Wireless system protocols for power-efficient implementation of star and mesh wireless networks with local and wide-area coverage

• US 20110305232A1
• Filed: 04/25/2011
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiSilica, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SilverPlus, Inc.
• Inventors: Singamsetty, Suresh, Kwan, Dennis, Hsieh, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,614,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7143 Arrangements for generation of hop patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/715 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• 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 communication system that allows communication devices to synchronize the transfer of data to allow the devices to wirelessly and efficiently communicate in a star or mesh network. The communication system operates in the presence of other communication systems noise sources using a spread spectrum frequency hopping transmission scheme to efficiently generate adaptive frequency hopping patterns that are unique to the members of the wireless network based on a network identification code. The communication system employs a predictive retrieval of data for transmission from one device storing the data to a requesting device. A communication device transfers communication from a first network to a second network when the device has been moved beyond the range of the first network, where the second network is in communication with at least one other member device of the first network.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of communication devices connected in a star and a mesh network, each communication device comprising;

a circuit for synchronizing the transfer of data to allow the devices to wirelessly and efficiently communicate in the star and mesh network,

a circuit to generate radio frequency signals having an adaptive spread spectrum frequency hopping pattern that selects the channel frequencies and orders them in a pseudorandom order based on a network identification code to allow the communication system to operate in the presence of other communication systems noise sources.

2. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of communication devices connected in a star and a mesh network, each communication device comprising;

a data retrieval circuit for predictive retrieval of data for transmission from one communication device at a communication node storing the data to a requesting communication device at another node of the communication system wherein the data retrieval circuit access data from a high latency memory device based on a data location of a previously accessed data location prior to a request for transmission of the data by the requesting communication device.

3. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of communication devices connected in a star and a mesh network, each communication device comprising;

a network transfer circuit that transfers communication of the communication device from a first network to a second network when the communication device has been moved beyond the range of the first network, where the second network is in communication with at least one other member communication device of the first network.

4. The communication system of claim 3 wherein the first network is a wireless local area network and the second network is a wide area wireless network.

5. The communication system of claim 4 wherein the second network is a cellular telephone system.

6. A communication device wirelessly linked to a plurality of the communication devices, the communication device comprising:

a channel hopping control device using a network identification code for selecting a grouping of frequency channels within a radio frequency communication band for transmitting data between the communication devices within the network of the plurality of the communication devices, and

a pseudorandom generator connected to the channel hopping control device using the network identification code as a seed for to generate a pseudorandom channel hopping sequence of the selected channels.

7. The communication device of claim 6 further comprising a received signal strength indicator circuit to determine which of the frequency channels within a radio frequency communication band are acceptable for communicating between the communication devices within the network.

8. The communication device of claim 6 further comprising a synchronizing word generator that incorporates the network identification code or a common access network identification code to generate a timing synchronizing word within a data packet for insuring synchronization of the communication devices within network.

9. The communication device of claim 8 wherein the common access network identification code permits communication devices to join the network of the plurality of communication devices or communicate with communication devices within the network in a mesh configuration.

10. The communication device of claim 6 wherein the communication device is a first type of communication device that is a control communication device, a second type of communication device that is a human interface device to allow a person to request and receive services from other devices on the communication network, or a third type of communication device on the communication network is a service communication device to perform services.

11. The communication device of claim 10 wherein the performed services comprising transferring data and voice and activating devices.

12. The communication device of claim 11 wherein such as lights and alarms, telephones, or controlling electrical and mechanical devices.

13. The communication device of claim 10 wherein the wireless network is configured as a star network and all the communication devices communicate with one first type communication device and the second and third type communication devices communicate with each other through the control communication device.

14. The communication device of claim 6 wherein the network is assigned the network identification code that identifies the network and differentiates the network from other networks of communication devices.

15. The communication device of claim 14 further comprising a message filter that examines each message received by the communication device and reject messages not addressed to the network identification code.

16. The communication device of claim 10 wherein the first type communication device is assigned a unique network identification code to allows each of the first type communication devices to communicate with the control communication device.

17. The communication device of claim 10 wherein the common access network identification code is used by third type communication devices linked to the network to provide special services to requesting second type communication devices, wherein the third type communication devices accepts communications from multiple networks through the common access network identification code.

18. The communication device of claim 10 wherein a device identification code is assigned uniquely to the communication device and is used in conjunction with the network identification code and the common access identification code to filter data packets that are addressed to the communication device.

19. The communication device of claim 10 wherein the communication device uses the common access identification code to communicate with other devices within a network to which the communication device is not a member to request to join the network.

