Networked ecosystem with extended multi-hop proximity ranging

A networked ecosystem comprising:

• an initiator node;
• a plurality of relay nodes, including at least one transit node and at least one smart node;
• a target node that is located outside of a range limit of the initiator node;
• and
• computer storage medium (memory) containing a recorded activation profile, the recorded activation profile including a desired action or service of the target node;
• wherein the networked ecosystem is configured to use a proximity ranging protocol to detect respective ranges to one or more neighboring nodes of the plurality of relay nodes within a range limit of the initiator node, to dynamically determine an internodal distance between the initiator node and the target node based at least in part on the respective ranges to the one or more neighboring nodes, and triggering the desired action upon determining that the internodal distance between the initiator and the target node is not greater than an activation threshold.

A networked ecosystem comprising:

• an initiator node, the initiator node including a smartphone or a vehicle and having an ultra-wideband (UWB) capability;
• a plurality of relay nodes, including at least one transit node and at least one smart node, the at least one smart node including the UWB capability;
• a target node that is located outside of a range limit of the initiator node, the target node being configured as a smart home device;
• a computer storage medium (memory) containing an activation profile, the activation profile including a desired action or service of the target node, the desired action or service including a light, door, appliance, and/or vehicle setting of the smart home device;
• a Wi-Fi router;
• a border router;
• and
• a central controller in communication with the initiator node and one or more of the relay nodes via the Wi-Fi router, and with the one or more of the relay nodes and the target node via the Wi-Fi router and the border router, wherein the networked ecosystem is configured to use a proximity ranging protocol to detect respective ranges to one or more neighboring nodes of the plurality of relay nodes within a range limit of the initiator node, dynamically determine an internodal distance between the initiator node and the target node using the respective ranges to the one or more neighboring nodes, rank-order the one or more neighboring nodes in a table based on predetermined criteria, and dynamically update the table to thereby prioritize the one or more neighboring nodes for the action or service.