STREET LIGHTING METHOD AND APPARATUS USING A CHANNEL HOPPING SCHEME FOR A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A MASTER NODE AND A SLAVE NODE

• US 20090072944A1
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Anthony Hayward
• Original Assignee: Anthony Hayward
• Inventors: Hayward, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US12/280,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20090072944A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/2.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for communicating between a first node and a further node of a communication network via a wireless communication link comprising a plurality of channels. The method includes the steps of generating a pseudo random number at the first node, selecting a one of the plurality of channels responsive to the pseudo random number and transmitting a message from said first node to said further node via the selected channel.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between a first node and a further node of a communication network via a wireless communication link comprising a plurality of channels, comprising the steps of:

generating a pseudo random number at said first node;

selecting a one of said plurality of channels responsive to said pseudo random number; and

transmitting a message from said first node to said further node via said selected channel.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing an initial predetermined number at said first node; and

performing a pseudo randomising operation on the predetermined number at said first node to thereby generate a pseudo random number.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the message at said further node; and

at said further node determining the a pseudo random number from the message.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

at said first node and said further node, generating a new pseudo random number by performing a common pseudo randomising operation on the a pseudo random number.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a new one of said plurality of channels responsive to said new pseudo random number.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

each time said first node communicates with said further node, generating a new pseudo random number and selecting a new one of said plurality of channels on which a message is transmitted to said further node responsive to the new number.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting messages via the wireless communication link from said further node to said first node via a selected channel until a new selected channel is selected at said first node.

8. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

performing a pseudo randomising operation by the steps of determining an input number and performing at least one logic operation on said number.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

performing four or more logic operations on an input number, said logic operations being selected from the possible logic operations of bit-wise ANDing, exclusive ORing and bit-shifts.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first node comprises a lamp controller node and said further node comprises a street lamp in a communication network arranged for controlling an array of street lamps via one or more lamp controllers.

11. Apparatus for providing a wireless communication network, comprising:

at least one first node comprising a transceiver element; and

a plurality of further nodes each comprising a transceiver element arranged to communicate with said first node via a wireless communication link comprising a plurality of channels;

wherein each first node is arranged to generate a pseudo random number, select one of the channels responsive to the generated number and transmit one or more messages to said further nodes via said selected channel.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

each first node comprises a memory element arranged to store a predetermined number, and logic circuitry arranged to perform a predetermined set of logic operations on an input number, said set of logic operations comprising a pseudo randomising operation.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

each further node comprises logic circuitry arranged to perform a predetermined set of logic operations on an input number, said set of logic operations comprising a pseudo randomising operation and said set of logic operations being common to those performed by the logic circuitry of said first node.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein each further node further comprises:

a lamp;

lamp ballast circuitry; and

a control unit for generating control signals for said lamp ballast circuitry and receiving status signals from said lamp ballast circuitry.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein each first node further comprises a communication port for receiving data from and transmitting data to a data management node.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said first node further comprises:

a lamp;

lamp ballast circuitry; and

a control unit for generating control signals for said lamp ballast circuitry and receiving status signals from said lamp ballast circuitry.

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)