Message control protocol in a communications network having repeaters

• US 7,154,866 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IoT Licensing, LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Inovonics Wireless Corporation (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burkhart, Daryl, Pierce, Preston, Shurmantine, Neal, Koonce, Steve, Hume, Donald J., Koonce, Nathan, Dunbar, Steven T.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Doris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hyun, Soon D.
• Application Number:
  US10/105,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20030179721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/279
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1867 Arrangements specially adapted for the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/26 Route discovery packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/08 based on transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A wireless communications network which provides directed transmissions between components of the network is provided. The components within the wireless communications include a master apparatus, a plurality of remote devices, and a plurality of repeaters. The components within the wireless communications network communicate using messages which have a control field and at least one information field. Information within the control field is used by components to make determinations for retransmitting the message, or transmitting a predefined response to the message, such as a signal strength response. The components within the network use the messages to make a determination of a communications target, which may be used as a primary contact for transmitting information, automatically, and may repeat the determination at predetermined intervals. Thus, the wireless communications network is able to adapt over time to additional components added into the network, or changing environmental conditions in and around the network.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication between a sending device and a receiving device, comprising:

forming a packet at said sending device, said packet having a plurality of message control bits and a plurality of information fields, wherein at least a first message control bit indicates routing information for said packet, and at least a second message control bit indicates whether data is included in at least one of said information fields which is associated with said second message control bit;

wirelessly communicating said packet from said sending device to said receiving device;

receiving said packet at said receiving device; and

performing a task at said receiving device based on said message control bits;

wherein said forming step includes;

identifying a message type for transmitting to said receiving device;

setting said message control bits based on said message type; and

formatting data for inclusion in said at least one of said information fields based on said message type; and

wherein said setting step includes;

setting a survey bit when said message type is a survey message.

2. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said formatting step includes:

formatting a survey data field when said survey bit is set, said survey data field including information related to signal strength.

3. A method for wireless communication between a sending device and a receiving device, comprising:

forming a packet at said sending device, said packet having a plurality of message control bits and a plurality of information fields, wherein at least a first message control bit indicates routing information for said packet, and at least a second message control bit indicates whether data is included in at least one of said information fields which is associated with said second message control bit;

wirelessly communicating said packet from said sending device to said receiving device;

receiving said packet at said receiving device; and

performing a task at said receiving device based on said message control bits;

wherein said forming step includes;

identifying a message type for transmitting to said receiving device;

setting said message control bits based on said message type; and

formatting data for inclusion in said at least one of said information fields based on said message type; and

wherein said setting step includes;

setting a layer bit when said message type is a transport message.

4. A method, as claimed in claim 3, wherein said formatting step includes:

formatting a layer/hop count information field when said layer bit is set, said layer/hop count field containing information related to a layer of said message and a number of times said message has been retransmitted.

5. A method for wireless communication between a sending device and a receiving device, comprising:

forming a packet at said sending device, said packet having a plurality of message control bits and a plurality of information fields, wherein at least a first message control bit indicates routing information for said packet, and at least a second message control bit indicates whether data is included in at least one of said information fields which is associated with said second message control bit;

wirelessly communicating said packet from said sending device to said receiving device;

receiving said packet at said receiving device; and

performing a task at said receiving device based on said message control bits;

wherein said forming step includes;

identifying a message type for transmitting to said receiving device;

setting said message control bits based on said message type; and

formatting data for inclusion in said at least one of said information fields based on said message type; and

wherein said setting step includes;

setting an address bit when said message type is a directed message.

6. A method, as claimed in claim 5, wherein said formatting step includes:

formatting an address data field when said address bit is set, said address data field including unique identification information of an addressed device to which said message is to be delivered.

7. A method, as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

said sending device determines whether a channel is available for sending said directed message.

8. A method for wireless communication between a sending device and a receiving device, comprising:

forming a packet at said sending device, said packet having a plurality of message control bits and a plurality of information fields, wherein at least a first message control bit indicates routing information for said packet, and at least a second message control bit indicates whether data is included in at least one of said information fields which is associated with said second message control bit;

wirelessly communicating said packet from said sending device to said receiving device;

receiving said packet at said receiving device; and

performing a task at said receiving device based on said message control bits;

wherein said forming step includes;

identifying a message type for transmitting to said receiving device;

setting said message control bits based on said message type; and

formatting data for inclusion in said at least one of said information fields based on said message type; and

wherein said setting step includes;

setting a trace bit when said message type is a routing trace message.

