Methods and systems for position tracking

{
  "publication_number": "US10386453B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Methods and systems for position tracking",
  "abstract": "Various embodiments are described herein for methods and systems that can be used to track a position of a mobile receiver on a production line. In one example embodiment, the position of the mobile receiver is tracked by receiving at least information signal from at least one location tag from among a plurality of location tags positioned at fixed locations along the length of a conveyor belt in a production line, by determining a signal strength of the at least one information signal, and by determining the position of the mobile receiver based on the signal strength of the at least one information signal.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method of tracking the position of a mobile receiver on a production line, the production line having a movable conveyor belt and a plurality of location tags positioned at fixed locations along the length of the conveyor belt, and wherein the mobile receiver, when placed on a moving conveyor belt, is moving with respect to the plurality of location tags such that the distance between the mobile receiver and the plurality of location tags is continuously changing, and wherein the mobile receiver is configured to observe and communicate with one or more location tags within a range of the mobile receiver, the method comprising: receiving at least one information signal from at least one location tag; determining a signal strength of the at least one information signal; determining whether the signal strength of the at least one information signal is a local maximum; and generating an event entry if the signal strength of the at least one information signal is determined to be a local maximum, wherein the event entry indicates that the mobile receiver has reached a minimum distance with respect to the at least one location tag transmitting the at least one information signal having the signal strength determined to be a local maximum.",
    "2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining the position of the mobile receiver based on the signal strength of the at least one information signal.",
    "3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: transmitting a data signal from the mobile receiver to an external processor, wherein the data signal comprises at least one of the signal strength of the at least one information signal and a location tag identifier corresponding to the at least one location tag transmitting the at least one information signal; and wherein determining the position of the mobile receiver based on the signal strength of the at least one information signal comprises determining the position of the mobile receiver at the external processor.",
    "4. The method of claim 2, further comprising: recording sensor data corresponding to orientation of the mobile receiver and pressure exerted on the mobile receiver; recording the sensor data and the event entry in a data stream in a unique sequence corresponding to a sequence in which the sensor data was recorded and the event entry was generated by the mobile receiver; and transmitting the data stream to an external processor, wherein the external processor is communicably linked to the mobile receiver.",
    "5. The method of claim 2, further comprising: transmitting one or more information signals from the at least one location tag, wherein the at least one location tag is configurable to switch the frequency of transmission of the one or more information signals from an activated frequency to a pre-activated frequency based on the generation of the event entry, wherein the activated frequency is higher than the pre-activated frequency.",
    "6. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the position of the mobile receiver based on the signal strength of the at least one information signal comprises: associating a first signal strength corresponding to a first information signal received from a first location tag to a first distance value; associating a second signal strength corresponding to a second information signal received from a second location tag to a second distance value, wherein the first location tag is adjacent to the second location tag, and wherein the distance between the first location tag and the second location tag are known; and determining a position of the mobile receiver between the first location tag and the second location tag based on the first distance value, the second distance value and the distance between the first location tag and the second location tag.",
    "7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting one or more information signals from the at least one location tag, the at least one location tag being configurable to change frequency of transmission of the one or more information signals based on an activation signal received from the mobile receiver, wherein: prior to receiving the activation signal from the mobile receiver, the at least one location tag is configured to transmit the one or more information signals at a pre-activated frequency, and subsequent to receiving the activation signal from the mobile receiver, the at least one location tag is configured to transmit the one or more information signals at an activated frequency, wherein the activated frequency is higher than the pre-activated frequency.",
    "8. A system for tracking the position of a mobile receiver on a production line, the production line having a moving conveyor belt, the system comprising: at least one location tag, the at least one location tag positioned at an at least one fixed location along the length of the conveyor belt; and a mobile receiver, wherein the mobile receiver, when placed on a moving conveyor belt, is moving with respect to the at least one location tag such that the distance between the mobile receiver and the at least one location tag is continuously changing, and wherein the mobile receiver is configured to observe and communicate with one or more location tags within a range of the mobile receiver, the mobile receiver comprising a processor unit, the processor unit being configured to: receive at least one information signal from at least one location tag; determine a signal strength of the at least one information signal; determine whether the signal strength of the at least one information signal is a local maximum; and generate an event entry if the signal strength of the at least one information signal is determined to be a local maximum to determine the position of the mobile receiver, wherein the event entry indicates that the mobile receiver has reached a minimum distance with respect to the at least one location tag transmitting the at least one information signal having the signal strength determined to be a local maximum.",
    "9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor unit of the mobile receiver is configured to determine the position of the mobile receiver based on the signal strength of the at least one information signal.",
    "10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one location tag is configured to switch frequency of transmission of one or more information signals from an activated frequency to a pre-activated frequency based on the generation of the event entry, wherein the activated frequency is higher than the pre-activated frequency.",
    "11. The system of claim 8, further comprising an external processor communicably linked to the mobile receiver, wherein the processor unit of the mobile receiver is configured to buffer a plurality of event entries as buffered event entries and transmit the buffered event entries to the external processor for processing.",
