WAKE-UP IN CLASS-BASED NETWORKING

• US 20090161589A1
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TeraHop Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: TWITCHELL, Robert W. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,326,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/20 using a distributed architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/883 where the sensing device enters an active or inactive mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• 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 for communicating to a recipient transceiver from a plurality of transceivers located within the broadcast range of the recipient transceiver includes: transmitting a communication at a first power level such that only a first group of transceivers receive the broadcast, the communication including a command causing each of the first group of transceivers not to respond to a subsequent broadcast; and subsequent thereto, transmitting a communication at a second power level greater than the first power level such that a second group of transceivers greater than and including the first group of transceivers receive the broadcast, but such that only a limited number of transceivers of the second group respond to the broadcast, the limited number of transceivers excluding the first group of transceivers. Each of the plurality of transceivers is associated with a respective sensor for acquiring data and transmitting the data to the recipient transceiver.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A communication device comprising:

a first transceiver for transmitting a communication initiation message using low power transmissions to initiate communication with a second communication device in an ad hoc network;

a second transceiver for transmitting data packets to the second communication device subsequent to initiating communications using the low power transmissions;

a communications control processor in communication with the first transceiver and the second transceiver;

configured for;

receiving scheduling data from the second communication device sufficient to predict a time at which the second communication device will be accepting data communications;

predicting the time at which the second communication device will be accepting data communications based at least in part on a dynamic threshold;

causing the first transceiver to power up and transmit the communication initiation message to the second communication device at the predicted time;

causing the second transceiver to power up and transmit at least one of the data packets to the second communication device subsequent to transmitting the communication initiation message;

receiving, by the communication device, updated scheduling information including an updated dynamic threshold, indicating a changed availability of the second communication device.

12. A wireless reader tag (WRT) comprising:

a reader component for transmitting a wake-up message using a reader component to initiate communication in an ad hoc network with a gateway having a WT component for wake-up;

a low-power radio frequency (LPRF) communications component for transmitting data packets to the gateway having a LPRF communications component subsequent to initiating communications by transmitting the wake-up message; and

a digital processor in communication with the reader component and the LPRF communications component;

wherein the WRT is configured for;

receiving a profile from the gateway identifying a class of the WRT and a duty cycle time for the identified class of the WRT, at which times the gateway will be accepting data communications from WRTs having such identified class;

determining a time at which the gateway will be accepting data communications from WRTs having the identified class based on the received profile information;

causing the reader component to power up and transmit the wake-up message to the gateway at the determined time;

causing the LPRF communications component to power up and transmit at least one data packet to the gateway subsequent to transmitting the wake-up message;

receiving, by the WRT, updated profile information including a new class of the WRT and new duty cycle time for the new identified class of the WRT, thereby resulting in a changed availability of the gateway for class-based communications with the WRT.

13. A communication device comprising:

a first low powered transceiver for receiving data communication initiation messages from a second communication device in an ad hoc network;

a second transceiver for receiving data packets from the second communication device in the ad hoc network subsequent to the first transceiver receiving the data communication initiation message;

a communications control processor in communication with the first lower-powered transceiver and the second transceiver for;

causing the second transceiver to transmit scheduling data including a dynamic threshold to the second communication device, wherein the scheduling data is sufficient to inform the second communication device of times at which the communication device will be available for receiving communication initiation messages;

determining a time to power-up the first lower-powered transceiver based on the scheduling data, including the dynamic threshold;

powering-up the first low-powered transceiver at the determined time to allow receipt of incoming communication initiation messages; and

in response to the first low-powered transceiver receiving a communication initiation message, powering up the second transceiver to receive an incoming data packet; and

causing the second transceiver to transmit updated scheduling information including an updated dynamic threshold to vary the availability of the communication device.

