Systems and methods for operating a device in sleep and awake modes

• US 9,503,974 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2016
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synapse Wireless Incorporated (Mcwane Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Synapse Wireless Incorporated (Mcwane Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ewing, David B., Banks, Kevin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Eunsook
• Application Number:
  US14/995,576
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1867 Arrangements specially adapted for the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/10 based on available power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for switching data at nodes of a wireless networks. In one exemplary embodiment, a node comprises memory, a first port, a second port, a virtual machine, and logic. The memory is configured to store port settings, and the virtual machine is configured to execute a remote procedure call wirelessly transmitted to the node through the wireless network. In executing the remote procedure call, the virtual machine is configured to set the port settings. The logic is configured to receive data from the first port and to transmit the data to the second port based on the port settings without processing of the data by the virtual machine such that the data streams unchanged through the node from the first port to the second port.

Claims

1. A remote device that operates in a sleep mode and an awake mode, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) radio configured to directly communicate with a routing device over a plurality of channels, wherein the remote device and the routing device are associated with a network, and wherein the RF radio does not send or receive messages during the sleep mode;

memory configured to store a unique identifier associated with the remote device and a network identifier associated with the network;

a processing element configured to initiate the awake mode on a periodic basis, monitor one or more channels of the plurality of channels during the awake mode, determine an energy level associated with each monitored channel, and determine whether a message is being received based on the monitored energy levels, wherein the processing element is further configured to determine whether to process the received message based on one or more identifiers provided in the received message, the unique identifier, and the network identifier, and wherein the processing element is configured to generate a responsive message based on the processed received message;

an apparatus; and

a sensor, wherein the sensor and the apparatus are configured to operate during the sleep mode and the awake mode, wherein the processing element is configured, during the sleep mode and the awake mode, to receive data from the sensor and generate the responsive message based on the received sensor data, and provide the responsive message to the RF radio, and wherein the RF radio is configured to the transmit the responsive message to the routing device during the awake mode.

2. The remote device of claim 1, wherein the processing element is configured to generate a configuration message comprising a plurality of configuration parameters of the remote device and provide the configuration message to the RF radio, and wherein the RF radio is configured to transmit the configuration message to the routing device during the awake mode.

3. The remote device of claim 1, wherein the processing element is configured to compare the received sensor data to a threshold and identify one or more events based on the comparison, and wherein the responsive message comprises the one or more events.

4. The remote device of claim 3, wherein the responsive message is not provided to the RF radio if the received sensor data is less than the threshold.

5. The remote device of claim 3, wherein the responsive message is not provided to the RF radio if the received sensor data is greater than the threshold.

6. The remote device of claim 3, wherein the processing element is configured to receive a threshold information message from the routing device via the RF radio, wherein the threshold information message comprises one or more updated thresholds, wherein the processing element is configured to update one or more existing thresholds of the remote device with the updated thresholds, and wherein the processing element is configured to identify the one or more events based on the updated thresholds.

7. The remote device of claim 1, wherein the processing element is configured to receive a configuration message from the routing device via the RF radio, wherein the configuration message comprises one or more updated configuration parameters, and wherein the processing element is configured to update one or more existing configuration parameters of the remote device with the updated configuration parameters.

8. The remote device of claim 7, wherein the processing element is configured to operate the apparatus and the sensor based on the updated configuration parameters.

9. The remote device of claim 1, wherein the apparatus provides an electrical signal.

10. The remote device of claim 9, further comprising a second apparatus, wherein the second apparatus comprises an actuator.

11. The remote device of claim 1, wherein the processing element is configured to generate a channel switching message comprising an instruction to switch to a new channel of the plurality of channels and to provide the channel switching message to the RF radio, and wherein the RF radio is configured to transmit the channel switching message to the routing device during the awake mode.

12. The remote device of claim 11, wherein the instruction to switch to the new channel is generated based on an energy level associated with the new channel.

13. The remote device of claim 1, wherein the processing element is configured to receive a script update message from the routing device via the RF radio, wherein the script update message comprises one or more updated scripts, wherein the processing element is configured to update one or more existing scripts of the remote device with the updated scripts, and wherein the processing element is configured to operate at least one of the apparatus and the sensor based on the updated scripts.

14. The remote device of claim 13, wherein the processing element is configured to operate both the apparatus and the sensor based on the updated scripts.

15. The remote device of claim 1, wherein the received sensor data is based on the operation of the apparatus.

16. A remote device that operates in a sleep mode and an awake mode, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) radio configured to directly communicate with a routing device over a plurality of channels, wherein the remote device and the routing device are associated with a network, and wherein the RF radio does not send or receive messages during the sleep mode;

memory configured to store a unique identifier associated with the remote device and a network identifier associated with the network;

a processing element configured to initiate the awake mode on a periodic basis, transmit a message on a first channel of the plurality of channels, determine an energy level associated with the first channel, and determine whether a responsive message is being received based on the monitored energy level, wherein the processing element is further configured to determine whether to process the responsive message based on one or more identifiers provided in the responsive message, the unique identifier, and the network identifier, and wherein the processing element is configured to generate a reply message based on the processed responsive message;

a sensor; and

an apparatus, wherein the sensor and the apparatus are configured to operate during the sleep mode and the awake mode, wherein the processing element is configured, during the sleep mode and the awake mode, to receive data from the sensor and generate the reply message based on the received sensor data, and provide the reply message to the RF radio, wherein the received sensor data is based on the operation of the apparatus, and wherein the RF radio is configured to transmit the reply message to the routing device during the awake mode.

17. The remote device of claim 16, wherein the processing element is configured to generate a configuration message comprising a plurality of configuration parameters of the remote device and provide the configuration message to the RF radio, and wherein the RF radio is configured to transmit the configuration message to the routing device during the awake mode.

18. The remote device of claim 16, wherein the processing element is configured to compare the received sensor data to a threshold and identify one or more events based on the comparison, and wherein the reply message comprises the one or more events.

19. The remote device of claim 16, wherein the processing element is configured to receive a configuration message from the routing device via the RF radio, wherein the configuration message comprises one or more updated configuration parameters, wherein the processing element is configured to update one or more existing configuration parameters of the remote device with the updated configuration parameters, and wherein the processing element is configured to operate the apparatus and the sensor based on the updated configuration parameters.

20. The remote device of claim 16, further comprising a second apparatus, wherein the apparatus provides an electrical signal and wherein the second apparatus comprises an actuator.

21. A remote device that operates in a sleep mode and an awake mode, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) radio configured to directly communicate with a routing device over a plurality of channels, wherein the remote device and the routing device are associated with a network, and wherein the RF radio does not send or receive messages during the sleep mode;

memory configured to store a unique identifier associated with the remote device and a network identifier associated with the network;

a processing element configured to initiate the awake mode on a periodic basis, transmit a message on a first channel of the plurality of channels, determine an energy level associated with the first channel, and determine whether a responsive message is being received based on the monitored energy level, wherein the processing element is further configured to determine whether to process the responsive message based on one or more identifiers provided in the responsive message, the unique identifier, and the network identifier, and wherein the processing element is configured to generate a reply message based on the processed responsive message;

a sensor;

an apparatus that is configured to provide an electrical signal; and

an actuator, wherein the sensor, the apparatus, and the actuator are configured to operate during the sleep mode and the awake mode, wherein the processing element is configured, during the sleep mode and the awake mode, to receive data from the sensor and generate the reply message based on the received sensor data, and provide the reply message to the RF radio, wherein the received sensor data is based on the operation of the apparatus, and wherein the RF radio is configured to transmit the reply message to the routing device during the awake mode.

22. The remote device of claim 21, wherein the processing element is configured to generate a configuration message comprising a plurality of configuration parameters of the remote device and provide the configuration message to the RF radio, and wherein the RF radio is configured to transmit the configuration message to the routing device during the awake mode.

23. The remote device of claim 21, wherein the processing element is configured to compare the received sensor data to a threshold and identify one or more events based on the comparison, and wherein the reply message comprises the one or more events.

24. The remote device of claim 21, wherein the processing element is configured to receive a configuration message from the routing device via the RF radio, wherein the configuration message comprises one or more updated configuration parameters, wherein the processing element is configured to update one or more existing configuration parameters of the remote device with the updated configuration parameters, and wherein the processing element is configured to operate the apparatus, the actuator, and the sensor based on the updated configuration parameters.

25. The remote device of claim 21, wherein the processing element is configured to receive a script update message from the routing device via the RF radio, wherein the script update message comprises one or more updated scripts, wherein the processing element is configured to update one or more existing scripts of the remote device with the updated scripts, and wherein the processing element is configured to operate the apparatus, the actuator, and the sensor based on the updated scripts.

26. A remote device that operates in a sleep mode and an awake mode, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) radio configured to directly communicate with a routing device over a plurality of channels, wherein the remote device and the routing device are associated with a network, and wherein the RF radio does not send or receive messages during the sleep mode;

memory configured to store a unique identifier associated with the remote device and a network identifier associated with the network;

a processing element configured to initiate the awake mode on a periodic basis, monitor one or more channels of the plurality of channels during the awake mode, determine an energy level associated with each monitored channel, and determine whether a message is being received based on the monitored energy levels, wherein the processing element is further configured to determine whether to process the received message based on one or more identifiers provided in the received message, the unique identifier, and the network identifier, and wherein the processing element is configured to generate a responsive message based on the processed received message;

a sensor;

an apparatus that is configured to provide an electrical signal; and

an actuator, wherein the sensor, the apparatus, and the actuator are configured to operate during the sleep mode and the awake mode, wherein the processing element is configured, during the sleep mode and the awake mode, to receive data from the sensor and generate the responsive message based on the received sensor data, and provide the responsive message to the RF radio, wherein the received sensor data is based on the operation of the apparatus, and wherein the RF radio is configured to transmit the responsive message to the routing device during the awake mode.

27. The remote device of claim 26, wherein the processing element is configured to generate a configuration message comprising a plurality of configuration parameters of the remote device and provide the configuration message to the RF radio, and wherein the RF radio is configured to transmit the configuration message to the routing device during the awake mode.

28. The remote device of claim 26, wherein the processing element is configured to compare the received sensor data to a threshold and identify one or more events based on the comparison, and wherein the responsive message comprises the one or more events.

29. The remote device of claim 26, wherein the processing element is configured to receive a configuration message from the routing device via the RF radio, wherein the configuration message comprises one or more updated configuration parameters, wherein the processing element is configured to update one or more existing configuration parameters of the remote device with the updated configuration parameters, and wherein the processing element is configured to operate the apparatus, the actuator, and the sensor based on the updated configuration parameters.

30. The remote device of claim 26, wherein the processing element is configured to receive a script update message from the routing device via the RF radio, wherein the script update message comprises one or more updated scripts, wherein the processing element is configured to update one or more existing scripts of the remote device with the updated scripts, and wherein the processing element is configured to operate apparatus, the actuator, and the sensor based on the updated scripts.