Wake-up broadcast including network information in common designation ad hoc wireless networking

• US 9,295,099 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Twitchell, Robert W. Jr., Mai, Khanh
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks Harold, Marsha D
• Assistant Examiner(s): WYLLIE, CHRISTOPHER T
• Application Number:
  US13/555,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20130223420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A data communication device includes both a two-way communications component having a first receiver and transmitter, and a second receiver. The second receiver activates the two-way communications component from a dormant state upon receipt by the second receiver of a wake-up broadcast that includes a wake-up identifier of the data communication device. A method of providing information via the second receiver—which information is auxiliary to the wake-up of the two-way communications component—includes transmitting a wake-up broadcast capable of being received by the second receiver. The wake-up broadcast includes a data construct including a wake-up identifier and the auxiliary information. The wake-up identifier may or may not be a wake-up identifier of the data communication device. Nevertheless, the auxiliary information is received and recorded by the data communication device via the second receiver with the two-way communications component remaining in the dormant state.

Claims

1. In the operation of an ad hoc wireless network utilizing a data communication device as a node of the network, the data communication device including both,

a two-way communications component comprising a first receiver and transmitter, and

a second receiver,

wherein the second receiver activates the two-way communications component from a dormant state upon receipt by the second receiver of a wake-up broadcast that includes a wake-up identifier of the data communication device,

a method of providing information via the second receiver, which information is auxiliary to the wake-up of the two-way communications component, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, via the second receiver of the data communications device, a wake-up broadcast including a data construct comprising a wake-up identifier and the auxiliary information; and

(b) determining, at the data communication device, that the wake-up identifier of the received wake-up broadcast does not correspond to the wake-up identifier of the data communication device and, thereby, not activating the two-way communications component from the dormant state based upon the received wake-up broadcast,

(i) processing, at the data communication device irrespective of whether the wake-up identifier of the received wake-up broadcast corresponds to the wake-up identifier of the data communication device and irrespective of whether the two-way communications component is in the dormant state, the received auxiliary information to ascertain networking information; and

(ii) storing, at the data communication device, data representing the ascertained networking information;

(iii) wherein the auxiliary information comprises a node identification from which the wake-up broadcast is transmitted;

(iv) wherein the ascertained networking information includes the confirmed presence of another node of the network within a single hop from the data communication device, such information being ascertained based on the node identification from which the wake-up broadcast was transmitted; and

(v) wherein the ascertained networking information includes the presumed presence of a node corresponding to the wake-up identifier of the received wake-up broadcast.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary information comprises a transmission count regarding wake-up broadcasts transmitted by a node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary information comprises an encryption key.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary information comprises application specific data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary information comprises an indication of the status of a sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second receiver draws substantially less current while listening for a wake-up broadcast than the two-way communications component would draw while listening for a wake-up broadcast.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second receiver draws less current while listening for a wake-up broadcast than the two-way communications component would draw while listening for a wake-up broadcast, the difference in current draw being at least an order of magnitude (such as milliamps versus microamps).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second receiver utilizes a stepped wake-up sequence based on at least two criteria, and wherein the last criteria before awakening the two-way communications component comprises identifying a wake-up identifier of the data communication device in the wake-up broadcast.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second receiver is part of a wake-up transceiver, the wake-up transceiver further comprising a second transmitter of the data communication device that is configured to transmit a wake-up broadcast for receipt by another wake-up receiver of another data communication device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data communication device is a node in a common designation wireless ad hoc sensor network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the data communication device is a node in a class based wireless ad hoc network.

12. In the operation of an ad hoc wireless network utilizing a data communication device as a node of the network, the data communication device including both,

a two-way communications component comprising a first receiver and transmitter, and

a second receiver,

wherein the second receiver activates the two-way communications component from a dormant state upon receipt by the second receiver of a wake-up broadcast that includes a wake-up identifier of the data communication device,

a method of receiving information by the data communication device via the second receiver, which information is auxiliary to the wake-up of two-way communications component, the method comprising:

receiving, via the second receiver of the data communications device, a wake-up broadcast, the wake-up broadcast including a data construct comprising a wake-up identifier and the auxiliary information; and

activating, in response to receipt of the wake-up broadcast, the two-way communications component from a dormant state if a wake-up identifier of the data communications device is found in the wake-up broadcast, and not activating, in response to receipt of the wake-up broadcast and irrespective of whether a wake-up identifier of the data communication device is found in the wake-up broadcast, the two-way communications component from a dormant state if a wake-up identifier of the data communications device is not found in the wake-up broadcast,

(i) processing, at the data communication device irrespective of whether the wake-up identifier of the received wake-up broadcast corresponds to the wake-up identifier of the data communication device and irrespective of whether the two-way communications component is in the dormant state, the received auxiliary information to ascertain networking information; and

(ii) recording, at the data communication device, data representing the ascertained networking information;

(iii) wherein the auxiliary information comprises a node identification from which the wake-up broadcast is transmitted;

