Locator Device Beacon Signal Strength Selection for Network Traffic Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

In environments with a large number of pendants and receiving devices, the data traffic associated with transmitting signal strength information to a central monitoring system can become significant, leading to network degradation and overload.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system where only the locator device that receives the strongest beacon signal from a pendant transmits location information to a central monitoring system, reducing data traffic by a factor of N:1 compared to each locator transmitting location information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If each receiving device transmits signal strength information to the central monitoring system, then location tracking accuracy is improved, but network traffic increases significantly causing degradation and overload

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocation tracking accuracyVSAvoidnetwork traffic volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the network traffic by dividing receiving devices into different groups or cells, where each group elects a single representative device to transmit location information to the central monitoring system. This segmentation reduces the total number of transmitting devices from N (total receiving devices) to 1 representative per group, achieving significant traffic reduction while maintaining location tracking capability through coordinated multi-device measurement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of having all receiving devices transmit their measurements directly to the central system, the patent inverts the communication flow by having receiving devices communicate with each other through peer-to-peer wireless connections. Each device shares its signal strength measurements with neighboring devices, and only the elected representative transmits to the central system, thereby inverting the traditional client-server communication model to reduce overall network traffic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If all locator devices transmit location information to the central monitoring system, then location tracking reliability is improved, but data collisions and network congestion increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocation tracking reliabilityVSAvoiddata collisions and network congestion

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having receiving devices perform signal strength measurements and exchange information with each other before any transmission to the central system occurs. Each device preliminarily processes the raw measurement data locally and shares it with peer devices through direct wireless communication, so that when the representative device transmits to the central system, the information is already optimized and coordinated, reducing redundant transmissions and data collisions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces intermediary receiving devices that act as mediators between the pendant and the central monitoring system. These intermediary devices receive beacon signals from pendants, measure signal strength, and exchange this information with other receiving devices through peer-to-peer communication. The intermediary representative device then consolidates this information and transmits it to the central system, reducing direct transmissions from multiple devices to the central system and thereby reducing data collisions and network congestion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Area of stationary object

If multiple receiving devices share the same network medium, then location tracking coverage is improved, but other systems experience degradation due to network overload

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocation tracking coverageVSAvoidnetwork degradation affecting other systems

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the location tracking communication function from the general-purpose network medium by implementing a dedicated peer-to-peer wireless communication channel between receiving devices. This extraction allows receiving devices to exchange signal strength measurements and coordinate representative selection without burdening the shared backhaul network medium, thereby maintaining comprehensive location tracking coverage while minimizing interference with other systems sharing the same network infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS20250080251A1Devices, systems and methods for reducing traffic in a location tracking environment

Publication Date: 2025.03.06 INOVONICS WIRELESS CORP

AI summary

A device may include a communication interface and processing logic. The processing logic may be configured to receive a signal from a wearable device, determine a signal strength of the received signal and receive, via the communication interface, messages from a plurality of other devices that received the signal. Each message may include a signal strength value corresponding to a signal strength measured by one of the plurality of other devices. The processing logic may further be configured to determine whether the device received the signal with a greatest signal strength, and transmit, via the communication interface and in response to determining that the device received the signal with the greatest signal strength, a message to a monitoring device indicating an identifier (ID) of the wearable device and a location of the device or an ID associated with the device.