System and method for multi-power signaling device

• US 8,879,465 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Ackley, Jonathan Michael, Watson, Scott F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Taha, Shaq
• Application Number:
  US13/111,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20120294378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 370/318
• US Class Current: 370/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/00 Modulated-carrier systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/322 Power control of broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/36 with a discrete range or set of values, e.g. step size, ramping or offsets
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for operating multi-power signaling device. There is provided a system comprising a memory, a transmitter, and a processor. The processor chooses a power level from a plurality of transmit power levels to be used as the strength for broadcasting the next signal to be broadcasted. The selected power level value is converted into a digital value and inserted into the data content of the signal to be broadcasted. The transmitter broadcasts the signal at the strength of the prior selected power level.

Claims

1. A method for operating a multi-power signaling device, the method comprising:

generating a first time interval trigger of a plurality of time interval triggers using an internal time interval coordinator, wherein each of the plurality of time interval triggers corresponds respectively to each of a plurality of transmit power levels;

selecting a first power level from the plurality of transmit power levels corresponding to the first time interval trigger;

inserting a first digital value corresponding to the first power level into a payload of a first transmit signal;

broadcasting the first transmit signal at the first power level in response to the first time interval trigger;

generating a second time interval trigger of the plurality of time interval triggers using the internal time interval coordinator;

selecting a second power level from the plurality of transmit power levels corresponding to the second time interval trigger, wherein the second power level is lower than the first power level;

inserting a second digital value corresponding to the second power level into a payload of a second transmit signal; and

broadcasting the second transmit signal at the second power level in response to the second time interval trigger, wherein the second transmit signal is broadcast at a shorter range than the first transmit signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-power signaling device comprises an active radio-frequency identification (RFID) device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-power signaling device comprises a Bluetooth transmitter.

4. A multi-power signaling device comprising:

a transmitter; and

a processor configured to;

generate a first time interval trigger of a plurality of time interval triggers using an internal time interval coordinator, wherein each of the plurality of time interval triggers corresponds respectively to each of a plurality of transmit power levels;

select a first power level from the plurality of transmit power levels corresponding to the first time interval trigger;

insert a first digital value corresponding to the first power level into a payload of a first transmit signal;

broadcast, using the transmitter, the first transmit signal at the first power level in response to the first time interval trigger;

generate a second time interval trigger of the plurality of time interval triggers using the internal time interval coordinator;

select a second power level from the plurality of transmit power levels corresponding to the second time interval trigger, wherein the second power level is lower than the first power level;

insert a second digital value corresponding to the second power level into a payload of a second transmit signal; and

broadcast, using the transmitter, the second transmit signal at the second power level in response to the second time interval trigger, wherein the second transmit signal is broadcast at a shorter range than the first transmit signal.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the multi-power signaling device comprises an active radio-frequency identification (RFID) device.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the transmitter comprises a Bluetooth transmitter.