# US 2017/0289760 A1 · Systems, devices and methods for accurately tracking workers and assets

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- Number: US 2017/0289760 A1
- Document ID: US20170289760A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/477,915
- Filed: 2017-04-03
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-02
- Assignees: Condor Analytics, Inc.
- Applicants: Condor Analytics, Inc.
- Inventors: François Sainfort; Andres Alva; Lee F. Loree
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170289760A1

## CPC

- H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds}
- H04W 4/029: Location-based management or tracking services
- H04W 4/21: for social networking applications
- H04W 4/33: for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
- H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
- H04W 52/0216: {using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame}
- Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

Various examples of methods, systems, apparatus and devices are provided for accurately tracking of workers and assets. Aspects of the present disclosure include tracking the location and other information for workers and assets in locations where knowledge about such workers and assets is desirable. The disclosed worker and/or asset tracking is particularly suitable for locations where the structural components are added, modified or moved during a monitoring period. Such structural components can block all or part of GPS, WiFi and RFID signals, or where it may be otherwise impractical to utilize other forms of signal generation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of tracking workers or assets in a location, comprising:
identifying a location to be monitored, where an arrangement of structural components within the location to be monitored changes during a monitoring period, and where metes and bounds of the location to be monitored remain substantially constant over the monitoring period;
uploading information regarding the metes and bounds of the location to be monitored;
determining a number of Bluetooth beacons suitable to provide substantially full coverage for receiving activity signals generated from one or more monitoring devices located within the location to be monitored during the monitoring period, each of the one or more monitoring devices associated with a worker or an asset;
positioning the Bluetooth beacons at corresponding fixed positions thereby providing a constructed network for monitoring the location, the Bluetooth beacons configured to provide the substantially full coverage for receiving activity signals generated from one or more monitoring devices located within the location to be monitored during the monitoring period;
associating a worker or an asset with a monitoring device comprising a low energy Bluetooth transmitter, a battery, temperature sensor and an accelerometer, where the association with the worker or asset comprises at least one unique identifying feature that allows a signal transmitted by the monitoring device to be accurately associated with the worker or asset; and
periodically transmitting an advertising signal from the Bluetooth beacons to each monitoring device within the constructed network over the monitoring period, where each monitoring device within the constructed network, independently, transmits an activity signal to the Bluetooth beacons during each signal transmission period associated with the advertising signal, thereby generating a plurality of activity signals associated with the worker or asset associated with that monitoring device, where the plurality of activity signals provides substantially accurate activity information about the worker or asset associated with that monitoring device within the constructed network during the monitoring period.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein uploading information regarding the metes and bounds of the location to be monitored comprises inputting building information modeling (BIM), blueprints or survey information that define all or part of the metes and bounds of the location to be monitored.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1. wherein the location to be monitored is a construction site.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a change to the arrangement of structural components comprises addition of at least one new structural component within the location to be monitored during the monitoring period.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the new structural component is fabricated from concrete, and further comprising providing a monitoring device within the new structural component during fabrication of the structural component, the monitoring device comprising a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or both.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the Bluetooth beacons are positioned to provide overlapping coverage for receiving activity signals generated from the one or more monitoring devices located within the location to be monitored.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising calibrating the constructed network based upon a calibration grid defined by an array of cells covering the entire location to be monitored, each cell of the calibration grid comprising capture coordinates associated with that cell.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein calibrating the constructed network comprises:
positioning a monitoring device at the capture coordinates of a cell of the calibration grid; and
receiving, by a plurality of the Bluetooth beacons, an activity signal from the monitoring device at the capture coordinates of that cell, wherein each of the plurality of Bluetooth beacons determine calibration data corresponding to the activity signal transmitted by monitoring device from the capture coordinates of that cell, the calibration data comprising signal strength and signal direction associated with that cell.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein activity signals received by a Bluetooth beacon during signal transmission periods associated with the advertising signals are adjusted based at least in part upon calibration data determined during calibration of the constructed network.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
communicating the activity information to a remotely located server from the Bluetooth beacons, the activity information associated with a worker or asset identified by the at least one unique identifying feature; and
determining, by the remotely located server, a location for each worker or asset within the constructed network based upon the activity information.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, where the activity information is communicated to the remotely located server via a local computing device in communication with the Bluetooth beacons.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising determining, by the remotely located server, that a worker or asset has left the location being monitored based at least in part upon the activity information and the metes and bounds of the location being monitored.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
determining, by the remotely located server, that a worker has entered a restricted area of the location being monitored based at least in part upon the activity information; and
providing, by the remotely located server, a near real time notification to a site supervisor or a construction manager, where the notification indicating the presence of the worker in the restricted area.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the remotely located server provides a notification to the monitoring device, and the monitoring device provides a physical indication to the worker in response to the notification.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising
positioning, in response to a change in the metes and bounds of the location, additional Bluetooth beacons at corresponding fixed positions thereby expanding the constructed network for monitoring an additional area of the location resulting from the change in the metes and bounds, the additional Bluetooth beacons configured to provide substantially full coverage for receiving activity signals generated from the one or more monitoring devices located within the additional area of the location during the monitoring period; and
periodically transmitting an advertising signal from the additional Bluetooth beacons to each monitoring device within the additional area over the monitoring period, where each monitoring device within the additional area, independently, transmits an activity signal to the additional Bluetooth beacons during each signal transmission period associated with the advertising signal, thereby generating a plurality of activity signals associated with the worker or asset associated with that monitoring device.

