Ad-hoc wireless sensor package

• US 9,766,064 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2012
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cheatham, III, Jesse R., Dyor, Matthew G., Glaskowsky, Peter N., Hallman, Kimberly D. A., Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Jung, Edward K. Y., Koenig, Michael F., Lord, Robert W., Lord, Richard T., Mundie, Craig J., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Petroski, Robert C., Tan, Desney S., Wood, Jr., Lowell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, John H
• Application Number:
  US13/727,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20140180628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,728 Days
• Field of Search: 702150, 702189, 702 60, 702 62, 307 23, 307126, 320108, 34053913, 34087003, 340447, 370328, 600301
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/00 Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/00 Measuring arrangements or details thereof, where the measuring technique is not covered by the other groups of this subclass, unspecified or not relevant

Abstract

Systems, methods, computer-readable storage mediums including computer-readable instructions and/or circuitry for communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network may implement operations including, but not limited to: receiving one or more wireless signals indicative of a presence of a sensor within a portion of a region to be monitored; storing location data associated with the portion of the region to be monitored; and wirelessly transmitting one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors according to the location data.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one computing device; and

one or more non-transitory computer readable media bearing one or more instructions that, when executed in the at least one computing device, program the at least one computing device to perform operations including at least;

receiving, from a sensor, one or more wireless signals indicative of a presence of the sensor within a portion of a region to be monitored;

determining, based at least partially on the one or more wireless signals received from the sensor, a direction to the sensor relative to a device configured for transmitting one or more sensor operation activation signals;

determining, based at least partially on the one or more wireless signals received from the sensor, whether a line-of-sight path between the sensor and the device is interrupted;

detecting one or more relay devices disposed between the sensor and the device based at least partially on the determination whether the line-of-sight path exists; and

configuring a directional antenna of the device for directionally transmitting the one or more sensor operation activation signals to the sensor based at least partially on the direction to the sensor relative to the device, based at least partially on whether a line-of-sight path between the sensor and the device is interrupted, and based at least partially on the detected one or more relay devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving, from a sensor, one or more wireless signals indicative of a presence of the sensor within a portion of a region to be monitored includes:

receiving, from a sensor, one or more wireless signals indicative of a presence of the sensor within a portion of a region to be monitored with one or more sensor monitoring devices pluggable into one or more power sources.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting one or more signals to a portion of a region to be monitored with one or more sensors.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the transmitting one or more signals to a portion of a region to be monitored with one or more sensors includes:

transmitting one or more radio frequency signals to a portion of a region to be monitored with one or more sensors.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the transmitting one or more signals to a portion of a region to be monitored with one or more sensors includes:

transmitting one or more optical frequency signals to a portion of a region to be monitored with one or more sensors.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the transmitting one or more signals to a portion of a region to be monitored with one or more sensors includes:

transmitting, using a device independent of the sensor operation activation signal transmitter device, one or more signals to a portion of a region to be monitored by one or more sensors.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the transmitting one or more signals to a portion of a region to be monitored with one or more sensors includes:

transmitting, using the sensor operation activation signal transmitter device, one or more lower-power signals to one or more sensors;

and wherein the configuring a directional antenna of the device for directionally transmitting the one or more sensor operation activation signals to the sensor according to the direction to the sensor relative to the device includes;

transmitting, using the sensor monitoring device, one or more higher-power signals to the one or more sensors with the sensor monitoring device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving from a sensor one or more wireless signals indicative of a presence of the sensor within a portion of a region to be monitored includes:

receiving one or more signals indicative of a presence of a sensor and transmitted via a passive radio frequency identification chip of the sensor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving, from a sensor, one or more wireless signals indicative of a presence of the sensor within a portion of a region to be monitored includes:

receiving one or more signals indicative of a presence of a sensor and transmitted via a retro-reflector of the sensor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving, from a sensor, one or more wireless signals indicative of a presence of the sensor within a portion of a region to be monitored includes:

receiving one or more signals indicative of a presence of a sensor and transmitted via a micro-electromechanical device of the sensor.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving, from a sensor, one or more wireless signals indicative of a presence of the sensor within a portion of a region to be monitored includes:

receiving one or more signals indicative of a sensor type associated with a sensor.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the detecting one or more relay devices disposed between the sensor and the device based at least partially on the determination whether the line-of-sight path exists comprises:

detecting one or more at least partially reflective elements configured to direct one or more signals around one or more items disposed in a line-of-sight between a sensor and a sensor monitoring device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the detecting one or more at least partially reflective elements configured to direct one or more signals around one or more items disposed in a line-of-sight between a sensor and a sensor monitoring device includes:

controlling a physical orientation of the one or more at least partially reflective elements to direct one or more signals around one or more items disposed in a line-of-sight between a sensor and a sensor monitoring device.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the detecting one or more at least partially reflective elements configured to direct one or more signals around one or more items disposed in a line-of-sight between a sensor and a sensor monitoring device includes:

controlling one or more electro-optical elements to direct one or more signals around one or more items disposed in a line-of-sight between a sensor and a sensor monitoring device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the configuring a directional antenna of the device for directionally transmitting the one or more sensor operation activation signals to the sensor based at least partially on the direction to the sensor relative to the device, based at least partially on whether a line-of-sight path between the sensor and the device is interrupted, and based at least partially on the detected one or more relay devices comprises:

