Low-power wireless vehicle locating unit
First Claim
1. A method of wireless communication between a vehicle locating unit and a plurality of peripheral devices that are disposed on or in a same object, the vehicle locating unit and each of the plurality of peripheral devices having a receiver and a transmitter, the method comprising:
- adapting the transmitter of each of the plurality of peripheral devices to generate transmission signals to be received by the receiver of the vehicle locating unit;
generating transmission signals by at least one of the plurality of peripheral devices, wherein the transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices include a signal having a prolonged preamble providing indicia of a desire to communicate data with the vehicle locating unit;
adapting the receiver of the vehicle locating unit to listen for the transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices for a first period of time during a second period of time that is longer than the first period of time;
estimating a likelihood that a received signal corresponds to the signal having a prolonged preamble using a counter;
acknowledging detected transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices, wherein acknowledging detected transmission signals includes listening for an authentication code from a corresponding source of detected transmission signals for a third period of time during a fourth period of time, wherein the third period of time is longer than the first period of time and the fourth period of time is shorter than the third period of time and wherein the authentication code is transmitted by the corresponding source of detected transmission signals during a transmit-and-receive cycle having a cyclical time that is shorter than the third period of time;
upon acknowledgement, establishing a communication link between the vehicle locating unit and the corresponding source of detected transmission signals; and
communicating data between the vehicle locating unit and the corresponding source of detected transmission signals in accordance with discrete timing information.
16 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods of, systems for, and articles of manufacture for wireless communication between a vehicle locating unit and peripheral devices that are disposed on or in the same object, the method including the steps of adapting the peripheral devices to generate transmission signals to be received by the vehicle locating unit; generating transmission signals by at least one of the peripheral devices; adapting the vehicle locating unit to listen for the transmission signals for a first period of time during a second period of time that is longer than the first period of time; acknowledging detected transmission signals from any of the peripheral devices; upon acknowledgement, establishing a communication link between the vehicle locating unit and a corresponding source of the detected transmission signals; and communicating data between the vehicle locating unit and the corresponding source of the detected transmission signals in accordance with discrete timing information.
12 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of wireless communication between a vehicle locating unit and a plurality of peripheral devices that are disposed on or in a same object, the vehicle locating unit and each of the plurality of peripheral devices having a receiver and a transmitter, the method comprising:
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adapting the transmitter of each of the plurality of peripheral devices to generate transmission signals to be received by the receiver of the vehicle locating unit; generating transmission signals by at least one of the plurality of peripheral devices, wherein the transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices include a signal having a prolonged preamble providing indicia of a desire to communicate data with the vehicle locating unit; adapting the receiver of the vehicle locating unit to listen for the transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices for a first period of time during a second period of time that is longer than the first period of time; estimating a likelihood that a received signal corresponds to the signal having a prolonged preamble using a counter; acknowledging detected transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices, wherein acknowledging detected transmission signals includes listening for an authentication code from a corresponding source of detected transmission signals for a third period of time during a fourth period of time, wherein the third period of time is longer than the first period of time and the fourth period of time is shorter than the third period of time and wherein the authentication code is transmitted by the corresponding source of detected transmission signals during a transmit-and-receive cycle having a cyclical time that is shorter than the third period of time; upon acknowledgement, establishing a communication link between the vehicle locating unit and the corresponding source of detected transmission signals; and communicating data between the vehicle locating unit and the corresponding source of detected transmission signals in accordance with discrete timing information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A low-power wireless communication system, the system comprising:
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a vehicle locating unit having a receiver, a transmitter, and a processing device with memory, wherein the vehicle locating unit is disposed on or in an object; and a plurality of peripheral devices that are disposed on or in the same object, wherein, each of the plurality of peripheral devices is adapted to generate transmission signals and to receive transmission signals, wherein the receiver of the vehicle locating unit is adapted to listen for the transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices for a first period of time during a second period of time that is longer than the first period of time, and the processing device of the vehicle locating unit is adapted to acknowledge detection of transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices, wherein acknowledging detected transmission signals includes listening for an authentication code from a corresponding source of detected transmission signals for a third period of time during a fourth period of time, wherein the third period of time is longer than the first period of time and the fourth period of time is shorter than the third period of time and wherein the authentication code is transmitted by the corresponding source of detected transmission signals during a transmit-and-receive cycle having a cyclical time that is shorter than the third period of time, to establish a communication link between the vehicle locating unit and a corresponding source of detected transmission signals via the transmitter, and to communicate data between the vehicle locating unit and the corresponding source of the detected transmission signals in accordance with discrete timing information. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method of wireless communication between a vehicle locating unit and a plurality of peripheral devices that are disposed on or in a same object, the vehicle locating unit and each of the plurality of peripheral devices having a receiver and a transmitter, the method comprising:
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adapting the transmitter of each of the plurality of peripheral devices to generate transmission signals to be received by the receiver of the vehicle locating unit; generating transmission signals by at least one of the plurality of peripheral devices, wherein the transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices includes a signal having a prolonged preamble providing indicia of a desire to communicate data with the vehicle locating unit; adapting the receiver of the vehicle locating unit to listen for the transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices for a first period of time during a second period of time that is longer than the first period of time; estimating a likelihood that a received signal corresponds to the signal having a prolonged preamble using a counter; acknowledging detected transmission signals from any of the plurality of peripheral devices; upon acknowledgement, establishing a communication link between the vehicle locating unit and a corresponding source of detected transmission signals; communicating data between the vehicle locating unit and the corresponding source of detected transmission signals in accordance with discrete timing information; and determining a location and a temporal point of occurrence of an exception event, wherein, if the location of an occurrence of the exception event is in the vehicle locating unit, the method further comprises; reserving a unique data transfer period for the corresponding source of detected transmission signals, wherein the unique data transfer period comprises N number of timing periods, wherein N is an integer greater than one;
each timing period has an equal temporal length;
each timing period has a first and a second boundary; and
the N number of timing periods of the unique data transfer period are delineated between a unique first boundary and a unique second boundary that no other peripheral device have; andtransmitting a data package from the vehicle locating unit to the corresponding source of detected transmission signals at a next unique boundary if the exception event occurs within one timing period of the next unique boundary, otherwise transmitting the data package at a next period boundary; otherwise, if the location of an occurrence of the exception event is in any of the plurality of peripheral devices, the method further comprising; reserving a unique data transfer period for the corresponding source of detected transmission signals, wherein the unique data transfer period comprises N number of timing periods, wherein N is an integer greater than one;
each timing period has an equal temporal length;
each timing period has a first and a second boundary; and
the N number of timing periods of the unique data transfer period are delineated between a unique first boundary and a unique second boundary that no other peripheral device have;reserving a discrete time slot during the unique data transfer period, wherein the discrete time slot is unique to the corresponding source of detected transmission signals for the purpose of data communication; and transmitting a data package from the corresponding source of detected transmission signals to the vehicle locating unit during the corresponding source'"'"'s reserved time slot if the exception event occurs within one time period of the next unique boundary of the unique data transfer period, otherwise transmitting a shortened prolonged preamble signal from the corresponding source of detected transmission signals to the vehicle locating unit at a next time period boundary.
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Specification