Method for synchronizing sleeping nodes in a wireless network
First Claim
1. In a wireless network having a plurality of nodes, including a beacon node, a comprising:
- determining, at each node, whether to replace the beacon node;
if a node determines that the beacon node is to be replaced, determining whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, wherein determining whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node is a function of a nomination probability associated with the node;
if the node determines that it should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, sending out one or more beacon signals;
receiving beacon signals from other nodes that have nominated themselves as potential replacement beacon nodes; and
selecting the replacement beacon node wherein the selecting includes;
determining, at each potential replacement beacon node, whether the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node; and
if the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node, removing itself as a candidate for the replacement beacon node;
wherein determining whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node includes generating a random number at the node and comparing the random number to a threshold value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method of operating a wireless network having a plurality of nodes. Each node determines whether to replace the beacon node. When a node determines that the beacon node is to be replaced, the node determines whether it should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node. The decision whether to nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node is a function of a random number generated by the node. If the node determines that it should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, the node sends out one or more beacon signals. Beacon signals are received by potential replacement nodes and, if the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node, the node removes itself as a candidate for the replacement beacon node.
15 Citations
22 Claims
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1. In a wireless network having a plurality of nodes, including a beacon node, a comprising:
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determining, at each node, whether to replace the beacon node; if a node determines that the beacon node is to be replaced, determining whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, wherein determining whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node is a function of a nomination probability associated with the node; if the node determines that it should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, sending out one or more beacon signals; receiving beacon signals from other nodes that have nominated themselves as potential replacement beacon nodes; and selecting the replacement beacon node wherein the selecting includes; determining, at each potential replacement beacon node, whether the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node; and if the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node, removing itself as a candidate for the replacement beacon node; wherein determining whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node includes generating a random number at the node and comparing the random number to a threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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2. In a wireless network having a plurality of nodes, including a beacon node, a method comprising:
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determining, at each node, whether to replace the beacon node; if a node determines that the beacon node is to be replaced, determining whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, wherein determining whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node is a function of a nomination probability associated with the node; if the node determines that it should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, sending out one or more beacon signals; receiving beacon signals from other nodes that have nominated themselves as potential replacement beacon nodes; and selecting the replacement beacon node wherein the selecting includes; determining, at each potential replacement beacon node, whether the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node; and if the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node, removing itself as a candidate for the replacement beacon node; wherein determining whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node includes generating a random number at the node and comparing the random number to a threshold value associated with the node. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 15, 16)
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17. A wireless network comprising:
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a plurality of nodes, wherein each node communicates wirelessly to one or more other nodes in the network and wherein one node operates as a beacon node to synchronize each of the remaining nodes; wherein each node includes; a detection mechanism for detecting when the beacon node should be replaced; a self-nominating mechanism for determining when the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node; and an election mechanism for removing the node as a candidate for the replacement beacon node; wherein the self-nominating mechanism operates to determine whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, wherein the node nominates itself as a function of a nomination probability associated with the node; wherein the node transmits a beacon signal to other nodes in the network periodically as long as it remains a potential replacement beacon node; and wherein the election mechanism removes the node as a candidate for the replacement beacon node when the node receives a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node; and wherein the node determines whether to nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node by generating a random number at the node and comparing the random number to a threshold value associated with the node. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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18. A wireless network comprising:
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a plurality of nodes, wherein each node communicates wirelessly to one or more other nodes in the network and wherein one node operates as a beacon node to synchronize each of the remaining nodes; wherein each node includes; a detection mechanism for detecting when the beacon node should be replaced; a self-nominating mechanism for determining when the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node; and an election mechanism for removing the node as a candidate for the replacement beacon node; wherein the self-nominating mechanism operates to determine whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, wherein the node nominates itself as a function of a nomination probability associated with the node; wherein the node transmits a beacon signal to other nodes in the network periodically as long as it remains a potential replacement beacon node; and wherein the election mechanism removes the node as a candidate for the replacement beacon node when the node receives a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node; wherein the node nominates itself as a function of a random number generated by the node and a threshold value associated with the node; wherein the threshold value associated with the node is a function of a link-quality metric associated with the node.
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19. A wireless network comprising:
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a plurality of nodes, wherein each node communicates wirelessly to one or more other nodes in the network and wherein one node operates as a beacon node to synchronize each of the remaining nodes; wherein each node includes; a detection mechanism for detecting when the beacon node should be replaced; a self-nominating mechanism for determining when the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node; and an election mechanism for removing the node as a candidate for the replacement beacon node; wherein the self-nominating mechanism operates to determine whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, wherein the node nominates itself as a function of a nomination probability associated with the node; wherein the node transmits a beacon signal to other nodes in the network periodically as long as it remains a potential replacement beacon node; and wherein the election mechanism removes the node as a candidate for the replacement beacon node when the node receives a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node; wherein the node nominates itself as a function of a random number generated by the node and a threshold value associated with the node; wherein the threshold value associated with the node is a function of the location of the node with respect to the other nodes in the wireless network.
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20. A wireless network comprising:
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a plurality of nodes, wherein each node communicates wirelessly to one or more other nodes in the network and wherein one node operates as a beacon node to synchronize each of the remaining nodes; wherein each node includes; a detection mechanism for detecting when the beacon node should be replaced; a self-nominating mechanism for determining when the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node; and an election mechanism for removing the node as a candidate for the replacement beacon node; wherein the self-nominating mechanism operates to determine whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, wherein the node nominates itself as a function of a nomination probability associated with the node; wherein the node transmits a beacon signal to other nodes in the network periodically as long as it remains a potential replacement beacon node; and wherein the election mechanism removes the node as a candidate for the replacement beacon node when the node receives a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node; wherein the node nominates itself as a function of a random number generated by the node and a threshold value associated with the node; wherein the threshold value associated with the node is selected to favor nomination of nodes close to the center of the network and disfavor nodes away from the center of the network.
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22. An article comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by a machine, create a system for executing a method comprising:
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determining, at each node in a wireless network having a plurality of nodes, whether to replace the beacon node; if a node determines that the beacon node is to be replaced, determining whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, wherein determining whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node is a function of a nomination probability associated with the node; if the node determines that it should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, sending out one or more beacon signals; receiving beacon signals from other nodes that have nominated themselves as potential replacement beacon nodes; and selecting the replacement beacon node, wherein the selecting includes; determining, at each potential replacement beacon node, whether the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node; and if the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node, removing itself as a candidate for the replacement beacon node; wherein determining whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node includes generating a random number at the node and comparing the random number to a threshold value.
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Specification