Facilitating mote network configuration and layout using mechanical disturbances

• US 20070035409A1
• Filed: 08/12/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward, Cohen, Alexander, Malamud, Mark, Lord, Robert, Levien, Royce, Rinaldo, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• 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

Abstract

A method may include and/or involve at least one mote of a mote network detecting a mechanical disturbance, and the at least one mote applying information about when the mechanical disturbance was detected in order to facilitate determination of a location of the at least one mote with respect to at least one other mote.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at least one mote of a mote network detecting a mechanical disturbance; and

the at least one mote applying information about when the mechanical disturbance was detected in order to facilitate determination of a location of the at least one mote with respect to at least one other mote.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the at least one mote responding to different mechanical disturbance characteristics than the at least one other mote.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the at least one mote responding to the mechanical disturbance with information about one or more of an intensity of the disturbance, frequency, tone, and/or pitch of the disturbance, mote identification, mote status, or location of the mote or motes that detected the disturbance.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one mote responding to the mechanical disturbance with information about one or more of an intensity of the disturbance, frequency, tone, and/or pitch of the disturbance, mote identification, mote status, or location of the mote or motes that detected the disturbance further comprises:

the at least one mote communicating to one or more neighboring motes the one or more of an intensity of the disturbance, frequency, tone, and/or pitch of the disturbance, mote identification, mote status, or location of the mote or motes that detected the disturbance.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one mote of a mote network detecting a mechanical disturbance further comprises:

the at least one mote applying a sensor element tuned to one or more particular mechanical wave frequencies.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one mote of a mote network detecting a mechanical disturbance further comprises:

the at least one mote detecting one or more of a strength, frequency, duration, or repetition of the mechanical disturbance.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one mote applying information about when the mechanical disturbance was detected in order to facilitate determination of a location of the at least one mote with respect to at least one other mote further comprises:

the at least one mote sharing information about when the mechanical disturbance was detected in order to facilitate a determination of a distance between the at least one mote and the at least one other mote.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one mote applying information about when the mechanical disturbance was detected in order to facilitate determination of a location of the at least one mote with respect to at least one other mote further comprises:

the at least one mote applying information about when the mechanical disturbance was detected in order to facilitate determination of which one or more motes are nearest neighbors.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the at least one mote receiving an indication to be alert for the mechanical disturbance prior to detecting the mechanical disturbance.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one mote receiving an indication to be alert for the mechanical disturbance prior to detecting the mechanical disturbance further comprises:

the at least one mote receiving an indication of when the mechanical disturbance will be generated.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one mote receiving an indication of when the mechanical disturbance will be generated further comprises:

the at least one mote receiving an indication of an absolute time when the mechanical disturbance will be generated.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the indication of when the mechanical disturbance will be generated further comprises:

an indication of a relative time when the mechanical disturbance will be generated.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the at least one mote prior to receiving a mechanical disturbance receiving an indication of a time at which the at least one mote should synchronize a clock with at least one other mote.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

the at least one mote and at least one other mote synchronizing one or more clocks at the time indicated by the indication.

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30. A method comprising:

at least one mote of a mote network detecting a mechanical disturbance; and

the at least one mote communicating to a central processing facility information about when the mechanical disturbance was detected in order to facilitate a determination by the central processing facility of a location of the at least one mote.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the at least one mote of a mote network detecting a mechanical disturbance further comprises:

at least one mote applying signal processing logic to facilitate detection of the mechanical disturbance.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

applying information about one or more properties of one or more media through which the mechanical disturbance propagates to facilitate the determination of the location of the motes.

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35. A method comprising:

at least one mote of a mote network detecting a mechanical disturbance; and

the at least one mote communicating to a central processing facility information about when the mechanical disturbance was detected in order to facilitate a determination by the central processing facility of a shape of an object or objects comprising the at least one mote.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the at least one mote of a mote network detecting a mechanical disturbance further comprises:

at least one mote applying signal processing logic to facilitate detection of the mechanical disturbance.

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39. A method comprising:

at least one mote detecting a first mechanical disturbance;

the at least one mote recording an indication of when the first mechanical disturbance was detected;

the at least one mote detecting a second mechanical disturbance;

the at least one mote recording an indication of when the second mechanical disturbance was detected; and

the at least one mote applying information about when the first and second mechanical disturbances were detected in order to facilitate determination of a location of the at least one mote with respect to at least one other mote.

40. A system utilizing at least one mote, the mote comprising:

logic to detect a mechanical disturbance; and

logic to apply information about when the mechanical disturbance was detected toward determination of a location of the at least one mote with respect to at least one other mote.

41. The mote of claim 40, wherein the logic to apply information about when the mechanical disturbance was detected toward determination of a location of the at least one mote with respect to at least one other mote further comprises:

applying one or more differences between when the mechanical disturbance was detected by the mote and when the mechanical disturbance was detected by at least one other mote.

49. The mote of claim 40, wherein the logic to detect a mechanical disturbance further comprises:

logic to detect one or more of a strength, frequency, duration, or repetition of the mechanical disturbance.

50. The mote of claim 49, wherein the logic to detect one or more of a strength, frequency, duration, or repetition of the mechanical disturbance further comprises:

logic to detect one or more patterns of repetition of the mechanical disturbance.

52. The mote of claim 40, wherein the logic to apply information about when the mechanical disturbance was detected toward determination of a location of the at least one mote with respect to at least one other mote further comprises:

logic to apply information about when the mechanical disturbance was detected in order to facilitate determination of which motes are nearest neighbors of the mote.

54. The mote of claim 40, further comprising:

logic to apply a received indication to be alert for the mechanical disturbance prior to detecting the mechanical disturbance.

59. The mote of claim 54, wherein the logic to apply a received indication to be alert for the mechanical disturbance prior to detecting the mechanical disturbance further comprises:

logic to receive and apply an indication of when the mechanical disturbance will be generated.

61. The mote of claim 59, wherein the logic to receive and apply an indication of when the mechanical disturbance will be generated further comprises:

logic to receive and apply an indication of a relative time when the mechanical disturbance will be generated.

62. The mote of claim 61, wherein the logic to receive and apply an indication of a relative time when the mechanical disturbance will be generated further comprises:

logic to record a time that the mechanical disturbance was received relative to the time when the mechanical disturbance will be generated.

63. The mote of claim 40, further comprising:

logic to synchronize a clock with at least one other mote.

64. The mote of claim 40, further comprising:

logic to record an absolute time at which the mechanical disturbance is received.

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