CN103852769B - Positioning tracking device with electricity saving function and electricity saving method of positioning tracking device with powerful electricity-saving function - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a positioning tracking device with power saving function and a power saving method thereof. The positioning and tracking device uses dual control modules with different frequencies to work, and the control modules do not need to continuously access and detect data. Only when the sensor module or the battery is abnormal, the slave control module will enter the normal mode, and when the position data is sent to the master control module, it will enter the sleep mode again. The main control module is awakened by the slave control module, and after sending the position data, it will enter the sleep mode again. The invention maximizes the working time of the control module in the sleep mode, minimizes the total energy consumption of the entire location tracking device, and also prolongs the battery life.

Description

A positioning tracking device with power saving function and power saving method thereof

technical field

The invention relates to a positioning tracking device, in particular to a positioning tracking device with power saving function, and also relates to a power saving method for the positioning tracking device.

Background technique

Equipment trackers are generally used for monitoring and tracking of containers or train wagons. Conventional battery-driven device trackers can last up to ten days in standby without any transmission signal. However, when the device tracker is in the working state, the continuous power consumption of the peripheral working modules and sensors is difficult to ensure the long-term work of the device tracker. Especially for some containers (train wagons) stored in ports or warehouses for a long time, existing equipment trackers cannot track and monitor the containers (train wagons) for a long time.

Existing device trackers are developed using a single-chip microcomputer without an operating system, usually only using a main control chip, and some working modules and sensors are connected to the periphery. The selection of the operating frequency of the main control chip needs to meet the highest operating frequency of the peripheral working modules and sensors. Therefore, the main control chip must run at the highest frequency every time it works, and when the sensor keeps on happening, it will cause the main chip to run at the highest frequency continuously, causing the power consumption to rise sharply. For long-term storage containers (train wagons), the device tracker cannot work for a long time. Therefore, how to design the device tracker, reduce the loss of battery power, and realize the tracking, monitoring and anti-theft of the container for a long time, or even a long time, is an urgent problem to be solved.

In the Chinese utility model whose notification number is CN 202838075 U, a positioning and tracking device with low power consumption is disclosed, including a GPRS communication module, a power supply circuit and a CPU, the line connection between the CPU and the GPRS communication module, the GPRS communication module and the CPU Powered by the power circuit, the GPRS communication module is connected with an external circuit that reduces the static current. The GPRS communication module adjusts and controls the dynamic transmission time through the CPU to reduce the duration of the dynamic high current. The GPRS communication module adjusts and controls the static working state through the CPU. , so that it cooperates with the dynamic state of the GPRS communication module to reduce the static current. The utility model adopts the reduced static power consumption and dynamic power consumption of the GPRS communication module, which can reach the level of micro power consumption.

Contents of the invention

In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the primary technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a location tracking device with power saving function.

Another technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a power saving method for the location tracking device. The method can significantly reduce the power consumption of the location tracking device.

For realizing above-mentioned purpose of the invention, the present invention adopts following technical scheme:

A positioning and tracking device with power saving function, comprising a main control module, a slave control module, a battery, a communication module, a GPS positioning module and at least one sensing module;

The slave control module is connected to the GPS positioning module, the sensing module and the battery respectively; the master control module is connected to the communication module, the slave control module and the battery respectively.

Wherein preferably, the working frequency of the master control module is higher than the working frequency of the slave control module.

Preferably, the slave control module wakes up the master control module in an interrupt mode or in a polling mode.

Preferably, the GPS positioning module adopts a power-on working mode, and the slave control module controls power-on; or the communication module adopts a power-on working mode, and the main control module controls power-on.

Preferably, the sensing module is in a low power consumption mode or a power-off mode, and wakes up the slave module in an interrupt or timing manner under predetermined conditions.

Preferably, the location tracking device includes the sensing module in a low power consumption mode, and at least one of the sensing modules in a power-off mode.

The present invention also provides a power-saving method for the above positioning and tracking device, comprising the following steps:

Step 1: Initialize the location tracking device and configure the working parameters;

Step 2: The main control module and the slave control module enter sleep mode, the communication module and GPS positioning module enter power-off mode, and the sensing module enters low-power working mode or power-off mode;

Step 3: The sensing module wakes up the slave control module under predetermined conditions, and after the slave control module is woken up, judges whether it is necessary to wake up the master control module, and when it is judged that the master control module needs to be woken up, the slave controller The module wakes up the main control module and makes the GPS positioning module enter the working mode, then reads the position information of the GPS positioning module, and sends it to the main control module, and finally returns to the sleep mode and makes the GPS positioning The module enters the power-off mode and enters step 4; when it is judged that the main control module does not need to be woken up, return to step 2;

Step 4: After the main control module is awakened, the communication module enters the working mode, and the position information from the GPS positioning module is sent out through the communication module, and then returns to the sleep mode and enables the If the communication module is powered off, return to step 2.

