Wireless Asset Tracking Heterogeneous Tag Coordination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless asset tracking systems face high initial costs due to the need for numerous tracking devices, and communication collisions can occur when a large number of secondary tracking devices are present, leading to power drain and inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

A wireless asset tracking system utilizing primary and secondary tracking devices with heterogeneous communication scenarios, including different power management strategies and communication modes, to manage power consumption and prevent collisions, such as random and progressive power ramp-up, and varying communication periods.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If a large number of secondary tracking devices are deployed to reduce system costs, then the system can achieve 100% deployment rate and better cost-effectiveness, but communication collisions occur leading to power drain and reduced reliability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of tracking devicesVSAvoidcommunication reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic communication where secondary devices transmit data at scheduled intervals rather than continuously. The coordinator device receives periodic data transmissions from secondary devices, allowing the system to support many devices while reducing communication collisions and power consumption compared to continuous transmission modes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

2Loss of information

If secondary tracking devices continuously attempt to communicate with primary devices, then data freshness is improved, but power consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata freshnessVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses periodic communication intervals where secondary devices transmit data at scheduled times rather than continuously attempting communication. This maintains acceptable data freshness while dramatically reducing power consumption compared to continuous transmission attempts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The coordinator device provides feedback to secondary devices regarding communication status and data reception. This feedback mechanism allows secondary devices to adjust their transmission behavior, transmitting only when necessary to maintain data freshness requirements while minimizing unnecessary power consumption from continuous communication attempts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS9947196B2Wireless asset tracking systems with heterogeneous communication

Publication Date: 2018.04.17 ROAMBEE CORP

AI summary

An asset tracking system that utilizes a wireless network system and has primary (main) and secondary (sub) tracking devices or ‘tags’ that are assigned to assets. The main tracking device acts as a coordinator and the sub tracking devices surrounding the coordinator act as end-devices. Each main device acts as a gateway network to long range communication while each sub device can only communicate in proximity profile (short range or nearby communication). Each sub device can communicate only with a main device. The main device passes data from the sub device to a remote host transparently. Each sub device sends its data when it triggered by a ‘ping’ from the main device.