Scheduled transmission in a wireless sensor system

• US 7,339,957 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2003
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digital Sun, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digital Sun, Inc.
• Inventors: Hitt, Dale K.
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, DUC CHI
• Application Number:
  US10/692,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20040090345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/509
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/167 Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/24 Earth materials G01N33/42 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for providing environmental monitoring and control includes providing a network of wireless nodes, the wireless nodes includes an array of sensor nodes and an array of actuator nodes, each wireless node including a wireless transceiver, a processor and one of a sensor device or an actuator device. In one embodiment, the receiver wireless node schedules the time slot for the next transmission by sending an acknowledgement message from the receiver wireless node to the sender wireless node including a time slot for the next scheduled transmission. The wireless nodes are turned off until the next scheduled time slot when the wireless nodes are turned on synchronously. In another embodiment, the sender wireless node schedules the next transmission by sending a message including a time slot for the next scheduled transmission and the receiver wireless node sends an acknowledgement message acknowledging the selected time slot.

Claims

1. A method for providing environmental monitoring and control, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of wireless nodes, the plurality of wireless nodes includes a plurality of sensor nodes and a plurality of actuator nodes, each wireless node including a wireless transceiver, a processor and one of a sensor device or an actuator device;

sending a message from a first wireless node to a second wireless node through wireless communication;

sending an acknowledgement message from the second wireless node to the first wireless node, the acknowledgement message including a time slot for the next scheduled transmission between the first and the second wireless nodes;

turning off the wireless transceivers of the first and second wireless nodes; and

turning on the wireless transceivers of the first and second wireless nodes synchronously at the time slot for the next scheduled transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a timing synchronization message from the first wireless node to the plurality of wireless nodes to synchronize the time base of each wireless node.

3. A method for providing environmental monitoring and control, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of wireless nodes, the plurality of wireless nodes includes a plurality of sensor nodes and a plurality of actuator nodes, each wireless node including a wireless transceiver, a processor and one of a sensor device or an actuator device;

sending a message from a first wireless node to a second wireless node through wireless communication, the message including a time slot for the next scheduled transmission between the first and the second wireless nodes;

sending an acknowledgement message from the second wireless node to the first wireless node acknowledging the time slot;

turning off the wireless transceivers of the first and second wireless nodes; and

turning on the wireless transceivers of the first and second wireless nodes synchronously at the time slot for the next scheduled transmission.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

sending a timing synchronization message from the first wireless node to the plurality of wireless nodes to synchronize the time base of each wireless node.

5. A method for providing environmental monitoring and control, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of wireless nodes, the plurality of wireless nodes includes a plurality of sensor nodes and a plurality of actuator nodes, each wireless node including a wireless transceiver, a processor and one of a sensor device or an actuator device;

sending a message from a first wireless node to a second wireless node through wireless communication, the message including a plurality of available time slots for the next scheduled transmission between the first and the second wireless nodes;

processing at the second wireless node the message including the plurality of available time slots to select a time slot among the plurality of available time slots for the next scheduled transmission between the first and the second wireless nodes;

sending an acknowledgement message from the second wireless node to the first wireless node, the acknowledgement message including the selected time slot;

turning off the wireless transceivers of the first and second wireless nodes; and

turning on the wireless transceivers of the first and second wireless nodes synchronously at the selected time slot for the next scheduled transmission.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sending a timing synchronization message from the first wireless node to the plurality of wireless nodes to synchronize the time base of each wireless node.