Ad-Hoc Mesh Network for Portable Battery Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
The widespread adoption of electric vehicles is hindered by the perceived difficulty in charging portable electric energy storage devices, and the need for a tracking system to locate lost or stolen devices is critical due to their susceptibility to misplacement or theft, especially in public environments where many are used.
Innovation Solution
An asset tracking system utilizing an ad-hoc mesh network where electric vehicles equipped with transponders broadcast unique identifiers, aggregate signals, and transmit geolocation data to a back-end system, allowing for triangulation and precise location of portable electric energy storage devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If portable electric energy storage devices are made available to customers in public environments, then the service coverage and accessibility are improved, but the risk of misplacement, misappropriation, or theft increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, or dedicated tracking devices) as intermediaries between the portable electric energy storage devices and the central server. These mobile devices establish wireless communication with the storage devices and relay location information through an ad-hoc mesh network, enabling tracking without requiring direct communication infrastructure between storage devices and the server.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical tracking systems (physical tags, barcodes requiring line-of-sight scanning) with wireless communication-based tracking. Mobile devices use wireless protocols to communicate with portable storage devices, and location data is transmitted electronically through the mesh network to the central server, eliminating the need for physical interaction or line-of-sight requirements.
2Area of stationary object
If an ad-hoc mesh network is established using mobile devices, then the tracking coverage in remote areas is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes mobile devices serve multiple functions: they act as tracking receivers, communication relays, and location providers simultaneously. By utilizing the existing ubiquity of mobile devices in the population, the system achieves broad tracking coverage without requiring dedicated tracking infrastructure, as each mobile device can participate in the mesh network for mutual benefit.
Solution Approach 2:
The ad-hoc mesh network is self-organizing and self-configuring. Mobile devices automatically discover each other and establish communication links without centralized coordination or manual configuration. The network dynamically adapts as devices move in and out of range, with each device independently routing messages through optimal paths based on current network topology.
3Area of stationary object
If terrestrial communication networks are expanded to improve tracking coverage, then the geographic extent is improved, but the installation cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces mobile devices as intermediary nodes that enable tracking in areas without terrestrial network infrastructure. These mobile devices establish local wireless communication with portable storage devices and relay information through peer-to-peer mesh networking, eliminating the need for expensive cellular tower installations in remote or underserved areas.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of deploying expensive physical infrastructure (cellular towers, base stations), the system leverages the existing copyable and ubiquitous mobile devices already carried by users. Each mobile device essentially becomes a portable tracking node, replicating the functionality of fixed infrastructure without the associated installation costs and regulatory hurdles.
Data Source
AI summary
An asset includes a short range transmitter that broadcasts a first signal that includes a unique identifier associated with the asset. Each asset is carried by one of number of mobile devices, and each asset is freely exchangeable between any of the number of mobile devices. Each of at least some of the mobile devices carries a receiver to receive the first signals within reception range of the receiver. Each of at least some of the mobile devices aggregates the received unique identifiers. Each of at least some of the mobile devices carries a transmitter that transmits a second signal that includes data representative of a geolocation of the respective mobile device and data indicative of the unique identifiers received by the respective mobile device to a back-end system. The back-end system uses the data included in the received second signals to track and locate assets within a geographic area.