Scheduler for power-efficient time slotted protocol
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A network comprising:
- a parent node;
an intermediate node configured to communicate with the parent node using a wireless network protocol; and
at least one child node configured to communicate with the parent node via the intermediate node using the wireless network protocol;
the parent node comprising;
a broadcast coordinator to transmit a broadcast message from the parent node to the at least one child node through the intermediate node at predetermined time intervals according to the wireless network protocol; and
a scheduler to generate a scheduling packet that is communicated in the broadcast message, the scheduling packet includes a data field to instruct each child node to activate and receive data communicated from the parent node in a prescribed time slot following the broadcast message;
wherein the at least one child node includes a first child node that transmits an indication byte during a present time frame to indicate to the parent node whether the first child node will transmit additional data in a future time frame relative to the present time frame, wherein the indication byte contains a non-zero value to indicate that the first child node will transmit additional data in a future time frame and the non-zero value indicates a number of frames between the present time frame and the future time frame in which the additional data will be transmitted by the first child node.
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Abstract
A network includes a parent node and at least one child node that is configured to communicate with the parent node via a wireless network protocol. The parent node includes a broadcast coordinator to transmit a broadcast message from the parent node to the child node at predetermined time intervals according to the wireless network protocol. A scheduler generates a scheduling packet that is communicated in the broadcast message. The scheduling packet includes a data field to instruct each child node to activate and receive data communicated from the parent node in a prescribed time slot following the broadcast message that is defined by the scheduling packet.
11 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A network comprising:
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a parent node; an intermediate node configured to communicate with the parent node using a wireless network protocol; and at least one child node configured to communicate with the parent node via the intermediate node using the wireless network protocol; the parent node comprising; a broadcast coordinator to transmit a broadcast message from the parent node to the at least one child node through the intermediate node at predetermined time intervals according to the wireless network protocol; and a scheduler to generate a scheduling packet that is communicated in the broadcast message, the scheduling packet includes a data field to instruct each child node to activate and receive data communicated from the parent node in a prescribed time slot following the broadcast message; wherein the at least one child node includes a first child node that transmits an indication byte during a present time frame to indicate to the parent node whether the first child node will transmit additional data in a future time frame relative to the present time frame, wherein the indication byte contains a non-zero value to indicate that the first child node will transmit additional data in a future time frame and the non-zero value indicates a number of frames between the present time frame and the future time frame in which the additional data will be transmitted by the first child node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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transmitting a broadcast message from a parent node to at least one child node via an intermediate node at predetermined time intervals according to a wireless network protocol; generating a scheduling packet that includes a map to instruct each child node to activate and receive data communicated from the parent node in a prescribed time slot following the broadcast message that is defined by the scheduling packet; communicating the scheduling packet with the broadcast message to update each child node according to instructions specified in the map; and receiving an indication byte transmitted by a first child node of the at least one child node, the indication byte being transmitted by the first child node during a present time frame to indicate to the parent node whether the child node will transmit additional data in a future time frame relative to the present time frame; wherein the indication byte contains a non-zero value to indicate that the first child node will transmit additional data in a future time frame and the non-zero value indicates a number of frames between the present time frame and the future time frame in which the additional data will be transmitted by the first child node. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system comprising:
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a parent node; an intermediate node configured to communicate with the parent node using a wireless network protocol; and at least one child node configured to communicate with the parent node via the intermediate node using the wireless network protocol; the parent node comprising; a broadcast coordinator to transmit a broadcast message from the parent node to the at least one child node through the intermediate node at predetermined time intervals according to the wireless network protocol; and a scheduler to generate a scheduling packet that is communicated in the broadcast message, the scheduling packet includes a map to instruct each child node to activate and receive data communicated from the parent node in a prescribed time slot following the broadcast message, the scheduling packet includes at least one virtual node identifier to identify the at least one child node within the map, the at least one virtual node identifier assigned to the at least one child node by the parent node when the child node joins the network; wherein the at least one child node includes a first child node that transmits an indication byte during a present time frame to indicate to the parent node whether the first child node will transmit additional data in a future time frame relative to the present time frame, wherein the indication byte contains a non-zero value to indicate that the first child node will transmit additional data in a future time frame and the non-zero value indicates a number of frames between the present time frame and the future time frame in which the additional data will be transmitted by the first child node. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification