System, method and apparatus employing tones and/or tone patterns to indicate the message type in wireless sensor networks

• US 20080132211A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Venkatraman, Lakshmi, Lal, Dhananjay, Keshavarzian, Abtin
• Granted Patent: US 7,720,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/02 for frequency-division multiplexing H04Q11/0001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/027 using frequency address codes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method for operating a wireless network provides for sending a wakeup tone, periodically waking up from a sleep mode to listen for the wakeup tone, upon receiving the wakeup tone, listening for at least one second tone, the at least one second tone being one of (i) a tone in a frequency different from the wakeup tone and (ii) a pattern of tones including at least one frequency different from the wakeup tone, and upon receiving the at least one second tone, performing an action based on the at least one second tone.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless network, the method including:

sending a wakeup tone;

periodically waking up from a sleep mode to listen for the wakeup tone;

upon receiving the wakeup tone, listening for at least one second tone, the at least one second tone being one of (i) a tone in a frequency different from the wakeup tone and (ii) a pattern of tones including at least one frequency different from the wakeup tone; and

upon receiving the at least one second tone, performing an action based on the at least one second tone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one second tone indicates a message type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes at least one of receiving a first message, sending the wakeup tone to another node in the wireless network and transmitting a second message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second message includes a sensor reading.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wakeup tone is sent simultaneously by more than one node of the wireless network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one second tone includes a tone transmitted from each of at least two nodes of the wireless network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one second tone includes a first tone and a second tone transmitted simultaneously, the first tone being transmitted by a first node and the second tone being transmitted by a second node.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one second tone includes a first pattern of tones and a second pattern of tones transmitted simultaneously, the first pattern being transmitted by a first node and the second pattern being transmitted by a second node.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first pattern is different from the second pattern.

10. A wireless network, comprising:

a receiver node that includes;

an arrangement to receive a plurality of tones each at a predefined frequency;

an energy storage arrangement; and

a control arrangement to operate the receiver node in a sleep mode to conserve energy,

wherein the receiver node is configured to periodically wake up from the sleep mode to listen for a wakeup tone, and upon receiving the wakeup tone, listening for at least one second tone, the at least one second tone being one of (i) a tone in a frequency different from the wakeup tone and (ii) a pattern of tones in at least one frequency different from the wakeup tone.

11. The wireless network of claim 10, wherein the receiver node further includes an arrangement to perform an action based on the at least one second tone.

12. The wireless network of claim 11, wherein the receiver node includes at least one of a sensor and an actuator.

13. The wireless network of claim 10, further comprising:

at least one transmitter node to transmit the wakeup tone and the at least one second tone.

14. The wireless network of claim 10, wherein the at least one transmitter node includes at least two transmitter nodes, at least one of which transmits the wakeup tone, and each of which simultaneously transmit at least one further tone distinct from one another to collectively form the at least one second tone received by the receiver node.

15. The wireless network of claim 14, wherein the at least two transmitter nodes include a first transmitter node that transmits the at least one further tone as a single tone at a first predefined frequency, and a second transmitter node that transmits the at least one further tone as a single tone at a second predefined frequency different from the first predefined frequency.

16. The wireless network of claim 14, wherein the at least two transmitter nodes include a first transmitter node that transmits the at least one further tone as plurality of tones in a first pattern, and a second transmitter node that transmits the at least one further tone as a plurality of tones in a second pattern different from the first pattern.

17. A wireless node, comprising:

a power storage arrangement; and

an arrangement to receive a plurality of tones each at a predefined frequency,

wherein the wireless node is configured to periodically listen for a wakeup tone, and upon receiving the wakeup tone, listening for at least one second tone, the at least one second tone being one of (i) a tone in a frequency different from the wakeup tone and (ii) a pattern of tones that includes at least one frequency different from the wakeup tone.

18. The wireless node of claim 17, further comprising:

an arrangement to perform an action based on the at least one second tone.

19. The wireless node of claim 18, wherein the at least one second tone includes a first tone and a second tone transmitted simultaneously, the first tone being transmitted by a first node and the second tone being transmitted by a second node.

20. The wireless node of claim 18, wherein the at least one second tone includes a first pattern of tones and a second pattern of tones transmitted simultaneously, the first pattern being transmitted by a first node and the second pattern being transmitted by a second node.