20. The communication device of claim 19 wherein the first type communication device of the network transmits the network identification code, a time stamp, and a timing offset to the requesting second type communication device and the requesting second type communication device employs the identification code to generate the grouping of frequency channels used by the network and the frequency hopping sequence.

21. The communication device of claim 20 wherein the communication device transmits request to join messages sequentially on each of the frequency channels of the radio frequency communication band and waits for the first type communication device to receive and respond to one of the request to join messages on a channel that the first type communication device is monitoring.

22. The communication device of claim 6 wherein the communication device requests data from another communication device and the other communication device transmits a bitmap to the requesting communication device.

23. The communication device of claim 22 wherein the data transmitting communication device retrieves the data from a high latency storage medium and predictively stages the data pending requests from the requesting communication device.

24. The communication device of claim 6 further comprising a power supply control circuit that places the communication device in a sleep mode to minimize power consumption.

25. The communication device of claim 24 wherein the power supply control circuit periodically activates the communication device to receive a beacon signal from a controlling communication device on the network.

26. The communication device of claim 25 wherein when the communication device does not have any data to receive, the communication is returned to the sleep mode.

27. The communication device of claim 25 wherein when the communication device is to receive the data, it transmits a ready-to-receive message to the controlling device and receives the data from the controlling communication device.

28. The communication device of claim 27 wherein the controlling communication device transmits a data offset and length and the communication device then transmits a request for portions of the data based on the data offset and length.

29. The communication device of claim 25 wherein when the communication device does not receive the beacon, it attempts to resynchronize with the network at an increased frequency.

30. The communication device of claim 29 wherein when the communication device is resynchronized, it receives and transmits data until a communication task is complete.

31. The communication device of claim 29 wherein when the communication device is not resynchronized, it will return to the sleep mode for a period of time and then retry to resynchronize.

32. The communication device of claim 29 wherein when the communication device is repeatedly not resynchronized, the time that the communication device is in the sleep mode is extended until the communication has not been synchronized for unsynchronized time limit, at which time, the device will maintain the sleep mode for the unsynchronized time limit.

33. The communication device of claim 29 wherein the communication device is repeatedly not synchronized, the communication device will attempt to communicate with the control communication device through a wide area wireless system.

34. The communication device of claim 33 wherein when the communication device becomes resynchronized to the first network, the communication device maintains communication with the second network for a period of time to insure that the synchronization is secure.

35. The communication device of claim 29 further comprising a motion detector wherein when the communication device is unsynchronized and has not been in motion for a period of time, the communication device is placed in the sleep mode for the unsynchronized time limit, until the motion detector determines that the communication device has been moved.

36. The communication device of claim 28 further comprising a proximity monitor that determines when the communication device is in sufficiently close proximity to other communication devices that are members of the network to maintain synchronization.

37. The communication device of claim 36 wherein when the communication device is not sufficiently close, the communication will assume the sleep mode.

38. The communication device of claim 37 wherein when an emergency occurs, the communication device will activate and attempt at resynchronization.

39. The communication device of claim 38 wherein when resynchronization does not occur, the communication device will activate the second network to communicate the emergency to the control communication device of the first network.

40. The communication device of claim 10 wherein the data is transmitted on the network of communication devices as data packets wherein the data packets comprise:

an access code including;

a preamble and a synchronizing word, and

a header comprising a sending communication device identifier field and a destination communication identifier field.

41. The communication device of claim 40 wherein the sending communication device identifier field and a destination communication identifier field further comprise a device identification code and the unique network identification code or the common access network identification code.

42. The communication device of claim 40 wherein further comprises as packet filter wherein the packet filter examines the header of each packet that is received by the communication device and accepts those packets with destination communication identifier fields that are designated for the communication device and when the destination communication identifier field is not designated for the communication device, the packet is discarded.

43. The communication device of claim 10 wherein the second type communication device is a wearable health management device and the control communication device is a base station controlling other wearable health management devices connected to the network.

44. The communication device of claim 43 wherein the third type communication device is a switching device to activate and deactivate service equipment.

45. The communication device of claim 43 wherein the service equipment is lights or emergency sounding devices.

46. The communication device of claim 43 wherein the third type communication device is a network extender device to provide a range extension for the second type communication devices that have moved beyond the range of the control communication device.

47. The communication device of claim 46 wherein the third type communication device is a telephone with a microphone and speaker for transmitting and receiving sounds.

48. The communication device of claim 47 wherein the data is encoded speech and is transmitted isochronously.