### Claim 16

A system for tracking workers or assets in a location, comprising:
a constructed network comprising a plurality of Bluetooth beacons located at corresponding fixed positions for monitoring a location, where an arrangement of structural components within the location to be monitored changes during a monitoring period, and metes and bounds of the location to be monitored remain substantially constant over the monitoring period, and where the Bluetooth beacons are configured to provide substantially full coverage for receiving activity signals generated from one or more monitoring devices located within the location to be monitored during the monitoring period;
a plurality of monitoring devices comprising a low energy Bluetooth transmitter, a battery, temperature sensor and an accelerometer, where each of the plurality of monitoring devices is associated with a worker or asset by at least one unique identifying feature that allows a signal transmitted by the monitoring device to be accurately associated with the worker or asset, and where each monitoring device within the constructed network, independently, transmits an activity signal to the constructed network during each signal transmission period associated with an advertising signal periodically transmitting by the plurality of Bluetooth beacons, thereby generating a plurality of activity signals associated with the worker or asset associated with that monitoring device, where the plurality of activity signals provides substantially accurate activity information about the worker or asset associated with that monitoring device within the constructed network during the monitoring period; and
a remotely located computing environment comprising one or more computing device configured to receive activity information from at least a portion of the plurality of Bluetooth beacons, process the activity information to determine a condition of the worker or asset associated with one of the plurality of monitoring devices, and generate one or more real time notification based upon the determined conditions of the associated worker or asset.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, further comprising a local computing device in the location being monitored, the local computing device configured to receive the activity information from the Bluetooth beacons, communicate the activity information to the remotely located computing environment, and store the activity information in a locale data store.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the monitoring device comprises a buzzer that is activated in response to the one or more real time notification.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the condition determined by the one or more computing device is a location of the worker or asset associated with the monitoring device, the location determined based at least in part upon the activity information and calibration data acquired by the plurality of Bluetooth beacons.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of Bluetooth beacons comprise a first set of Bluetooth beacons positioned on a first level of a construction site and a second set of Bluetooth beacons positioned on a second level of the construction site, where the first set of Bluetooth beacons are configured to provide substantially full coverage for receiving activity signals generated from one or more monitoring devices located on the first level of the construction site and the second set of Bluetooth beacons are configured to provide substantially full coverage for receiving activity signals generated from one or more monitoring devices located on the second level of the construction site.