Systems, methods, and devices that dynamically establish a sensor network
First Claim
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1. A method of establishing a low-power sensor network comprising:
- wirelessly registering at each cluster node of a plurality of cluster nodes a number of sensor nodes physically located within a respective coverage region of the respective cluster node, wherein the number of sensor nodes physically located within the respective coverage region of the respective cluster node and the respective cluster node make up a respective cluster;
associating at each cluster node at least one characteristic of a respective sensor node in the respective cluster with a respective cluster-unique sensor node identifier; and
wirelessly registering at a network sink node each cluster node of the plurality of cluster nodes with the network sink, including;
creating at the network sink node a network map representing direct communication links between respective pairs of cluster nodes of the plurality of cluster nodes;
associating at the network sink node each cluster node of the plurality of cluster nodes with a respective unique network node identifier; and
associating at the network sink node each network node identifier with a respective minimum transmission hop count for a communication transmitted upstream from the respective cluster node associated with the respective network node identifier to the network sink node.
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Abstract
A wireless sensor network includes a network sink node and a plurality of cluster nodes. The cluster nodes are configured to pass communications upstream and downstream. Each cluster node has a communication range, or coverage area. A cluster node is configured to communicate with sensor nodes within the coverage area of cluster node. The sensor nodes are configured to register with at least one cluster node. The cluster nodes are configured to register with the network sink. Identifiers for the sensor nodes may be dynamically generated. Identifiers for the cluster nodes may be dynamically generated.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of establishing a low-power sensor network comprising:
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wirelessly registering at each cluster node of a plurality of cluster nodes a number of sensor nodes physically located within a respective coverage region of the respective cluster node, wherein the number of sensor nodes physically located within the respective coverage region of the respective cluster node and the respective cluster node make up a respective cluster; associating at each cluster node at least one characteristic of a respective sensor node in the respective cluster with a respective cluster-unique sensor node identifier; and wirelessly registering at a network sink node each cluster node of the plurality of cluster nodes with the network sink, including; creating at the network sink node a network map representing direct communication links between respective pairs of cluster nodes of the plurality of cluster nodes; associating at the network sink node each cluster node of the plurality of cluster nodes with a respective unique network node identifier; and associating at the network sink node each network node identifier with a respective minimum transmission hop count for a communication transmitted upstream from the respective cluster node associated with the respective network node identifier to the network sink node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A micro-structure sensor network comprising:
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a network sink node having a memory with a network sensor capabilities data structure stored therein and configured to communicate wirelessly; a plurality of cluster nodes, each cluster node configured to wirelessly communicate with the network sink node and with other cluster nodes of the plurality of cluster nodes, and each cluster node having a respective network node identifier associated therewith; a plurality of micro-structure sensor nodes, each sensor node having at least one characteristic and being in direct wireless communication with a number of cluster nodes and having a memory with the same number of network node identifiers and the same number of dynamically generated cluster-unique sensor node identifiers stored therein, wherein the network sensor capabilities data structure carries information for each sensor node that is indicative of the respective at least one characteristic of the respective sensor node and associates the respective at least one characteristic with at least one respective cluster-unique sensor node identifier. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of establishing a low-power cluster of wireless sensor nodes, comprising:
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wirelessly broadcasting a first registration message from a cluster node to a plurality of unregistered sensor nodes that are in direct communication range with the cluster node; initiating a current registration interval of time in response to broadcasting the registration message; receiving at the cluster node a number of registration requests prior to an end of the current registration interval; determining at the cluster node after the end of the current registration interval whether to wirelessly broadcast a second registration message from the cluster node or whether to register one of the unregistered sensor nodes based at least partially upon the number of received registration requests; in response to determining to broadcast the second registration message; broadcasting the second registration message from the cluster node to the plurality of unregistered sensor nodes that are in direct communication range with the cluster node; and initiating a subsequent registration interval of time in response to broadcasting the registration message; and in response to determining to register one of the unregistered sensor nodes; associating at the cluster node a respective unregistered sensor node with a dynamically generated cluster unique sensor node identifier in response to the cluster node receiving from the respective sensor node a respective registration request; and registering at the cluster node the previously unregistered respective sensor node having the dynamically generated cluster unique sensor node identifier associated therewith. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A cluster node comprising:
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a micro-structure housing; a wireless communication device carried by the housing; a processor in communication with the wireless communication device and carried by the micro-structure housing that executes instructions; and a memory in communication with the processor and carried by the micro-structure housing and having instructions stored therein that cause the processor to; broadcast a first registration message to a plurality of unregistered sensor nodes that are in direct communication range with the cluster node; initiate a current registration interval of time in response to broadcasting the registration message; determine after an end of the current registration interval whether to wirelessly broadcast a second registration message from the cluster node or whether to register one of the unregistered sensor nodes based at least partially upon a number of received registration requests; in response to determining to broadcast the second registration message; broadcast the second registration message to the plurality of unregistered sensor nodes that are in direct communication range with the cluster node; and initiate a subsequent registration interval of time in response to broadcasting the registration message; and in response to determining register one of the unregistered sensor nodes; associate at the cluster node a respective unregistered sensor node with a dynamically generated cluster unique sensor node identifier in response to the cluster node receiving from the respective sensor node a respective registration request; and register the previously unregistered respective sensor node having the dynamically generated cluster unique sensor node identifier associated therewith. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification