Connection-less mesh networking

• US 10,440,521 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2016
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ten Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Ten Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kovacs, Alexander Imre
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Kevin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Davenport, Mon Cheri S
• Application Number:
  US15/071,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20160278000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A node forms a connection-less mesh network with one or more other nodes. The node controls to generate an identifier that identifies the node; to update the identifier and a data payload; to periodically wirelessly broadcast, at a predetermined frequency, broadcast-information that comprises the generated identifier and the updated data payload; and to periodically receive, at a predetermined frequency, other-broadcast-information which is the broadcast-information respectively broadcast from each of the one or more other nodes. The one or more processors performs the update of the identifier and the data payload in accordance with the other-broadcast-information from the other nodes.

Claims

1. A mobile device operable to form a connection-less mesh network with one or more other mobile devices, only the mobile device or only one of the other mobile devices being an active node configured to communicate with a transaction apparatus, each of the mobile devices comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit information wirelessly to the one or more other mobile devices;

a receiver configured to receive wirelessly transmitted information from the one or more other-mobile devices;

one or more memories configured to store a program and a first data payload containing a first identifier; and

one or more processors configured to read the program from the one or more memories, and to control, in accordance with the program, the transmitter and the receiver by executing the program,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to;

generate a second identifier that identifies the mobile device;

update the first data payload containing the first identifier using the second identifier to generate a second data payload;

store the second data payload;

cause the transmitter to wirelessly broadcast, at a predetermined frequency, the second data payload; and

receive, at a predetermined frequency, other second data payloads broadcast from each of the one or more other mobile devices,

and wherein the one or more processors is further configured to update the second data payload in accordance with the other second data payloads from the other mobile devices and wherein the first data payload comprises a first active-node-information and the second data payload each comprise a second active-node-information and each of the first data payload and the second data payload indicate which of the mobile devices is currently the active node configured to communicate with the transaction apparatus and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to update the second data payload using either the first active-node-information or one of the second active-node-information to specify which one of the mobile devices is the active node.

2. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein

the one or more processors are further configured to determines which of the mobile device and the other mobile devices is the active node in accordance with the second active-node-information contained in the other second data payloads broadcast by the other mobile devices, and

to update the second data payload using one of the second active-node-information of the other second data payloads to indicate the second identifier of the one of the mobile device determined to be the active node.

3. The mobile device according to claim 2, wherein

the one or more processors are further configured to updates the second active-node-information of the second data payload with a second active-node-information contained in the other second data payloads to indicate the second identifier of a new active node, as the active node, in response to a second active-node-information contained in the other second data payloads indicating that the active node is a different mobile device than the mobile device indicated to be the active node in the second data payload stored on the mobile device.

4. The mobile device according to claim 3, wherein

the second data payload further comprises:

active-request-information indicating whether one of the mobile devices desires to become the active node, and wherein

the one or more processors are further configured to determine which of the mobile devices is the active node in accordance with the second active-node-information and the active-request-information contained in the second data payloads received from each of the other mobile devices.

5. The mobile device according to claim 4, wherein

if the mobile device was previously determined to be the active node, the one or more processors are further configured to updates the second active-node-information that the transmitter broadcasts to indicate an identifier of a one of the other mobile devices broadcasting active-request-information that indicates that said one of the other mobile device desires to become the active node.

6. The mobile device according to claim 5, wherein

the one or more processors are further configured to updates the second active-node-information that the transmitter broadcasts to indicate the identifier of one of the other mobile devices broadcasting active-request-information that indicates that said mobile device desires to become the active node after a predetermined amount of time elapses from when the active-request-information is received by the mobile device;

or

in response to determining that the active-request-information received from one of the other mobile devices is received a predetermined number of times.

7. The mobile device according to claim 5, further comprising:

an input device configured to receive relinquish-request-information that is input in accordance with an operation by a user of the mobile device to request the mobile device relinquish position as the active node,

wherein the one or more processors is further configured to updates the second active-node-information that the transmitter broadcasts to indicate the identifier of one of the other mobile devices in accordance with the input device receiving the relinquish-request-information.

8. The mobile device according to claim 1,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determines whether information of the second data payload remains in an initialization state, and

in response to determining the second data payload remains in the initialization state the one or more processor are further configured to update the second active-node-information to indicate an identifier of one of the other mobile devices indicated as the active node in the other second data payloads,

and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to indicate the identifier of the mobile device or an identifier of one of the other mobiles devices in accordance with an initial active node setting if none of the second active-node-information of the other second data payloads indicates an identifier of any of the mobiles devices as the active node.

9. The mobile device according to claim 8, wherein the initial active node setting is performed in accordance with the respective identifiers of the mobile device and the other mobile devices.

