IP Library Granted Patent US 11,638,120
Granted Patent B2
US 11,638,120 · App. 17/002,846 · Granted Apr 25, 2023

System and method for tracking low powered beacon tags

Inventor: Tanuj Mohan (Mountain View, CA)
Assignee: Building Robotics, Inc.
H04W4/029H04W4/33
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,638,120
App. No.
17/002,846
Granted
Apr 25, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is described a system for tracking beacon tags comprising a communication component and a processor. The communication component receives a beacon from a beacon tag and transmit an acknowledgment of the beacon. The processor identifies a tag characteristic associated with the beacon tag and generates a tag instruction based on the tag characteristic. The tag instruction includes a beaconing rate for the beacon tag, and the acknowledgment includes the tag instruction. There is also described a beacon tag for operating with a tracking system comprising a communication component and a processor. The communication component transmits a first beacon, receive an acknowledgment associated with the beacon, and transmit a second beacon from the beacon tag based on an adjusted beaconing rate. The processor identifies a tag instruction of the acknowledgment and adjusts the beaconing rate of the beacon tag based on the tag instruction.

Claims (37)

1. A system for tracking beacon tags comprising:

a communication component configured to receive a beacon from a beacon tag; and

a processor coupled to the communication component, the processor identifying a tag characteristic associated with the beacon tag in response to receiving the beacon and generates a tag instruction based on the tag characteristic, wherein the tag characteristic includes at least one of a tag location outside of a proximal range of an indoor structure or a tag power below a threshold power level, wherein the tag instruction includes a beaconing rate for the beacon tag,

wherein the communication component transmits an acknowledgment of the beacon, the acknowledgment including the tag instruction.

2. The system as described in claim 1 , wherein the processor identifies the tag characteristic based on the beacon.

3. The system as described in claim 1 , wherein:

the communication component collects data from at least one infrastructure device; and

the processor identifies the tag characteristic based on the data.

4. A method for tracking beacon tags comprising:

receiving a beacon from a beacon tag;

identifying a tag characteristic associated with the beacon tag in response to receiving the beacon, wherein the tag characteristic includes at least one of a tag location outside of a proximal range of an indoor structure or tag power below a threshold power level;

generating a tag instruction based on the tag characteristic, wherein the tag instruction includes a beaconing rate for the beacon tag; and

transmitting an acknowledgment of the beacon, the acknowledgment including the tag instruction.

5. The method as described in claim 4 , wherein identifying the tag characteristic include identifying the tag characteristic based on the beacon.

6. The method as described in claim 4 , further comprising collecting data from at least one infrastructure device, wherein identifying the tag characteristic includes identifying the tag characteristic based on the data.

7. A beacon tag for operating with a tracking system comprising:

a communication component configured to transmit a first beacon and receive an acknowledgment associated with the beacon; and

a processor coupled to the communication component, the processor identifying a tag instruction of the acknowledgment in response to receiving the acknowledgment and adjusting a beaconing rate of the beacon tag based on the tag instruction, wherein the tag instruction is based on at least one of a tag location outside of a proximal range of an indoor structure or a tag power below a threshold power level,

wherein the communication component transmits a second beacon from the beacon tag based on the adjusted beaconing rate.

8. The beacon tag as described in claim 7 , wherein

the communication component transmits the first beacon based on a first beaconing rate;

the processor adjusts the beaconing rate by generating a second beaconing rate that is greater or less than the first beaconing rate based on the tag instruction; and

the communication component transmits the second beacon based on the second beaconing rate.

9. The beacon tag as described in claim 7 , wherein the processor adjusts the beaconing rate by minimizing the beaconing rate based on at least one of a time period monitored by a timer of the tag, an internal motion signal provided by a motion sensor of the tag, or an external motion signal provided by the tag instruction.

10. The beacon tag as described in claim 7 , wherein the tag instruction includes an indication of the beaconing rate of the beacon tag.

11. A method of a beacon tag for operating with a tracking system comprising:

transmitting a first beacon from the beacon tag;

receiving an acknowledgment associated with the beacon;

identifying a tag instruction of the acknowledgment in response to receiving the acknowledgment, wherein the tag instruction is based on at least one of a tag location outside of a proximal range of an indoor structure or a tag power below a threshold power level;

adjusting a beaconing rate of the beacon tag based on the tag instruction; and

transmitting a second beacon from the beacon tag based on the adjusted beaconing rate.

12. The method as described in claim 11 , wherein:

the first beacon is transmitted based on a first beaconing rate;

adjusting the beaconing rate includes generating a second beaconing rate that is greater or less than the first beaconing rate based on the tag instruction; and

the second beacon is transmitted based on the second beaconing rate.

13. The method as described in claim 11 , wherein adjusting the beaconing rate includes minimizing the beaconing rate based on at least one of a time period monitored by a timer of the tag, an internal motion signal provided by a motion sensor of the tag, or an external motion signal provided by the tag instruction.

14. The method as described in claim 11 , wherein the tag instruction includes an indication of the beaconing rate of the beacon tag.

Assignments (3)
MERGER Recorded Oct 22, 2025
From: BUILDING ROBOTICS, INC.
To: SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC.
Reel/Frame 073156/0424 →
MERGER Recorded Oct 21, 2021
From: ENLIGHTED, INC.
To: BUILDING ROBOTICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 057861/0362 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 5, 2021
From: MOHAN, TANUJ
To: ENLIGHTED, INC.
Reel/Frame 057698/0221 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220070618A1 · Mar 3, 2022