Low-powered autonomous radio node with temperature sensor and crystal

• US 20050213612A1
• Filed: 05/10/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analog Devices International Unlimited Company (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dust Networks Incorporated (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zats, Yuri S., Treuhaft, Noah, Conant, Rob, Pister, Kristofer S.J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,881,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/503
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 1/02 against variations of temperature only
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 4/00 Combined time-division and frequency-division multiplex systems H04J13/00 takes precedence ; data transmission H04L5/26; telemetry G08C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A device for a node in a digraph network comprising is disclosed. The device comprises an internal time reference, a radio receiver, a radio transmitter. The device further comprises a temperature sensor for stabilizing the internal time reference against drifting with respect to an internal time reference of another node in the network and a microprocessor for managing the reception and transmission of information.

Claims

1. A node in a digraph network comprising:

an internal time reference;

a radio receiver;

a radio transmitter;

a temperature sensor for stabilizing the internal time reference against drifting with respect to an internal time reference of another node in the network; and

a microprocessor for managing the reception and transmission of information.

2. A node as recited in claim 1, wherein the internal time reference is a crystal oscillator.

3. A node as recited in claim 1, wherein the internal time reference is a 32,768 Hz crystal.

4. A node as recited in claim 1, wherein the radio receiver receives in an ISM radio band.

5. A node as recited in claim 1, wherein the radio receiver receives in the 900 MHz ISM radio band.

6. A node as recited in claim 1, wherein the radio receiver receives in the 2.4 GHz ISM radio band.

7. A node as recited in claim 1, wherein the radio receiver receives in the 5.8 GHz ISM radio band.

8. A node as recited in claim 1, wherein the radio transmitter transmits in an ISM radio band.

9. A node as recited in claim 1, wherein the radio transmitter transmits in the 900 MHz ISM radio band.

10. A node as recited in claim 1, wherein the radio transmitter transmits in the 2.4 GHz ISM radio band.

11. A node as recited in claim 1, wherein the radio transmitter transmits in the 5.8 GHz ISM radio band.

12. A node as recited in claim 1, wherein transmitted information or received information includes information that can be used to derive synchronization of the internal time reference to the internal time reference of another node.

13. A node as recited in claim 1, wherein the microprocessor further manages power utilization such that power utilization is reduced in order to increase the usefulness of power limited nodes.

14. A node as recited in claim 1, wherein the microprocessor management of the reception and transmission of information is according to a superframe schedule.

15. A node as recited in claim 1, wherein the microprocessor further synchronizes the internal time reference to the internal time reference of another node using information received by the radio receiver and information from the temperature sensor.

16. A node as recited in claim 1, further including a battery.