Synchronizing the behavior of discrete digital devices

• US 10,536,519 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2016
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PI Variables, Inc.
• Original Assignee: PI Variables, Inc.
• Inventors: McIlroy, Guy T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cadeau, Wednel
• Application Number:
  US15/018,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20160294945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: 375134, 375133, 455 631, 4554321
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/40 Transmitting circuits; Receiving circuits repeater circuits, relay circuits H04L25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0025 synchronizing potentially movable access points

Abstract

Methods, devices and systems for synchronizing actions taken by digital devices in a group wherein the digital devices to use a flocking protocol to establish time or behavior synchronization between individual digital devices within the group. The flocking protocol includes the transmission of synchronization information from one device to neighboring devices within the group and the processing/use of such synchronization information by the devices to synchronize the timing and/or other characteristics of their actions.

Claims

1. A system comprising a plurality of digital devices positioned at different locations, wherein each of said digital devices comprises a processing unit, memory, a radio transceiver and a function performer, and wherein the memory contains a program which controls the processing unit, such that:

each of said digital devices listens for, receives and retransmits, on a single particular frequency, a synchronization information signal which includes function information defining functions to be performed by said plurality of digital devices, said synchronization signal being received on said single particular frequency by each of said digital devices from neighboring ones of said digital devices, and then retransmitted on said particular frequency, to other ones of said digital devices; and

the processing unit of each of said digital devices uses the synchronization information signals that it receives on said particular frequency from neighboring ones of said digital devices to establish an association matrix which defines the spatial position of that digital device as well as the spatial positions of said neighboring ones of said digital devices from which synchronization information signals have been received;

wherein the processing units of said digital devices are further programmed to use the association matrix and function information to cause the function performers of said plurality of digital devices to perform, in a sequential order, one or more functions defined by the function information; and

wherein the association matrix is used by each of said digital devices to define its nearest neighbor using broadcast only messages without requiring frequency hopping information or message acknowledgement.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the association matrix comprises a self-assigned device identifier N along with an n bit array wherein each bit represents the presence of neighboring devices in order.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein the processing unit of each of said plurality of digital devices is programmed to determine the relative strength of each synchronization information signal that it receives, and to determine on the basis of the relative strengths of the received synchronization information signals, the distance from that device to each of the neighboring devices.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein the function performer comprises an emitter which emits a visual or other signal.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein the synchronization information includes the association matrix.

6. A system according to claim 1 wherein the devices additionally receive user-generated external impulses whereby a user may change the order, pattern or other characteristics of signals emitted by the devices.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of digital devices comprises a clock and wherein a radio frequency beacon is used to synchronize the clocks of each of said plurality of digital devices.

8. A system according to claim 1 wherein the synchronization emitted by at least one of said plurality of digital devices includes a declaration message which specifies a pattern and/or characteristic of a function that is performed by that device'"'"'s function performer.

9. A system according to claim 4 wherein the emitter comprises a light emitter.

10. A system according to claim 5 wherein the signaling devices emit flashes of light and wherein the devices use a flocking protocol to self-determine their order so as to synchronize their light flashes so that they occur in a serial order from a first device in the group to a last device in the group.

11. A system according to claim 9 wherein the light emitter comprises a light emitting diode.

12. A system according to claim 10 wherein the flocking protocol is used to maintain time and signal emission synchronization between disparate digital traffic management or digital signaling devices.