End node and network coordinator using a CSMA based protocol

• US 8,532,005 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2008
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Greenpeak Technologies NV
• Original Assignee: GreenPeak Technologies BV
• Inventors: Brederveld, Loeke, Van Den Bosch, Bram Hugo Bert, Jonkers, Bart Magda Alex, Kamerman, Adriaan, Steenbergen, Cornelis Adrianus Marinus, Noel, Stephan Johann
• Primary Examiner(s): CHO, HONG SOL
• Application Number:
  US12/999,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20120008626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,905 Days
• Field of Search: 370/278, 370/282, 370/311, 370/392, 370/445, 370/448
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A communication protocol based on CSMA between a node, in particular an electronic label, and a network coordinator is disclosed. The node comprises:—a transceiver provided for communication with a network coordinator, wherein the transceiver handles a transmission channel based on CSMA;—a processing unit provided for processing data received via the transmission channel and displaying the data on a display unit. The electronic label is arranged to perform:—sending recurrently a data request packet;—going to a low power mode after sending the data request packet; and—waking-up for receiving a data response packet a predefined time interval after beginning sending the data request packet. The network coordinator is arranged to transmit the data response packet the predefined time interval after receiving the beginning of the data request packet. The invention provides a protocol based on CSMA with very low power operation in which a multitude of end nodes could receive from a network coordinator their corresponding data.

Claims

1. A node comprising:

a transceiver provided for communication with a network coordinator, wherein the transceiver handles a transmission channel based on CSMA;

a processing unit provided for processing data received via the transmission channel; and

wherein the node is arranged to perform

sending recurrently a data request packet,

going to a low power mode after sending the data request packet, and

waking-up for receiving a data response packet a predefined time interval after beginning sending the data request packet;

wherein the node comprises a network address and data packets comprises a destination address, wherein the node is further arranged to perform;

deriving the destination address from a data packet;

going to lower power mode when the destination address differs from the network address; and

,

waking-up for receiving the data response packet at regular time instants, wherein the interval between the regular time instants corresponds to the predefined time interval.

2. The node according to claim 1, wherein the node further comprises:

a power supply unit comprising an energy storage and a solar cell; and

a sensor for determining the energy status of the energy storage and the node is further arranged to perform

transmitting a data request packet comprising one or more parameters indicating the energy status of the node.

3. The node according to claim 2, wherein the parameter indicates the number of regular time instants the node will look for the data response packet after transmitting the data request packet.

4. The node according to claim 2, wherein the parameter indicates at least one of:

voltage across or energy capacity region of the energy storage or electric charge current of the energy storage.

5. The node according to claim 1, wherein the node transmits a data request packet comprises a time interval parameter indicating the duration of the predefined time interval.

6. The node according to claim 1, wherein the time interval between two subsequent transmissions of a data request packet is at least y times the predefined time interval, y being an integer greater than 4.

7. The node according to claim 6, wherein the time interval for transmitting a next data request packet depends on the moment of receiving the data response packet.

8. The node according to claim 7, wherein the data response packet comprises a no-data-available parameter indicating that there is no data for the node, wherein the time interval for transmitting a next data request packet depends further on the no-data-available parameter, wherein the time interval for sending a next data request packet is smaller when the no-data-available parameter indicates that there is no data for the node than when the data-response packet comprises data.

9. The node according to claim 8, wherein the time interval between two subsequent transmissions of the data request packet is variable and comprises a fixed part and a stochastic part.

10. The node according to claim 1, wherein the node is an electronic label comprising a display unit for displaying data received from a data response packet.

11. The node according to claim 1, wherein the data response packet comprises a more data parameter indicating that more data is available for transmission to the node, the node being arranged to perform corresponding actions in response to said more data parameter.

12. A system including a network coordinator for communication with a multitude of node, and a node of the multitude of node,

the network coordinator comprising:

a transceiver provided for communication with the node, wherein the transceiver handles a transmission channel based on CSMA;

a processing unit provided for processing data received via the transmission channel and acquiring data to be transmitted to the node by means of a data response packet; and

wherein the network coordinator is arranged to perform

receiving a data request packet sent by the node,

preparing a data response packet comprising instructions to be transmitted to the node, and

transmitting the data response packet a predefined time interval after receiving the beginning of the data request packet;

the node comprising;

a transceiver provided for communication with the network coordinator, wherein the transceiver handles a transmission channel based on CSMA;

a processing unit provided for processing data received via the transmission channel; and

wherein the node is arranged to perform

sending recurrently a data request packet,

going to a low power mode after sending the data request packet, and

waking-up for receiving a data response packet a predefined time interval after beginning sending the data request packet;

wherein the node comprises a network address and data packets comprises a destination address, wherein the node is further arranged to perform;

deriving the destination address from a data packet;

going to lower power mode when the destination address differs from the network address; and

,

waking-up for receiving the data response packet at regular time instants, wherein the interval between the regular time instants corresponds to the predefined time interval.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the network coordinator is further arranged to perform recurrently:

check for an acknowledge packet transmitted by the electronic label immediately after transmitting the data response packet; and

optionally

if the acknowledge packet is not detected, transmitting again the data response packet the predefined time interval after beginning sending the previous data response packet.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the network coordinator is arranged to retrieve from the data request packet a parameter indicating the energy status of the node and to operate accordingly.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the parameter indicates the number of regular time instants the node will look for the data response packet after transmitting the data request packet and the network coordinator is arranged to transmit the data response packet recurrently according the parameter if an acknowledge packet is not received from the node.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the data request packet comprises a time interval parameter indicating the duration of the predefined time interval, and the network coordinator is arranged to transmit the data response packet said predefined time interval after receiving the beginning of the data request packet.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the network coordinator is arranged to delay the transmission of a data response packet for a first node at least one predefined time interval if the transmission of a data response packet for a second node would coincide the transmission of the data response packet of the first node and the energy status of the first node is better than the energy status of the second node or if the transmission medium is busy.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the network coordinator comprises a memory for storing for an node a value indication the number of recurrent time instants to receive a data response packet wherein the value has a relationship with the energy status, wherein the network coordinator is arranged to adapt recurrently the value stored in the memory when the predefined time interval has passed.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein the network coordinator is arranged to include in the data response packet a more data parameter indicating that more data is available for transmission to the node.