Systems, apparatus, and methods of event monitoring for an event candidate within a wireless node network based upon sighting events, sporadic events, and benchmark checkpoint events

A master node apparatus for enhanced monitoring for an event candidate within a wireless node network having a plurality of ID nodes and a server, the master node apparatus comprising:

• a node processing unit;
• a memory storage coupled to the node processing unit, the memory storage maintaining event detection engine code for execution by the node processing unit;
• a timer coupled to the node processing unit and operative to track an elapsed time after an initiating event;
• a first communication interface coupled to the node processing unit and operative to communicate with at least a first of the ID nodes over a first communication path;
• a second communication interface coupled to the node processing unit and operative to communicate with the server over a second communication path;
• and
• wherein the node processing unit, when executing the event detection engine code maintained on the memory storage, is operative to
• detect, via the first communication interface, a first signal broadcast by a first of the ID nodes over the first communication path,
• identify the event candidate as a first sighting event related to the first ID node when the master node detects the first signal,
• generate event data representing the first sighting event after identifying the first sighting event, wherein the event data representing the first sighting event comprises an identifier of the first ID node and further comprises at least timing information and observed signal strength information characterizing the first sighting event,
• cause the second communication interface to provide the event data representing the first sighting event to the server,
• monitor, via the first communication interface, for any in a series of successive signals broadcast by the first ID node within an event horizon for the first ID node after detecting the first signal,
• track, via the timer, the elapsed time between successive ones of the first signal and any in the series of successive signals broadcast by the first ID node,
• track a received signal strength indicator value for the first signal and any in the series of successive signals broadcast by the first ID node,
• identify the event candidate as a subsequent event related to the first node and within the event horizon beginning with the first sighting event, the subsequent event being identified based upon timing information related to the elapsed time tracked by the timer and based upon observed signal strength information as indicated by the received signal strength indicator value,
• generate event data representing the subsequent event as including at least the timing information related to the elapsed time tracked by the timer and based upon observed signal strength information as indicated by the received signal strength indicator value, and
• cause the second communication interface to provide the event data representing the subsequent event to the server.

A method for enhanced monitoring for an event candidate within a wireless node network having a plurality of ID nodes, a master node in communication with the ID nodes, and a server in communication with the master node, comprising the steps of:

• (a) detecting, by the master node, a first signal broadcast by a first of the ID nodes;
• (b) identifying, by the master node, the event candidate as a first sighting event related to the first ID node when the master node detects the first signal;
• (c) generating, by the master node, event data representing the first sighting event once the master node identifies the first sighting event, wherein the event data representing the first sighting event comprises an identifier of the first ID node and further comprises at least timing information and observed signal strength information characterizing the first sighting event;
• (d) reporting, by the master node, the event data representing the first sighting event to the server upon generating the event data representing the first sighting event;
• (e) identifying, by the master node, the event candidate as a sporadic event related to the first ID node when (1) the master node has not identified a first benchmark checkpoint event related to the first ID node and (2) the master node has not detected a subsequent signal broadcast by the first ID node within a gap time period from when the master node detected a most recent signal from the first ID node;
• (f) generating, by the master node, event data representing the sporadic event if the master node identifies the sporadic event, wherein the event data representing the sporadic event comprises at least timing information and observed signal strength information characterizing the sporadic event;
• (g) reporting, by the master node, the event data representing the sporadic event to the server upon generating the event data representing the sporadic event;
• (h) determining, by the master node, a first average of an observed signal strength value for an initial number of subsequent successive signals broadcast from the first ID node and detected by the master node including the first signal as long as an elapsed time between each of the initial number of subsequent successive signals is less than the gap time;
• (i) identifying, by the master node, the event candidate as a first benchmark checkpoint event based upon the first average of observed signal strength value, the first benchmark checkpoint event representing a detected online state of the first ID node by the master node;
• (j) generating, by the master node, event data representing the first benchmark checkpoint event once the master node identifies the first benchmark checkpoint event, wherein the event data representing the first benchmark checkpoint event comprises at least timing information and observed signal strength information characterizing the first benchmark checkpoint event;
• and
• (k) reporting, by the master node, the event data representing the first benchmark checkpoint event to the server upon generating the event data representing the first benchmark checkpoint event.