Node-to node messaging transceiver network with dynamic routing and configuring

• US 7,653,394 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AFX Technology Group International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AFX Technology Group International, Inc.
• Inventors: McMillin, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse; Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US11/144,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20050226201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/445, 455/442.1, 455/439, 455/436, 455/444, 455/465, 370/315
• US Class Current: 455/444
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/06 based on characteristics of available antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/10 based on available power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/30 for proactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The invention is a system operating on a reference frequency. The system comprises a plurality of at least three nodes. Each node hands off a message received from another node to a subsequent node. Each of the nodes comprises a transceiver receiving a message on the reference frequency from another node and transmitting the received message on the reference frequency to a subsequent node, and a controller controlling operation of the transceiver to receive the message transmitted by another node and to transmit the received message to a subsequent node.

Claims

1. A system comprising a plurality of at least three nodes including an intermediate node for handing off the message from one node of the system to another node of the system, an originating node for providing the message to one of the intermediate nodes, and a destination node for receiving the message from one of the intermediate nodes;

each of the nodes comprising;

a transceiver receiving a message on the reference frequency from another node and transmitting the received message on the reference frequency to a subsequent node, the transceiver receiving the message transmits, on the reference frequency, an acknowledgment that the message has been received and the transceiver transmitting the message receives, on the reference frequency, the acknowledgment, wherein the acknowledgment is at least one of the following;

an explicit acknowledgment such that each of the transceivers receiving the message transmits, on the reference frequency, an explicit acknowledgment signal to the transmitter transmitting the message; and

an implicit acknowledgment such that each of the transceivers receiving the message retransmits, on the reference frequency, the message to another transceiver, which re-transmitted message is received by the transceiver originally transmitting the message; and

a controller controlling operation of the transceiver to receive the message transmitted by another node and to transmit the received message to a subsequent node.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the transceiver receiving the message transmits the explicit acknowledgment signal after receiving the message at least twice.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the transceiver has an adjustable power output which varies as a function of the number of nodes responding thereto thereby reducing interference between adjacent transceivers and thereby increasing the effective bandwidth of the system.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the message comprises:

data bits corresponding to data;

originating bits identifying the first node from which the message originates;

destination bits identifying the last node to which the message is destined;

transmitting bits identifying the current node transmitting the message; and

receiving bits identifying the next node intended to receive the message currently being transmitted.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the following:

one of the nodes further comprises a GPS receiver interfacing with the controller to provide position and/or time information corresponding to the global position of the GPS receiver; and

one of the nodes comprises a WAN interface connected to the controller to provide messages from the controller to a WAN and for providing messages from a WAN to the controller.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein each controller includes a memory storing control software for controlling the controller and wherein the control software is modified via a signal provided to the transceiver.

7. A system comprising a plurality of nodes, each node comprising a transceiver and a corresponding controller for controlling the operation of the transceiver, wherein each controller operates its corresponding transceiver as one or more of the following types of nodes:

an originating type of node for providing a message in which the transceiver employs a reference frequency to transmit a message to another node of the system, wherein the controller controls the transceiver to receive, on the reference frequency, an implicit and/or explicit acknowledgment that the message has been received by another node;

an intermediate type of node for handing off a message in which the transceiver employs a reference frequency to receive the message transmitted by another node and to transmit the received message to a subsequent node other than the node from which the message was received, wherein the controller controls the transceiver to transmit, on the reference frequency, an implicit and/or explicit acknowledgment that the message has been received from another node, wherein the controller controls the transceiver to receive, on the reference frequency, an implicit and/or explicit acknowledgment that the message has been received by another node; and

a destination type of node for receiving the message in which the transceiver employs a reference frequency to receive the message transmitted by another node, wherein the controller controls the transceiver to transmit, on the reference frequency, an implicit and/or explicit acknowledgment that the message has been received from another node.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein at least one of the nodes is connected to a network server, wherein data transmitted by the nodes is stored by a database server in a database and wherein an application server permits one or more user systems to access the information stored in the database.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein at least a particular one of the nodes is programmed to expect a message from another of the nodes within a set period of time and wherein the particular node sends an exception message if the expected message is not received within the set period of time.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein there is a plurality of intermediate nodes, each programmed to store messages received from other nodes so that if a certain node of the plurality of intermediate nodes is disabled and unable to provide messages, others of the plurality can provide the last received messages from the certain node that is disabled.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the message comprises data bits corresponding to data;

wherein the trailing edge of each data bit provides a reference for detection of the data bits, the trailing edge provides a reference for transmitting and/or timing of incoming or outgoing messages, and wherein the trailing edges provide time synchronization with sub-bit time resolution.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein at least one of the following:

one of the nodes stores an audible announcement and wherein the node activates the announcement in response to receiving a particular predefined message;

one of the nodes transmits messages after a time delay when other nodes are transmitting; and

each originating node originates a message pertaining to a particular application and stores and forwards messages pertaining to the particular application and other applications.

