System and Method for Multi-Power Signaling Device

• US 20120294378A1
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Ackley, Jonathan Michael, Watson, Scott F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,879,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/259
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/00 Modulated-carrier systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/322 Power control of broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/36 with a discrete range or set of values, e.g. step size, ramping or offsets
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for operating multi-power signaling device. There is provided a system comprising a memory, a transmitter, and a processor. The processor chooses a power level from a plurality of transmit power levels to be used as the strength for broadcasting the next signal to be broadcasted. The selected power level value is converted into a digital value and inserted into the data content of the signal to be broadcasted. The transmitter broadcasts the signal at the strength of the prior selected power level.

Claims

1. A method for operating a multi-power signaling device, the method comprising:

selecting a power level from a plurality of transmit power levels;

inserting a digital value corresponding to the power level into a payload of a transmit signal; and

broadcasting the transmit signal at the power level for a corresponding time interval.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing an activation field prior to selecting the power level.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein selecting the power level comprises identifying a detection range corresponding to the activation field.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing a transmit data determined from the activation field into the payload of the transmit signal prior to broadcasting the transmit signal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a time interval trigger from an internal time interval coordinator prior to selecting the power level.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein selecting the power level comprises identifying the power level corresponding to the time interval trigger.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the internal time interval coordinator comprises a plurality of time interval triggers corresponding respectively to the plurality of transmit power levels.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-power signaling device comprises an active radio-frequency identification (RFID) device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-power signaling device comprises a Bluetooth transmitter.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting another power level from the plurality of transmit power levels;

inserting another digital value corresponding to the another power level into another payload of another transmit signal; and

broadcasting the another transmit signal at the another power level for another corresponding time interval.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the multi-power signaling device is further configured to store a transmit data determined from the activation field into the payload of the transmit signal prior to broadcasting the transmit signal.

11. A multi-power signaling device comprising:

a memory;

a transmitter configured to broadcast at any one of a plurality of transmit power levels; and

a processor configured to control the transmitter;

the multi-power signaling device configured to select a power level from the plurality of transmit power levels, insert a digital value corresponding to the power level into a payload of a transmit signal, and broadcast the transmit signal at the power level for a corresponding time interval.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the multi-power signaling device is further configured to sense an activation field before selecting the power level.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the multi-power signaling device selects the power level by identifying a detection range corresponding to the activation field.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the multi-power signaling device is further configured to receive a time interval trigger from an internal time interval coordinator.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the multi-power signaling device selects the power level corresponding to the time interval trigger.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the internal time interval coordinator comprises a plurality of time interval triggers corresponding respectively to the plurality of transmit power levels.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the multi-power signaling device comprises an active radio-frequency identification (RFID) device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the transmitter comprises a Bluetooth transmitter.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the multi-power signaling device is further configured to:

select another power level from the plurality of transmit power levels;

insert another digital value corresponding to the another power level into another payload of another transmit signal; and

broadcast the another transmit signal at the another power level for another corresponding time interval.