    "12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor unit of the mobile receiver is further configured to: record sensor data corresponding to orientation of the mobile receiver and pressure exerted on the mobile receiver; record the sensor data and the event entry in a data stream in a unique sequence corresponding to a sequence in which the sensor data was recorded and the event entry was generated by the mobile receiver; and transmit the data stream to an external processor, wherein the external processor is communicably linked to the mobile receiver.",
    "13. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one location tag is configured to transmit one or more information signals and is configurable to change frequency of transmission of the one or more information signals based on an activation signal received from the mobile receiver such that prior to receiving the activation signal from the mobile receiver, the at least one location tag is configured to transmit the one or more information signals at a pre-activated frequency, and subsequent to receiving the activation signal from the mobile receiver, the at least one location tag is configured to transmit the one or more information signals at an activated frequency, wherein the activated frequency is higher than the pre-activated frequency.",
    "14. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor unit of the mobile receiver is configured to associate a first signal strength corresponding to a first information signal received from a first location tag to a first distance value, associate a second signal strength corresponding to a second information signal received from a second location tag to a second distance value, wherein the first location tag is adjacent to the second location tag, and wherein the distance between the first location tag and the second location tag are known, and determine a position of the mobile receiver between the first location tag and the second location tag based on the first distance value, the second distance value and the distance between the first location tag and the second location tag.",
    "15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions, the instructions for causing a processor to perform a method of tracking the position of a mobile receiver on a production line, the production line having a moveable conveyor belt and a plurality of location tags positioned at fixed locations along the length of the conveyor belt, and wherein the mobile receiver, when placed on a moving conveyor belt, is moving with respect to the plurality of location tags such that the distance between the mobile receiver and the plurality of location tags is continuously changing, and wherein the mobile receiver is configured to observe and communicate with one or more location tags within a range of the mobile receiver, the method comprising: receiving at least one information signal from at least one location tag; determining a signal strength of the at least one information signal; determining whether the signal strength of the at least one information signal is a local maximum; and generating an event entry if the signal strength of the at least one information signal is determined to be a local maximum, wherein the even entry indicates that the mobile receiver has reached a minimum distance with respect to the at least one location tag transmitting the at least one information signal having the signal strength determined to be a local maximum.",
    "16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the position of the mobile receiver based on the signal strength of the at least one information signal.",
    "17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one location tag is configured to switch frequency of transmission of one or more information signals from an activated frequency to a pre-activated frequency based on the generation of the event entry, wherein the activated frequency is higher than the pre-activated frequency.",
    "18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to: record sensor data corresponding to orientation of the mobile receiver and pressure exerted on the mobile receiver; record the sensor data and the event entry in a data stream in a unique sequence corresponding to a sequence in which the sensor data was recorded and the event entry was generated by the mobile receiver; and transmit the data stream to an external processor, wherein the external processor is communicably linked to the mobile receiver.",
    "19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one location tag is configured to transmit one or more information signals and is configurable to change frequency of transmission of the one or more information signals based on an activation signal received from the mobile receiver such that prior to receiving the activation signal from the mobile receiver, the at least one location tag is configured to transmit the one or more information signals at a pre-activated frequency, and subsequent to receiving the activation signal from the mobile receiver, the at least one location tag is configured to transmit the one or more information signals at an activated frequency, wherein the activated frequency is higher than the pre-activated frequency.",
    "20. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to associate a first signal strength corresponding to a first information signal received from a first location tag to a first distance value, associate a second signal strength corresponding to a second information signal received from a second location tag to a second distance value, wherein the first location tag is adjacent to the second location tag, and wherein the distance between the first location tag and the second location tag are known, and determine a position of the mobile receiver between the first location tag and the second location tag based on the first distance value, the second distance value and the distance between the first location tag and the second location tag."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The described embodiments generally relate to methods and systems of position tracking, and in particular, to methods and systems for tracking the position of a mobile receiver on a production line.\n\nA production line generally involves conveying articles (such as, cans, boxes, bottles, etc.) to several sub-stations of the production line. During the conveying process, the articles may experience varying pressure forces from production line apparatus and from adjacent articles. Further, the articles may experience varying motions and orientations. Production line costs and efficiency are likely to be impacted by whether the articles are effectively and efficiently handled on the production line.\n\nIn one aspect, in at least one embodiment described herein, there is provided a method for tracking the position of a mobile receiver on a production line, the production line having a movable conveyor belt and a plurality of location tags positioned at fixed locations along the length of the conveyor belt, and wherein the mobile receiver, when placed on a moving conveyor belt, is moving with respect to the plurality of location tags such that the distance between the mobile receiver and the plurality of location tags is continuously changing, and wherein the mobile receiver is configured to observe and communicate with one or more location tags within a range of the mobile receiver.",
  "cpc": [
    "G01S 5/0294",
    "G01S 5/02",
    "G01S 5/0252",
    "G01S 5/02521",
    "G01S 5/0295",
    "G01S 5/14"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G01S 5/02",
    "G01S 5/14",
    "A63F 13/65"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Smart Skin Technologies Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Kumaran Thillainadarajah",
    "Adam Joseph MacDonald",
    "Daniel Robert Rogers",
    "Abhishek Kar"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2015-12-04",
  "publication_date": "2019-08-20",
  "grant_date": "2019-08-20",
  "priority_date": "2014-12-05",
  "application_number": "US-201515533226-A",
  "family_id": "56090771",
  "cited_by_count": 3,
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}