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SYSTEM AND METHOD OF LOCATING MISSING NODES IN NETWORKS

  • US 20130099976A1
  • Filed: 10/21/2011
  • Published: 04/25/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of locating missing nodes in a network, comprising the steps of:

  • periodically receiving electronic GPS data including electronic GPS coordinates identifying the physical location of a mobile communication device, said mobile communication device comprising one or more radios, each radio having a respective receiver and corresponding antenna;

    collecting radio frequency (RF) data transmissions sent by one or more missing nodes in proximity to the mobile communication device, wherein each said RF data transmission comprises at least a node identifier used to identify whether a node in proximity to the mobile communication device is a missing node;

    determining a signal strength indicator from selected ones of the collected RF data transmissions, including those identified as being sent by missing nodes;

    wherein said RF data transmissions are received by the one or more radios and are collected while the mobile communication device is positioned in at least first and second different locations relative to each said one or more missing nodes;

    electronically implementing a triangulation procedure using the electronic GPS coordinates and the signal strength indicators for a given missing node as determined in said at least first and second different locations in order to identify an estimated location for the given missing node; and

    providing the estimated location for the given missing node as electronic output to a user;

    wherein said step of electronically implementing a triangulation procedure utilizes a weighted average of the GPS coordinates associated with different transmission collection locations such that transmission collection locations indicating a higher signal strength received from the missing node are weighted more heavily than transmission collection locations having a lower signal strength received from the missing node.

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