9. A method, as claimed in claim 8, wherein said formatting step includes:

formatting a trace data field when said trace bit is set, said trace data field including information related to the number of addresses contained in said trace data field and unique identification information for each addressed device to which the message has been at least one of sent and will be sent.

10. A method for wireless communication between a sending device and a receiving device, comprising:

forming a packet at said sending device, said packet having a plurality of message control bits and a plurality of information fields, wherein at least a first message control bit indicates routing information for said packet, and at least a second message control bit indicates whether data is included in at least one of said information fields which is associated with said second message control bit;

wirelessly communicating said packet from said sending device to said receiving device;

receiving said packet at said receiving device; and

performing a task at said receiving device based on said message control bits;

wherein said forming step includes;

identifying a message type for transmitting to said receiving device;

setting said message control bits based on said message type; and

formatting data for inclusion in said at least one of said information fields based on said message type; and

wherein said setting step includes;

setting a direction bit when said message type is an outbound message.

11. A method for wireless communication between a sending device and a receiving device, comprising:

forming a packet at said sending device, said packet having a plurality of message control bits and a plurality of information fields, wherein at least a first message control bit indicates routing information for said packet, and at least a second message control bit indicates whether data is included in at least one of said information fields which is associated with said second message control bit;

wirelessly communicating said packet from said sending device to said receiving device;

receiving said packet at said receiving device; and

performing a task at said receiving device based on said message control bits;

wherein said forming step includes;

identifying a message type for transmitting to said receiving device;

setting said message control bits based on said message type; and

formatting data for inclusion in said at least one of said information fields based on said message type; and

wherein said setting step includes;

setting a first and second remote type bit.

12. A method, as claimed in claim 11, wherein said first and second remote type bit indicate a type of remote device associated with said message.

13. A method for wireless communication between a sending device and a receiving device, comprising:

forming a packet at said sending device, said packet having a plurality of message control bits and a plurality of information fields, wherein at least a first message control bit indicates routing information for said packet, and at least a second message control bit indicates whether data is included in at least one of said information fields which is associated with said second message control bit;

wirelessly communicating said packet from said sending device to said receiving device;

receiving said packet at said receiving device; and

performing a task at said receiving device based on said message control bits; and

wherein said performing step includes;

retransmitting said packet to a second receiving device when said first control bit indicates that said packet is to be retransmitted.

14. A method for wireless communication between a sending device and a receiving device, comprising:

forming a packet at said sending device, said packet having a plurality of message control bits and a plurality of information fields, wherein at least a first message control bit indicates routing information for said packet, and at least a second message control bit indicates whether data is included in at least one of said information fields which is associated with said second message control bit;

wirelessly communicating said packet from said sending device to said receiving device;

receiving said packet at said receiving device; and

performing a task at said receiving device based on said message control bits,

wherein said performing step includes;

formatting a response packet including information related to signal strength when one of said message control bits indicates that signal strength information is included in one of said information fields; and

transmitting said response packet to said sending device.

15. A method for wireless communication between a sending device and a receiving device, comprising:

forming a packet at said sending device, said packet having a plurality of message control bits and a plurality of information fields, wherein at least a first message control bit indicates routing information for said packet, and at least a second message control bit indicates whether data is included in at least one of said information fields which is associated with said second message control bit;

wirelessly communicating said packet from said sending device to said receiving device;

receiving said packet at said receiving device; and

performing a task at said receiving device based on said message control bits,

wherein said performing step includes;

determining that signal strength information is included in said packet;

reading said signal strength information;

comparing said signal strength information with existing signal strength information; and

resetting a primary contact when said signal strength information indicates that said sending device has a stronger signal strength than an existing primary contact.

16. A method for wireless communication between a sending device and a receiving device, comprising:

forming a packet at said sending device, said packet having a plurality of message control bits and a plurality of information fields, wherein at least a first message control bit indicates routing information for said packet, and at least a second message control bit indicates whether data is included in at least one of said information fields which is associated with said second message control bit;

wirelessly communicating said packet from said sending device to said receiving device;

receiving said packet at said receiving device; and

performing a task at said receiving device based on said message control bits,

wherein;

said sending device and said receiving device are part of a first communications network that includes a plurality of repeaters and said packet includes a message that is to be acted on by each of said plurality of repeaters.

17. A method, as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

said plurality of repeaters is all of said repeaters in said first communications network.