Asset Tracking Using Mobile Beacons and Bridge Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional asset tracking systems in healthcare settings are costly and inefficient, requiring significant resources to manage the large number of medical devices and consumables, leading to challenges in locating necessary equipment and monitoring vital signs and temperature-controlled items.
Innovation Solution
An asset tracking system utilizing tags and electronic bridge devices to determine the location of equipment, patients, and other assets, which includes beacons broadcasting data and a server processing this information to identify associations, track locations, and send alerts for temperature or vital sign thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional asset tracking systems use proprietary hardware to tag and track physical assets, then tracking reliability is improved, but system cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system makes mobile devices serve multiple functions: they act as both the tracking tags (via beacon applications) and the readers (via electronic bridge devices). This eliminates the need for dedicated proprietary tracking hardware, significantly reducing system cost while maintaining reliable tracking capabilities through the widespread availability of mobile devices.
Solution Approach 2:
Mobile devices utilize their own existing hardware components (GPS, accelerometers, gyroscopes, sensors) to perform tracking functions. The beacon application on mobile devices leverages the device's intrinsic capabilities rather than requiring external tracking infrastructure, making the system cost-effective while maintaining reliability through self-sufficient operation.
2Measurement precision
If conventional asset tracking systems are deployed to monitor all medical devices and consumables, then asset location accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses mobile devices that already contain multiple sensors (GPS, accelerometers, gyroscopes, temperature sensors, etc.) to perform comprehensive asset tracking. By leveraging the multi-functional capabilities of existing mobile devices rather than deploying specialized tracking hardware for each asset, the system achieves high location accuracy without increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic bridge device acts as an intermediary that collects data from multiple beacons (including mobile devices and fixed beacons) and processes the information centrally. This mediator approach simplifies the overall system architecture by consolidating the complexity of handling multiple data sources and processing requirements in a single component rather than distributing complexity across numerous individual tracking devices.
3Loss of information
If asset tracking system monitors additional data such as temperature and vital signs, then information completeness is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
Mobile devices already contain multiple sensors (temperature sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, GPS) that can collect diverse data types simultaneously. By utilizing these existing multi-functional sensors rather than adding separate dedicated sensors for each parameter, the system achieves comprehensive information collection (temperature, location, movement, vital signs) without proportionally increasing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors multiple parameters (location, temperature, vital signs) using the mobile device's existing sensor suite. Rather than periodically sampling or using energy-intensive active sensing methods, the system leverages passive sensor data that continuously updates as the device operates, maintaining information completeness while minimizing additional energy requirements beyond normal device operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a cost-effective means to efficiently track assets and monitor medical data, reducing time spent searching for equipment and ensuring temperature and vital sign thresholds are maintained, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and patient care.
Implementation Method 1
a first beacon configured to wirelessly broadcast a first beacon signal including first beacon data, a second beacon configured to wirelessly broadcast a second beacon signal including second beacon data
Data Source
AI summary
An asset tracking system may include a bridge device that wirelessly receives beacon data from one or several beacons that are disposed at respective devices, equipment, furniture, people, and the like. The bridge device may send the beacon data to a server via a communication network. The server may analyze the beacon data, such that the locations of people or objects may be estimated and monitored, and/or sensor data corresponding to measurable attributes of people or objects may be accumulated and monitored. The location of the bridge device may be estimated using signal strength measurements of beacon signals received from room beacons in combination with corresponding room identifiers. Alerts may be sent by the server to a user device responsive to the server determining that a person or object is in an unauthorized location and/or that a value of monitored sensor data exceeds a threshold.