Short range RF network configuration
First Claim
1. A method of configuring a wireless RF network, the network comprising a plurality of network nodes for communicating with other nodes, each node of the wireless RF network having a controller unit, a data store and a unique identifier, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) selecting at least one of the plurality of nodes to serve as a control node of the wireless RF network;
b) providing the at least one selected control node with a unique host ID stored in a host ID register accessible to said selected control node;
c) periodically detecting other nodes within the coverage area of each respective node of the plurality of nodes by sending an inquiry message;
d) periodically updating the data store of each respective node of the plurality of nodes with addresses of detected nodes received from responses to the inquiry message by said detected nodes;
e) storing the unique identifier of each respective node prescribed to pertain to the wireless RF network accessible to the at least one control node of the wireless RF network;
f) transmitting from the at least one control node of the wireless RF network a dynamic paging message addressed to each respective node located within the coverage area of the at least one control node according to step (d) and having the unique identifier stored accessible to the at least one control node according to step (e);
g) updating the data store of each respective node receiving the dynamic paging message and returning relative information of the updated data store to the at least one control node of the wireless RF network from each respective node receiving the dynamic paging message;
h) storing the received relative information of the updated data store accessible to the at least one control node of the wireless RF network;
i) transmitting from the at least one control node of the wireless RF network a message to each respective node which returned the relative information of the updated data store, the message instructing said node to send the dynamic paging message addressed to each respective node matching predefined criteria;
j) repeating steps (g) to (i) until every node identified to the at least one control node according to step (e) has been paged.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An RF network with a host node and a plurality of satellite nodes for communicating data from terminal devices connected to the nodes. Each node includes a transceiver with a unique address. On start-up of the network, the transceivers send inquiries; transceivers receiving an inquiry respond by sending their unique address; the inquiry sending transceiver stores the received addresses. All transceivers store the unique addresses of “neighboring” transceivers within their range (including those not to be part of the network). The unique transceiver addresses to be in the network are stored in the host node. The host node pages its neighbors which are to be in the network; those neighbors become initialized by learning the unique address of the host node, and report the addresses of their neighbors; each reporting node pages its neighbors; the process is repeated until all nodes intended to part of the network are initialized.
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Citations
65 Claims
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1. A method of configuring a wireless RF network, the network comprising a plurality of network nodes for communicating with other nodes, each node of the wireless RF network having a controller unit, a data store and a unique identifier, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) selecting at least one of the plurality of nodes to serve as a control node of the wireless RF network;
b) providing the at least one selected control node with a unique host ID stored in a host ID register accessible to said selected control node;
c) periodically detecting other nodes within the coverage area of each respective node of the plurality of nodes by sending an inquiry message;
d) periodically updating the data store of each respective node of the plurality of nodes with addresses of detected nodes received from responses to the inquiry message by said detected nodes;
e) storing the unique identifier of each respective node prescribed to pertain to the wireless RF network accessible to the at least one control node of the wireless RF network;
f) transmitting from the at least one control node of the wireless RF network a dynamic paging message addressed to each respective node located within the coverage area of the at least one control node according to step (d) and having the unique identifier stored accessible to the at least one control node according to step (e);
g) updating the data store of each respective node receiving the dynamic paging message and returning relative information of the updated data store to the at least one control node of the wireless RF network from each respective node receiving the dynamic paging message;
h) storing the received relative information of the updated data store accessible to the at least one control node of the wireless RF network;
i) transmitting from the at least one control node of the wireless RF network a message to each respective node which returned the relative information of the updated data store, the message instructing said node to send the dynamic paging message addressed to each respective node matching predefined criteria;
j) repeating steps (g) to (i) until every node identified to the at least one control node according to step (e) has been paged. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of configuring a wireless RF network, the network comprising a plurality of network nodes for communicating with other nodes, each node of the wireless RF network having a controller unit, a data store and a unique identifier, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) maintaining identification information including a unique identifier of each respective node of the plurality of nodes prescribed to pertain to the wireless RF network;
b) periodically detecting other nodes within coverage area of each respective node of the plurality of nodes and updating the data store of the each respective node of the plurality of nodes with information received from the detected nodes;
c) transmitting a dynamic paging message addressed to each respective node matching predefined criteria;
d) storing relative information of the dynamic paging message within each respective node receiving the dynamic paging message and returning a response message to the dynamic paging message;
e) repeating steps c) and d) until every node identified according to step a) has been paged. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of routing information while maintaining configuration of a wireless RF network, the network comprising a plurality of network nodes for communicating with other nodes, each respective node having a controller unit, a data store and a unique identifier, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) periodically sending a current data load information and a hops-to-host count from each respective node of the wireless RF network to other nodes within the coverage area of said respective node of the wireless RF network;
