IP Library Granted Patent US 11,039,281
Granted Patent B2
US 11,039,281 · App. 16/747,293 · Granted Jun 15, 2021

Methods and apparatus to facilitate proximity detection and location tracking

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,039,281
App. No.
16/747,293
Filed
Jan 20, 2020
Granted
Jun 15, 2021
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2699
USPC
340/10.1
Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to facilitate proximity detection and location tracking. An example method includes receiving messages collected by a badge in an environment, the messages including signal strength and a timestamp. The example method also includes assigning a location in the environment to the badge based on a first subset of the messages. The example method also includes identifying an asset in a second subset of the messages. The example method also includes updating a current location associated with the asset based on a relative proximity of the asset to the badge, wherein the current location corresponds to a first time and the updated location corresponds to a second time, and wherein a change in location between the current location and the updated location indicates movement of the asset in the environment.

Claims (28)

1. A dock module arranged at a first location, the dock module comprising:

memory including instructions to be executed;

a communication interface to receive and transmit data; and

at least one processor to execute the instructions to at least:

capture a first transmission and a second transmission via the communication interface from beacon tags moving with respect to the dock module, wherein the first transmission and the second transmission are indicative of a location and a time with respect to the dock module; and

transmit data from the first transmission and the second transmission via the communication interface to a server to determine a behavior with respect to the dock module.

2. The dock module of claim 1 , wherein the first transmission comprises at least a first beacon message from a first beacon tag and the second transmission comprises at least a second beacon message from a second beacon tag.

3. The dock module of claim 2 , wherein the first beacon message has a first transmission frequency and the second beacon message has a second transmission frequency.

4. The dock module of claim 3 , wherein the first transmission frequency is associated with a first beacon tag type and the second transmission frequency is associated with a second beacon tag type.

5. The dock module of claim 1 , wherein the behavior is determined with respect to the dock module and an asset.

6. The dock module of claim 5 , wherein the behavior includes interaction with the asset.

7. The dock module of claim 6 , wherein the behavior is associated with a confidence score determined from the first transmission and the second transmission.

8. The dock module of claim 5 , further including comprising a proximity engine to determine a distance between the dock module and the asset by processing the first transmission and the second transmission.

9. The dock module of claim 1 , further comprising one or more indicator lights to provide status information.

10. A system comprising:

a dock module connected to a wireless receiver, a wireless transmitter, and a power source; and

at least a first beacon tag including a first wireless transmission and a second beacon tag including a second wireless transmission,

wherein the dock module is to capture the first and second wireless transmissions via the wireless receiver, each of the first and second wireless transmissions indicative of a location and a time with respect to the dock module, the dock module to trigger the wireless transmitter to transmit data from the first and second wireless transmissions to a server to determine a behavior with respect to the dock module.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first wireless transmission has a first transmission frequency and the second wireless transmission has a second transmission frequency.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first transmission frequency is associated with a first beacon tag type and the second transmission frequency is associated with a second beacon tag type.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the behavior is determined with respect to the dock module and an asset.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the behavior includes interaction with the asset.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the behavior is associated with a confidence score determined from the first and second wireless transmissions.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the dock module further includes a proximity engine to determine a distance between the dock module and the asset by processing the first and second wireless transmissions.

17. The system of claim 10 , further including one or more indicator lights to provide status information regarding the dock module.

18. A method comprising:

capturing, using a communication interface of a dock module, a first transmission and a second transmission from beacon tags moving with respect to the dock module, wherein the first transmission and the second transmission are indicative of a location of the beacon tags and a time with respect to the dock module; and

transmitting data from the first transmission and the second transmission via the communication interface of the dock module to a server to determine a behavior with respect to the dock module.