Wireless system protocols for power-efficient implementation of star and mesh wireless networks with local and wide-area coverage

• US 8,614,963 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2011
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiSilica, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SilverPlus, Inc.
• Inventors: Singamsetty, Suresh, Kwan, Dennis, Hsieh, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Sefcheck, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIVERS, ASHLEY L
• Application Number:
  US13/066,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20110305232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7143 Arrangements for generation of hop patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/715 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication system that allows communication devices to synchronize the transfer of data to allow the devices to wirelessly and efficiently communicate in a star or mesh network. The communication system operates in the presence of other communication systems noise sources using a spread spectrum frequency hopping transmission scheme to efficiently generate adaptive frequency hopping patterns that are unique to the members of the wireless network based on a network identification code. The communication system employs a predictive retrieval of data for transmission from one device storing the data to a requesting device. A communication device transfers communication from a first network to a second network when the device has been moved beyond the range of the first network, where the second network is in communication with at least one other member device of the first network.

Claims

1. A communication device wirelessly linked to a plurality of the communication devices, the communication device comprising:

a channel hopping control device using a unique network identification code identifying one network of one or more networks formed of the plurality of the communication devices for selecting a grouping of frequency channels within a radio frequency communication band for transmitting data between the communication devices within the one network of the one or more networks of the plurality of the communication devices;

a pseudorandom generator connected to the channel hopping control device using the unique network identification code as a seed for generating a pseudorandom channel hopping sequence of the selected channels; and

a synchronizing word generator that incorporates the unique network identification code or a common access identification code to generate a timing synchronizing word within a data packet for insuring synchronization of the communication devices within the one network of the one or more networks of the plurality of communication devices; and

a packet filter for examining the header of each packet that is received by the communication device and accepts those packets with destination communication identifier fields that are designated for the communication device and when the destination communication identifier field is not designated for the communication device, the packet is discarded;

wherein the unique network identification code is assigned to one first type communication device within the one network to allow the other communication devices of the one network to communicate only with the one first type of communication device of the one network such that the one network of the one or more networks is structured as a star network and the common access identification code allows the communication device to communicate with all communication devices of the one network such that the one network of the one or more networks is a mesh network;

wherein the common access identification code allows new communication devices to join the one network of the one or more networks of the plurality of communication devices not knowing the unique network identification code;

wherein the common access identification code allows certain types of communication devices within the one network of the one or more networks of the plurality of communication devices to accept communication with certain other types of communication devices within or not within the network to provide special services to the certain types of communication devices.

2. The communication device of claim 1 further comprising a received signal strength indicator circuit to determine which of the frequency channels within a radio frequency communication band are acceptable for communicating between the communication devices within the one network of the one or more networks of the plurality of communication devices.

3. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the types of communication devices comprise:

a first type of communication device that is a control communication device;

a second type of communication device that is a human interface device to allow a person to request and receive services from other devices on the one network of the one or more networks of the plurality of communication devices; and

a third type of communication device on the one network of the one or more networks of the plurality of communication devices that is a service communication device to perform services.

4. The communication device of claim 3 wherein the performed services comprising transferring data and voice and activating functional devices connected to a third communication device.

5. The communication device of claim 4 wherein the functional devices include lights and alarms, telephones, or other electrical and/or mechanical devices.

6. The communication device of claim 3 wherein the one network of the one or more networks of the plurality of communication devices is configured as a star network and all the communication devices communicate with one first type communication device and the second and third type communication devices communicate with each other through the control communication device.

7. The communication device of claim 3 wherein the first type communication device is assigned the unique network identification code to allow each of the first type communication devices to communicate with the control communication device.

8. The communication device of claim 3 wherein the common access identification code is used by third type communication devices linked to the one network of the one or more networks of the plurality of communication devices to provide special services to requesting second type communication devices, wherein the third type communication devices accepts communications from multiple networks through the common access identification code.

9. The communication device of claim 3 wherein a device identification code is assigned uniquely to the communication device and is used in conjunction with the unique network identification code and the common access identification code to filter data packets that are addressed to the communication device.

10. The communication device of claim 3 wherein the communication device uses the common access identification code to communicate with other devices within another network of the plurality of communication devices to which the communication device is not a member to request to join the other network of the plurality of communication devices.

11. The communication device of claim 10 wherein the first type communication device of the other network of the plurality of communication devices transmits the unique network identification code, a time stamp, and a timing offset to the requesting second type communication device and the requesting second type communication device employs the unique network identification code to generate the grouping of frequency channels used by the other network of the plurality of communication devices and the frequency hopping sequence.

12. The communication device of claim 11 wherein the communication device transmits request to join messages sequentially on each of the frequency channels of the radio frequency communication band and waits for the first type communication device to receive and respond to one of the request to join messages on a channel that the first type communication device is monitoring.

