IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,363,512
Granted Patent B2
US 12,363,512 · App. 17/931,518 · Granted Jul 15, 2025

Multi-communication-interface system for fine locationing

Inventors: Hendrik J. Volkerink (Palo Alto, CA); Ajay Khoche (West San Jose, CA); Carl M. Skonberg (Long Beach, NY); Saurabh Sanghai (Cupertino, CA)
H04W4/33H04W4/80H04W52/0212
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,363,512
App. No.
17/931,518
Granted
Jul 15, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A multi-communication-interface system methods implement fine locationing while conserving battery power. A first wireless-communication interface of a first multi-communication-interface tape node located at a first location in an area detect a first wireless signal from a second tape node at a first time. A first receiver of a second wireless-communication interface of the first multi-communication-interface tape node is activated in response to detecting the first wireless signal and used to receive a first response signal from a first wireless tag in response to an interrogation signal. The first receiver is deactivated to conserve power within an internal battery of the at least one second multi-communication-interface tape node and a location of the first wireless tag at the first time is determined as the first location.

Claims (53)

1. A method for fine locationing using a multi-communication-interface system, comprising:

detecting, at a first time using a first wireless-communication interface of a first multi-communication-interface tape node located at a first location in an area, a first wireless signal from a second tape node;

activating a first receiver of a second wireless-communication interface of the first multi-communication-interface tape node in response to detecting the first wireless signal;

receiving, using the first receiver, a first response signal from a first wireless tag in response to an interrogation signal;

deactivating the first receiver; and

determining a location of the first wireless tag at the first time as the first location.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, via the first wireless-communication interface, a bit sequence of the interrogation signal; and

decoding the first response signal based on the bit sequence.

3. The method of claim 1 , the first wireless-communication interface implementing a Bluetooth protocol and the second wireless-communication interface implementing an RFID protocol.

4. The method of claim 1 , the deactivating the first receiver further comprising:

decoding a wireless tag identifier from the first response signal; and

correlating the wireless tag identifier to a manifest of wireless tag identifiers associated with the area.

5. The method of claim 1 , the interrogation signal being generated by an external illuminator independent of the first multi-communication-interface tape node.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising activating a transmitter of the second wireless-communication interface in response to detecting the first wireless signal, the transmitter generating the interrogation signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending a trigger event message from the first multi-communication-interface tape node via the first wireless-communication interface in response to detecting the first wireless signal;

activating a second receiver of a second multi-communication-interface tape node located at a second location in the area, different from the first location, in response to the second multi-communication-interface tape node receiving the trigger event message;

detecting, at a second time and using the second receiver, a second response signal transmitted by a second wireless tag in response to the interrogation signal;

deactivating the second receiver; and

determining a location of the second wireless tag as the second location at the second time.

8. The method of claim 7 , the first multi-communication-interface tape node and the second multi-communication-interface tape node being deployed within the area to resolve bleed-through and multi-path wireless tag detection errors.

9. The method of claim 8 , the first location and the second location being selected such that coverage areas of the first multi-communication-interface tape node and the second multi-communication-interface tape node are within the area, wherein the first multi-communication-interface tape node and the second multi-communication-interface tape node are used collectively to detect only wireless tags within the area.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein each of a coverage area of the first wireless-communication interface and a coverage area of the second wireless-communication interface is dynamically configurable by one or more of user interaction and directives from a gateway node.

11. A method for fine locationing using a multi-communication-interface system, comprising:

detecting, using a first wireless-communication interface of a first multi-communication-interface tape node at a first doorway of a first area, a first wireless signal transmitted from a second wireless-communication interface of a wearable multi-communication-interface tape node worn by an operator;

sending, from the first multi-communication-interface tape node and via the first wireless-communication interface, a trigger event message;

activating a first reader of at least one second multi-communication-interface tape node positioned within the first area in response to receiving the trigger event message;

detecting at least one first response signal from at least one first wireless tag within a coverage area of the first reader; and

deactivating the first reader, after detecting the at least one first response signal, to conserve power within an internal battery of the at least one second multi-communication-interface tape node.

12. The method of claim 11 , the first multi-communication-interface tape node having a second coverage area that is restricted to the first doorway, the second coverage area forming a curtain at the first doorway to detect the first wireless signal only when the wearable multi-communication-interface tape node is at the first doorway.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining a direction of movement of the wearable multi-communication-interface tape node based on the first wireless signal.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

activating a second reader of the wearable multi-communication-interface tape node in response to the wearable multi-communication-interface tape node receiving the trigger event message; and

detecting, using the second reader, a second response signal from a wireless tag attached to an asset being carried by the operator.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

decoding a wireless tag identifier from the second response signal; and

validating the wireless tag identifier based on a manifest.

16. The method of claim 11 , the first area being a freight area of a vehicle and the first doorway being a bulkhead door between a cab area and the freight area of the vehicle.

17. A multi-communication-interface tape node powered from an internal battery, comprising:

a first wireless-communication interface implementing a first wireless protocol;

a second wireless-communication interface implementing a second wireless protocol that consumes more power than the first wireless protocol when operational, the second wireless-communication interface having a transmitter and a receiver;

a processor; and

memory storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

detect a trigger event using the first wireless-communication interface;

transition the second wireless-communication interface from an off state to an on state;

receive a wireless response signal from a wireless tag via the receiver;

decode a wireless identifier from the wireless response signal; and

transition the second wireless-communication interface from the on state to the off state to conserve power in the internal battery.

18. The multi-communication-interface tape node of claim 17 , the transmitter transmitting a wireless interrogation signal when the second wireless-communication interface is activated.

19. The multi-communication-interface tape node of claim 17 , the multi-communication-interface tape node having an adhesive tape platform form factor that facilitates rapid deployment.

20. The multi-communication-interface tape node of claim 17 , the second wireless-communication interface having a wireless coverage area configurable with a resolution of less than one foot.

21. The multi-communication-interface tape node of claim 17 , the first wireless protocol being Bluetooth and the second wireless protocol being RFID based.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2026
From: SANGHAI, SAURABH
To: TRACKONOMY SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 075055/0790 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation In Part 17873072 · Jul 25, 2022
Provisional Application 63324024 · Mar 26, 2022
Provisional Application 63243182 · Sep 12, 2021
Provisional Application 63225550 · Jul 25, 2021
Related Publication 20230025103A1 · Jan 26, 2023
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