# US 2018/0025607 A1 · Remotely configurable location tracking tags

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- Number: US 2018/0025607 A1
- Document ID: US20180025607A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/218,158
- Filed: 2016-07-25
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-25
- Assignees: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Symbol Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: SUNDARESAN SUNDARAM; VARUN TANDON; SUMAN CHANDRA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180025607A1

## CPC

- G08B 21/0277: {Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth®, piconet, Zigbee®, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]}
- H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information
- G08B 21/0227: {System arrangements with a plurality of child units}
- H04W 4/06: Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
- H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
- H04W 64/00: Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

Remotely configurable location tracking tags are provided. A tag broadcasts a tag identifier according to configuration data stored at a memory. The tag receives new configuration data and an associated tag identifier. When the associated tag identifier matches the tag identifier: the tag updates the configuration data stored at the memory with the new configuration data and changes the broadcast of the tag identifier in accordance with the new configuration data. When the associated tag identifier does not match the tag identifier: the tag modifies the broadcast of the tag identifier to include the new configuration data and the associated tag identifier, the broadcast continuing to occur according to the configuration data.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A tag comprising:
a processor,
memory storing a tag identifier and configuration data, and
a wireless communication interface configured to broadcast the tag identifier according to the configuration data, the processor configured to:
receive, via the wireless communication interface, new configuration data and an associated tag identifier;
when the associated tag identifier matches the tag identifier, update the configuration data with the new configuration data, thereby changing the broadcast of the tag identifier by the wireless communication interface in accordance with the new configuration data; and
when the associated tag identifier does not match the tag identifier, modify the broadcast of the tag identifier to include the new configuration data and the associated tag identifier, the broadcast continuing to occur according to the configuration data.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The tag of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to, when the associated tag identifier matches the tag identifier, update the configuration data with the new configuration data by one or more of replacing the configuration data with the new configuration data and modifying the configuration data to match the new configuration data.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The tag of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to, when the associated tag identifier does not match the tag identifier, modify the broadcast of the tag identifier to include the new configuration data and the associated tag identifier by one or more of broadcasting the new configuration data and the associated tag identifier once, broadcasting the new configuration data and the associated tag identifier a given number of times, and broadcasting the new configuration data and the associated tag identifier for a given time period.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The tag of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:
store, in the memory, a configuration identifier identifying the new configuration data;
receive further new configuration data and an associated tag identifier of the further new configuration data; and
when the further new configuration data is also identified by the configuration identifier of the new configuration data stored in the memory, continue the broadcast of the tag identifier.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The tag of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:
receive, prior to receiving the new configuration data, a plurality of configuration data;
store, in the memory, respective configuration identifiers of the plurality of configuration data; and
when the new configuration data is identified by any of the respective configuration identifiers stored in the memory, not modify the broadcast of the respective tag identifier regardless of whether the respective associated tag identifier matches or does not match the respective tag identifier.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The tag of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:
receive, prior to receiving the new configuration data, a plurality of configuration data;
store, in the memory, respective configuration identifiers of the plurality of configuration data; and,
delete, from the memory, oldest previous configuration identifiers to maintain a given number of configuration identifiers in the memory.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The tag of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication interface is configured to broadcast the tag identifier and a configuration identifier identifying configuration data of the tag, the configuration identifier identifying one of (a) the new configuration data when the associated tag identifier matches the tag identifier, and (b) the configuration data when the associated tag identifier does not match the tag identifier.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The tag of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication interface is configured to broadcast the tag identifier and a configuration identifier identifying configuration data of the tag to a mobile device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The tag of claim 8, wherein the mobile device is configured to transmit the tag identifier and the configuration identifier to a server configured to store the tag identifier and the configuration identifier.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The tag of claim 1, wherein the tag is one or more of a location tracking tag, a BLE (Bluetooth™ low energy) tag, a Bluetooth™ Smart tag, and a iBeacon™ tag.

### Claim 11

A method comprising:
at a tag comprising a processor, a memory storing a tag identifier and configuration data, and a wireless communication interface configured to broadcast the tag identifier according to the configuration data, receiving, using the wireless communication interface, new configuration data and an associated tag identifier;
when the associated tag identifier matches the tag identifier, updating the configuration data with the new configuration data, thereby changing the broadcast of the tag identifier by the wireless communication interface in accordance with the new configuration data; and
when the associated tag identifier does not match the tag identifier, modifying the broadcast of the tag identifier to include the new configuration data and the associated tag identifier, the broadcast continuing to occur according to the configuration data.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the updating of the configuration data with the new configuration data comprises one or more of replacing the configuration data with the new configuration data and modifying the configuration data to match the new configuration data.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the modifying of the broadcast of the tag identifier to include the new configuration data and the associated tag identifier comprises one or more of broadcasting the new configuration data and the associated tag identifier once, broadcasting the new configuration data and the associated tag identifier a given number of times, and broadcasting the new configuration data and the associated tag identifier for a given time period.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
storing, in the memory, a configuration identifier identifying the new configuration data;
receiving further new configuration data and an associated tag identifier of the further new configuration data; and
when the further new configuration data is also identified by the configuration identifier of the new configuration data stored in the memory, continuing the broadcast of the tag identifier.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
receiving, prior to receiving the new configuration data, a plurality of configuration data;
storing, in the memory, respective configuration identifiers of the plurality of configuration data; and
when the new configuration data is identified by any of the respective configuration identifiers stored in the memory, not modifying the broadcast of the respective tag identifier regardless of whether the respective associated tag identifier matches or does not match the respective tag identifier.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
receiving, prior to receiving the new configuration data, a plurality of configuration data;
storing, in the memory, respective configuration identifiers of the plurality of configuration data; and
deleting, from the memory, oldest previous configuration identifiers to maintain a given number of configuration identifiers in the memory.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising broadcasting the tag identifier and a configuration identifier identifying configuration data of the tag, the configuration identifier identifying one of (a) the new configuration data when the associated tag identifier matches the tag identifier, and (b) the configuration data when the associated tag identifier does not match the tag identifier.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising broadcasting the tag identifier and a configuration identifier identifying configuration data of the tag to a mobile device.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the mobile device is configured to transmit the tag identifier and the configuration identifier to a server configured to store the tag identifier and the configuration identifier.

### Claim 20

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program, wherein execution of the computer program causes a tag to:
broadcast a tag identifier stored in memory of the tag according to configuration data stored in the memory;
in response to receiving, via a wireless communication interface of tag, new configuration data and an associated tag identifier, determine whether the associated tag identifier matches the tag identifier;
when the associated tag identifier matches the tag identifier, update the configuration data with the new configuration data, thereby changing the broadcast of the tag identifier by the wireless communication interface in accordance with the new configuration data; and
when the associated tag identifier does not match the tag identifier, modifying the broadcast of the tag identifier to include the new configuration data and the associated tag identifier, the broadcast continuing to occur according to the configuration data.