Stimulating a mote network for cues to mote location and layout

• US 8,035,509 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2005
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cohen, Alexander J., Lord, Robert W., Levien, Royce A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/213,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20070046497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.06, 340/525, 340/508, 340/286.01, 340/825.6, 340/539.13, 370/338, 370/400, 709/220, 342/457, 342/419, 379/59
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A mote sensor may include and/or involve logic to respond to an external signal by providing one or more return signals indicative of at least one location of the mote sensor.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

signaling at least one mote network to cause at least one mote of the network to provide one or more return signals indicative of at least one location of the at least one mote, including signaling the at least one mote network to cause the at least one mote of the network to provide the one or more return signals indicative of the location of the at least one mote upon occurrence of one or more events and/or conditions associated with changes in one or more mote locations, wherein the mote network comprises one or more motes that are configured to signal neighbor motes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein signaling at least one mote network to cause at least one mote of the network to provide one or more return signals indicative of at least one location of the at least one mote further comprises:

signaling the at least one mote network to cause the at least one mote of the network to provide the one or more return signals indicative of at least one location of the at least one mote relative to at least one other mote.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein signaling at least one mote network to cause at least one mote of the network to provide one or more return signals indicative of at least one location of the at least one mote further comprises:

signaling the at least one mote network to cause the at least one mote of the network to provide the one or more return signals indicative of an absolute location of the at least one mote.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein signaling the at least one mote network to cause the at least one mote of the network to provide the one or more return signals indicative of the location of the at least one mote upon occurrence of one or more events and/or conditions associated with changes in one or more mote locations further comprises:

signaling the at least one mote network to cause the at least one mote of the network to provide the one or more return signals indicative of the location of the at least one mote as a result of turbulence in one or more media comprising the motes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein signaling the at least one mote network to cause the at least one mote of the network to provide the one or more return signals indicative of the location of the at least one mote upon occurrence of one or more events and/or conditions associated with changes in one or more mote locations further comprises:

signaling the at least one mote network to cause the at least one mote of the network to provide the one or more return signals indicative of the location of the at least one mote when one or more motes fail, provide at least one out-of-range reading, when one or motes are removed, or when one or more aggregate readings of the at least one mote network are out-of-range.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein signaling at least one mote network to cause at least one mote of the network to provide one or more return signals indicative of at least one location of the at least one mote further comprises:

signaling the at least one mote network to cause the at least one mote of the network to provide the one or more return signals indicative of the location of the at least one mote that provided an out-of-range measurement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein signaling at least one mote network to cause at least one mote of the network to provide one or more return signals indicative of at least one location of the at least one mote further comprises:

signaling the at least one mote network to cause at least one mote of the network to provide one or more return signals indicative of at least one offset from one or more previous locations of the at least one mote.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein signaling at least one mote network to cause at least one mote of the network to provide one or more return signals indicative of at least one location of the at least one mote further comprises:

the at least one mote using energy of the signaling to provide the one or more return signals.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one mote using energy of the signaling to provide the one or more return signals further comprises:

the at least one mote providing at least one phosphorescent response.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein signaling at least one mote network to cause at least one mote of the network to provide one or more return signals indicative of at least one location of the at least one mote further comprises:

signaling a first mote or motes of the network and the first mote or motes providing one or more return signals, the first mote or motes signaling one or more neighbor motes, and the one or more neighbor motes providing one or more return signals.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

signaling at least one mote network to cause at least one mote of the network to provide one or more return signals indicative of one or more statuses and/or conditions of the at least one mote.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

refining one or more graphical indications of mote locations to reflect one or more received indications of mote status and/or condition.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

refining one or more graphical indications to reflect one or more overall statuses and/or conditions of the at least one mote network.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

refining one or more graphical indications of mote locations according to one or more received indications of one or more mote locations.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more received indications of one or more mote locations further comprises:

one or more photographs or other representations of the at least one mote network.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the refining one or more graphical indications of one or more mote locations according to one or more received indications of one or more mote locations further comprises:

building one or more 2D and/or 3-D models of the at least one mote network according to the one or more received indications.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein refining one or more graphical indications of one or more mote locations according to one or more received indications of one or more mote locations further comprises:

overlaying one or more mote location indications on at least one image representing one or more mote network environments.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein refining one or more graphical indications of one or more mote locations according to one or more received indications of one or more mote locations further comprises:

providing the at least one indication that at least one mote has changed position.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein refining one or more graphical indications of one or more mote locations according to one or more received indications of one or more mote locations further comprises:

providing the at least one indication that at least one mote is in a wrong or unexpected position.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein refining one or more graphical indications of one or more mote locations according to one or more received indications of one or more mote locations further comprises:

