Relaying communications in a wireless sensor system

• US 9,872,249 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2017
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kates, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): NWUGO, OJIAKO K
• Application Number:
  US15/601,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20170257826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 239 Days
• Field of Search: 3405731, 34087039
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/04 by breaking of glass
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/14 Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/02 Automatically-operated arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Various embodiments of wireless ambient sensor unit are presented. The sensor unit may include a wireless transceiver configured to transmit sensor data and to receive instructions. The sensor unit may include a sensor configured to measure an ambient condition. The sensor unit may include a controller in communication with the wireless transceiver and the sensor. The controller may be configured to compare data measured about the ambient condition to a stored threshold while the wireless ambient sensor unit is functioning in a low-power mode. The controller may be configured to exit the low-power mode in response to the comparison of the data with the stored threshold. The controller may be configured to cause the data measured about the ambient condition to be transmitted by the wireless transceiver as one or more messages in response to the comparison to the stored threshold.

Claims

1. A method of bi-directional communication within a wireless sensor system comprising:

receiving, at a wireless repeater unit, a communication packet including an address portion that comprises a first code, a second code, a checksum, and an authenticity code for use in verifying an authenticity of the communication packet;

determining if the first code in the communication packet corresponds to a building code associated with the wireless repeater unit;

based on the determining that the first code corresponds to the building code associated with the wireless repeater unit, comparing the second code to wireless sensor identifiers in a table of the wireless sensor identifiers stored in the wireless repeater unit; and

based on the second code matching a wireless sensor identifier in the table, relaying the communication packet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication packet is received from a wireless sensor unit, and wherein the communication packet is relayed to a base unit associated with the first code.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless sensor unit is configured to sense humidity, carbon monoxide, smoke, or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication packet is received from a base unit, and wherein the communication packet is relayed to a wireless sensor unit associated with the second code.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless repeater unit listens to a radio frequency channel before beginning a transmission for the relaying the communication packet on the radio frequency channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless repeater unit is operable to wirelessly communicate at a frequency in a 900 MHz frequency band.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication packet is encrypted.

8. A wireless repeater device comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to receive a communication packet including an address portion that comprises a first code, a second code, a checksum, and an authenticity code for use in verifying an authenticity of the communication packet; and

a controller, comprising a table of wireless sensor identifiers, the controller configured to;

determine if the first code in the communication packet corresponds to a building code associated with the wireless repeater device;

based on the determination that the first code corresponds to the building code associated with the wireless repeater device, compare the second code to the wireless sensor identifiers in the table; and

based on the second code matching to a wireless sensor identifier in the table, relay the communication packet using the wireless transceiver.

9. The wireless repeater device of claim 8, wherein the communication packet is received from a wireless sensor unit, and wherein the communication packet is relayed to a base unit associated with the first code.

10. The wireless repeater device of claim 8, wherein the communication packet is received from a base unit, and wherein the communication packet is relayed to a wireless sensor unit associated with the second code.

11. The wireless repeater device of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to:

listen to a radio frequency channel, using the wireless transceiver, before beginning a transmission to said relay the communication packet on the radio frequency channel.

12. The wireless repeater device of claim 8, wherein the wireless transceiver is operable to wirelessly communicate at a frequency in a 900 MHz frequency band.

13. The wireless repeater device of claim 8, wherein the communication packet is encrypted.

14. A wireless sensor system comprising:

a wireless repeater unit comprising a table of wireless sensor identifiers, the wireless repeater unit configured to;

receive a communication packet including an address portion that comprises a first code, a second code, a checksum, and an authenticity code for use in verifying an authenticity of the communication packet;

determine if the first code in the communication packet corresponds to a building code associated with the wireless sensor system;

based on the determination that the first code corresponds to the building code associated with the wireless sensor system, compare the second code to the wireless sensor identifiers in the table; and

based on the comparison matching the second code to a wireless sensor identifier in the table, relay the communication packet.

15. The wireless sensor system of claim 14, further comprising:

a base unit associated with the first code; and

one or more wireless sensor units;

the wireless repeater unit configured to;

receive the communication packet from one of the wireless sensor units; and

relay the communication packet to the base unit.

17. The wireless sensor system of claim 15, wherein the wireless repeater unit is configured to:

receive an additional communication packet from the base unit; and

relay the additional communication packet to a wireless sensor unit that is associated with the first code and the second code.

18. The wireless sensor system of claim 15, wherein the base unit, the wireless repeater unit, and the one or more wireless sensor units are disposed about a building structure, and wherein the first code is associated with the building structure.

19. The wireless sensor system of claim 14, wherein the wireless repeater unit is configured to listen to a radio frequency channel before beginning a transmission to said relay the communication packet on the radio frequency channel.

20. The wireless sensor system of claim 14, wherein the communication packet is encrypted.

16. The wireless sensor system of clam 15, wherein the one or more sensor units are configured to sense humidity, carbon monoxide, smoke, or any combination thereof.