Transmitting sensor-acquired data using step-power filtering

• US 7,430,437 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2005
• Issued: 09/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TeraHop Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Twitchell, Jr., Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Lana N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOUSSEF, ADEL Y
• Application Number:
  US11/161,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20070002808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 455/63.1, 340/10.34, 340/340, 340/10.3
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10108 interrogating only those RFIDs that fulfill a predetermined requirement, e.g. selecting all RFIDs having the same speed and moving in a cloud like fashion, e.g. on the same train; interrogating only RFIDs having a certain predetermined temperature, e.g. in the same fridge, another possibility being the active ignoring of a group of tags that fulfill a predetermined requirement, equivalent to the Boolean NOT operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for communicating to a recipient transceiver from a plurality of transceivers located within the broadcast range of the recipient transceiver includes: transmitting a communication at a first power level such that only a first group of transceivers receive the broadcast, the communication including a command causing each of the first group of transceivers not to respond to a subsequent broadcast; and subsequent thereto, transmitting a communication at a second power level greater than the first power level such that a second group of transceivers greater than and including the first group of transceivers receive the broadcast, but such that only a limited number of transceivers of the second group respond to the broadcast, the limited number of transceivers excluding the first group of transceivers. Each of the plurality of transceivers is associated with a respective sensor for acquiring data and transmitting the data to the recipient transceiver.

Claims

1. A method for communicating to a recipient transceiver from a plurality of transceivers, the plurality of transceivers being located within the broadcast range of the recipient transceiver, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a communication at a first power level such that only a first group of transceivers receive the broadcast, the communication including a command causing each of the first group of transceivers not to respond to a subsequent broadcast; and

subsequent thereto

(b) transmitting a communication at a second power level greater than the first power level such that a second group of transceivers greater than and including the first group of transceivers receive the broadcast, but such that only a limited number of transceivers of the second group respond to the broadcast, the limited number of transceivers excluding the first group of transceivers;

(c) wherein the plurality of transceivers each are associated with a respective sensor for acquiring data and transmitting the data to the recipient transceiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitted command of step (a) comprises a query for sensor-acquired data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitted command of step (b) comprises a query for sensor-acquired data.

4. A method for communicating to a recipient transceiver from a plurality of transceivers, the plurality of transceivers being located within the broadcast range of the recipient transceiver and the plurality of transceivers exceeding the number of transceivers from which communications can be received by the transceiver without radio frequency interference due to its channel capacity, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a communication at a first power level such that only a first group of transceivers receive the broadcast, the first group in number of transceivers being not greater than the number of transceivers from which communications can be received by the transceiver without radio frequency interference due to its channel capacity, the communication including a command causing each of the first group of transceivers not to respond to a subsequent broadcast; and

subsequent thereto

(b) transmitting a communication at a second power level greater than the first power level such that a second group of transceivers greater than and including the first group of transceivers receive the broadcast, but such that only a limited number of transceivers of the second group respond to the broadcast, the limited number of transceivers excluding the first group of transceivers and comprising not greater the number of transceivers from which communications can be received by the transceiver without radio frequency interference due to its channel capacity;

(c) wherein the plurality of transceivers each are associated with a respective sensor for acquiring data and transmitting the data to the recipient transceiver.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the recipient transceiver comprises an external network access transceiver.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of transceivers form part of a remote sensor interface (RSI) network.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of transceivers form part of a class-based network.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein each of a first set of transceivers of the plurality of transceivers includes a first common designation and each of a second set of transceivers of the plurality of transceivers includes a second common designation different from the first common designation, and wherein each communication includes an identification of one of the common designations.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of assigning a common designation to each of the plurality of transceivers.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of filtering, by each transceiver of the plurality, communications from the recipient transceiver for an identification of its common designation within the communication.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising ignoring, by each transceiver of the plurality, each communication if an identification of its common designation is not found therein.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein each respective sensor comprises one of the group of a motion detector;

sound detector;

vibration detector;

camera;

microphone;

thermometer;

altimeter;

pressure sensor;

humidity sensor;

global positioning system receiver;

light detector, broadband RF signal scanner;

optical sensor;

an accelerometer;

electromagnetic detector; and

a CBRNE sensor such as a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosives material sensor.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of transceivers includes an interface for electronic communication with its respective sensor.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of the plurality of transceivers includes an interface for wireless electronic communication with its respective sensor comprising an external sensor.

15. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of the plurality of transceivers includes an interface for wired electronic communication with its respective sensor comprising an external sensor.

16. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of the plurality of transceivers includes an interface for electronic communication with its respective sensor comprising an internal sensor.

17. The method of claim 4, wherein said transmitted command of step (a) comprises a query for sensor-acquired data.

18. The method of claim 4, wherein said transmitted command of step (b) comprises a query for sensor-acquired data.