Tracking Network Resources

A central resource tracking node for use in a communication network, the node comprising:

• a first receiver configured to receive a request from a location application node to track a resource;
• a processor configured to generate a subscription message, the subscription message including an identifier associated with the tracked resource;
• a transmitter configured to transmit the subscription message to a plurality of Wireless Sensor Network Gateway nodes;
• and
• a second receiver configured to receive from a first Wireless Sensor Network Gateway node a subscription response message informing the central resource tracking node that the resource associated with the identifier is located in the Wireless Sensor Network served by the first Wireless Sensor Network Gateway node, and to receive from a second Wireless Sensor Network Gateway node a subscription rejection message.

A Wireless Sensor Network Gateway node comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive from a central resource tracking node a subscription request message, the message including an identifier associated with a tracked resource;
• a processor configured to determine whether the tracked resource is located in a Wireless Sensor Network served by the Wireless Sensor Network Gateway node;
• and
• a transmitter configured, in the event that the resource associated with the identifier is located in the Wireless Sensor Network, to send to the central resource tracking node a subscription response message, and in the event that the resource associated with the identifier is not located in the Wireless Sensor Network, to send to the central resource tracking node a subscription rejection message.