measurement precision
If real-time communication with a base station is maintained, then location monitoring accuracy is improved, but portability and independence of the device are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the portable device to independently determine its location zone status by performing simple queries against the pre-stored lookup table. The device does not need continuous communication with a base station to maintain accurate location monitoring, as it can autonomously evaluate its position based on GPS coordinates and the local cache of zone information. This self-sufficient operation significantly enhances device portability and independence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-loads the lookup table with zone boundary and geographic area information before the device needs to operate independently. This preliminary data preparation allows the device to function autonomously without real-time connection to a base station, transforming a system that requires continuous communication into one that can operate independently while maintaining monitoring accuracy.
4Reliability
If GPS signals are blocked by obstacles, then location tracking reliability is reduced, but the system continues to consume power and communicate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a periodic or event-driven approach to GPS signal acquisition and lookup table querying, rather than continuous operation. The device can enter low-power states between location updates, activating GPS and performing table queries only when needed (periodically or when triggered by motion detection or other events). This reduces power consumption while maintaining location tracking reliability by updating positions at appropriate intervals rather than continuously.
Data Source
AI summary
A fully self-contained portable location tracking device autonomously compares a current location with a latitude-longitude map stored in memory. The latitude-longitude map stores guidance zone values indicative of a predetermined safe zone, progressive alert zones, and a predetermined reference point. The guidance zone values represent actions to be taken based upon current location. When initiated by some combination of current location or zone value, location history, and time, or when otherwise queried, the tracking device transmits the offset from reference location, rather than actual current location data, to at least one wireless communications monitoring apparatus. When further security is desired, the transmitted offset is also digitally encrypted or otherwise obfuscated. The monitoring apparatus also stores a copy of the latitude-longitude map and reference point. Using the received offset, the monitoring apparatus knows both the location of the location tracking device and the actions to be taken based upon current location.