Accelerated rejoining in low power wireless networking for logistics and transportation applications
First Claim
1. A network device for communicating with a wireless sensor network, the network device comprising:
- a battery;
a wireless interface; and
a processing unit coupled with the battery and the wireless interface, wherein the processing unit is configured to cause the network device to;
periodically scan for beacons at a first scanning rate when the network device is associated with the wireless sensor network, wherein scanning for beacons comprises operating in a mode to detect a predetermined pattern using the wireless interface;
determine that the network device no longer is associated with the wireless sensor network;
periodically scan for beacons at a second scanning rate for a certain period of time after the determining the network device no longer is associated with the wireless sensor network, wherein the second scanning rate is higher than the first scanning rate; and
periodically scan for beacons at a third scanning rate if, after the certain period of time, the network device is not associated with the wireless sensor network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques are disclosed for enabling accelerated rejoining of network devices in a low-power wireless network after a connection to the low-power wireless network is lost. Embodiments generally include, for a network device that periodically conducts scans for beacons on the low-power wireless network, increasing the frequency, or scanning rate, at which the scans are performed. After a certain period of time, if the network device has not joined the low-power wireless network, the network device can implement a different scanning rate until it rejoins with the network. Additional techniques may be used to reduce power usage and preserve the structure of a portion of the low-power wireless network that has become disconnected with the rest of the network.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A network device for communicating with a wireless sensor network, the network device comprising:
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a battery; a wireless interface; and a processing unit coupled with the battery and the wireless interface, wherein the processing unit is configured to cause the network device to; periodically scan for beacons at a first scanning rate when the network device is associated with the wireless sensor network, wherein scanning for beacons comprises operating in a mode to detect a predetermined pattern using the wireless interface; determine that the network device no longer is associated with the wireless sensor network; periodically scan for beacons at a second scanning rate for a certain period of time after the determining the network device no longer is associated with the wireless sensor network, wherein the second scanning rate is higher than the first scanning rate; and periodically scan for beacons at a third scanning rate if, after the certain period of time, the network device is not associated with the wireless sensor network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of communication in a low-power wireless network, the method comprising:
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periodically scanning for beacons at a first scanning rate when a network device is associated with the low-power wireless network, wherein scanning for beacons comprises operating the network device in a mode to detect a predetermined pattern sent from the low-power wireless network; determining that the network device no longer is associated with the low-power wireless network; periodically scanning for beacons at a second scanning rate for a certain period of time after the determining the network device no longer is associated with the low-power wireless network, wherein the second scanning rate is higher than the first scanning rate; and periodically scanning for beacons at a third scanning rate if, after the certain period of time, the network device is not associated with the low-power wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A first network device for communicating with a low-power wireless network, the network device comprising:
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a battery; a wireless interface; and a processing unit coupled with the battery and the wireless interface, wherein the processing unit is configured to cause the first network device to; create at least one wireless connection to associate the first network device to the low-power wireless network; periodically scan for beacons at a first scanning rate when the at least one wireless connection is maintained with the low-power wireless network; determine that the first network device has lost the at least one wireless connection with the low-power wireless network; periodically scan for beacons at a second scanning rate for a certain period of time after determining that the first network device has lost the at least one wireless connection with the low-power wireless network, wherein the second scanning rate is higher than the first scanning rate; and periodically scan for beacons at a third scanning rate if, after the certain period of time, the first network device has not created a new wireless connection with the low-power wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification