Sensor network including spatially distributed sensor nodes in an area for detection of mobile entities in the area

• US 8,321,171 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2006
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Borean, Claudio, Bella, Valter, Giannantonio, Roberta
• Primary Examiner(s): WACHSMAN, HAL D
• Application Number:
  US12/448,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,176 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 702/142
• 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 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system includes a plurality of networked nodes spatially distributed within a monitored area and adapted to interact with a mobile entity entering and moving through the area, the plurality of nodes including at least one area entrance node adapted to detect the mobile entity upon entering the monitored area, and a transaction node for accomplishing a transaction with the mobile entity; a transaction processing center in communication relationship with the nodes for processing data required for the transaction and for providing the data to the transaction node. A node selection unit is adapted to dynamically select the transaction node among the plurality of nodes based on an estimation of the speed of movement of the mobile entity.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of networked nodes spatially distributed within a monitored area and configured to interact with a mobile entity entering and moving through the monitored area, the plurality of nodes comprising at least one area entrance node configured to detect the mobile entity upon entering the monitored area, and a transaction node for accomplishing a transaction with the mobile entity;

a transaction processing center in communication relationship with the nodes for processing data required for the transaction and for providing the data to the transaction node; and

a node selection unit configured to dynamically select the transaction node among the plurality of nodes based on an estimation of speed of movement of the mobile entity, wherein the estimation of speed and an estimated transaction time required for processing the data are used to calculate an estimated distance, and the estimated distance is used to select the transaction node.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said estimation of the speed of movement of the mobile entity is performed upon detecting the mobile entity upon entering the monitored area.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said node selection unit is configured to dynamically select the transaction node based on a knowledge of a spatial distribution of the nodes within the monitored area.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one node of said plurality of networked nodes is operatively coupled with a sensor.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the entrance node is operatively coupled to a speed assessment sensor configured to estimate the speed of movement of the mobile entity within the monitored area.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the node selection unit comprises:

a transaction time estimation unit configured to estimate the transaction time;

a distance estimation unit configured to estimate the estimated distance covered by the mobile entity within the monitored area in said transaction time based on the estimated speed of movement; and

a node identification unit configured to select the transaction node based on the estimated distance and spatial distribution of the nodes.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the nodes are wireless nodes, each wireless node comprising a wireless transceiver.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the nodes are configured to route in a multi-hop way, signals received from other nodes.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the nodes are spatially distributed in respective fixed positions within the area.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each node is configured to enter a low power consumption state when inoperative.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the entrance node is configured to wake up from the low power consumption state upon detecting a moving entity entering the monitored area.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein each of said nodes is configured to wake up from the low power consumption state upon receiving a signal from another node or from the mobile entity.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said mobile entity comprises a networked node of said plurality of networked nodes.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile entity comprises a vibration sensor configured to activate the mobile entity when vibration is assessed.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile entity comprises a communication unit configured to wake up when the mobile entity enters the monitored area.

16. A method of operating a network of a plurality of nodes spatially distributed within a monitored area and configured to interact with a mobile entity entering the monitored area to accomplish a transaction, comprising:

having at least one entrance node, including a microcontroller, of the plurality of nodes, detecting the entrance of the mobile entity in the monitored area;

estimating a speed of movement of the mobile entity;

estimating a transaction time required for accomplishing the transaction;

estimating a distance run by the mobile entity within the monitored area in the estimated transaction time based on the estimated speed of movement; and

dynamically selecting a transaction node, using a node selection unit, among the plurality of nodes based on the estimated speed and the estimated distance; and

providing data to the transaction node from a transaction processing center, wherein the transaction processing center is in a communication relationship with the nodes for processing data required for the transaction.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said dynamically selecting is further based on a knowledge of a spatial distribution of the nodes within the monitored area.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said estimating the transaction time comprises:

getting from the mobile entity an indication of a type of transaction to be performed; and

dynamically estimating the transaction time based on the transaction type indication.