Self-associating wireless personal area network

• US 7,403,744 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Bridgelall, Raj
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham; Tuan
• Application Number:
  US10/883,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20050201301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,483 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/41.3, 455/226, 455/41.1, 370/335, 370/342, 370/328, 370/338, 340/10.34, 340/10.2, 340/572.4, 340/10.1, 340/326, 340/505, 340/539.21, 340/539.32
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/203 for converged personal network application service interworking, e.g. OMA converged personal network services [CPNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for automatically and autonomously forming a wireless personal area network (WPAN) from an array of intercommunicating personal area network (PAN) devices. The devices comprise first communicators associated with primary functions of the devices and second communicators coupled to the first communicators for determining a subset of the devices meeting predetermined association criteria, from which subset the first communicators form the WPAN. In a preferred embodiment, the second communicators include range measuring transceivers and processors coupled to the transceivers that cooperate to determine range and relative motion of elements within communication range of the first communicators for comparison to range and relative motion association criteria stored in one or more of the devices. Memory is desirably included for storing the association criteria. The subset of devices automatically elects a master device that communicates with the other devices of the subset to form the WPAN.

Claims

1. A wireless Personal Area Network (PAN) element, comprising:

a primary function subsystem; and

a wireless personal area network (WPAN) association function subsystem coupled to the primary function subsystem, wherein the WPAN association function subsystem includes a range measuring transceiver having radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag components, wherein the range measuring transceiver is addressable by one or more other PAN elements and is adapted to be addressed by the one or more other PAN elements in order to exchange identifiers with at least some of the one or more other PAN elements, and wherein the PAN element is also adapted to determine ranges and relative motions of at least some of the one or more other PAN elements using RFID measurements, and automatically to associate with a WPAN that includes a subset of the one or more other PAN elements that satisfy predetermined association criteria that include range and relative motion.

2. The element of claim 1 further comprising memory for storing the predetermined association criteria within the element.

3. The element of claim 1 wherein the WPAN association function subsystem comprises:

a processor;

a unique identification means coupled to the processor; and

the range measuring transceiver coupled to the processor.

4. The element of claim 3 further comprising a WPAN radio coupled to the processor and the primary function subsystem.

5. The element of claim 3 further comprising a memory coupled to the processor.

6. The element of claim 3 wherein the range measuring transceiver measures range by means of phase difference of arrival of a radio signal.

7. A system of intercommunicating elements adapted to automatically form a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) from all or part of said elements, comprising:

a plurality of the elements, wherein an element of the plurality of elements each include a first communicator associated with primary functions of the element;

a second communicator coupled to the first communicator, wherein the second communicator include a range measuring transceiver having radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag components, wherein the range measuring transceiver is addressable by one or more other elements of the plurality of the elements, and is adapted to be addressed by the one or more other elements in order to exchange identifiers with at least some of the one or more other elements, and wherein the element is also adapted to determine ranges and relative motions of at least some of the one or more other elements using RFID measurements, and automatically to associate with the WPAN that includes a subset of the one or more other elements that satisfy predetermined association criteria that include range and relative motion.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the second communicator comprises:

the range measuring transceiver;

a processor coupled to the transceiver; and

wherein the range measuring transceiver and processor cooperate to determine range and relative motion of elements within communication range of the first communicator.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising identification means uniquely identifying each intercommunicating element.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising a memory coupled to the processor for storing the predetermined association criteria to which the range and relative motion are compared.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the second communicator determines proximity to and relative motion of the intercommunicating elements.

12. A method for forming a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) from among multiple wireless elements, comprising:

identifying those wireless elements within mutual communication range;

determining range and relative motion of the wireless elements using RFID phase difference of arrival measurements;

determining a subset of elements meeting predetermined association criteria, which include the range and the relative motion, from among the identified wireless elements;

electing a master element from among one or more candidate master elements of the subset of elements that nominate themselves to be the master element; and

forming a WPAN from the subset of elements with the master element.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising before the identifying step, determining whether any wireless elements are within mutual communication range.

14. A method for forming a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) from among multiple wireless elements, comprising:

identifying those wireless elements within mutual communication range;

determining a subset of elements meeting predetermined association criteria from among the identified wireless elements by

measuring range and relative motion of the identified elements,

comparing the measured range and relative motion to range and relative motion association criteria, and

selecting as the subset those elements whose range and relative motion meet the association criteria;

electing a master element from among one or more candidate master elements of the subset of elements that nominate themselves to be the master element; and

forming a WPAN from the subset of elements with the master element.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising, prior to the selecting step, inquiring whether any of the identified elements meet the range and relative motion association criteria and if not, repeating the identifying and determining steps.

16. The method of claim 14 farther comprising after the forming step, performing an identifying step to determine whether any farther elements have appeared within or any previously identified devices have disappeared from mutual communication range.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising after the forming step repeating an identifying step until a further element has appeared within or an existing element has disappeared from communication range, and then repeating the determining, electing and forming steps for the such modified group of elements within communication range.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the comparing step comprises comparing the measured range and relative motion to range and relative motion association criteria stored within the wireless element.

19. A wireless Personal Area Network (PAN) element, comprising:

a primary function subsystem; and

a wireless personal area network (WPAN) association function subsystem coupled to the primary function subsystem, wherein the WPAN association function subsystem includes a range measuring transceiver having a WPAN radio, wherein the range measuring transceiver is addressable by one or more other PAN elements and is adapted to be addressed by the one or more other PAN elements in order to exchange identifiers with at least some of the one or more other PAN elements, and wherein the PAN element is also adapted to determine ranges and relative motions of at least some of the one or more other PAN elements using ranging measurements, and automatically to associate with a WPAN that includes a subset of the one or more other PAN elements that satisfy predetermined association criteria that include range and relative motion.