Tracking Beacon Broadcast Reconfiguration for Battery Life
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional tracking devices suffer from limited battery life due to unnecessary broadcasting of advertisement packets during periods of inactivity, which drains the battery and reduces operational time.
Innovation Solution
A tracking device is dynamically reconfigured based on diagnostic information to optimize power consumption, adjusting parameters such as broadcast frequency and component settings to extend battery life while maintaining user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the tracking device broadcasts advertisement packets at a predetermined frequency, then the device can be located and tracked, but the battery is drained unnecessarily during periods of inactivity
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking device dynamically adjusts its broadcast frequency based on operational state. During active tracking periods, it broadcasts at a higher frequency to ensure reliable location updates. During periods of inactivity or when the mobile device is unavailable, it automatically reduces or pauses broadcasting, thereby conserving battery power while maintaining tracking reliability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the broadcast frequency parameter adaptively rather than using a fixed predetermined frequency. The broadcast interval is modified based on factors such as whether a mobile device is nearby, battery charge level, and tracking activity requirements. This parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction by allowing high reliability during active periods while minimizing energy consumption during inactive periods.
2Loss of information
If the tracking device provides frequent status updates to ensure continuous operation monitoring, then user awareness of device status is improved, but battery capacity is depleted faster
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements partial status updates rather than continuous full diagnostics. Critical battery and operational status information is transmitted at optimized intervals, while less critical detailed diagnostics are updated less frequently or only on demand. This partial information transmission maintains user awareness of essential device status while significantly reducing the energy cost of communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking device uses feedback from battery status and operational conditions to dynamically adjust the frequency and detail of status updates. When battery level is high and device is stable, updates are less frequent. When battery is low or anomalies are detected, the system increases update frequency to provide more status information, optimizing the balance between information availability and energy consumption.
3Duration of action of moving object
If the tracking device operates continuously to guarantee one year of operation, then the device meets the operational threshold, but unnecessary broadcasting during inactivity reduces actual operational time
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous broadcasting, the tracking device implements periodic status updates at optimized intervals. The broadcast schedule is adjusted based on operational context, using longer intervals during periods when the device is stationary or unlikely to be needed, and shorter intervals when movement or tracking events occur. This periodic action pattern extends operational duration by reducing unnecessary energy loss while maintaining adequate tracking coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
A tracking device can be reconfigured after an amount of operation to preserve the battery capacity of the tracking device and to ensure that the tracking device can be operated for a pre-determined threshold period of time. The tracking device can provide diagnostic information representative of a state of the tracking device, such as a current power capacity of the tracking device's battery, to a mobile device within a threshold proximity of the tracking device. The mobile device can then provide the diagnostic information to a tracking server, which in turn can provide reconfiguration instructions to the mobile device. The mobile device can then pass on the reconfiguration instructions to the tracking device, in response to which the tracking device can reconfigure itself.