ELECTRONICALLY CONNECTED ENVIRONMENT

• US 20170164314A1
• Filed: 12/01/2016
• Published: 06/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobile Tech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mobile Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Wylie, Hunter, Blaser, Robert Logan
• Granted Patent: US 10,517,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0025 synchronizing potentially movable access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Briefly, example methods, apparatuses, and/or articles of manufacture are disclosed that may be implemented, in whole or in part, to facilitate and/or support one or more operations and/or techniques for an electronically connected environment, such as implemented in connection with one or more computing and/or communication networks, devices, and/or protocols, for example.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

communicating electronically regarding one or more nodes on a network associated with a connected environment with at least one of the following;

an access control entity;

a global view entity;

an identification entity;

a network device;

at least one of said one or more nodes;

or any combination thereof,

one or more communications of said communicating electronically occurring, at least in part, through use of a digital identity of said one or more nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said connected environment comprises at least one of the following:

a retail environment;

an assisted living environment;

a health care environment;

or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said retail environment comprises a retail consumer electronics environment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said retail consumer electronics environment comprises at least one of the following:

a retail consumer electronics store;

a retail consumer electronics display;

or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said communicating electronically is implemented in connection with at least one wireless transceiver.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said communicating electronically regarding said one or more nodes comprises communicating regarding at least one of the following:

status of said one or more nodes;

a location of said one or more nodes;

an instruction to said one or more nodes;

or any combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said status of said one or more nodes comprises at least one of the following:

security-related status;

operation-related status;

access-related status;

activity-related status;

or any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said status of said one or more nodes is determined with respect to one or more levels.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said one or more levels comprises at least one of the following:

an employee-type level;

a manager-type level;

an administrator-type level;

a master-administrator-type level;

or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said location comprises a location determined in relation to at least one of the following:

a local coordinate system;

a global coordinate system;

or any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein said instruction to said one or more nodes comprises an electronic instruction for at least one of the following:

changing an operation;

changing said status;

powering on;

powering off;

providing information;

an electronic communication;

or any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said communicating electronically further comprises communicating electronically with a database comprising attributes for said one or more nodes.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said attributes comprise at least one of the following:

statistical attributes;

identifying attributes;

security attributes;

operational attributes;

or any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said database is accessible to at least one of the following:

said one or more nodes;

said access control entity;

said global view entity;

said identification entity;

said network device;

or any combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said network comprises at least one of the following:

a peer-to-peer-type network;

a cellular network;

a distributed network;

a wireless communications network;

a wired communications network;

or any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said wireless network comprises a mesh-type network.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more nodes comprises at least one of the following:

a device node;

a hook node;

a shelf node;

a display node;

a power outlet node;

an audio-video (AV) controller node;

a camera node;

a sensor node;

a status indicator node;

a docking station node;

a goods node;

a security node;

or any combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said digital identity of said one or more nodes comprises or represented via at least one of the following:

an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI);

an Integrated Circuit Card Identity (ICCID);

an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI);

a Mobile Station Integrated Services for Digital Network number (MSISDN);

a model;

a type;

a make;

a barcode;

a universal product code (UPC);

a serial number;

software parameters;

hardware parameters;

a location;

or any combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said digital identity is determined, at least in part, via at least one of the following:

said identification entity;

a dedicated node identifier (ID);

an imaging device capturing an image of a good positioned within said connected environment;

or any combination thereof.

20. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors coupled to a memory to;

communicate electronically regarding one or more nodes on a network associated with a connected environment with at least one of the following;

an access control entity;

a global view entity;

an identification entity;

a network device;

at least one of said one or more nodes;

or any combination thereof,

one or more of said electronic communications to occur, at least in part, through use of a digital identity of said one or more nodes.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said one or more of said electronic communications comprise communications regarding at least one of the following:

status of said one or more nodes;

a location of said one or more nodes;

an instruction to said one or more nodes;

or any combination thereof.

22. An article comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium having instructions stored thereon executable by a special purpose computing platform to;

communicate electronically regarding one or more nodes on a network associated with a connected environment with at least one of the following;

an access control entity;

a global view entity;

an identification entity;

a network device;

at least one of said one or more nodes;

or any combination thereof,

one or more of said electronic communications to occur, at least in part, through use of a digital identity of said one or more nodes.