configuring the directional antenna of the device to direct a signal to the detected one or more at least partially reflective elements.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

powering one or more sensing operations of a sensor via the one or more sensor operation activation signals.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the powering one or more sensing operations of a sensor via the one or more sensor operation activation signals includes:

powering at least one of one or more thermal sensing operations, one or more pressure sensing operations, one or more image sensing operations, one or more audio sensing operations, or one or more motion sensing operations of a sensor via the one or more sensor operation activation signals.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the powering one or more sensing operations of a sensor via the one or more sensor operation activation signals includes:

powering one or more electromagnetic radiation sensing operations of a sensor via the one or more sensor operation activation signals.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

charging one or more power storage devices via the one or more sensor operation activation signals.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the charging one or more power storage devices via the one or more sensor operation activation signals comprises:

charging one or more batteries via the one or more sensor operation activation signals.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the charging one or more power storage devices via the one or more sensor operation activation signals comprises:

charging one or more capacitors via the one or more sensor operation activation signals.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

powering one or more sensing operations of a sensor via the one or more power storage devices.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting sensor data from the sensor to the sensor monitoring device in response to the one or more sensor operation activation signals.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the wirelessly transmitting sensor data from the sensor to the sensor monitoring device in response to the one or more sensor operation activation signals includes:

wirelessly transmitting sensor data via a micro-electromechanical device of the sensor.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining, based at least partially on the one or more wireless signals received from the sensor, whether a line-of-sight path between the sensor and the device is interrupted comprises:

retrieving at least one stored sensor location from at least one sensor location database; and

determining, based at least partially on the at least one stored sensor location, whether a line-of-sight path between the sensor and the device is interrupted.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving, from a sensor, one or more wireless signals indicative of a presence of the sensor within a portion of a region to be monitored comprises:

scanning a region with a sensor acquisition signal;

detecting a presence of the sensor within the region based at least partially on the sensor acquisition signal, and

wherein the determining, based at least partially on the one or more wireless signals received from the sensor, whether a line-of-sight path between the sensor and the device is interrupted includes at least;

determining, based on the detected presence of the sensor within the region, whether a line-of-sight path between the sensor and the device is interrupted.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the detecting one or more relay devices disposed between the sensor and the device based at least partially on the determination whether the line-of-sight path exists comprises:

detecting one or more electro-optical elements disposed between the sensor and the device, and

wherein the configuring a directional antenna of the device for directionally transmitting the one or more sensor operation activation signals to the sensor based at least partially on the direction to the sensor relative to the device, based at least partially on whether a line-of-sight path between the sensor and the device is interrupted, and based at least partially on the detected one or more relay devices includes at least;

configuring the directional antenna of the device for directionally transmitting the one or more sensor operation activation signals to the one or more electro-optical elements disposed between the sensor and the device.

28. A system comprising:

means for receiving, from a sensor, one or more wireless signals indicative of a presence of the sensor within a portion of a region to be monitored;

means for determining, based at least partially on the one or more wireless signals received from the sensor, a direction to the sensor relative to a device being configured for transmitting one or more sensor operation activation signals;

means for determining, based at least partially on the one or more wireless signals received from the sensor, whether a line-of-sight path between the sensor and the device is interrupted;

means for detecting one or more relay devices disposed between the sensor and the device based at least partially on the determination whether the line-of-sight path exists; and

means for configuring a directional antenna of the device for directionally transmitting the one or more sensor operation activation signals to the sensor based at least partially on the direction to the sensor relative to the device, based at least partially on whether a line-of-sight path between the sensor and the device is interrupted, and based at least partially on the detected one or more relay devices.

29. A system for communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network comprising:

circuitry for receiving, from a sensor, one or more wireless signals indicative of a presence of the sensor within a portion of a region to be monitored;

circuitry for determining, based at least partially on the one or more wireless signals received from the sensor, a direction to the sensor relative to a device being configured for transmitting one or more sensor operation activation signals;

circuitry for determining, based at least partially on the one or more wireless signals received from the sensor, whether a line-of-sight path between the sensor and the device is interrupted;

circuitry for detecting one or more relay devices disposed between the sensor and the device based at least partially on the determination whether the line-of-sight path exists; and

circuitry for configuring a directional antenna of the device for directionally transmitting the one or more sensor operation activation signals to the sensor based at least partially on the direction to the sensor relative to the device, based at least partially on whether a line-of-sight path between the sensor and the device is interrupted, and based at least partially on the detected one or more relay devices.

30. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer-readable instructions for execution of a process on a computing device, the process comprising:

receiving, from a sensor, one or more wireless signals indicative of a presence of the sensor within a portion of a region to be monitored;

determining, based at least partially on the one or more wireless signals received from the sensor, a direction to the sensor relative to a device being configured for transmitting one or more sensor operation activation signals;

determining, based at least partially on the one or more wireless signals received from the sensor, whether a line-of-sight path between the sensor and the device is interrupted;

detecting one or more relay devices disposed between the sensor and the device based at least partially on the determination whether the line-of-sight path exists; and

configuring a directional antenna of the device for directionally transmitting the one or more sensor operation activation signals to the sensor based at least partially on the direction to the sensor relative to the device, based at least partially on whether a line-of-sight path between the sensor and the device is interrupted, and based at least partially on the detected one or more relay devices.