Sub 10µW wake-up-receiver based indoor/outdoor asset tracking system

Abstract

Localization and asset tracking are key components of the Internet of Things or the fourth industrial revolution called “Industry 4.0”. Current systems using GPS signals cannot be used indoors. Alternative systems for indoor localization exist, but they cannot be battery power with tiny batteries over multiple years. To overcome these drawbacks we propose a new localization concept based on an ultra-low-power wake-up receiver. With a power consumption of less than 10μW the tags mounted on the assets are able to operate for multiple years using tiny coin type batteries. Nevertheless, out system concept can achieve an accuracy down to the sub-meter range. This goal is reached by means of beacon based field strength localization for the indoor environment, and angle-of-arrival estimation for the outdoor environment. An additional benefit of our wake-up receiver concept is the overall low latency.