Method for autonomous establishment and utilization of an active-RF tag network

• US 20060164213A1
• Filed: 01/26/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Skorpik, James R., Burghard, Brion J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,683,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method to autonomously establish and utilize a network of active RF tags is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of providing a plurality of active RF tags within a volume of interest, providing at least one data collection node, registering the active RF tags, populating a routing index stored in each tag'"'"'s data storage device, and communicating data between the active RF tags and the data collection node according to the routing indices. The method can be implemented on a computer-readable medium.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

a. providing a plurality of active RF tags within a volume of interest, each active RF tag comprising an application identifier, wherein said active RF tag maximizes battery life by utilizing a plurality of power consumption modes;

b. providing at least one data collection node;

c. registering level n nodes (1≦

n≦

N), wherein said level n nodes comprise active RF tags accessible directly or indirectly by said data collection node;

d. populating routing indices of registered nodes using connection strings, wherein said routing indices are stored in a data storage device of each registered active RF tag and provide path data for communication between registered nodes;

e. communicating data between said active RF tags and said data collection node according to said routing indices;

thereby autonomously establishing and utilizing an active-RF-tag network, wherein said method utilizes a message frame structure for communications, said message frame structure comprising an application identifier field.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said active RF tags further comprise a segment identifier.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said active RF tags further comprise a unit identifier.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one power consumption mode comprises a power-saving sleep mode, a low-power RF sniff mode, and a fast RF sniff mode.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a stimulus prompts a change in said power-consumption modes.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said stimulus is selected from the group consisting of a time alarm, a received command, RF energy, a sensor event, and combinations thereof.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said active RF tag further comprises a sensor for acquiring situational data.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said situational data comprises data selected from the group consisting of temperature, acceleration, vibrations, shock, motion, strain, humidity, pressure, radiation, electrical fields, conductivity, impedance, magnetic fields, electromagnetic irradiation, chemical, biological, flow, viscosity, density, sound, ultrasound, and combinations thereof.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said biological data comprises data selected from the group consisting of proteins, enzymes, antigens, antibodies, DNA sequences, human vital signs, and combinations thereof.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said routing indices comprise routing tables.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said routing indices are implemented as circular buffers having limited sizes.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said routing table comprises GPS-location data for said registered level n nodes (for 1≦

n≦

N).

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said registering further comprises the steps of:

a. compelling level n+1 nodes to report UIDs to level n nodes;

b. updating routing indices of said level n nodes with UIDs of level n+1 nodes;

c. sending a transmission comprising level n+1 node UIDs to said data collection node, wherein said sending is performed by level n nodes; and

d. updating registration status of said level n+1 nodes, wherein said updating occurs when said level n+1 nodes receive said transmission.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said message frame structure comprises at least one fixed length.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein a first fixed length comprises a short message frame.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said short message frame comprises data selected from the group consisting of commands and short responses.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein a second fixed length comprises a long message frame comprising a data stream.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said data stream comprises data selected from the group consisting of routing indices, sensor control strings, tag control strings, sensor data, active-node locations, and combinations thereof.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said message frame structure comprises an address field.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein said address field comprises addresses selected from the group consisting of a target-node UID, a sender-node UID, an originator-node UID, a segment identifier, and combinations thereof.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein said target-node UID comprises a broadcast-command value, said broadcast command value indicating a message is intended for all tags within said transmission range.

22. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein said sender-node UID is updated when a new tag relays a received message frame.

23. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said message frame structure further comprises a message ID field.

24. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said message frame structure further comprises a message descriptor field.

25. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said message frame structure further comprises at least one message-descriptor modifier field.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein said message-descriptor modifier is used to assign said active nodes a transmit time slot when a plurality of active RF tags are transmitting.

27. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein said message-descriptor modifier seeds a pseudo-random number generator.

28. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said message frame structure comprises check sums.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein said check sums are selected from the group consisting of header check sums, data packet check sums, and combinations thereof.

30. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said communicating comprises exchanging data arranged according to a means for structuring data.

31. The method as recited in claim 1, implemented on a computer readable medium.