PROXIMITY NODE LOCATION USING A WIRELESS NODE NETWORK
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, media, apparatus, and systems are described for improved and enhanced node location determination related to one of a plurality of nodes in a wireless node network. A first and second other node in the network are instructed to detect any message broadcast from the one node over a period of time. The server receives a first indication from the first other node, where the first indication relates to a characteristic of all messages broadcast from the one node that are detected by the first other node during the time period. The server receives a second indication from the second other node, where the second indication relates to the characteristic of all messages broadcast from the one node that are detected by the second other node during the time period. The server then determines a location of the one node based upon a difference in the first and second indications.
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Citations
127 Claims
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1-63. -63. (canceled)
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64. An improved method for locating a particular one of a plurality of nodes in a wireless node network having a server, the method comprising:
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setting, by the server, a detection time period to a first value; instructing, by the server, a first other of the nodes and a second other of the nodes to detect any message broadcast from the particular one node over the detection time period; receiving, by the server, a first indication from the first other node, the first indication related to a characteristic of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the first other node during the detection time period; receiving, by the server, a second indication from the second other node, the second indication related to the characteristic of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the second other node during the detection time period; determining a location of the particular one node based upon a difference in the first indication and the second indication; receiving, by the server, at least one of a first updated location from the first other node and a second updated location received from the second other node; and refining the location of the particular one node based upon at least one of the received first updated location received from the first other node and the received second updated location received from the second other node. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89)
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90. An apparatus for locating a particular one of a plurality of nodes in a wireless node network, comprising:
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a server in communication with at least a first other of the nodes and a second other of the nodes, the server further comprising, a server processing unit, a server volatile memory coupled to the server processing unit, a server memory storage coupled to the server processing unit, the server memory storage maintaining at least a program code section and location data, and a communication interface that provides a communication path operatively coupling the server with the first other node and the second other node; and wherein the server processing unit, when executing at least the program code section resident in the server volatile memory, is operative to set a detection time period to a first value, send an operation message to the first other node instructing the first other node to detect any message broadcast from the particular one node over the detection time period, send another operation message to the second other node instructing the second other node to detect any message broadcast from the particular one node over the detection time period, receive, from the communication interface, a first indication from the first other node, the first indication related to a characteristic of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the first other node during the detection time period, receive, from the communication interface, a second indication from the second other node, the second indication related to the characteristic of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the second other node during the detection time period, determine a location of the particular one node based upon a difference in the first indication and the second indication, receive, from the communication interface, at least one of a first updated location from the first other node and a second updated location received from the second other node, and refine the location of the particular one node based upon at least one of the received first updated location received from the first other node and the received second updated location received from the second other node. - View Dependent Claims (91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114)
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115. A system for locating a particular one of a plurality of nodes disposed at a first level of a wireless node network, the system comprising:
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a mobile master node disposed at a second level of the wireless node network, the mobile master node comprising location circuitry that self-determines a current location of the mobile master node, and a master node wireless communication interface that is configured to detect broadcasts from the particular one of the nodes, transmit information related to a characteristic of detected broadcasts from the particular one of the nodes, and transmit the current location for the mobile master node as self-determined by the location circuitry; and a server disposed at a third level of the wireless node network, the server being in communication with at least the mobile master node and another of the nodes, the server further comprising, a server processing unit, a server volatile memory coupled to the server processing unit, a server memory storage coupled to the server processing unit, the server memory storage maintaining at least a program code section and location data, and a server communication interface that provides a first communication path operatively coupling the server with the mobile master node and provides a second communication path operatively coupling the server with the another node; and wherein the server processing unit, when executing at least the program code section resident in the server volatile memory, is operative to set a detection time period to a first value, and cause the server communication interface to send an operation message to the mobile master node instructing the mobile master node to detect any message broadcast from the particular one node over the detection time period; wherein the mobile master node is further operative to receive, by the master node wireless communication interface, the operation message sent from the server, detect, in response to the operation message, any message broadcast from the particular one node over the detection time period, and transmit, by the master node wireless communication interface, a first indication to the server, the first indication being related to a characteristic of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the mobile master node during the detection time period; wherein the server processing unit is further operative cause the server communication interface to send another operation message to the another node instructing the another node to detect any message broadcast from the particular one node over the detection time period, receive, from the server communication interface, the first indication from the mobile master node and a second indication from the another node, the second indication being related to the characteristic of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the another node during the detection time period, determine a location of the particular one node based upon a difference in the first indication and the second indication, receive, from the server communication interface, at least one of a first updated location from the mobile master node and a second updated location received from the another node, the first updated location being self-determined by the location circuitry of the mobile master node, and refine the location of the particular one node based upon at least one of the received first updated location and the received second updated location. - View Dependent Claims (116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127)
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Specification