13. The system of claim 7 wherein multiple packets of messages are transferred, each packet having a unique identification and wherein only unreceived packets are retransmitted.

14. The system of claim 7 wherein each transceiver has an adjustable power output which varies as a function of the number of nodes responding thereto thereby reducing interference between adjacent transceivers and thereby increasing the effective bandwidth of the system.

15. A system comprising a plurality of at least three nodes including an intermediate node for handing off the message from one node of the system to another node of the system, an originating node for providing the message to one of the intermediate nodes and a destination node for receiving the message from one of the intermediate nodes, each of the nodes comprising:

a transceiver receiving a message, on the reference frequency, from another node and transmitting the received message, on the reference frequency, to a subsequent node; and

a controller controlling operation of the transceiver to receive the message transmitted by another node and to transmit the received message to a subsequent node, wherein the message includes data bits corresponding to data, originating bits identifying the first node from which the message originates, destination bits identifying the last node to which the message is destined, transmitting bits identifying the current node transmitting the message, and receiving bits identifying the next node intended to receive the message currently being transmitted.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the transceiver receiving the message transmits the explicit acknowledgement signal after receiving the message at least twice.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the transceiver has an adjustable power output which varies as a function of the number of nodes responding thereto thereby reducing interference between adjacent transceivers and thereby increasing the effective bandwidth of the system.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one of the following:

one of the nodes further comprises a GPS receiver interfacing with the controller to provide position and/or time information corresponding to the global position of the GPS receiver; and

one of the nodes comprises a WAN interface connected to the controller to provide messages from the controller to a WAN and for providing messages from a WAN to the controller.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein each controller includes a memory storing control software for controlling the controller and wherein the control software is modified via a signal provided to the transceiver.

20. A system comprising a plurality of nodes, each node comprising a transceiver and a corresponding controller for controlling the operation of the transceiver, wherein each controller operates its corresponding transceiver as one or more of the following types of nodes:

an originating type of node for providing a message in which the transceiver employs a reference frequency to transmit a message to another node of the system;

an intermediate type of node for handing off a message in which the transceiver employs a reference frequency to receive the message transmitted by another node and to transmit the received message to a subsequent node other than the node from which the message was received; and

a destination type of node for receiving the message in which the transceiver employs a reference frequency to receive the message transmitted by another node, wherein each node records an interval of time between each trailing edge as a time reference, each node has a clock providing a clock signal which is compared to the time reference and each node resets the clock when the compared clock signal does not correspond to the time reference, wherein the message comprises data bits corresponding to data, wherein the trailing edge of each data bit provides a reference for detection of the data bits.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein at least one of the nodes is connected to a network server, wherein data transmitted by the nodes is stored by a database server in a database and wherein an application server permits one or more user systems to access the information stored in the database.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein at least a particular one of the nodes is programmed to expect a message from another of the nodes within a set period of time and wherein the particular node sends an exception message if the expected message is not received within the set period of time.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein there is a plurality of intermediate nodes, each programmed to store messages received from other nodes so that if a certain node of the plurality of intermediate nodes is disabled and unable to provide messages, others of the plurality can provide the last received messages from the certain node that is disabled.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein the message comprises data bits corresponding to data;

wherein the trailing edge of each data bit provides a reference for detection of the data bits, the trailing edge provides a reference for transmitting and/or timing of incoming or outgoing messages, and wherein the trailing edges provide time synchronization with sub-bit time resolution.

25. The system of claim 20 wherein at least one of the following:

one of the nodes stores an audible announcement and wherein the node activates the announcement in response to receiving a particular predefined message;

one of the nodes transmits messages after a time delay when other nodes are transmitting; and

each originating node originates a message pertaining to a particular application and stores and forwards messages pertaining to the particular application and other applications.

26. The system of claim 20 wherein multiple packets of messages are transferred, each packet having a unique identification and wherein only unreceived packets are retransmitted.

27. The system of claim 20 wherein each transceiver has an adjustable power output which varies as a function of the number of nodes responding thereto thereby reducing interference between adjacent transceivers and thereby increasing the effective bandwidth of the system.