14. A gateway comprising:

an active wireless tag (WT) component for receiving wake-up messages from a wireless reader tag (WRT) in an ad hoc network;

a low-power radio frequency (LPRF) communications component for receiving data packets from the WRT in the ad hoc network subsequent to the WT component of the gateway receiving the wake-up message;

a digital processor in communication with the WT component and the LPRF communications component for;

causing the LPRF component to transmit profile information identifying a class of the WRT and including duty cycle information sufficient to inform the WRT of times at which the gateway will be available for receiving wake-up messages from the WRT;

determining a time to power-up the WT component in accordance with the duty cycle information transmitted to the WRT;

powering-up the WT component at the determined time to allow receipt of incoming wake-up messages; and

in response to the WT component receiving a wake-up message, powering up the LPRF communications component to receive an incoming data packet; and

causing the LPRF communications component to transmit updated profile information including a new class of the WRT and new duty cycle information for the newly identified class of the WRT, thereby varying the availability of the gateway for class-based communications with the WRT.

15. A method of transmitting data from a first communication device to a second communication device in an ad hoc network comprising:

predicting by the first communication device, a time at which the second communication device of the ad hoc network will accept data packets based on scheduling data received from the second communication device, wherein the scheduling data includes a dynamic threshold indicating an availability of the second communication device to receive communications;

powering up a first lower-powered transceiver at the predicted time;

transmitting by the first communication device of the ad hoc network a communication initiation message to the second communication device at the predicted time using the powered-up first low-powered transceiver;

transmitting, by the first communication device, after the transmission of the communication initiation message, a data packet to the second communication device using a second transceiver; and

receiving, by the first communication device, updated scheduling information including an updated dynamic threshold, indicating a changed availability of the second communication device.

16. A method of transmitting data from a wireless reader tag (WRT) to a gateway in an ad hoc network comprising:

determining, by the WRT, a time at which the gateway of the ad hoc network will accept data packets based on profile information received by the WRT from the gateway, the profile information including a class of the WRT and duty cycle information indicating an availability of the gateway to receive communications from WRTs of the identified class;

powering up a reader component of the WRT at the determined time;

transmitting, by the WRT, a wake-up message to the gateway at the determined time using the powered-up reader component;

transmitting, by the WRT, after the transmission of the wake-up message, a data packet to the gateway using a low-power radio frequency (LPRF) communications component of the WRT; and

receiving, by the WRT, updated profile information including an updated class of the WRT and updated duty cycle information indicating an availability of the gateway to receive communications from WRTs of the identified updated class, thereby resulting in a changed availability of the gateway for class-based communications with the WRT.

17. A method of receiving data at a first communication device from a second communication device in an ad hoc network comprising:

transmitting, by the first communication device, scheduling data to the second communication device wherein the scheduling data, includes a dynamic threshold indicating an availability of the first communication device to receive communications and is sufficient to inform the second communication device of at least one time at which the first communication device will be available to receive communication initiation messages;

determining, by the first communication device, a first of the at least one times based on the scheduling data, including the dynamic threshold;

powering-up a first lower-powered transceiver by the first communication device at the determined first time;

in response to the first lower-powered transceiver receiving a communication initiation message, powering up a second transceiver by the first communication device to receive an incoming data packet; and

transmitting by the first communication device updated scheduling information including an updated dynamic threshold to vary the availability of the first communication device.

18. A method of receiving data at a gateway from a wireless reader tag (WRT) in an ad hoc network comprising:

transmitting, by the gateway, profile information to the WRT, the profile information including a class of the WRT and duty cycle information indicating an availability of the gateway to receive communications from WRTs of the identified class;

determining, by the gateway, a time at which the gateway is available to receive communications from WRTs of the identified class;

powering-up, by the gateway, an active wireless tag (WT) component of the gateway at the determined time;

in response to the WT component receiving a wake-up message, powering up a low-power radio frequency (LPRF) communications component by the gateway to receive an incoming data packet; and

transmitting by the gateway updated profile information including an updated class of the WRT and updated duty cycle information indicating an availability of the gateway to receive communications from WRTs of the identified updated class, thereby varying the availability of the gateway for class-based communications with the WRT.