Near Real-Time Tracking of IoT Device Users

This paper proposes a simple tracking scheme of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. On the basis of timed snapshots of IoT devices, the movements and locations of the devices' owners can be traced indirectly and efficiently. To reduce the overhead incurred by real-time tracking of the (mobile) IoT devices, the proposed scheme adopts quasi-real-time tracking utilizing the LIDx protocol and its period, and collects only a small amount of information in each snapshot, such as, time, remaining energy in the mobile device, and the type of wireless communications interface. Because the users are traced without authentication, their privacy related to their mobility, such as their identities and the locations associated with their identities is protected. The proposed simple location tracking is expected to be helpful in rescuing the persons in danger because of disasters or accidents at the basements or the closed spaces such as ships, which are areas outside of the range of GPS or with weak and unstable public communication signals.