Tool tracking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12196871-B2
Application number	US-202017050861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2020
Priority date	Aug 13, 2019
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A beacon transmitter including a wireless transceiver and an electronic controller coupled to the wireless transceiver. The electronic controller is configured to repeatedly transmit, via the wireless transceiver, a first beacon signal through a first number of transmission repetitions spaced at a first repeat interval, and receive an acknowledgement signal via the wireless transceiver. The electronic controller is also configured to stop transmission of the first beacon signal for a first predetermined amount of time based on receipt of the acknowledgement signal, determine that the first predetermined amount of time has expired, and resume repeatedly transmitting, via the wireless transceiver, the first beacon signal in response to determining that the predetermined amount of time has expired.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for temporarily suspending transmission of a beacon signal, the method comprising:
transmitting repeatedly, by a beacon transmitter, a first beacon signal through a first number of transmission repetitions spaced at a first repeat interval;
receiving, at the beacon transmitter, an acknowledgement signal, wherein the acknowledgement signal is transmitted by a wireless device in response to receiving the first beacon signal;
stopping, by the beacon transmitter, transmission of the first beacon signal for a first predetermined amount of time based on receipt of the acknowledgement signal, wherein the first predetermined amount of time is based on a capacity of a power supply connected to the beacon transmitter such that the first predetermined amount of time is a higher value when the capacity of the power supply is low than when the capacity of the power supply is high;
determining, by the beacon transmitter, that the first predetermined amount of time has expired; and
resuming repeated transmission, by the beacon transmitter, of the first beacon signal based on determining that the first predetermined amount of time has expired.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined amount of time is at least sixty seconds.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the beacon transmitter, a location of the beacon transmitter based on signals received from global navigation satellites;
transmitting periodically, by the beacon transmitter, a location beacon signal at a second repeat interval that is longer than the first repeat interval, wherein the location beacon signal includes the location of the beacon transmitter, and wherein periodically transmitting the location beacon signal occurs concurrently with repeatedly transmitting the first beacon signal;
stopping transmission, by the beacon transmitter, of the location beacon signal for a second predetermined amount of time based on the acknowledgement signal;
determining, by the beacon transmitter, that the second predetermined amount of time has expired; and
resuming periodic transmission, by the beacon transmitter, of the location beacon signal based on determining the second predetermined amount of time has expired.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first beacon signal is transmitted according to a first protocol and at a first power level, and the location beacon signal is transmitted according to a second protocol and at a second power level; and
wherein the first protocol is different than the second protocol, and the first power level is less than the second power level.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein resuming periodic transmission includes transmitting periodically, by the beacon transmitter, the location beacon signal at the second repeat interval.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining, by the wireless device and in response to receiving the first beacon signal from the beacon transmitter, a location of the wireless device; and
logging, by the wireless device, the location of the wireless device as a logged location of the beacon transmitter.

7. A beacon transmitter comprising:
a wireless transceiver; and
an electronic controller coupled to the wireless transceiver, and configured to:
repeatedly transmit, via the wireless transceiver, a first beacon signal through a first number of transmission repetitions spaced at a first repeat interval,
receive an acknowledgment signal via the wireless transceiver, wherein the acknowledgment signal is transmitted by a personal wireless device in response to receiving the first beacon signal,
stop transmission of the first beacon signal for a first predetermined amount of time based on receipt of the acknowledg ment signal, wherein the first predetermined amount of time is based on a capacity of a power supply connected to the beacon transmitter such that the first predetermined amount of time is a higher value when the capacity of the power supply is low than when the capacity of the power supply is high,
determine that the first predetermined amount of time has expired, and
resume repeatedly transmitting, via the wireless transceiver, the first beacon signal in response to determining that the first predetermined amount of time has expired.

8. The beacon transmitter of claim 7 , wherein the acknowledgment signal comprises a beacon ID value associated with the transmitted first beacon signal.

9. The beacon transmitter of claim 7 , wherein the electronic controller is further configured to:
determine a location of the beacon transmitter based on signals received from global navigation satellites;
transmit periodically a location beacon signal at a second repeat interval that is longer than the first repeat interval, the location beacon signal includes the location of the beacon transmitter, wherein periodically transmitting the location beacon signal occurs concurrently with repeatedly transmitting the first beacon signal;
stop transmission of the location beacon signal for a second predetermined amount of time in response to receiving the acknowledgment signal;
determine that the second predetermined amount of time has expired; and
resume periodic transmission of the location beacon signal in response to determining that the second predetermined amount of time has expired.

10. The beacon transmitter of claim 9 , wherein the first beacon signal is transmitted according to a first protocol and at a first power level, and the location beacon signal is transmitted according to a second protocol and at a second power level, and further wherein the first protocol is different than the second protocol, and the first power level is less than the second power level.

11. The beacon transmitter of claim 7 , wherein a location of the wireless device is logged as a logged location of the beacon transmitter in response to the first beacon signal being received from the beacon transmitter.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Davis Anthony
• Jones Chad E
• Lienau John B

Classifications

• G08B21/0272

  System arrangements wherein the object is to detect exact location of child or item using triangulation other than GPS · CPC title

• G08B21/0269

  System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• G08B21/023

  Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions · CPC title

• G01S2205/002

  for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision · CPC title

• G01S19/34

  Power consumption · CPC title