Preferably, in step 3, the sensing module wakes up the slave control module in an interrupt mode when an abnormality is detected in the low power consumption mode; or,

The sensing module regularly wakes up the slave control module in the power-off mode.

Wherein preferably, in step 3, when the result detected by the sensing module reaches the preset early warning value, the slave control module judges that the master control module needs to be woken up; otherwise, it judges that the master control module does not need to be woken up module.

Wherein preferably, when the sensing module detects that the power of the battery is low, the slave control module can increase the time interval of the timing monitoring of the sensing module.

The present invention adopts a high-frequency master control module and a low-frequency slave control module, and the master control module is only responsible for data transmission, which can ensure that the higher-frequency master control module spends more time in a sleep state and reduces power consumption. On this basis, the peripheral equipment is assigned to two control modules for control according to the working frequency, and the control modules are kept in sleep mode for a long time. Wake up the control module through the external interrupt of the sensing module or the internal timer. Compared with the tracker with a single control module, the present invention can increase the working time of the control module in the sleep mode to the greatest extent, realize the minimization of the total energy consumption of the positioning tracking device, and prolong the battery life. In addition, in the present invention, the slave control module that works at low frequency is woken up first. After the simple logic judgment of the slave control module, the master control module is awakened when the predetermined condition is reached, so that the master control module is in sleep mode for a longer time than the slave control module. Further enhance the power saving effect.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of a location tracking device provided by the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the location tracking device provided by the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a working flow chart of the location tracking device provided by the present invention.

detailed description

The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

Referring to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the location tracking device provided by the present invention includes a master control module, a slave control module, a battery, a communication module, a GPS positioning module and one or more sensor modules. The slave control module is connected with a GPS positioning module, a sensing module and a battery; the master control module is connected with a communication module, a slave control module and a battery. The sensing module in Figure 1 is a sensor in a low-power working mode, which can work for a long time with low power consumption. The following uses an acceleration sensor as an example to illustrate. Compared with the first embodiment in FIG. 1 , the second embodiment in FIG. 2 adds a sensing module in a power-off mode. This type of sensing module starts to work by timing startup or by powering on the slave control module. The following takes the temperature and humidity sensor module as an example to illustrate.

The positioning tracking device provided by the present invention includes two control modules, a battery, a GPRS communication module, a GPS positioning module, a sensor module and other peripheral equipment. One of the two control modules is the main control module, and the other is the slave control module; the master control module is connected with the GPRS communication module, the slave control module and the battery for sending monitoring data; the slave control module is connected with the GPS The positioning module, temperature and humidity sensing module, acceleration sensing module and battery are connected to monitor and collect temperature and humidity, acceleration, battery and position data.

The master control module and the slave control module are processors with different operating frequencies. The slave control module selects a processor with a relatively low frequency. Compared with high-frequency processors, it is more power-saving to use low-frequency processors in the process of monitoring data processing. The processor with high operating frequency is used as the main control module, and is only responsible for the transmission of monitoring data. In the present invention, the control module preferably adopts PIC series single-chip microcomputer, and the operating frequencies of the main control module and the slave control module are 32MHz and 8MHz respectively. When performing data interaction between the master control module and the slave control module, they can wake up each other by means of interrupt or polling. In the present invention, the interruption mode is preferred, and compared with the polling wake-up mode, the power saving effect is better, but according to the business needs, the polling mode can also be used to achieve the purpose of power saving. Of course, the wake-up of the control module needs a confirmation mechanism: it can only send data when it is confirmed that the other party can receive data, otherwise it is easy to lose data.

For the selection of peripheral equipment of the control module, it is necessary to assign the same or similar operating frequency to the same control module for management. In the present invention, the slave control module controls the GPS positioning module, the temperature and humidity sensing module and the acceleration sensing module with relatively low working frequency. The main control module controls the GPRS communication module with a higher working frequency. Generally, the longer the control module enters the sleep mode, the more obvious the power saving effect is. In the present invention, when the slave control module needs to send data when the data detected by the sensor or the data of the battery is abnormal, the slave control module enters the working mode. After the data is sent, the main control module will enter the sleep mode again. For the main control module with high frequency, it is only responsible for data transmission, which can ensure that the main control module with high frequency is in sleep state for more time, reducing the loss of electric energy.

The following describes the working process of the location tracking device and the specific implementation steps of the power saving method with reference to FIG. 3 .

Step 1: Initialize the location tracking device and configure the working parameters. First, the location tracking device needs to be initialized. After the main control module and the slave control module are powered on, initialization begins. In the initialization process, it is necessary to set the working parameters of the master control module and the slave control module, and synchronize the corresponding parameters to the corresponding peripheral devices configured. The set working parameters include related parameters such as battery, temperature and humidity, and acceleration sensors. For example, the warning value of battery voltage change, the warning value of temperature and humidity, and the warning value of acceleration, etc. When it is detected that the parameter exceeds the warning value, the slave control module will perform corresponding processing. By setting the working parameters and setting the warning value high, the slave control module can work in most cases without waking up the master control module. However, the setting of the warning value should be adjusted according to the business needs to ensure that the main control module can be woken up in time when the working parameters change. Therefore, the setting of the warning value needs to make the main control module stay in a dormant state for more time as much as possible on the premise of ensuring business needs, so as to reduce power consumption.

Step 2: The main control module and the slave control module enter sleep mode, the communication module and GPS positioning module enter power-off mode, and the sensing module enters low-power working mode or power-off mode.

Step 3: The sensing module wakes up the slave control module under predetermined conditions. After the slave control module is woken up, it judges whether it is necessary to wake up the master control module. When it is judged that it is necessary to wake up the master control module, the slave control module wakes up the master control module and enables The positioning module enters the working mode, then reads the position information of the GPS positioning module, and sends it to the main control module, and finally returns to the sleep mode and makes the GPS positioning module enter the power-off mode, and enters step 4; when it is judged that it is not necessary to wake up the main control module, return to step 2;

Step 4: After the main control module is awakened, the communication module enters the working mode, and the position information from the GPS positioning module is sent out through the communication module, then returns to the sleep mode and powers off the communication module, and returns to step 2.

Specifically, after the initialization work is completed, the main control module and the slave control module power off the GPS positioning module, the GPRS communication module and the temperature and humidity sensing module. The acceleration sensing module enters a low power mode, and the main control module and the slave control module enter a sleep mode at the same time.

The acceleration sensing module has two working modes: low frequency and normal. Normally, the acceleration sensor module is in a low power mode for data collection, which can reduce power consumption. When the monitored acceleration data is abnormal compared with the configured working parameters, the acceleration sensing module switches from the low power mode to the normal mode quickly, and wakes up the slave module in sleep mode in the form of an external interrupt. The slave control module reads the acceleration data and compares and analyzes it with the working parameters configured in the initial process. If the acceleration value is within the normal warning range, the acceleration sensing module switches to a low power consumption mode, and the slave control module enters a sleep mode. If the acceleration value exceeds the warning value, after the acceleration sensing module switches to a low power consumption state, the slave control module needs to power on the GPS positioning module. In the present invention, the GPS positioning module adopts the power-on working mode, and can work only when the slave control module controls power-on, and is in a power-off state at other times, which reduces battery consumption. The GPS positioning module obtains the current position data of the positioning tracking device and sends it to the slave control module. After receiving the current position data, the slave control module powers off the GPS positioning module and wakes up the master control module in the form of an interrupt. After the main control module wakes up, the slave control module will enter the sleep mode after sending the position data.

For the data acquisition of the temperature and humidity sensing module, the slave control module works in a polling manner. Use the internal clock to read temperature and humidity data regularly, and enter sleep mode when not reading data. The timer is processed in the form of an internal interrupt, regularly monitors whether the set reading period is reached, and wakes up the slave control module when it arrives. The temperature and humidity data is read from the slave control module and analyzed according to the set temperature and humidity early warning value to determine whether it is necessary to wake up the master control module. If there is no need to wake up, the main control module continues to be in sleep mode. If it needs to wake up, the slave control module powers up the GPS positioning module. The GPS positioning module obtains the current position data of the positioning tracking device and sends it to the slave control module. After the slave control module receives the data, the GPS positioning module is powered off, and at the same time wakes up the master control module in the form of an interrupt.

After the slave control module is woken up, it is necessary to regularly detect the voltage and power of the battery. The process of monitoring is similar to that of the temperature and humidity sensing module, and will not be repeated here. It should be noted that, when the slave control module detects that the power of the battery is low, the time interval for regular monitoring of the temperature and humidity sensing module will be increased. In this way, the device can be operated at a lower voltage to reduce power consumption, thereby monitoring the status of the entire tracking device for a longer period of time.

After the main control module is woken up, after receiving the position information sent by the slave control module, power on the GPRS communication module at the same time. The GPRS communication module works in the same way as the GPS positioning module, and adopts the working method of power-on. Only when the main control module is woken up and the GPRS communication module is powered on, can the GPRS communication module start to work. The GPRS communication module transmits the location data to the remote equipment tracking and monitoring center through the wireless network. After the GPRS communication module finishes sending the data, the main control module will power it off and enter the sleep mode by itself.