10. The mobile device according to claim 8, wherein

the one or more processors are further configured to:

generate distance-estimation-information which indicates an estimation of a distance between the mobile device and the transaction apparatus based on a signal of a broadcast from the transaction apparatus that the received at the mobile device and

cause the mobile device to update the second data payload with the received distance estimation information, and

wherein the initial active node setting is performed in accordance with the distance-estimation-information of the mobile device and the distance-estimation-information of the other mobile devices.

11. The mobile device according to claim 10,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether the second data payload and the other second data payloads are in an inconsistent state, and

in response to determining the inconsistent state, the one or more processors are further configured to re-initializes the second data payload.

12. The mobile device according to claim 11,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the mobile device to perform an active-operation in conjunction with the one or more processors determining that the mobile device became the active node,

and to cause the mobile device to perform a non-active-operation in conjunction with the one or more processors determining that one of the other mobile device became the active node.

13. The mobile device according to claim 12, further comprising:

an output device configured to output information to a user of the mobile device,

wherein the active-operation corresponds to the output device outputting a notification indicating that the mobile device became the active node, and the non-active-operation corresponds to the output device outputting a notification indicating that the mobile device became not the active node.

14. The mobile device according to claim 13, wherein the second data payload and the other second data payloads are broadcast without establishing a connection between the mobile device and the other mobile devices by making a connection request that includes a parameter, and performing communication directed from the mobile device to any of the other mobile devices in accordance with the parameter.

15. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generates any of the first identifier and the second identifier to be a pseudo-random number within a predetermined range.

16. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the broadcasting is performed in a peripheral (broadcasting) role of BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), and the receiving is performed in a central (observer) role of BLE.

17. The mobile device according to claim 16, wherein the broadcasting is performed in accordance with the iBeacon advertising specification.

18. A connection-less mesh network system comprising a plurality of mobile devices, only one of the mobile devices being an active node configured to communicate with a transaction apparatus, each mobile device comprising:

a transmitter operable to transmit information wirelessly to the other mobile devices;

a receiver operable to receive wirelessly transmitted information from the other mobile devices;

one or more memories configured to store a program and a first data payload containing a first identifier; and

one or more processors configured to read the program from the one or more memories, and to control, in accordance with the program, the transmitter and the receiver by executing the program,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to;

generate a second identifier that identifies the mobile device;

update the first data payload containing the first identifier using the second identifier to generate a second data payload;

store the second data payload;

cause the transmitter to wirelessly broadcast, at a predetermined frequency, the second data payload; and

receive, at a predetermined frequency, other second data payloads broadcast from each of the one or more other mobile devices,

and wherein the one or more processors is further configured to update the second data payload in accordance with the other second data payloads from the other mobile devices and wherein the first data payload comprises a first active-node-information and the second data payload each comprise a second active-node-information and each of the first data payload and the second data payload indicate which of the mobile devices is currently the active node configured to communicate with the transaction apparatus and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to update the second data payload using either the first active-node-information or one of the second active-node-information to specify which one of the mobile devices is the active node.

19. A method of controlling a mobile device operable to form a connection-less mesh network with one or more other mobile devices, only the mobile device or only one of the other mobile devices being an active node configured to communicate with a transaction apparatus, the method comprising:

generating, by the mobile device, an identifier that identifies the mobile device;

updating, by the mobile device, the mobile device to use the identifier and updating a first data payload stored on the mobile device to contain the identifier;

periodically wirelessly broadcasting the first data payload that contains the identifier and the updated first data payload; and

periodically receiving, from the other mobile devices, second data payloads,

wherein the mobile device is configured to update the first data payload in accordance with the second data payloads from the other mobile devices and wherein the first data payload comprises a first active-node-information and the second data payload comprises a second active-node-information both of which indicate which of the mobile devices is currently the active node configured to communicate with the transaction apparatus and wherein the first payload is updated using either the first active-node-information or the second active-node-information add to specify which one of the mobile devices is the active node.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute instructions for controlling a mobile device operable to form a connection-less mesh network with one or more other mobile devices, only the mobile device or only one of the other mobile devices being an active node configured to communicate with a transaction apparatus, the instructions comprising:

generating, by the mobile device, an identifier that identifies the mobile device;

updating, by the mobile device, the mobile device to use the identifier and updating a first data payload stored on the mobile device to contain the identifier;

periodically wirelessly broadcasting the first data payload that contains the identifier and the updated first data payload; and

periodically receiving, from the other mobile devices, second data payloads, wherein the mobile device is configured to update the first data payload in accordance with the second data payloads from the other mobile devices and wherein the first data payload comprises a first active-node-information and the second data payload comprises a second active-node-information both of which indicate which of the mobile devices is currently the active node configured to communicate with the transaction apparatus and wherein the first payload is updated using either the first active-node-information or the second active-node-information to specify which one of the mobile devices is the active node.