b) periodically updating the data store of the each respective node of the wireless RF network with the data load information and the hops-to-host count of other nodes within the coverage area of said respective node of the wireless RF network;
c) selecting at least one path having least hops-to-host count for routing messages from a node to at least one control node of the wireless RF network; and
d) if more than one path having least hops-to-host count exists, selecting from among them a path with least load for routing messages from the node to the at least one control node of the wireless RF network. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A wireless RF network comprising a plurality of network nodes for communicating with other nodes, each node of the wireless RF network having a controller unit, a data store and a unique identifier, wherein:
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a) at least one of the plurality of nodes is selected to serve as a control node of the wireless RF network;
b) the at least one selected control node is provided with a unique host ID stored in a host ID register accessible to said selected control node;
c) an inquiry message is periodically sent to other nodes within the coverage area of each respective node of the plurality of nodes;
d) the data store of each respective node of the plurality of nodes is periodically updated with addresses of detected nodes received from responses to the inquiry message by said detected nodes;
e) the unique identifier of each respective node prescribed to pertain to the wireless RF network accessible to the at least one control node of the wireless RF network is stored;
f) a dynamic paging message is transmitted from the at least one control node of the wireless RF network addressed to each respective node located within the coverage area of the at least one control node and having the unique identifier stored accessible to the at least one control node;
g) each respective node receiving the dynamic paging message updates its data store and returns relative information of the updated data store to the at least one control node of the wireless RF network;
h) each respective node stores the received relative information of the updated data store accessible to the at least one control node of the wireless RF network;
i) the at least one control node of the wireless RF network transmits a message to each respective node which returned the relative information of the updated data store, the message instructing said node to send the dynamic paging message addressed to each respective node matching predefined criteria;
j) sending of the dynamic paging message is repeated until every node identified to the at least one control node has been paged. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A wireless RF network, the network comprising a plurality of network nodes for communicating with other nodes, each node of the wireless RF network having a controller unit, a data store and a unique identifier, wherein:
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a) identification information is maintained including a unique identifier of each respective node of the plurality of nodes prescribed to pertain to the wireless RF network;
b) other nodes within coverage area of each respective node of the plurality of nodes are detected and the data store of the each respective node of the plurality of nodes is updated with information received from the detected nodes;
c) a dynamic paging message is transmitted addressed to each respective node matching predefined criteria;
d) relative information of the dynamic paging message within each respective node receiving the dynamic paging message is stored and a response message to the dynamic paging message is returned;
e) transmitting of the dynamic paging message is repeated until every node identified has been paged. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A wireless RF network for routing information while maintaining configuration of a wireless RF network, the network comprising a plurality of network nodes for communicating with other nodes, each respective node having a controller unit, a data store and a unique identifier, wherein:
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a) current data load information and a hops-to-host count from each respective node of the wireless RF network are periodically sent to other nodes within the coverage area of said respective node of the wireless RF network;
b) the data store of the each respective node of the wireless RF network is periodically updated with the data load information and the hops-to-host count of other nodes within the coverage area of said respective node of the wireless RF network;
c) at least one path having least hops-to-host count for routing messages from a node to at least one control node of the wireless RF network is selected; and
d) if more than one path having least hops-to-host count exists, a path with least load for routing messages from the node to the at least one control node of the wireless RF network is selected from among them. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50)
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51. A self-configuring wireless RF network, the network comprising:
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a plurality of nodes, each of the plurality of nodes comprising;
a controller unit;
a data store operatively connected to said controller unit;
at least one transceiver operatively connected to said controller unit for communicating wirelessly with other nodes;
a unique identifier;
a means for detecting other nodes within a coverage area of the node;
a neighbor database operatively connected to said data store for maintaining updateable information of the detected nodes within the coverage area of the node;
a means for receiving a dynamic paging message addressed to the node and updating relative configuration information;
a satellite list database operatively connected to said data store for maintaining updated information of all nodes configured to the wireless RF network; and
a means for relaying the dynamic paging message addressed to each respective node prescribed to pertain to the wireless RF network based on matching a predefined criteria, wherein at least one of the plurality of nodes is selected to serve as a control node, the at least one control node further comprising;
a unique host ID stored in a host ID register accessible to the at least one control node; and
a node identifier storage accessible to the at least one control node including the unique identifiers of each of the plurality of nodes prescribed to pertain to the wireless RF network; and
a means for transmitting the dynamic paging message addressed to each respective node prescribed to pertain to the wireless RF network based on matching a predefined criteria. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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Specification