REDUCING WIRELESS COMMUNICATION TO CONSERVE ENERGY AND INCREASE SECURITY

• US 20190075527A1
• Filed: 11/05/2018
• Published: 03/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Velu, Kamesh Raj
• Granted Patent: US 10,609,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/20 using error rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/343 taking into account loading or congestion level

Abstract

Various arrangements are presented for controlling a mesh network. An electronic device may determine an occupancy state of a structure. In response to determining that the structure is not occupied, the electronic device may determine whether each node of the mesh network is in communication with at least one device that currently needs wireless communications, wherein the mesh network comprises a plurality of nodes. Power consumption of at least one node of the plurality of nodes of the mesh network may be adjusted based on determining whether each node of the mesh network is in communication with at least one device that currently needs wireless communications.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a mesh network, the method comprising:

determining, by an electronic device, an occupancy state of a structure;

in response to determining that the structure is not occupied, determining, by the electronic device, whether each node of the mesh network is in communication with at least one device that currently needs wireless communications, wherein the mesh network comprises a plurality of nodes; and

reducing, by the electronic device, power consumption of at least one node of the plurality of nodes of the mesh network based on determining whether each node of the mesh network is in communication with at least one device that currently needs wireless communications.

2. The method for controlling the mesh network of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining whether each node of the plurality of nodes of the mesh network is in communication with at least one device that currently needs wireless communications comprises determining whether each node of the plurality of nodes is functioning as an intermediary node with the mesh network by relaying data received from another node of the plurality of nodes of the mesh network.

3. The method for controlling the mesh network of claim 1, wherein reducing power consumption of the at least one node of the plurality of nodes comprises disabling functionality of the at least one node.

4. The method for controlling the mesh network of claim 1, wherein determining the occupancy state of the structure comprises receiving, by the electronic device, an indication of the occupancy state of the structure.

5. The method for controlling the mesh network of claim 1, wherein deactivating the at least one node of the plurality of nodes of the mesh network based on determining whether each node of the mesh network is in communication with at least one device that currently needs wireless communications comprises the at least one node turning off a transmission radio.

6. The method for controlling the mesh network of claim 1, the method further comprising:

in response to determining that the structure is not occupied, determining, by the electronic device, whether every node of the mesh network is in communication with at least one device that currently need wireless communications.

7. The method for controlling the mesh network of claim 6, wherein deactivating the at least one node of the plurality of nodes of the mesh network is further based on determining that not every node of the mesh network is in communication with at least one device that currently needs wireless communications.

8. A system for controlling a mesh network, the system comprising:

a plurality of electronic node devices of the mesh network, wherein each electronic node device of the plurality of electronic node devices of the mesh network comprises;

communication circuitry comprising a wireless communication radio; and

a processor in communication with the communication circuitry, wherein;

the processor of an electronic node device of the plurality of electronic node devices is configured to;

determine an occupancy state of a structure;

in response to determining that the structure is not occupied, determine whether each of the plurality of electronic node devices is in communication with at least one device that currently needs wireless communications, wherein the mesh network comprises a plurality of electronic node devices; and

reduce power consumption of at least one electronic node device of the plurality of electronic node devices to be deactivated based on determining whether each electronic node device of the plurality of electronic node devices is in communication with at least one device that currently needs wireless communications.

9. The system for controlling the mesh network of claim 8, wherein the processor of the electronic node device is further configured to:

in response to determining that the structure is not occupied, determine whether every electronic node device of the mesh network is in communication with at least one device that currently need wireless communications.

10. The system for controlling the mesh network of claim 9, wherein the processor being configured to cause the at least one electronic node device of the plurality of electronic node devices to be deactivated is further based on determining that not every electronic node device of the mesh network is in communication with at least one device that currently needs wireless communications.

11. The system for controlling the mesh network of claim 8, wherein the processor of the electronic node device being configured to determine whether each electronic node device of the plurality of electronic node devices is in communication with at least one device that currently needs wireless communications comprises the processor of the electronic node device being configured to determine whether each electronic node device of the plurality of electronic node devices is functioning as an intermediary node with the mesh network by relaying data received from another electronic node device of the plurality of electronic node devices of the mesh network.

12. The system for controlling the mesh network of claim 8, wherein the processor being configured to determine the occupancy state of the structure is based on a likelihood that occupants of the structure are home or away.

13. The system for controlling the mesh network of claim 8, wherein the processor being configured to determine the occupancy state of the structure comprises the processor being configured to receive an indication of the occupancy state of the structure.

14. The system for controlling the mesh network of claim 8, wherein the processor being configured to cause the at least one electronic node device of the plurality of electronic node devices of the mesh network to reduce power consumption based on determining whether each electronic node device of the mesh network is in communication with at least one device that currently needs wireless communications comprises the processor being configured to cause the at least one electronic node device to turn off a transmission radio.

15. The system for controlling the mesh network of claim 8, further comprising an access point with which one or more electronic node devices of the plurality of electronic node devices communicates.

16. The system for controlling the mesh network of claim 8, wherein the plurality of electronic node devices is comprised of smart home devices.

17. A non-transitory processor-readable medium for controlling a mesh network, the non-transitory processor-readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

determine an occupancy state of a structure;

in response to determining that the structure is not occupied, determine whether each electronic node device of a plurality of electronic node devices is in communication with at least one device that currently needs wireless communications, wherein the mesh network comprises a plurality of electronic node devices; and

reduce power consumption of at least one electronic node device of the plurality of electronic node devices to be deactivated based on determining whether each electronic node device of the mesh network is in communication with at least one device that currently needs wireless communications.

18. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to:

in response to determining that the structure is not occupied, determine whether every electronic node device of the mesh network is in communication with at least one device that currently need wireless communications.

19. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to determine whether each electronic node device of the plurality of electronic node devices is in communication with at least one device that currently needs wireless communications comprise processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to determine whether each electronic node device of the plurality of electronic node devices is functioning as an intermediary node with the mesh network by relaying data received from another electronic node device of the plurality of electronic node devices of the mesh network.

20. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to determine the occupancy state of the structure comprise processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to receive an indication of the occupancy state of the structure.