13. The communication device of claim 3 wherein the data is transmitted on the one network of the one or more networks of the plurality of communication devices as data packets wherein the data packets comprise:

an access code including;

a preamble and a synchronizing word, and

a header comprising a sending communication device identifier field and a destination communication identifier field.

14. The communication device of claim 13 wherein the sending communication device identifier field and the destination communication identifier field further comprise a device identification code and the unique network identification code or the common access network identification code.

15. The communication device of claim 13 further comprising a packet filter wherein the packet filter examines the header of each packet that is received by the communication device and accepts those packets with destination communication identifier fields that are designated for the communication device and when the destination communication identifier field is not designated for the communication device, the packet is discarded.

16. The communication device of claim 3 wherein the second type communication device is a wearable health management device and the control communication device is a base station controlling other wearable health management devices connected to the one network of the one or more networks of the plurality of communication devices.

17. The communication device of claim 16 wherein the third type communication device is a switching device to activate and deactivate service equipment.

18. The communication device of claim 16 wherein the service equipment is lights or emergency sounding devices.

19. The communication device of claim 16 wherein the third type communication device is a network extender device to provide a range extension for the second type communication devices that have moved beyond the range of the control communication device.

20. The communication device of claim 16 wherein the third type communication device is a telephone with a microphone and speaker for transmitting and receiving sounds.

21. The communication device of claim 20 wherein the data is encoded speech and is transmitted isochronously.

22. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the communication device requests data from another communication device and the other communication device transmits a bitmap to the requesting communication device.

23. The communication device of claim 22 wherein the data transmitting communication device retrieves the data from a high latency storage medium and predictively stages the data pending requests from the requesting communication device.

24. The communication device of claim 1 further comprising a power supply control circuit that places the communication device in a sleep mode to minimize power consumption.

25. The communication device of claim 24 wherein the power supply control circuit periodically activates the communication device to receive a beacon signal from a controlling communication device on the one network of the one or more networks of the plurality of communication devices.

26. The communication device of claim 25 wherein when the communication device does not have any data to receive, the communication is returned to the sleep mode.

27. The communication device of claim 25 wherein when the communication device is to receive the data, it transmits a ready-to-receive message to the controlling device and receives the data from the controlling communication device.

28. The communication device of claim 27 wherein the controlling communication device transmits a data offset and length and the communication device then transmits a request for portions of the data based on the data offset and length.

29. The communication device of claim 25 wherein when the communication device does not receive the beacon, it attempts to resynchronize with the one network of the one or more networks of the plurality of communication devices at an increased frequency.

30. The communication device of claim 29 wherein when the communication device is resynchronized, it receives and transmits data until a communication task is complete.

31. The communication device of claim 29 wherein when the communication device is not resynchronized, it will return to the sleep mode for a period of time and then retry to resynchronize.

32. The communication device of claim 29 wherein when the communication device is repeatedly not resynchronized, the time that the communication device is in the sleep mode is extended until the communication has not been synchronized for an unsynchronized time limit, at which time, the device will maintain the sleep mode for the unsynchronized time limit.

33. The communication device of claim 29 further comprising a network transfer circuit that transfers communication of the communication device from one network of a plurality networks of the plurality of communication devices to a second network of the plurality of networks of the plurality of communication devices when the communication device has been moved beyond the range of the one network of the one or more networks of the plurality of communication devices, wherein when the communication device is repeatedly not synchronized, the communication device will attempt to communicate with the control communication device through the second network of the plurality of networks of the plurality of communication devices that is a wide area wireless system.

34. The communication device of claim 33 wherein when the communication device becomes resynchronized to the one network of the plurality of networks of the plurality of communication devices, the communication device maintains communication with the second network of the plurality of the plurality of communication devices for a period of time to insure that the synchronization is secure.

35. The communication device of claim 34 wherein the wide area wireless system is a cellular telephone system.

36. The communication device of claim 33 further comprising a proximity monitor that determines when the communication device is in sufficiently close proximity to other communication devices that are members of the one network of the plurality of networks of the plurality of communication devices to maintain synchronization.

37. The communication device of claim 36 wherein when the communication device is not sufficiently close, the communication will assume the sleep mode.

38. The communication device of claim 37 wherein when an emergency occurs, the communication device will activate and attempt at resynchronization.

39. The communication device of claim 38 wherein when resynchronization does not occur, the communication device will activate the second network of the plurality of communication devices to communicate the emergency to the control communication device of the one network of the plurality of communication devices.

40. The communication device of claim 33 wherein the one network of the plurality of networks of the plurality of communication devices is a wireless local area network and the second network plurality of networks of the plurality of communication devices is a wide area wireless network.

41. The communication device of claim 29 further comprising a motion detector wherein when the communication device is unsynchronized and has not been in motion for a period of time, the communication device is placed in the sleep mode for an unsynchronized time limit, until the motion detector determines that the communication device has been moved.