(iv) wherein the ascertained networking information includes the confirmed presence of another node of the network within a single hop from the data communication device, such information being ascertained based on the node identification from which the wake-up broadcast was transmitted; and

(v) wherein the ascertained networking information includes the presumed presence of a node corresponding to the wake-up identifier of the received wake-up broadcast.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the auxiliary information comprises a transmission count regarding wake-up broadcasts transmitted by a node.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the auxiliary information comprises an encryption key.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the auxiliary information comprises application specific data.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the auxiliary information comprises an indication of the status of a sensor.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the second receiver draws substantially less current while listening for a wake-up broadcast than the two-way communications component would draw while listening for a wake-up broadcast.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the second receiver draws less current while listening for a wake-up broadcast than the two-way communications component would draw while listening for a wake-up broadcast, the difference in current draw being at least an order of magnitude (such as milliamps versus microamps).

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the second receiver utilizes a stepped wake-up sequence based on at least two criteria, and wherein the last criteria before awakening the two-way communications component comprises identifying a wake-up identifier of the data communication device in the wake-up broadcast.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the second receiver is part of a wake-up transceiver, the wake-up transceiver further comprising a second transmitter of the data communication device that is configured to transmit a wake-up broadcast for receipt by another wake-up receiver of another data communication device.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the data communication device is a node in a common designation wireless ad hoc sensor network.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the data communication device is a node in a class based wireless ad hoc network.

23. The method of claim 12, further comprising using the auxiliary information by the data communication device for facilitating network communications by the two-way communications component.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the auxiliary information comprises network information that is reviewed by the data communication device when determining network paths for communicating with a desired node, whereby network communications are facilitated.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the network information includes the identification of one or more nodes that are within direct communication range of the data communication device.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the network information includes the identification of a gateway node that is within direct communication range of the data communication device.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the network information includes the identification of one or more nodes from which wake-up broadcasts have been received, either directly or indirectly, by the second wake-up receiver.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the network information includes the identification of one or more common designations from which wake-up broadcasts have been received, either directly or indirectly, by the second wake-up receiver.

29. An ad hoc wireless network system, comprising:

(a) an ad hoc wireless network utilizing a plurality of data communication devices as nodes of the network;

(b) wherein each data communication device includes both,

(i) a two-way communications component comprising a first receiver and transmitter, and

(ii) a second receiver, wherein the second receiver activates the two-way communications component from a dormant state upon receipt by the second receiver of a wake-up broadcast that includes a wake-up identifier of the data communication device, and wherein the second receiver does not activate the two-way communications component from the dormant state upon receipt by the second receiver of a wake-up broadcast that does not include a wake-up identifier of the data communication device;

(iii) wherein information is provided via each second receiver, which information is auxiliary to the wake-up of the two-way communications component, by transmitting a wake-up broadcast, which the second receiver is capable of receiving, that includes a data construct comprising a wake-up identifier and the auxiliary information, the auxiliary information including a node identification from which the wake-up broadcast is transmitted;

(c) wherein each data communication device is configured to process auxiliary information of wake-up broadcasts received via its second receiver, irrespective of whether the wake-up identifier of the received wake-up broadcast corresponds to its wake-up identifier and irrespective of whether the two-way communications component is in the dormant state, to ascertain networking information, and to record data representing the ascertained networking information;

(d) wherein the ascertained networking information includes the confirmed presence of another node of the network within a single hop from the data communication device, such information being ascertained based on the node identification, in received auxiliary information, of a node from which a wake-up broadcast was transmitted; and

(e) wherein the ascertained networking information includes the presumed presence of a node corresponding to the wake-up identifier of a received wake-up broadcast.

30. A data communication device for utilization as a node in an ad hoc wireless network, comprising:

(a) a two-way communications component comprising a first receiver and transmitter; and

(b) a second receiver, wherein the second receiver activates the two-way communications component from a dormant state upon receipt by the second receiver of a wake-up broadcast that includes a wake-up identifier of the data communication device;

(c) wherein information is provided via the second receiver, which information is auxiliary to the wake-up of the two-way communications component, by transmitting a wake-up broadcast, which the second receiver is capable of receiving, that includes a data construct comprising a wake-up identifier and the auxiliary information, and does not activate the two-way communications component from the dormant state upon receipt by the second receiver of a wake-up broadcast that does not include a wake-up identifier of the data communication device;

(d) wherein each data communication device is configured to process auxiliary information of wake-up broadcasts received via its second receiver, irrespective of whether the wake-up identifier of the received wake-up broadcast corresponds to its wake-up identifier and irrespective of whether the two-way communications component is in the dormant state, to ascertain networking information, and to record data representing the ascertained networking information;

(e) wherein the ascertained networking information includes the confirmed presence of another node of the network within a single hop from the data communication device, such information being ascertained based on the node identification, in received auxiliary information, of a node from which a wake-up broadcast was transmitted; and

(f) wherein the ascertained networking information includes the presumed presence of a node corresponding to the wake-up identifier of a received wake-up broadcast.