Due to the different working conditions of each module, the power consumption of the battery is also different. According to the power consumption of the battery, it can be divided into the following situations: when both control modules are working and the peripherals are also working, the power consumption of the battery will exceed 100mA or even higher; only two control modules are working and the peripherals are also working. When the device is not working, the power consumption current will exceed 40mA; when only one 8M slave control module is working, the power consumption current is only about 10mA; when both control modules enter sleep mode, the power consumption current will not exceed 1mA. Therefore, in order to avoid two control modules working at the same time, it is necessary to perform strict logic operations in the 8M slave control module to ensure that the 32M master control module is in sleep mode for a long time, so as to achieve a better power saving effect.

In the present invention, after the control module enters the sleep mode, the longer the time in the sleep mode, the more obvious the effect of power saving. The corresponding peripherals configured by the control module enter a low power consumption or dormancy or power-off mode. In sleep mode, the internal clock or external interrupt can wake up the slave module. After being awakened by the interrupt, the slave control module only needs to make a simple and fast logical judgment, and if it does not need to work, it will return to the sleep mode immediately. If you need to work, continue to enter the sleep mode after the location information is processed. The main control module enters the sleep mode after the location information is sent. Therefore, the present invention can enable the location tracking device to have the function of saving electricity and ensure long-time monitoring work.

To sum up, the location tracking device provided by the present invention adopts dual control modules, and peripherals are configured to the control modules according to the level of the operating frequency. The main control module controls peripherals with high frequency, and tries to ensure that it is in idle or sleep mode when the main control module does not need to work. The slave control module will be awakened to send data only when the data of the sensor module or the battery is abnormal. The rest of the time it is in idle or sleep mode. Compared with the positioning and tracking device of a single control module, the dual control module used in the present invention does not need to continuously access and detect data; assign peripherals to the control module according to the operating frequency, avoiding the need for the control module to continuously run at the highest frequency. state. The invention prolongs the time that the control module stays in the sleep mode as long as possible by setting the working mode of the peripheral device, thereby significantly reducing the total energy consumption of the positioning and tracking device, thereby greatly prolonging the effective working time of the device.

The location tracking device with power saving function and the power saving method provided by the present invention have been described in detail above. For those skilled in the art, any obvious changes made to it without departing from the essential spirit of the present invention will constitute an infringement of the patent right of the present invention and will bear corresponding legal responsibilities.

Claims (8)

1. A power saving method for a location tracking device, the location tracking device includes a main control module, a slave control module, a battery, a communication module, a GPS positioning module and at least one sensor module; the slave control module and the The GPS positioning module, the sensing module and the battery are connected respectively; the main control module is connected with the communication module, the slave control module and the battery respectively, and it is characterized in that it includes the following steps: Step 1: Initialize the location tracking device and configure the working parameters; Step 2: The main control module and the slave control module enter sleep mode, the communication module and GPS positioning module enter power-off mode, and the sensing module enters low-power working mode or power-off mode; Step 3: The sensing module wakes up the slave control module under predetermined conditions, and after the slave control module is woken up, judges whether it is necessary to wake up the master control module, and when it is judged that the master control module needs to be woken up, the slave controller The module wakes up the main control module and makes the GPS positioning module enter the working mode, then reads the position information of the GPS positioning module, and sends it to the main control module, and finally returns to the sleep mode and makes the GPS positioning The module enters the power-off mode and enters step 4; when it is judged that the main control module does not need to be woken up, return to step 2; Step 4: After the main control module is awakened, the communication module enters the working mode, and the position information from the GPS positioning module is sent out through the communication module, and then returns to the sleep mode and enables the If the communication module is powered off, return to step 2. 2. The power saving method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 3, the sensing module wakes up the slave module in an interrupt mode when an abnormality is detected in the low power consumption mode; or, The sensing module regularly wakes up the slave control module in the power-off mode. 3. The power saving method according to claim 2, characterized in that: In step 3, when the result detected by the sensing module reaches a preset warning value, the slave control module determines that the main control module needs to be woken up; otherwise, it determines that the main control module does not need to be woken up. 4. The power saving method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The working frequency of the master control module is higher than that of the slave control module. 5. The power saving method according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that: The slave control module wakes up the master control module by means of interruption or polling. 6. The power saving method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The GPS positioning module adopts a power-on working mode, and the slave control module controls power-on; or the communication module adopts a power-on working mode, and the main control module controls power-on. 7. The power saving method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensing module is in a low power consumption mode or a power-off mode, and wakes up the slave control module in an interrupt or timing manner under predetermined conditions. 8. The power saving method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The location tracking device includes the sensing module in a low power consumption mode, and at least one of the sensing modules in a power-off mode.