Method for determining the geographic position of an equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9797986-B2
Application number	US-201615193332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2016
Priority date	Sep 17, 2015
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A method for determining the geographical position of at least one equipment unit using a device constrained to move with the equipment unit, the method including a first step of determination by the device, when the latter is fixed and has not been subjected to any movement for a first particular time, of network data including the identifiers of beacons of communication networks situated in the environment of the device and the Received Signal Strength Indication of the signals sent by each beacon, a second step of said device sending the network data to a data processing unit via a communication network if the communication network is available, the determination step and the sending step being repeated after each movement of the device to a new position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of determining the geographical position of at least one equipment unit using a device constrained to move with said equipment unit, comprising:
detecting, by a movement sensor that is connected to the device, movement of the device;
when the device is fixed and has not been subjected to any movement for a first particular time based on the detection of the movement sensor, performing a first step of collection of network data including the identifiers of the beacons of first communication networks situated in the environment of the device and the Received Signal Strength indication of the signals sent by each beacon; and
a second step of said device sending said network data to a data processor via a second communication network if said second communication network is available, wherein
the first step and the second step are repeated after each movement of the device to a new fixed position and at the end of a second particular time after reaching that new fixed position, said second time being identical to the first time or different, and wherein the method includes:
a step of determining the geographical position of the equipment unit by the data processor from the network data received after the second step.

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising a step of storing the network data in a memory of the device if said second communication network is not available.

3. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
a step of determination by the device of said network data if the device has remained fixed for a particular time greater than said first time and said second time,
a step of said device sending said network data to the data processor via a third communication network identical to or different from the second communication network, if the latter is available.

4. The method according to claim 3 , comprising a step of storing the network data in the memory of the device if said third communication network is not available.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first particular time is at least 24 hours.

6. A system that includes a device and a movement sensor employed to assist in the geolocation of an equipment unit when being constrained to move with said equipment unit, comprising:
a movement sensor that is connected to the device and configured to detect movement of the device; and
processing circuitry configured to
when the device is fixed and has not been subjected to any movement for a first particular time based on the detection of the movement sensor, start a first step of collection network data including the identifiers of the beacons of first communication networks situated in the environment of the device and the Received Signal Strength Indication of the signals sent by each beacon,
perform a second step of sending said network data to a data processor via a second communication network if said second communication network is available, and wherein the first step and the second step are repeated after each movement of the device to a new fixed position and at the end of a second particular time after reaching that new fixed position, said second time being identical to the first time or different, wherein the data processor determines the geographical position of the equipment unit from the network data received after the second step.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the beacons of the first communication networks from which the network data is collected are WIFI or Bluetooth access points.

8. The system according to claim 6 , wherein said second communication network is of LPWAN type.

9. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the movement sensor is an accelerometer.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Ind Sas

Inventors

• Gassion Romain
• Goutay Roland

Classifications

• G01S5/0295

  Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals · CPC title

• G01S5/017

  Detecting state or type of motion · CPC title

• H04W64/00 Primary

  Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management · CPC title

• G01S5/02

  using radio waves (using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00) · CPC title

• G01S5/0284 Primary

  Relative positioning · CPC title