NETWORK POWER OPTIMIZATION VIA WHITE LISTS

• US 20140355502A1
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Xhafa, Ariton E., Lu, Xiaolin, Zhou, Jianwei
• Granted Patent: US 9,172,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A device and method for controlling radio power in a wireless sensor network. A wireless sensor device includes a wireless transceiver, a white list generator, and power control logic. The wireless transceiver is configured to transmit and receive via a wireless sensor network. The white list generator configured to identify wireless sensor nodes that communicate directly with the wireless sensor device via the wireless sensor network, to identify time slots assigned for communication between the wireless sensor device and each of the identified wireless sensor nodes, and to create and maintain a list of the identified wireless sensor nodes and corresponding time slots. The power control logic is configured to power the transceiver for reception of transmissions from each identified wireless sensor node based on the identified time slots corresponding to the identified wireless sensor node provided in the list.

Claims

1. A wireless sensor device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to transmit and receive via a wireless sensor network;

a white list generator configured to;

identify wireless sensor nodes that communicate directly with the wireless sensor device via the wireless sensor network;

identify time slots assigned for communication between the wireless sensor device and each of the identified wireless sensor nodes; and

create and maintain a list of the identified wireless sensor nodes and corresponding time slots; and

power control logic configured to power the transceiver for reception of transmissions from each identified wireless sensor node based on the identified time slots corresponding to the identified wireless sensor node provided in the list.

2. The wireless sensor device of claim 1, wherein the white list generator is configured to identify the wireless sensor nodes over a predetermined time interval.

3. The wireless sensor device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit, after association of the wireless sensor device with one of the identified wireless sensor nodes, only during time slots corresponding to the one of the identified wireless sensor nodes as provided in the list.

4. The wireless sensor device of claim 1, wherein the white list generator is configured to:

receive identification of additional wireless sensor nodes that indirectly communicate with the wireless sensor device through an intermediate wireless sensor node; and

add to the list the additional wireless sensor nodes and time slots assigned for communication between the intermediate wireless sensor node and the additional wireless sensor nodes.

5. The wireless sensor device of claim 4, wherein the identification of additional wireless sensor nodes comprises identification of wireless sensor nodes that communicate with the wireless sensor device through a plurality of successive intermediate wireless sensor nodes.

6. The wireless sensor device of claim 1, wherein the white list generator is further configured to:

identify frames containing the time slots assigned for communication between the wireless sensor device and each of the identified wireless sensor nodes;

include identification of the frames in the list.

7. The wireless sensor device of claim 6, wherein the power control logic is configured to power the transceiver for reception of transmissions from each identified wireless sensor node based on the identified frames corresponding to the identified wireless sensor node provided in the list.

8. The wireless sensor device of claim 1, wherein the power control logic is configured to power the transceiver for reception of transmissions during all time slots prior to identification of a wireless sensor node in direct communication with the wireless sensor device.

9. A method, comprising:

identifying, by a wireless sensor device, wireless sensor nodes that communicate directly with the wireless sensor device via a wireless sensor network;

identifying, by the wireless sensor device, time slots assigned for communication between the wireless sensor device and each of the identified wireless sensor nodes;

creating and maintaining, by the wireless sensor device, a list of the identified wireless sensor nodes and corresponding time slots;

powering, by the wireless sensor device, a transceiver for reception of transmissions from each identified wireless sensor node based on the identified time slots corresponding to the identified wireless sensor node provided in the list.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifying of wireless sensor nodes is performed over a predetermined interval at initialization of the wireless sensor network.

11. The method of claim 9, transmitting, after association of the wireless sensor device with one of the identified wireless sensor nodes, only during time slots corresponding to the one of the identified wireless sensor nodes as provided in the list.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving identification of additional wireless sensor nodes that indirectly communicate with the wireless sensor device through an intermediate wireless sensor node; and

adding to the list the additional wireless sensor nodes and time slots assigned for communication between the intermediate wireless sensor node and the additional wireless sensor nodes.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the identification of additional wireless sensor nodes comprises identification of wireless sensor nodes that communicate with the wireless sensor device through a plurality of successive intermediate wireless sensor nodes.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying frames containing the time slots assigned for communication between the wireless sensor device and each of the identified wireless sensor nodes;

including identification of the frames in the list; and

powering the transceiver for reception of transmissions from each identified wireless sensor node based on the identified frames corresponding to the identified wireless sensor node provided in the list.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising powering the transceiver for reception of transmissions during all time slots prior to identification of a wireless sensor node in direct communication with the wireless sensor device.

16. A wireless sensor network, comprising:

a plurality of sensor nodes configured to wirelessly communicate, each of the sensor nodes configured to suppress periodic receiver activation, and each of the sensor nodes comprising;

a white list generator configured to;

identify, during a network initialization interval, neighboring sensor nodes that communicate directly with the sensor node;

identify time slots assigned for communication between the sensor node and each of the identified neighboring sensor nodes; and

create and maintain a list of the identified neighboring sensor nodes and corresponding time slots; and

power control logic configured to power a transceiver for reception of transmissions from each identified neighboring sensor node based on the identified time slots corresponding to the identified neighboring sensor nodes provided in the list.

17. The wireless sensor network of claim 16, wherein the white list generator is configured to:

receive identification of additional sensor nodes that indirectly communicate through one of the neighboring sensor nodes; and

add to the list the additional sensor nodes and time slots assigned for communication between the neighboring sensor nodes and the additional sensor nodes.

18. The wireless sensor network of claim 17, wherein the identification of additional sensor nodes comprises identification of sensor nodes that communicate with one of the neighboring sensor nodes through a different sensor node.

19. The wireless sensor network of claim 16, wherein the white list generator is further configured to:

identify frames containing the time slots assigned for communication with each of the neighboring sensor nodes; and

include identification of the frames in the list;

wherein the power control logic is configured to power the transceiver for reception of transmissions from each identified neighboring sensor node based on the identified frames provided in the list.

20. The wireless sensor network of claim 16, the power control logic is configured to power the transceiver for reception of transmissions during all time slots prior to identification of the neighboring sensor nodes.