Self-surveying wireless network

• US 20030236866A1
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Light, John J.
• Application Number:
  US10/178,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20030236866A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless node capable of self-configuring a wireless network includes an ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver and an antenna coupled to the UWB transceiver. A logic circuit is adapted to automatically establish the wireless network with at least one of a plurality of wireless nodes based on UWB signals having distance information transmitted by the plurality of wireless nodes. The locations of the plurality of wireless nodes are calculated based on the distance information.

Claims

1. A self-configuring wireless network, comprising:

a plurality of wireless nodes each having

an ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless transceiver, and

a logic circuit adapted to automatically establish the wireless network with

at least another of the plurality of wireless nodes based on UWB signals having

distance information transmitted by the plurality of wireless nodes; and

a computer system capable of receiving the distance information transmitted from at least one of the plurality of wireless nodes and calculating locations of the plurality of wireless nodes.

2. The self-configuring wireless network according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless nodes each further includes a power source.

3. The self-configuring wireless network according to claim 2, wherein the power source is a battery.

4. The self-configuring wireless network according to claim 2, wherein the power source is a continuous power supply.

5. The self-configuring wireless network according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless nodes each further include a sensor to detect a condition of an environment in which each one of the wireless nodes are placed, and the UWB transceiver transmits sensor data based on the condition of the environment detected.

6. The self-configuring wireless network according to claim 1, wherein the computer system calculates the locations of the plurality of wireless nodes via triangulation.

7. A self-configuring wireless sensor network, comprising:

a plurality of wireless nodes each having

an ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless transceiver,

a logic circuit adapted to automatically establish the wireless network with

at least another of the plurality of wireless nodes based on UWB signals having

distance information transmitted by the plurality of wireless nodes, and

a sensor to detect a condition of an environment in which each one of the

wireless nodes are placed, wherein the UWB transceiver transmits sensor data

based on the condition of the environment detected; and

a computer system capable of receiving the distance information and the sensor data transmitted from at least one of the plurality of wireless nodes and calculating locations of the plurality of wireless nodes.

8. The self-configuring wireless network according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of wireless nodes each further includes a power source.

9. The self-configuring wireless network according to claim 8, wherein the power source is a battery.

10. The self-configuring wireless network according to claim 8, wherein the power source is a continuous power supply.

11. The self-configuring wireless network according to claim 7, wherein the computer system calculates the locations of the plurality of wireless nodes via triangulation.

12. A method of self-configuring a wireless network having a plurality of wireless nodes, the method comprising:

transmitting ultra-wideband (UWB) signals having distance information from the plurality of wireless nodes; and

establishing automatically the wireless network with at least two of the plurality of wireless nodes based on the UWB signals having distance information.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein each one of the wireless nodes includes a power source, an ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless transceiver, and a logic circuit.

14. The method according to claim 12, further including calculating locations of the plurality of wireless nodes based on the distance information.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the locations of the plurality of wireless nodes are calculated via triangulation.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the power source is a battery.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the power source is a continuous power supply.

18. The method according to claim 12, further including detecting a condition of an environment in which each one of the wireless nodes are placed by a sensor within each one of the plurality of wireless nodes.

19. The method according to claim 18, further including transmitting sensor data based on the condition of the environment detected.

20. A method of self-configuring a wireless network by a wireless node, comprising:

receiving an incoming ultra-wideband (UWB) signal having distance information from at least one of a plurality of wireless nodes;

transmitting an outgoing UWB signal having distance information; and

establishing automatically the wireless network with the at least another of the plurality of wireless nodes based on the incoming UWB signal having distance information.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein each one of the wireless nodes includes a power source, an ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless transceiver, and a logic circuit.

22. The method according to claim 20, further including calculating locations of the plurality of wireless nodes based on the distance information.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the locations of the plurality of wireless nodes are calculated via triangulation.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the power source is a battery.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the power source is a continuous power supply.

26. The method according to claim 20, further including detecting a condition of an environment in which the wireless node is placed.

27. The method according to claim 26, further including transmitting sensor data based on the condition of the environment detected.

28. A program code storage device, comprising:

a machine-readable storage medium; and

machine-readable program code, stored on the machine-readable storage medium, having instructions to

receive an incoming ultra-wideband (UWB) signal having distance information from at least one of a plurality of wireless nodes,

transmit an outgoing UWB signal having distance information, and

establish automatically a wireless network with the at least another of the plurality of wireless nodes based on the incoming UWB signal having distance information.

29. The program code storage device according to claim 28, wherein the machine-readable program code further includes instructions to calculate locations of the plurality of wireless nodes based on the distance information.

30. The program code storage device according to claim 29, wherein the locations of the plurality of wireless nodes are calculated via triangulation.

31. The program code storage device according to claim 28, wherein the machine-readable program code further includes instructions to detect a condition of an environment in which the wireless node is placed by a sensor within the wireless node.

32. The program code storage device according to claim 31, wherein the machine-readable program code further includes instructions to transmit sensor data based on the condition of the environment detected.

33. A wireless node capable of self-configuring a wireless network, comprising:

a power source to provide power to the wireless node;

an ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver;

an antennae coupled to the UWB transceiver; and

a logic circuit adapted to automatically establish the wireless network with at least one of a plurality of wireless nodes based on UWB signals having distance information transmitted by the plurality of wireless nodes, wherein locations of the plurality of wireless nodes are calculated based on the distance information.

34. The wireless node according to claim 33, wherein the power source is a battery.

35. The wireless node according to claim 33, wherein the power source is a continuous power supply.

36. The wireless node according to claim 33, wherein the wireless node further includes a sensor to detect a condition of an environment in which the wireless node is placed, and the UWB transceiver transmits sensor data based on the condition of the environment detected.

37. The wireless node according to claim 33, wherein the locations of the plurality of wireless nodes in real space are calculated by a computer system.

38. The wireless node according to claim 33, wherein the locations of the plurality of wireless nodes are calculated via triangulation.