Positioning system and method for low-power infrastructure devices

A system for positioning an asset, comprising:

• a tag positionally associated with the asset and a plurality of anchors each having a designated location, said tag and said anchors each comprising a processor operatively coupled to a memory and a transceiver;
• and
• wherein a serving anchor selected from said plurality of anchors is configured to transmit during a ranging slot time period of said serving anchor, a ranging slot start (RSS) message to be received only by the tag;
• wherein one or more participating anchors in range of said serving anchor are configured to each at a randomly determined time during said ranging slot time period of said ranging anchor send a ranging slot timing (RST) message to be received only by the serving anchor and the tag;
• wherein the serving anchor is further configured to record in the memory of said serving anchor a first timing data of when said RSS message was sent and when said RST messages are each received by the serving anchor from each participating anchor;
• wherein said tag is further configured to record in the memory of the tag, during said ranging slot time period, a second timing data of when RSS message and each RST message is received by the tag;
• the system further comprising a central entity communicatively coupled to said tag and said serving anchor via a network;
• and
• wherein either the central entity alone or a combination of the serving anchor and central entity are further configured to estimate, from said first timing data and said second timing data, a position of the tag.