Secure Energy Constrained Mesh Network
AssigneeRoper Solutions, Inc.
InventorsDerek S. Heeger, Maeve Garigan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An energy-constrained wireless mesh network is disclosed suitable for unattended sensor devices in rural or off-grid areas. The mesh network can be used in both a secure and insecure mode as desired. A series of rounds is used to communicate synchronously between a base station and wireless devices that are multiple hops away from the base station. Adaptive data rate techniques may be used to optimize data exchanges between networked devices.
Claims20
A low-power wide-area mesh network for communicating data comprising:
- a base station comprising a radio transceiver;
- a plurality of wireless sensor platforms, configured for communicating synchronously with the base station, wherein the plurality of sensor platforms are autonomously powered;
- wherein the base station is programmed to:
- (a) begin an event by transmitting a synchronization packet over the radio transceiver at a fixed time interval after a previous event;
- (b) receive a data packet from a first sensor platform of the plurality of sensor platforms via the radio transceiver;
- (c) update the synchronization packet with an indication of each of the plurality of sensor platforms data from which data has been received, creating an updated synchronization packet;
- (d) transmit the updated synchronization packet via the radio transceiver;
- and
- repeat (b)-(d) until data is received from all of the plurality of sensor platforms or a stop condition is reached;
- and
- wherein each sensor platform of the plurality of sensor platforms is programmed to:
- receive a first synchronization packet;
- receive a first data packet from another sensor platform of the plurality of sensor platforms;
- create a second data packet containing sensor data generated by the each sensor platform and sensor data contained in the data packet received from the another sensor platform;
- transmit the second data packet;
- and
- transmit a second synchronization packet.
A method of communicating with a plurality of sensor platforms by a base station comprising:
- (a) beginning an event by transmitting a synchronization packet over a radio transceiver at a fixed time interval after a previous event;
- (b) receiving a data packet from a first sensor platform of the plurality of sensor platforms via the radio transceiver;
- (c) updating the synchronization packet with an indication of each of the plurality of sensor platforms data from which data has been received, creating an updated synchronization packet;
- (d) transmitting the updated synchronization packet via the radio transceiver;
- and
- repeating (b)-(d) until data is received from all of the plurality of sensor platforms or a stop condition is reached.
A method of communicating with a base station of a mesh network, comprising:
- receiving a first synchronization packet by a first sensor platform of a plurality of sensor platforms;
- receiving a first data packet from a second sensor platform of the plurality of sensor platforms;
- creating a second data packet containing sensor data generated by the first sensor platform and sensor data contained in the first data packet received from the second sensor platform;
- transmitting the second data packet;
- and
- transmitting a second synchronization packet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.