LOW-POWER WIRELESS VEHICLE LOCATING UNIT
First Claim
1. A method of wireless communication between a vehicle locating unit and a plurality of peripheral devices that are disposed on or in a same object, the vehicle locating unit and each of the plurality of peripheral devices having receiver portions and transmitter portions, the method comprising:
- adapting the transmitter portion of each of the plurality of peripheral devices to generate transmission signals to be received by the receiver portion of the vehicle locating unit;
generating transmission signals by at least one of the plurality of peripheral devices, wherein the transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices include a signal having a prolonged preamble providing indicia of a desire to communicate data with the vehicle locating unit;
adapting the receiver portion of the vehicle locating unit to listen for the transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices for a first period of time during a second period of time that is longer than the first period of time;
estimating a likelihood that a received signal corresponds to the signal having a prolonged preamble using a counter;
acknowledging detected transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices;
upon acknowledgement, establishing a communication link between the vehicle locating unit and a corresponding source of detected transmission signals; and
communicating data between the vehicle locating unit and the corresponding source of detected transmission signals in accordance with discrete timing information.
16 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods of, systems for, and articles of manufacture for wireless communication between a vehicle locating unit and peripheral devices that are disposed on or in the same object, the method including the steps of adapting the peripheral devices to generate transmission signals to be received by the vehicle locating unit; generating transmission signals by at least one of the peripheral devices; adapting the vehicle locating unit to listen for the transmission signals for a first period of time during a second period of time that is longer than the first period of time; acknowledging detected transmission signals from any of the peripheral devices; upon acknowledgement, establishing a communication link between the vehicle locating unit and a corresponding source of the detected transmission signals; and communicating data between the vehicle locating unit and the corresponding source of the detected transmission signals in accordance with discrete timing information.
13 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of wireless communication between a vehicle locating unit and a plurality of peripheral devices that are disposed on or in a same object, the vehicle locating unit and each of the plurality of peripheral devices having receiver portions and transmitter portions, the method comprising:
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adapting the transmitter portion of each of the plurality of peripheral devices to generate transmission signals to be received by the receiver portion of the vehicle locating unit; generating transmission signals by at least one of the plurality of peripheral devices, wherein the transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices include a signal having a prolonged preamble providing indicia of a desire to communicate data with the vehicle locating unit; adapting the receiver portion of the vehicle locating unit to listen for the transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices for a first period of time during a second period of time that is longer than the first period of time; estimating a likelihood that a received signal corresponds to the signal having a prolonged preamble using a counter; acknowledging detected transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices; upon acknowledgement, establishing a communication link between the vehicle locating unit and a corresponding source of detected transmission signals; and communicating data between the vehicle locating unit and the corresponding source of detected transmission signals in accordance with discrete timing information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of wireless communication of occurrence of an exception event to at least one of a vehicle locating unit that is linked to at least one of a plurality of peripheral devices via a network, the method comprising:
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determining a location and a temporal point of occurrence of the exception event; wherein if the location of the occurrence of the exception event is in the vehicle locating unit, the method further comprises; reserving a unique data transfer period for the corresponding source of detected transmission signals, wherein the unique data transfer period comprises N number of timing periods, wherein N is an integer greater than one;
each timing period has an equal temporal length;
each timing period has a first and a second boundary; and
the N number of timing periods of the unique data transfer period are delineated between a unique first boundary and a unique second boundary that no other peripheral device have, andtransmitting a data package from the vehicle locating unit to the corresponding source of detected transmission signals at a next unique boundary if the exception event occurs within one timing period of the next unique boundary, otherwise transmitting the data package at a next period boundary; and wherein if the location of the occurrence of the exception event is in any of the plurality of peripheral devices, the method further comprises; reserving a unique data transfer period for the corresponding source of detected transmission signals, wherein the unique data transfer period comprises N number of timing periods, wherein N is an integer greater than one;
each timing period has an equal temporal length;
each timing period has a first and a second boundary; and
the N number of timing periods of the unique data transfer period are delineated between a unique first boundary and a unique second boundary that no other peripheral device have;reserving a discrete time slot during the unique data transfer period, wherein the discrete time slot is unique to the corresponding source of detected transmission signals for the purpose of data communication; and transmitting a data package from the corresponding source of detected transmission signals to the vehicle locating unit during the corresponding source'"'"'s reserved time slot if the exception event occurs within one time period of the next unique boundary of the unique data transfer period, otherwise transmitting a shortened prolonged preamble signal from the corresponding source of detected transmission signals to the vehicle locating unit at a next time period boundary.
