Positioning in the Internet of Things. How location technology works and the use cases that are driving adoption.
- Use Cases: Asset Tracking, Real Time Location Systems, Asset Management
- How GPS Works
- Time based location
- Proximity location technologies
- Using WiFi for Position
- Tradeoffs in performance, power, and cost
- Keys to building a successful location product
3. Agenda
• Business Use Cases for Asset Tracking
• Technologies for Location
• Time Based – GPS, UWB, Wi-Fi
• Proximity Based – BLE, Wi-Fi, cellular
• How Link Labs’ AirFinder System achieves low cost
location using:
• BLE + LoRa + LTE Cat-M1 + Wi-Fi
4. Have a question or
comment?
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Question not answered?
forum.link-labs.com
5. Who is Link Labs?
• IoT Technology Company – based in Maryland, USA
• Build and integrate complex industrial and enterprise IoT systems.
• Focused on location: www.AirFinder.com
• LTE Cat-M1, Symphony Link (LoRa), and Bluetooth Low Energy
• Interested in how we can help? webinar@link-labs.com
6. Location is a Killer App for IOT
• According to Intel: Location is at least a part of >70% of IoT applications.
Logistics
Healthcare
Meters
Manufacturing
Construction
Service Delivery
Smart City
GPS
UWB
Wi-Fi
BLE
Vertical
Tech
7. How Location Creates Value
Monitoring
- Location of Fleet
- Where is an employee?
- Where is material for job?
Control
- Change settings based on weather
- Stop a vehicle leaving a campus
Optimization
- Fertilizer application based on
location and image analysis
- Driver directions for fastest route
- Where is the free parking?
Autonomy
- Ship replacement based on delay
- Order more based on usage
- Change staffing based on work-in-
progress status
9. Use Case: Smart Manufacturing
Problem: A manufacture relies on barcode scans to move work-in-
progress (WIP) components through a multi step manufacturing,
test, and rework process. Parts are sometimes delayed because
they fail to move to the next station, and a dispatcher must manually
track them down.
Solution: Implement an indoor asset tracking system where WIP is
tagged. An indoor location system is installed throughout the plant.
Technology: Bluetooth Tags, Reference Points, LPWAN, Cellular Backhaul.
Alternatives: Ultra Wide Band, Wi-Fi
10. Use Case: Commercial Consumable
Management
Problem: A supplier delivers an industrial consumable product to
business customers. An opportunity for savings based on optimizing
delivery and inventory is identified, but usage and inventory levels
are hard to track across customers.
Solution: Implement a life cycle tracking and monitoring system,
where units are tracked inside fulfillment centers and delivery
vehicles, and usage sensors help automate delivery plans.
Technology: Bluetooth Tags, GPS Access Points, LTE-M, LPWAN in plant.
Alternatives: GPS Tags
11. Use Case: Logistics
Problem: A manufacture uses material produced by a network of
suppliers. Work must be planned based on availability of material,
which is brought by truck. Planned vs. actual deliveries cause
delays and downtime.
Solution: Implement a multi stage tracking system where pallets
are tracked with cellular and then trailers are tracked with proximity
in the receiving yard.
Technology: LTE-M + Bluetooth Tags, Reference Points
Alternatives: GPS, Satellite, 2G
12. Use Case: Construction Management
Problem: A general contractor makes prefab assemblies offsite, but
they can be lost when moved to the site before they are ready to
install. They also want to understand subcontractor movements.
Solution: Implement a multi stage tracking system where
assemblies are tracked in the prefab site, in transit, and then on the
jobsite. A low-infrastructure, temporary indoor system tracks
workers.
Technology: GPS + Bluetooth + LTE-M Tag, BLE Reference Points
13. Use Case: Service Delivery
Problem: A telecom company loses expensive equipment when
repair personnel leave it behind at jobs.
Solution: Implement an asset tagging system where last known
location is captured, along with exception notifications when items
are not on a truck when it is moving.
Technology: Bluetooth Tags, GPS+LTE-M Access Point in Truck
14. Other Use Cases
• Healthcare Real Time Location (RTLS)
• Vehicle and Key Tracking for Large Dealers and Brokers
• Tracking Ground Service Equipment at Airports
• Monitoring Personnel in Mines
15. Use Case Technology Implications
• Location is multi-modal
• Seamless indoor / outdoor capability
• Tag cost is largest variable cost
• Cellular data must be managed carefully
16. Location Technology - Time
• Time is distance (speed of light)
• One way, single distance cannot be calculated because clocks
must be synchronized to know when transmission was sent.
• Round trip range is technically harder, because detecting and
responding in a deterministic way takes more processing
• Therefore most systems use a time difference of arrival (TDOA), to
compare the difference between reception times. Still requires
syncing clocks.
A B
A B
A
B
C
Tag
17. How GPS Works
• Satellite data is sent out (Ephemeris
and Almanac)
• Cold vs. Warm Starts
• Auto-correlation and cross-correlation
18. GPS
• ~6m “clear sky” accuracy
• Power hungry (30-40mA)
• Antenna must have an “almost” view of the sky
• Multipath (cities) can degrade solution
19. TDOA Systems
• Wi-Fi, UWB, Microwave Ranging
• Generally a tag sends up a packet which
is time stamped by multiple receivers
• Hyperbolic solutions are created by
comparing TOA between points.
• Time must be synced between receivers.
Network time and/or time packets
exchange.
• Gold standard of indoor accuracy, but
require significant infrastructure and
calibration.
21. Proximity
• Received Signal Strength Mapping
• Nearest / Loudest Neighbor
A B
C D
When the tag is beaconing the
server must compare all
signals to calculate location.
22. Proximity
• Received Signal Strength Mapping
• Nearest / Loudest Neighbor
A B
C D
When the infrastructure
beacons, tags calculate
location, and report it back.
This saves on data, improves
accuracy, and lowers latency.
27. AirFinder BLE
Desk 1
Desk 2
Desk 3
Desk 4
Low cost beacons
improve accuracy.
Long battery life.
Very low data usage.
Bluetooth supports
multimode architecture.
