Real-time locating system

A real-time locating system comprising:

• (a) a location engine, wherein the location engine is configured to receive a stream of data via one-way communication over a facility network associated with a facility and provide a location within the facility based on the stream of data, wherein the location engine uses a composite map comprising a geospatial map of the facility and at least a portion of an exterior outdoor area in which it is located anchored to a floorplan map of the facility, the composite map including both a set of indoor layout information from the floorplan map and a set of geographical indicators with global positioning information from the geospatial map;
• (b) a tag configured to emit a tag signal encoding a tag identifier and battery status, wherein the tag is disposed in a facility;
• (c) a plurality of sensors disposed at stationary positions within the facility, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to each individually receive the tag signal and measure a signal strength of the tag signal upon receipt, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to each individually transmit the tag identifier, the battery status, and the signal strength of the tag signal to the location engine as the stream of data to thereby determine a location of the tag within the facility based on the collective streams of data from each sensor of the plurality of sensors;
• and
• (d) a graphical display, wherein the graphical display depicts at least a portion of the facility, wherein an object is depicted at the location on the graphical display along with a depiction of a confidence bubble around the object on the graphical display, wherein the confidence bubble is configured to depict a generalized location of the object, and wherein the location is determined at least in part by using the set of indoor layout information and the set of geographical indicators provided by the composite map.

A method comprising:

• (a) combining a floorplan map of a facility and a geospatial map related to the facility and its exterior environment into a composite map, wherein the composite map includes geospatial data;
• (b) providing the composite map to a user via a provisioning application;
• (c) selecting, by the user, a first selected area of the composite map, wherein the first selected area indicates relative placement of a first sensor within the facility;
• (d) retrieving a first geospatial reference point associated with the first selected area from the composite map;
• (e) associating the first geospatial reference point with the first sensor in a sensor location database;
• (f) repeating steps (c) through (e) for a second selected area, a second sensor, and a second geospatial reference point;
• and
• (g) using distance determinations of a tag from each of the first sensor and the second sensor to store a third geospatial reference point into the sensor location database, wherein the third geospatial reference point represents a location of the tag within the facility, wherein the geospatial reference point includes an illustrated confidence error of a generalized location of the tag within the facility.

A method of deploying and operating a real-time locating system within a facility, the method comprising:

• (a) creating a composite map by combining a floorplan map of the facility with a geospatial map having geographical indicators with global positioning information, wherein the floorplan map is anchored to the geographical indicators of the geospatial map to align the floorplan map to real-world coordinates and form the composite map;
• (b) scanning, via a provisioning application executing on a mobile computing device, a sensor identifier indicia disposed on an exterior surface of a housing of a sensor;
• (c) displaying, via the provisioning application, at least a portion of the composite map and receiving a user input indicating a location of the sensor on the composite map, wherein the location corresponds to a physical location of the sensor within the facility;
• (d) storing the location of the sensor in a sensor location database;
• (e) communicating, from the provisioning application to the sensor over Bluetooth, network access credentials for authenticating the sensor with a facility network associated with the facility, thereby enabling the sensor to wirelessly communicate through a router over the facility network;
• (f) receiving, at the sensor from a tag disposed in the facility, a first radio frequency tag signal encoding at least a tag identifier and a battery status of a battery associated with the tag;
• (g) measuring, at the sensor, a signal strength of the first radio frequency tag signal;
• (h) receiving, at the sensor from the tag, a second radio frequency tag signal, and determining at the sensor whether the first radio frequency tag signal and the second radio frequency tag signal are functionally identical, wherein functionally identical is determined based on whether the first radio frequency tag signal and the second radio frequency tag signal are within a given threshold of signal strength;
• (i) upon determining the first radio frequency tag signal and the second radio frequency tag signal are functionally identical, refraining from transmitting data of the second radio frequency tag signal to a location engine;
• (j) upon determining the first radio frequency tag signal and the second radio frequency tag signal are not functionally identical, transmitting from the sensor to the location engine via one-way communication over the facility network, the tag identifier, the battery status, and the signal strength of the second radio frequency tag signal;
• (k) deriving, at the location engine, a location of the tag within the composite map based at least in part on the signal strength and the location of the sensor from the sensor location database;
• and
• (l) displaying, on a user interface, at least a portion of the composite map with a graphical indicator at the derived location of the tag and an encirclement diagram around the graphical indicator indicating a generalized range of area of the location of the tag within the facility.