Electronic asset location identification and tracking system with receiver clustering
AssigneeCollateral Opportunities of Nevada, LLC
InventorsBRUCE HOWARD KUSENS, MICHAEL KUSENS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for determining the presence of an asset or person at a particular spot within a location. The asset or person is provided with a beacon transmitting a beacon signal. A plurality of receivers are disposed throughout the location. In one embodiment, two or more adjacent or nearby receivers are grouped together to define a receiver cluster. The receiver cluster having the highest average signal strength from the signal being transmitted from the beacon of the asset or person as determined by an electronic identification and location tracking system determines the particular area within the location where the asset or person is present at.
Claims20
A method for registering a location with an electronic location identification and tracking system, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. installing a plurality of wireless radio, sound and/or light-based receivers at a location;
- b. electronically entering configuration information for each wireless radio, sound and/or light-based receiver and information regarding a specific spot within the location that each receiver is installed in an electronic location identification and tracking system;
- and
- c. electronically defining clusters of wireless radio, sound and/or light-based receivers from the plurality of wireless radio, sound and/or light-based receivers by the electronic location identification and tracking system.
A method for determining a presence of an asset or person at a particular area within a location by an electronic location identification and tracking system, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. electronically receiving a beacon signal from a beacon associated with a particular asset or person by one or more wireless radio, sound and/or light-based receivers;
- b. electronically determining whether the beacon signal is from a known beacon;
- c. for each signal from a known beacon, electronically determining a signal strength for the signal received by the one or more receivers;
- and
- d. wherein if the signal strength is above a preconfigured minimum signal strength value electronically determining by an electronic location identification and tracking system that the asset or person is present at the location associated with the receiver.
A method for determining a presence of an asset or person at a particular area within a location by an electronic location identification and tracking system, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. electronically receiving one or more signals containing identification information from at least one wireless beacon associated with a particular asset or person by one or more wireless radio, sound and/or light-based receivers running an electronic location identification and tracking system application (“App”);
- b. electronically determining by the App whether each beacon signal received is from a beacon whose identifier is previously programmed into the App;
- c. for each known beacon signal received by the App, electronically querying a database to electronically receive asset or person properties for each known beacon and to electronically receive location properties for the one or more receivers, wherein the location properties include information on the number and identity of wireless radio, sound and/or light-based receivers grouped as a particular cluster of receivers for the particular area within the location;
- and
- d. electronically determining by the App if a signal was received from each wireless radio, sound and/or light-based receiver associated with the particular cluster of receivers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.