Mote networks using directional antenna techniques

• US 7,418,238 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2007
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Tegreene, Clarence T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Lee
• Application Number:
  US11/728,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20070238410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.4, 455/25, 455/41.2, 455/562.1, 342367-368, 342371-375
• US Class Current: 455/63.4
• 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 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A mote network having and/or using one or more directional antennas.

Claims

1. A mote system comprising:

means for adjusting a field of regard of a first-mote directional antenna, wherein said means for adjusting a field of regard of a first-mote directional antenna further comprises;

means for moving the field of regard such that the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna will likely operably align with a beam of a second-mote directional antenna, wherein said means for moving the field of regard such that the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna will likely operably align with a beam of a second-mote directional antenna further comprises;

means for sweeping the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna at a rate of sweep likely to be different from a rate of sweep of the beam of the second-mote directional antenna;

means for monitoring one or more indicators of a received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna; and

means for determining a direction associated with a second mote in response to the monitored one or more indicators of the received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for sweeping the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna at a rate of sweep likely to be different from a rate of sweep of the beam of the second-mote directional antenna further comprises:

means for rotating the field of regard at a rate of rotation varied by a quasi-random amount from a nominal rate of rotation of the first-mote directional antenna and the second-mote directional antenna.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for sweeping the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna at a rate of sweep likely to be different from a rate of sweep of the beam of the second-mote directional antenna further comprises:

means for moving the field of regard through at least two angles at a quasi-randomly selected rate of movement.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for sweeping the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna at a rate of sweep likely to be different from a rate of sweep of the beam of the second-mote directional antenna further comprises:

means for moving the field of regard for a quasi-randomly selected period of time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for adjusting a field of regard of a first-mote directional antenna further comprises:

means for selectively varying one or more relative phases respectively associated with one or more antenna elements.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said means for selectively varying one or more relative phases respectively associated with one or more antenna elements further comprises:

means for selectively varying one or more relative dielectric constants respectively associated with the one or more antenna elements.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said means for selectively varying one or more relative phases respectively associated with one or more antenna elements further comprises:

means for selectively switching one or more delay elements respectively associated with the one or more antenna elements.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said means for selectively varying one or more relative phases respectively associated with one or more antenna elements comprises:

means for selectively displacing the one or more antenna elements.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for adjusting a field of regard of a first-mote directional antenna further comprises:

means for selectively displacing at least a part of the first-mote directional antenna.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said means for selectively displacing at least a part of the first-mote directional antenna further comprises:

means for selectively adjusting a feed of a horn antenna.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for adjusting a field of regard of a first-mote directional antenna further comprises:

means for selectively tuning the first-mote directional antenna.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for monitoring one or more indicators of a received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna further comprises:

means for logging one or more indicators of the received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for determining a direction associated with a second mote in response to the monitored one or more indicators of the received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna further comprises:

means for selectively varying a reception frequency.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said means for selectively varying a reception frequency further comprises:

means for maintaining a first reception frequency during a first rate of movement.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

means for maintaining a second reception frequency during a second rate of movement.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for determining a direction associated with a second mote in response to the monitored one or more indicators of the received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna further comprises:

means for determining a substantially maximum signal power associated with a beacon signal; and

means for determining a direction of the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna associated with the substantially maximum signal power.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for adjusting the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna to orient toward the determined direction associated with the second mote.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for monitoring one or more indicators of a received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna further comprises:

means for monitoring at least one of a signal-to-noise ratio or other signal characteristic associated with a received signal strength.

19. A mote method comprising:

adjusting a field of regard of a first-mote directional antenna, wherein said adjusting a field of regard of a first-mote directional antenna further comprises;

moving the field of regard such that the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna will likely operably align with a beam of a second-mote directional antenna, wherein said moving the field of regard such that the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna will likely operably align with a beam of a second-mote directional antenna further comprises;

means for sweeping the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna at a rate of sweep likely to be different from a rate of sweep of the beam of the second-mote directional antenna;

monitoring one or more indicators of a received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna; and

determining a direction associated with a second mote in response to the monitored one or more indicators of the received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna.