providing the at least one indication that at least one mote is absent or not functioning at an expected position.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeatedly signaling the at least one mote network, capturing photos of light emitted by the one or more motes in response to the signaling, and creating one or more combined photos comprising two or more of the captured photos.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing at least one measured mote network topology with at least one desired or expected mote network topology.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one mote providing the one or more return signals via light, the one or more return signals captured by two or more cameras located at different places, and applying the one or more captured return signals to facilitate one or more 3-D location determinations for the at least one mote.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more motes responding to the signaling in one or more manners that distinguish the one or more motes in the at least one mote network.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more motes responding to the signaling in one or more manners that distinguish the one or more motes in the at least one mote network further comprises:

one or more motes responding with at least one of (a) one or more wireless identifiers, (b) one or more distinguishing light patterns and/or colors, or (c) one or more distinguishing sounds and/or tones.

26. A method comprising:

one or more motes of at least one mote network signaling at least one other mote of the at least one mote network to provide one or more return signals indicative of one or more locations of the at least one other mote, including signaling the at least one mote network to cause the at least one mote of the network to provide the one or more return signals indicative of the location of the at least one mote upon occurrence of one or more events and/or conditions associated with changes in one or more mote locations, wherein the mote network comprises one or more motes that are configured to signal neighbor motes.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein one or more motes of at least one mote network signaling at least one other mote of the at least one mote network to provide one or more return signals indicative of one or more locations of the at least one other mote further comprises:

one or more motes of the at least one mote network signaling one or more neighboring motes to provide the one or more return signals when the one or more neighboring motes provide one or more out-of-range readings.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein one or more motes of at least one mote network signaling at least one other mote of the at least one mote network to provide one or more return signals indicative of one or more locations of the at least one other mote further comprises:

one or more motes of the at least one mote network signaling one or more neighboring motes to provide the one or more return signals when the one or more neighboring motes provide a signal that is below an expected signal strength.

29. A mote sensor comprising:

logic to respond to an external signal by providing one or more return signals indicative of at least one location of the mote sensor, including logic to provide the one or more return signals indicative of the location of the mote upon occurrence of one or more events and/or conditions associated with changes in the mote'"'"'s location, wherein the mote sensor is configured to signal neighbor mote sensors.

30. The mote of claim 29, wherein the logic to respond to an external signal by providing one or more return signals indicative of at least one location of the mote sensor further comprises:

signaling the at least one mote network to cause the at least one mote of the network to provide the one or more return signals indicative of at least one location of the at least one mote relative to at least one other mote, and to cause at least one other mote of the network to provide the one or more return signals indicative of an absolute location of the at least one other mote.

31. The mote of claim 29, wherein the logic to respond to an external signal by providing one or more return signals indicative of at least one location of the mote sensor further comprises:

logic to receive at least one first signal preparing the mote to respond to at least one subsequent signal to report location.

32. The mote of claim 29, wherein the logic to respond to an external signal by providing one or more return signals indicative of at least one location of the mote sensor further comprises:

logic to provide the one or more return signals indicative of the location of the mote upon occurrence of one or more events and/or conditions associated with changes in the mote'"'"'s location as a result of turbulence in one or more media comprising the motes.

33. The mote of claim 29, wherein the logic to respond to an external signal by providing one or more return signals indicative of at least one location of the mote sensor further comprises:

logic to signal one or more neighbor motes to provide one or more return signals of location.

34. The mote of claim 29, further comprising:

logic to provide one or more return signals indicative of one or more statuses and/or conditions of the mote.

35. The mote of claim 34, wherein logic to provide one or more return signals indicative of one or more statuses and/or conditions of the mote further comprises:

logic to provide at least one indication of whether the mote is functioning normally, whether the mote has stored data available, or whether the mote is in communication with one or more mote neighbors.

36. A mote comprising:

logic to signal at least one other mote of a mote network to provide one or more return signals indicative of a location of the at least one other mote, including logic to provide the one or more return signals indicative of the location of the mote upon occurrence of one or more events and/or conditions associated with changes in the mote'"'"'s location, wherein the mote is configured to signal the at least one other mote.

37. The mote of claim 36, wherein the logic to signal at least one other mote of a mote network to provide one or more return signals indicative of a location of the at least one other mote further comprises:

logic to signal one or more neighboring motes to provide the one or more return signals when the one or more neighboring motes provide one or more out-of-range readings.

38. The mote of claim 36, wherein the logic to signal at least one other mote of a mote network to provide one or more return signals indicative of a location of the at least one other mote further comprises:

logic to signal one or more neighboring motes to provide the one or more return signals when the one or more neighboring motes provide a signal that is below an expected signal strength.