Improvements wireless sensor networks
First Claim
1. A coordinator for use together with other network devices in a wireless sensor network, including:
- transceiver means arranged to receive a request for streaming originated by at least one of the network devices; and
scheduling means arranged to grant the request by allocation of network resources to an extent determined by conditions in the network, said conditions including whether the network device which originated the request is a medical device, and whether the network device which originated the request is a medical device in an emergency condition involving a life-threatening medical emergency in respect of a life parameter being sensed by a sensor of the medical device from which the request originated,wherein the scheduling means is arranged to grant the request by scheduling any of the following types of streaming allocation within a contention-free period;
a streaming allocation with highest priority for a medical device in a said emergency condition;
a streaming allocation of medium priority for a medical device not in a said emergency condition; and
a streaming allocation of lowest priority for a non-medical device,wherein priority of a streaming allocation determines the size of a data pipe to or from the network device.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of allocating resources in a wireless sensor network, the network having functions including medical monitoring of a patient using multiple network devices having sensors, the method including steps of: sensing, by a network device in the network, a life parameter of the patient; recognizing the existence of an emergency condition with respect to the parameter; the network device sending a request for streaming towards a coordinator of the network; the coordinator receiving (S12) the request along with any other requests from other devices in the network; and the coordinator granting (S14, S16) each the request by scheduling one of: a streaming allocation with highest priority for a network device which is in an emergency condition; a streaming allocation of medium priority for a network device sensing a life parameter which is not in an emergency condition; and a streaming allocation of lowest priority for a network device which is not sensing any life parameter of the patient and which is not in an emergency condition. The emergency condition may be defined with respect to one or more medical parameters of the patient. The method may be applied, for example, to monitoring of patients in a hospital using MBANs operating in accordance with IEEE 802.15.6.
8 Citations
8 Claims
-
1. A coordinator for use together with other network devices in a wireless sensor network, including:
-
transceiver means arranged to receive a request for streaming originated by at least one of the network devices; and scheduling means arranged to grant the request by allocation of network resources to an extent determined by conditions in the network, said conditions including whether the network device which originated the request is a medical device, and whether the network device which originated the request is a medical device in an emergency condition involving a life-threatening medical emergency in respect of a life parameter being sensed by a sensor of the medical device from which the request originated, wherein the scheduling means is arranged to grant the request by scheduling any of the following types of streaming allocation within a contention-free period; a streaming allocation with highest priority for a medical device in a said emergency condition; a streaming allocation of medium priority for a medical device not in a said emergency condition; and a streaming allocation of lowest priority for a non-medical device, wherein priority of a streaming allocation determines the size of a data pipe to or from the network device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method of allocating resources in a wireless sensor network, the network comprising network devices and having functions including medical monitoring of a patient using multiple medical devices having sensors among said network devices, the method including steps of:
-
sensing, by a medical device in the network, a life parameter of the patient; recognizing the existence of an emergency condition involving a life-threatening medical emergency in respect of the life parameter being sensed by the sensor; said medical device sending a request for streaming towards a coordinator of the network; said coordinator receiving said request along with any other requests from other network devices; and said coordinator granting each said request by scheduling one of the following types of streaming allocation within a contention-free period; a streaming allocation with highest priority for a medical device sensing a life parameter which is in a said emergency condition; a streaming allocation of medium priority for a medical device sensing a life parameter which is not in an emergency condition; and a streaming allocation of lowest priority for a network device which is not a medical device, wherein priority of a streaming allocation determines the size of a data pipe to or from the network device.
-
Specification