20. A mote system comprising:

means for adjusting a field of regard of a first-mote directional antenna, wherein said means for adjusting a field of regard of a first-mote directional antenna further comprises;

means for moving the field of regard such that the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna will likely operably align with a beam of a second-mote directional antenna, wherein said means for moving the field of regard such that the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna will likely operably align with a beam of a second-mote directional antenna further comprises;

means for rotating the field of regard at a rate of rotation varied by a quasi-random amount from a nominal rate of rotation of the first-mote directional antenna and the second-mote directional antenna;

means for monitoring one or more indicators of a received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna; and

means for determining a direction associated with a second mote in response to the monitored one or more indicators of the received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said means for monitoring one or more indicators of a received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna further comprises:

means for monitoring at least one of a signal-to-noise ratio or other signal characteristic associated with a received signal strength.

22. A mote system comprising:

means for adjusting a field of regard of a first-mote directional antenna, wherein said means for adjusting a field of regard of a first-mote directional antenna further comprises;

means for moving the field of regard such that the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna will likely operably align with a beam of a second-mote directional antenna, wherein said means for moving the field of regard such that the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna will likely operably align with a beam of a second-mote directional antenna further comprises;

means for moving the field of regard through at least two angles at a quasi-randomly selected rate of movement;

means for monitoring one or more indicators of a received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna; and

means for determining a direction associated with a second mote in response to the monitored one or more indicators of the received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said means for monitoring one or more indicators of a received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna further comprises:

means for monitoring at least one of a signal-to-noise ratio or other signal characteristic associated with a received signal strength.

24. A mote system comprising:

means for adjusting a field of regard of a first-mote directional antenna, wherein said means for adjusting a field of regard of a first-mote directional antenna further comprises;

means for moving the field of regard such that the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna will likely operably align with a beam of a second-mote directional antenna, wherein said means for moving the field of regard such that the field of regard of the first-mote directional antenna will likely operably align with a beam of a second-mote directional antenna further comprises;

means for moving the field of regard for a quasi-randomly selected period of time;

means for monitoring one or more indicators of a received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna; and

means for determining a direction associated with a second mote in response to the monitored one or more indicators of the received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said means for monitoring one or more indicators of a received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna further comprises:

means for monitoring at least one of a signal-to-noise ratio or other signal characteristic associated with a received signal strength.

26. A mote system comprising:

means for adjusting a field of regard of a first-mote directional antenna;

means for monitoring one or more indicators of a received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna; and

means for determining a direction associated with a second mote in response to the monitored one or more indicators of the received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna, wherein said means for determining a direction associated with a second mote in response to the monitored one or more indicators of the received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna further comprises;

means for selectively varying a reception frequency, wherein said means for selectively varying a reception frequency further comprises;

means for maintaining a first reception frequency during a first rate of movement.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said means for monitoring one or more indicators of a received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna further comprises:

means for monitoring at least one of a signal-to-noise ratio or other signal characteristic associated with a received signal strength.

28. A mote system comprising:

means for adjusting a field of regard of a first-mote directional antenna;

means for monitoring one or more indicators of a received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna; and

means for determining a direction associated with a second mote in response to the monitored one or more indicators of the received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna, wherein said means for determining a direction associated with a second mote in response to the monitored one or more indicators of the received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna further comprises;

means for selectively varying a reception frequency, wherein said means for selectively varying a reception frequency further comprises;

means for maintaining a first reception frequency during a first rate of movement; and

means for maintaining a second reception frequency during a second rate of movement.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said means for monitoring one or more indicators of a received signal strength of the first-mote directional antenna further comprises:

means for monitoring at least one of a signal-to-noise ratio or other signal characteristic associated with a received signal strength.