Transmitting radio signals using simultaneous retransmission
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving by a first device a first message from a source device, the message including data identifying a destination device from among a plurality of devices in a wireless network;
determining that the first device is an intermediary device;
determining a timing of the reception of the first message;
determining a time period for transmitting a modified message, after the determined timing of the reception of the first message, by summing a predefined duration of the first message with a predefined synchronization time period;
synchronizing a clock of the first device to a predefined timing signal included with the first message; and
transmitting, by the first device, a first modified message based upon the synchronized clock and the identified time period.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a simulcast approach to broadcasting a message from each device, or node, of a network. A source device, such as a wall switch, may broadcast a message that may be received by a plurality of devices, such as light bulbs, in a network. Each of the plurality of devices may receive the message at substantially the same time. In response to the message, the receiving devices may determine if the message is to be retransmitted. If the message is to be retransmitted, it may generate a modified message. Each of the plurality of devices may transmit the modified message substantially simultaneously. To maintain timing to the source device between the devices in the network, the message may be configured to facilitate synchronization of the clocks to a timing signal in the message.
10 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving by a first device a first message from a source device, the message including data identifying a destination device from among a plurality of devices in a wireless network; determining that the first device is an intermediary device; determining a timing of the reception of the first message; determining a time period for transmitting a modified message, after the determined timing of the reception of the first message, by summing a predefined duration of the first message with a predefined synchronization time period; synchronizing a clock of the first device to a predefined timing signal included with the first message; and transmitting, by the first device, a first modified message based upon the synchronized clock and the identified time period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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receiving, by a first device of a plurality of devices in a wireless network, a first message from a source device, the message including a retransmission value and a destination device identifier that identifies a destination device from among the plurality of devices; receiving a predefined timing signal from the source device, wherein the predefined timing signal is appended to the first message, the timing signal comprising a series of bits that change in value at a frequency similar to the frequency of a native clock in the receiving device; based upon a result of a comparison of the destination device identifier with a first device identifier, performing a sequence of actions selected from the group consisting of; (i) determining that the first device is not the sole destination device; decrementing the retransmission value; and transmitting, by the first device, a first modified message based upon the first message and the predefined timing signal, the first modified message comprising the decremented retransmission value; and (ii) determining that the first device is a destination device; and transmitting an acknowledgement signal indicating that the first message was received by the destination device, the acknowledgement signal being transmitted after a period of time corresponding to a remaining expected retransmissions. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method, comprising:
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generating a data frame based on input signals received at a processor, wherein the data frame includes data identifying a destination device and a retransmission value; appending a timing signal to the end of the data frame to form a message including the data frame and the timing signal, the timing signal comprising a series of bits that change in value at a frequency similar to the frequency of a native clock in the receiving device; broadcasting the message to a plurality of devices; receiving the message by a plurality of intermediary devices of the plurality of devices that are not the destination device; processing the message at all of the intermediary devices that receive the message to determine if the message is to be retransmitted based on the retransmission value; substantially synchronizing a native clock of all the intermediary devices that received the message to the timing signal appended to the message; generating a modified message at the intermediary devices that received the message by changing the retransmission value in the message; and transmitting the modified message substantially simultaneously by each of the respective intermediary devices that received the message according to the intermediary device'"'"'s synchronized clock. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method comprising:
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receiving by a first device a first message from a source device, the message including data identifying a destination device from among a plurality of devices in a wireless network; determining that the first device is an intermediary device; determining a time at which a last data frame of the first message ends; determining a time period for transmitting a modified message, the time period being equal to a predefined synchronization time period; synchronizing a clock of the first device to a predefined timing signal included with the first message; and transmitting, by the first device, a first modified message based upon the synchronized clock and the identified time period. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification