Intelligent tracking system and methods and systems therefor
An intelligent tracking system generally includes one or more tracking devices, some of which may be passive tracking devices. Each passive tracking device includes one or more transceivers and is energized by an energizing signal. Some of these passive tracking devices may operate in a first communication mode or a second communication mode based on the energizing signal. Some tracking devices may include encryption modules or authentication modules. Some of these devices may incorporate a bulk acoustic wave oscillator.
1. A method comprising:
receiving sensor data generated by a sensor of a tracking device, the sensor being incorporated into the tracking device;
generating, by the tracking device, a beacon signal for transmission indicating (1) a device identifier of a tracking device and (2) sensor data generated by the sensor;
determining when to transmit the beacon signal based on an amount of energy stored by a storage device of the tracking device;
determining whether a sufficient amount of energy has been harvested from an energizing signal received at a first antenna of the tracking device;
based on the determination of whether the sufficient amount of energy has been harvested from the energizing signal, selecting a mode of operation from a plurality of modes of operation for the tracking device, wherein a first mode of operation of the plurality of modes of operation corresponds to using a second antenna for sending the beacon signal and a second mode of the plurality of modes of operation corresponds to using a third antenna for sending the beacon signal, wherein each of the second antenna and the third antenna are configured for sending signals at different frequencies; and
based on the determination of when to transmit the beacon signal, transmitting, by the tracking device, the beacon signal from the tracking device according to the selected mode of operation.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor, and the sensor data includes temperature.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determination when to transmit the beacon signal is further based on whether the amount of energy stored exceeds a first power threshold.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a shock sensor, and wherein the sensor includes acceleration.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the tracking device by an aggregator device, the beacon signal via a short range communications unit of the aggregator device; and
transmitting, by the aggregator device, the beacon signal to a backend server for further processing via a long range communications unit of the aggregator device.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising, applying, by the aggregator device, a timestamp to the beacon signal.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a data packet including the device identifier and the sensor data is encrypted.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by an energy harvesting module of the tracking device, an energizing signal via a first antenna in a first frequency band;
in response to receiving the energizing signal, energizing the sensor to generate the sensor data; and
wherein transmitting the beacon signal includes modulating the beacon signal in a second frequency band via a second antenna.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second antenna is configured for sending one of BLE or Wi-Fi signals.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second antenna is configured for sending one RFID signals.
11. The method of claim 3 , wherein when the amount of energy stored does not exceed the first power threshold and that the amount of energy stored does exceed a second power threshold, transmitting the beacon signal is performed after a period of delay, wherein the second power threshold is less than the first power threshold.
12. The method of claim 3 , wherein when the amount of energy stored exceeds the first power threshold, transmitting the beacon signal is performed immediately.
13. A system comprising:
a tracking device including a sensor incorporated into the tracking device, a first antenna, a second antenna, and a third antenna, the tracking device being configured to:
receive sensor data generated by the tracking device;
generate a beacon signal for transmission indicating (1) a device identifier of a tracking device and (2) sensor data generated by the sensor;
determine when to transmit the beacon signal based on an amount of energy stored by a storage device of the tracking device;
determine whether a sufficient amount of energy has been harvested from an energizing signal received at a first antenna of the tracking device;
based on the determination of whether the sufficient amount of energy has been harvested from the energizing signal, select a mode of operation from a plurality of modes of operation for the tracking device, wherein a first mode of operation of the plurality of modes of operation corresponds to using a second antenna for sending the beacon signal and a second mode of the plurality of modes of operation corresponds to using a third antenna for sending the beacon signal, wherein each of second antenna and the third antenna are configured for sending signals at different frequencies; and
based on the determination of when to transmit the beacon signal, transmit the beacon signal from the tracking device according to the selected mode of operation.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor, and the sensor data includes temperature.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the sensor is a shock sensor, and wherein the sensor includes acceleration.
16. The system of claim 13 , further comprising an aggregator device configured to:
receive, from the tracking device, the beacon signal via a short range communications unit of the aggregator device; and
transmit the beacon signal to a backend server for further processing via a long range communications unit of the aggregator device.
17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising, applying, by the aggregator device, a timestamp to the beacon signal.
18. The system of claim 13 , wherein a data packet including the device identifier and the sensor data is encrypted.
19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the tracking device includes an energy harvesting module, and the tracking device is further configured to:
receive, at the energy harvesting module via the first antenna in a first frequency, the energizing signal; and
in response to receiving the energizing signal, energize the sensor to generate the sensor data, and wherein the tracking device is further configured to transmit the beacon signal by modulating the beacon signal in a second frequency band via the second or third antenna.