TRACKING OF AND COMMUNICATION WITH MOBILE TERMINALS USING A BATTERY-POWERED WIRELESS NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE

• US 20100302011A1
• Filed: 09/01/2008
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Newtrax Holdings Inc.
• Original Assignee: Newtrax Holdings Inc.
• Inventors: Cervinka, Alexandre, Castilloux, Yvan
• Granted Patent: US 9,351,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• 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

There is provided a method of reducing energy consumption of tag readers in a wireless network, the method comprising: (a) turning a transmitter and a receiver of the tag reader to a power-off state; b) powering-on the transmitter of the tag reader for a limited transmission time frame; c) during the transmission time frame, transmitting a beacon message comprising an identifier of the tag reader, channel characteristics of the tag reader and a powering-on schedule of the receiver of the tag reader, for allowing tags in the network to communicate with the tag reader, where the tags are almost continuously in a power-on state; d) powering-on the receiver of the tag reader during a limited reception time frame in accordance with the schedule, for enabling the receiver to receive messages transmitted by the tags in the network if required; e) repeating steps a) to d) periodically. There is further provided a battery-powered tag reader which reduces energy consumption. There is further provided a battery-powered wireless network with an energy management for tag reader. There is further provided a method of increasing probability of detection of rapidly moving clusters of mobile nodes in a wireless network.

Claims

1. A method of reducing energy consumption of tag readers in a wireless network, the method comprising:

a) turning a transmitter and a receiver of said tag reader to a power-off state;

b) powering-on the transmitter of said tag reader for a limited transmission time frame;

c) during said transmission time frame, transmitting a beacon message comprising an identifier of said tag reader, channel characteristics of said tag reader and a powering-on schedule of the receiver of said tag reader, for allowing tags in the network to communicate with said tag reader, where said tags are almost continuously in a power-on state;

c) powering-on the receiver of said tag reader during a limited reception time frame in accordance with said schedule, for enabling said receiver to receive messages transmitted by said tags in the network if required;

d) repeating steps a) to d) periodically.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wireless network comprises a tracking wireless network.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said tag readers and said tags are battery-powered.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wireless network comprises an ad-hoc, multi-node wireless network.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wireless network comprises a wireless sensor network.

6. A tag reader in a wireless network comprising:

a transmitter;

a receiver;

a processing unit configured to turn a transmitter and a receiver of said tag reader to a power-off state, to power-on the transmitter of said tag reader for a limited transmission time frame, to transmit, during said transmission time frame, a beacon message comprising an identifier of said tag, reader, channel characteristics of said tag reader and a powering-on schedule of the receiver of said tag reader for allowing tags in the network to communicate with said tag reader, and to power-on the receiver of said tag reader during a limited reception time frame in accordance with said schedule for enabling said receiver to receive messages transmitted by tags in the network if required.

7. The tag reader as claimed in claim 6, wherein said wireless network comprises a tracking wireless network.

8. The tag reader as claimed in claim 7, wherein said tag readers and said tags are battery-powered.

9. The tag reader as claimed in claim 6, wherein said wireless network comprises an ad-hoc, multi-node wireless network.

10. The tag reader as claimed in claim 6, wherein said wireless network comprises a wireless sensor network.

11. A wireless network comprising a plurality of tags and a plurality of tag readers, where tag readers are configured to be continuously in a power-off state except during prescheduled reception and transmission time frames, and where tags are configured to be almost continuously in a power-on state, where said tags and tag readers exchange messages therebetween in order for each tag to be connected to one tag reader in the network.

12. The wireless network as claimed in claim 11, wherein said wireless network is a tracking wireless network.

13. The wireless network as claimed in claim 12, wherein said tag readers and said tags are battery-powered.

14. The wireless network as claimed in claim 11, wherein said wireless network comprises an ad-hoc, multi-node wireless network.

15. The wireless network as claimed in claim 11, wherein said wireless network comprises a wireless sensor network.

16. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling at least one processor to perform a method of reducing energy consumption in an immobile node in a wireless network, the method comprising:

a) turning a transmitter and a receiver of said tag reader to a power-off state;

b) powering-on the transmitter of said tag reader for a limited transmission time frame;

c) during said transmission time frame, transmitting a beacon message comprising an identifier of said tag reader, channel characteristics of said tag reader and a powering-on schedule of the receiver of said tag reader, for allowing tags in the network to communicate with said tag reader, where said tags are almost continuously in a power-on state;

c) powering-on the receiver of said tag reader during a limited reception time frame in accordance with said schedule, for enabling said receiver to receive messages transmitted by said tags in the network if required;

d) repeating steps a) to d) periodically.

17. A method of increasing probability of detection of rapidly moving clusters of mobile nodes in a wireless network, the method comprising:

organizing nodes in said wireless network into a hierarchy of tiers comprising;

a first tier comprising a plurality of tagged personal devices;

a second tier comprising at least one tagged vehicle device; and

a third tier comprising at least one tagged infrastructure device;

wherein said plurality of tagged personal devices connect to a nearest tagged vehicle device among said at least one tagged vehicle device, and each one of said at least one tagged vehicle device connect to a nearest infrastructure device among said at least one tagged infrastructure device;

exchanging data messages between said nearest tagged vehicle device and said nearest tagged infrastructure device, where said messages comprise data in association with said plurality of tagged personal devices.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein said wireless network is a battery-powered mesh network.