Transaction scheduling system for a wireless data communications network

A data communications network, comprising:

• a tag;
• and
• a master configured to monitor and process broadcasts from the tag in accordance with a time division block defined on the master, the time division block including a configuration window and a transaction window;
• wherein, during the configuration window,
• the tag broadcasts a configuration request packet over the data communications network,
• the master detects the configuration request and establishes a reserved time slot within the transaction window, the reserved time slot comprising a slice of time during which the master will detect and accept a set of transaction packets broadcasted by the tag, and
• the master determines and broadcasts a configuration response packet over the data communications network, the configuration response packet comprising a time delay for the tag, the time delay comprising an amount of time that the tag should wait before attempting to broadcast the set of transaction packets to the master, wherein the time delay is configured by the master to cause the set of transaction packets broadcasted by the tag to be broadcasted during the reserved time slot in the transaction window;
• wherein, during the reserved time slot of the transaction window,
• the tag broadcasts the set of transaction packets, and
• the master detects and accepts the set of transaction packets broadcasted by the tag;
• and
• wherein the tag is configured to broadcast a two-way ranging request packet during the first reserved time slot of the transaction window;
• the master is configured to accept the two-way ranging request packet and broadcast a two-way ranging response packet during the first reserved time slot of the transaction window;
• and the tag is configured to receive the two-way ranging response packet and broadcast a two-way ranging acknowledgment packet during the first reserved time slot of the transaction window.

In a data communications network comprising a tag, a master, and a slave device, a method for coordinating data communications between the tag and the master, the method comprising:

• defining on the master a time division block, the time division block comprising a length of time subdivided into 1) a configuration window, 2) a transaction window, and 3) a slave window, the slave window being reserved for exchanging a set of slave transaction packets between the slave and the master;
• during the configuration window,
• receiving on the master a configuration request packet broadcasted by the tag;
• in response to receiving the configuration request, establishing on the master a reserved time slot within the transaction window, the reserved time slot comprising a slice of time during which the master will detect and accept a set of transaction packets broadcasted by the tag;
• and
• broadcasting a configuration response packet from the master, the configuration response packet comprising a time delay for the tag, the time delay comprising an amount of time that the tag should wait before attempting to broadcast the set of transaction packets to the master, wherein the time delay is calculated by the master to cause the set of transaction packets broadcasted by the tag to be broadcasted during the reserved time slot in the transaction window;
• during the reserved time slot of the transaction window, detecting and accepting on the master the set of transaction packets broadcasted by the tag;
• broadcasting a two-way ranging request packet from the slave during the reserved time slot of the slave window;
• accepting the two-way ranging request packet on the master during the reserved time slot of the slave window;
• broadcasting a two-way ranging response packet from the master during the reserved time slot of the slave window;
• receiving the two-way ranging response packet on the slave during the reserved time slot of the slave window;
• and
• broadcasting a two-way ranging acknowledgment packet from the slave during the reserved time slot of the slave window.

A data communications network, comprising:

• a tag;
• a slave device;
• and
• a master configured to monitor and process broadcasts from the tag and the slave device in accordance with a time division block defined on the master, the time division block including 1) a configuration window, 2) a transaction window, and 3) a slave window, the slave window being reserved for exchanging a set of slave transaction packets between the slave and the master;
• wherein, during the configuration window,
• the tag broadcasts a configuration request packet over the data communications network,
• the master detects the configuration request and establishes a reserved time slot within the transaction window, the reserved time slot comprising a slice of time during which the master will detect and accept a set of transaction packets broadcasted by the tag, and
• the master determines and broadcasts a configuration response packet over the data communications network, the configuration response packet comprising a time delay for the tag, the time delay comprising an amount of time that the tag should wait before attempting to broadcast the set of transaction packets to the master, wherein the time delay is configured by the master to cause the set of transaction packets broadcasted by the tag to be broadcasted during the reserved time slot in the transaction window;
• wherein during the reserved time slot of the transaction window,
• the tag broadcasts the set of transaction packets, and
• the master detects and accepts the set of transaction packets broadcasted by the tag, and
• wherein the slave device is configured to broadcast a two-way ranging request packet during the reserved time slot of the slave window;
• the master is configured to accept the two-way ranging request packet and broadcast a two-way ranging response packet from the master during the reserved time slot of the slave window;
• and the slave device is configured to receive the two-way ranging response packet and broadcast a two-way ranging acknowledgement packet from the slave during the reserved time slot of the slave window.