Line-powered wireless communications systems
View Patent ↗Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to line-powered wireless communications systems, and more specifically to methods and apparatus for providing persistent and ubiquitous wireless communications and sensor networks in physical premises to enable a wide variety of different applications and use cases.
1. A wireless communications system comprising:
a line-powered wireless communications agent comprising:
a power plug configured to be plugged into an electrical outlet,
a current converter configured to supply direct current to power electrical components of the line-powered wireless communications agent,
a first type of wireless communication system comprising:
wireless communications interface; and
a first antenna connected to the first wireless communications interface,
a processor; and
a memory module that stores a device identifier associated with the line-powered wireless communications system, and
a wireless communications tag associated with an asset comprising and configured to perform wireless communications with at least the line-powered wireless communications agent, wherein
the line-powered wireless communications agent is configured to determine a location of the asset based on communications with the wireless communications tag, and wherein
line-powered wireless communications agents is configured detect rule violations associated with the asset based on data received from the wireless communications tag.
2. The wireless communications system of claim 1 , wherein the line-powered wireless communications agent is configured to act as a traffic agent that detect logistic rule violations by performing localized context-sensitive checks between periods in which the line-powered wireless communications agent is in sleep mode.
3. The wireless communications system of claim 1 , wherein the line-powered wireless communications agent further comprises one or more status indicators, wherein the status indicators comprise different colored lights that correspond to respective states of the line-powered wireless communications agents.
4. The wireless communications system of claim 3 , wherein the respective states of the line-powered wireless communications agents comprise a red light state indicating an actual or imminent system failure state, a yellow light state indicating a warning state, and a green light indicating a normal operating state.
5. The wireless communications system of claim 3 , wherein the line-powered wireless communications agent activates a status indicator in response to the detection of a rule violation.
6. The wireless communications system of claim 1 , wherein the line-powered wireless communications agent further comprises one or more speakers that is configured to emit an audible alarm signal.
7. The wireless communications system of claim 6 , wherein the line-powered wireless communications agent is configured to emit the audible alarm in response to the detection of a rule violation.
8. A line-powered wireless communication device comprising:
a power plug configured to be plugged into an electrical outlet,
a current converter configured to supply direct current to power electrical components of the line-powered wireless communications agent,
a first type of wireless communication system comprising:
wireless communications interface, and
a first antenna connected to the first wireless communications interface;
a processor;
a speaker operable to emit an audible alarm signal; and
a memory module that stores:
a device identifier associated with the line-powered wireless communications device, and
computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the line-powered wireless communication device to implement operations, the operations comprising:
receiving, from a plurality of tracking tags each associated with an asset, asset-specific tracking data.
9. The line-powered wireless communication device of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise detecting a rule violation based on the received asset-specific tracking data.
10. The line-powered wireless communication device of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise operating the speaker to emit the audible alarm signal in response to detecting a rule violation.
11. The line-powered wireless communication device of claim 8 , further comprising one or more status indicators, wherein the status indicators comprise different colored lights that correspond to respective states of the line-powered wireless communications agents.
12. The line-powered wireless communication device of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
detecting a rule violation based on the received asset-specific tracking data;
operating the speaker to emit the audible alarm signal in response to detecting the rule violation; and
activating a respective status indicator in response to detecting the rule violation.
13. The line-powered wireless communication device of claim 8 , further comprising a display.
14. The line-powered wireless communication device of claim 13 , wherein the display is a touchscreen display configured to receive user inputs for controlling the line-powered wireless communication device.
15. The line-powered wireless communication device of claim 14 , wherein the line-powered wireless communication device functions as an intercom.
16. The line-powered wireless communication device of claim 8 , further comprising:
a second type of wireless communication system different from the first type of wireless communication system comprising:
a second wireless communications interface, and
a second antenna connected to the second wireless communications interface,
wherein the line-powered wireless communication device communicates with a server of an associated wireless tracking system using the second type of wireless communication system.
17. The line-powered wireless communication device of claim 16 , wherein the line-powered wireless communication device uploads at least a portion of asset-specific tracking data to the server.
18. A line-powered wireless communication device comprising:
a power plug configured to be plugged into an electrical outlet,
a processor;
a first type of wireless communication system comprising:
wireless communications interface, and
a first antenna connected to the first wireless communications interface;
one or more status indicators; and
a memory module that stores:
a device identifier associated with the line-powered wireless communications device, and
computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the respective line-powered wireless communication agent to implement operations, the operations comprising:
receiving, from a plurality of tracking tags each associated with an asset, asset-specific tracking data.
19. The line-powered wireless communication device of claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise:
detecting a rule violation based on the received asset-specific tracking data; and
activating a respective status indicator in response to detecting the rule violation.
20. The line-powered wireless communication device of claim 18 , wherein the one or more status indicators comprise different colored lights that correspond to respective states of the line-powered wireless communications agents.