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25. An article of manufacture for wireless communication between a vehicle locating unit and a plurality of peripheral devices that are disposed on or in a same object, the vehicle locating unit and each of the plurality of peripheral devices having receiver portions and transmitter portions, the article having computer-readable program portions embedded thereon, the program portions comprising instructions for:
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adapting the transmitter portion of each of the plurality of peripheral devices to generate transmission signals to be received by the receiver portion of the vehicle locating unit; generating transmission signals by at least one of the plurality of peripheral devices; adapting the receiver portion of the vehicle locating unit to listen for the transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices for a first period of time during a second period of time that is longer than the first period of time; acknowledging detected transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices; upon acknowledgement, establishing a communication link between the vehicle locating unit and a corresponding source of the detected transmission signals; and communicating data between the vehicle locating unit and the corresponding source of the detected transmission signals in accordance with discrete timing information.
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26. An article of manufacture for wireless communication of occurrence of an exception event to at least one of a vehicle locating unit that is linked to at least one of a plurality of peripheral devices via a network, the article having computer-readable program portions embedded thereon, the program portions comprising instructions for:
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determining a location and a temporal point of occurrence of the exception event; wherein if the location of the occurrence of the exception event is in the vehicle locating unit, the method further comprises; reserving a unique data transfer period for the corresponding source of detected transmission signals, wherein the unique data transfer period comprises N number of timing periods, wherein N is an integer greater than one;
each timing period has an equal temporal length;
each timing period has a first and a second boundary; and
the N number of timing periods of the unique data transfer period are delineated between a unique first boundary and a unique second boundary that no other peripheral device have, andtransmitting a data package from the vehicle locating unit to the corresponding source of detected transmission signals at a next unique boundary if the exception event occurs within one timing period of the next unique boundary, otherwise transmitting the data package at a next period boundary; and wherein if the location of the occurrence of the exception event is in any of the plurality of peripheral devices, the method further comprises; reserving a unique data transfer period for the corresponding source of detected transmission signals, wherein the unique data transfer period comprises N number of timing periods, wherein N is an integer greater than one;
each timing period has an equal temporal length;
each timing period has a first and a second boundary; and
the N number of timing periods of the unique data transfer period are delineated between a unique first boundary and a unique second boundary that no other peripheral device have;reserving a discrete time slot during the unique data transfer period, wherein the discrete time slot is unique to the corresponding source of detected transmission signals for the purpose of data communication; and transmitting a data package from the corresponding source of detected transmission signals to the vehicle locating unit during the corresponding source'"'"'s reserved time slot if the exception event occurs within one time period of the next unique boundary of the unique data transfer period, otherwise transmitting a shortened prolonged preamble signal from the corresponding source of detected transmission signals to the vehicle locating unit at a next time period boundary.
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27. A low-power wireless communication system, the system comprising:
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a vehicle locating unit having a receiver portion, a transmitter portion, and a processing device with memory, wherein the vehicle locating unit is disposed on or in an object; and a plurality of peripheral devices that are disposed on or in the same object, wherein, each of the plurality of peripheral devices is adapted to generate transmission signals and to receive transmission signals, wherein the receiver portion of the vehicle locating unit is adapted to listen for the transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices for a first period of time during a second period of time that is longer than the first period of time, and the processing device of the vehicle locating unit is adapted to acknowledge detection of transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices, to establish a communication link between the vehicle locating unit and a corresponding source of detected transmission signals via the transmitter portion, and to communicate data between the vehicle locating unit and the corresponding source of the detected transmission signals in accordance with discrete timing information. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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Specification