Methods and apparatus for pseudo master node mode operations within a hierarchical wireless network

• US 9,904,902 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fedex Corporate Services Incorporated (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fedex Corporate Services Incorporated (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Skaaksrud, Ole-Petter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/538,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20150347959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/3913 Predictive models, e.g. based on neural network models
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/71 Wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0006 by adapting the transmission format
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0231 based on communication conditions dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition based on channel quality criteria H04W72/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/223 predicting future states of the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/40 during macro-diversity or soft handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

Methods of operation and systems are described for node communication within a hierarchical wireless node network having a plurality of ID nodes on a first level, a master node on a second level, and a server at a third level. A first of the ID nodes associates with the master node. The first ID node cannot self-determine its location while the master node is adapted to self-determine its location via location circuitry. The first ID node captures relevant node information, such as profile data, security data, association data, shared data, and/or sensor data. The relevant node information may be captured from another ID node. The first ID node begins operating in a pseudo master node mode so that it can transmit the relevant node information to the server without using the master node as an intermediary to the server.

Claims

1. A method for enhanced node communication within a hierarchical wireless node network having a plurality of ID nodes on a first level, a master node on a second level, and a server at a third level, the method comprising:

associating, by a first of the ID nodes, the first of the ID nodes with the master node, the first of the ID nodes being unable to self-determine its location while the master node is adapted to self-determine its location via location circuitry, the first of the ID nodes using communications with the master node as an intermediary for indirect communication with the server by the first of the ID nodes when the first of the ID nodes is operating in a normal mode within the hierarchical wireless node network;

capturing, by the first of the ID nodes, relevant node information; and

transmitting, by the first of the ID nodes when operating in a pseudo master node mode in the hierarchical wireless node network, the relevant node information to the server without using the master node as an intermediary to the server by having the first of the ID nodes (a) generate a message for the server, the message including the relevant node information and formatted for a longer range communication path when compared to a shorter range communication path used to communicate between the ID nodes, and (b) broadcast the message on the longer range communication path to the server while avoiding the need to first send the message to the master node during transit to the server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevant node information further comprises at least one of profile data, security data, association data, shared data, and sensor data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensor data comprises data collected from one or more sensors in communication with the first of the ID nodes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data collected from the one or more sensors relates to at least one condition of a package associated with the first of the ID nodes.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the capturing step further comprises capturing, by the first of the ID nodes, the relevant node information from a broadcast from a second of the ID nodes associated with the first of the ID nodes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sensor data comprises data collected from one or more sensors in communication with the second of the ID nodes.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the data collected from the one or more sensors relates to at least one condition of a package associated with the second of the ID nodes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting further comprises:

determining a desired communication path for the message including the relevant node information, the desired communication path comprising at least one of the shorter range communication path and the longer range communication path, wherein the shorter range communication path includes the master node operating as an intermediary to the server and the longer range communication path not including the master node operating as the intermediary to the server;

formatting the message for the server, the message formatted for the desired communication path; and

broadcasting the message on the desired communication path to the server while avoiding the need to first send the message to the master node during transit to the server when the desired communication path is the longer range communication path.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which when executed on a processor performs a method for enhanced node communication within a hierarchical wireless node network having a plurality of ID nodes on a first level, a master node on a second level, and a server at a third level, the method comprising

associating, by a first of the ID nodes, the first of the ID nodes with the master node, the first of the ID nodes being unable to self-determine its location while the master node is adapted to self-determine its location via location circuitry, the first of the ID nodes using communications with the master node as an intermediary for indirect communication with the server by the first of the ID nodes when the first of the ID nodes is operating in a normal mode within the hierarchical wireless node network;

capturing, by the first of the ID nodes, relevant node information; and

transmitting, by the first of the ID nodes when operating in a pseudo master node mode in the hierarchical wireless node network, the relevant node information to the server without using the master node as an intermediary to the server by having the first of the ID nodes (a) generate a message for the server, the message including the relevant node information and formatted for a longer range communication path when compared to a shorter range communication path used to communicate between the ID nodes, and (b) broadcast the message on the longer range communication path to the server while avoiding the need to first send the message to the master node during transit to the server.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the relevant node information further comprises at least one of profile data, security data, association data, shared data, and sensor data.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the sensor data comprises data collected from one or more sensors in communication with the first of the ID nodes.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the data collected from the one or more sensors relates to at least one condition of a package associated with the first of the ID nodes.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the capturing step further comprises capturing, by the first of the ID nodes, the relevant node information from a broadcast from a second of the ID nodes associated with the first of the ID nodes.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the sensor data comprises data collected from one or more sensors in communication with the second of the ID nodes.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the data collected from the one or more sensors relates to at least one condition of a package associated with the second of the ID nodes.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the step of transmitting further comprises:

determining a desired communication path for the message including the relevant node information, the desired communication path comprising at least one of the shorter range communication path and the longer range communication path, wherein the shorter range communication path includes the master node operating as an intermediary to the server and the longer range communication path not including the master node operating as the intermediary to the server;

formatting the message for the server, the message formatted for the desired communication path; and

broadcasting the message on the desired communication path to the server while avoiding the need to first send the message to the master node during transit to the server when the desired communication path is the longer range communication path.

17. A system within a hierarchical wireless node network, comprising:

a plurality of ID nodes disposed on a first level of the network, wherein at least a first of the ID nodes uses communications with the master node as an intermediary for indirect communication with the server by the first of the ID nodes when the first of the ID nodes is operating in a normal mode within the hierarchical wireless node network;

a master node disposed on a second level of the network, the master node having location circuitry with which to self-determine its location, the master node being further adapted and operative to associate with at least a first of the ID nodes;

a server disposed on a third level of the network; and

wherein the first of the ID nodes being adapted and operative to

associate the first of the ID nodes with the master node, the first of the ID nodes being unable to self-determine its location,

capture relevant node information; and

transmit, when the first of the ID node modes is operating in a pseudo master node mode, the relevant node information to the server without using the master node as an intermediary to the server by (a) generating a message for the server, the message including the relevant node information and formatted for a longer range communication path when compared to a shorter range communication path used to communicate between the ID nodes, and (b) broadcasting the message on the longer range communication path to the server while avoiding the need to first send the message to the master node during transit to the server.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the relevant node information further comprises at least one of profile data, security data, association data, shared data, and sensor data.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first of the ID nodes further comprises one or more sensors that generate the sensor data.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the sensor data relates to at least one condition of a package associated with the first of the ID nodes.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the first of the ID nodes is further adapted and operative to capture the relevant node information from a broadcast signal originating from a second of the ID nodes associated with the first of the ID nodes.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the second of the ID nodes further comprises one or more sensors that generate the sensor data.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the sensor data relates to at least one condition of a package associated with the second of the ID nodes.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the first of the ID nodes is further adapted and operative to transmit in the pseudo master node mode by being adapted and operative to:

determine a desired communication path for the message including the relevant node information, the desired communication path comprising at least one of the shorter range communication path and the longer range communication path, wherein the shorter range communication path includes the master node operating as an intermediary to the server and the longer range communication path not including the master node operating as the intermediary to the server;

format the message for the server, the message formatted for the desired communication path; and

broadcast the message on the desired communication path to the server while avoiding the need to first send the message to the master node during transit to the server when the desired communication path is the longer range communication path.