Communication network having a plurality of bridging nodes which transmit a beacon to terminal nodes in power saving state that it has messages awaiting delivery
AssigneeIntermec IP Corp.
InventorsRonald L. Mahany, Robert C. Meier, Ronald E. Luse
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and a method for routing data in a radio data communication system having one or more host computers, one or more intermediate base stations, and one or more RF terminals organizes the intermediate base stations into an optimal spanning-tree network to control the routing of data to and from the RF terminals and the host computer efficiently and dynamically. Communication between the host computer and the RF terminals is achieved by using the network of intermediate base stations to transmit the data.
Claims31
A communication network supporting wireless communication of messages, said communication network comprising:
- a first terminal node having a wireless receiver operable in a normal state;
- a second terminal node having a wireless receiver operable in a power saving state;
- an access point that attempts to immediately deliver messages destined for the first terminal node;
- the access point attempts to deliver messages destined for the second terminal node by transmitting at predetermined intervals beacons that identify that a message awaits delivery;
- the second terminal node synchronizes operation of its wireless receiver to receive the beacons from the access point;
- and
- the second terminal node determines from the received beacons that it has a message awaiting delivery and directs further operation of its wireless receiver to receive the message.
A communication network supporting wireless communication of messages, said communication network comprising:
- a first terminal node operating in a first state;
- a second terminal node operating in a second state in which attempts are made to minimize power consumption by the wireless receiver
- a bridging node having a wireless transceiver to support wireless communication to the first and second terminal nodes;
- the bridging node attempts to deliver messages destined for the second terminal node by transmitting at predetermined intervals beacons that identify a message awaiting delivery;
- the second terminal node synchronizing operation of its wireless receiver to receive the beacons from the bridging node and determining from the received beacons that it has a message awaiting delivery and responding to an awaiting message by directing further operation of its wireless receiver to receive the message;
- and
- the bridging node delivering messages to the first terminal node without requiring the first terminal node to determine from the beacons that it has messages awaiting delivery.
A communication network supporting wireless communication of messages, said communication network comprising:
- a first node having a wireless transceiver;
- a second node having a wireless transceiver;
- said first node wirelessly transmitting at periodic intervals to accommodate delivery of messages from said first node to said second node;
- and
- said second node selectively either entering and remaining in a low power state between the transmissions at periodic intervals or entering and remaining in a low power state between any two of the transmissions at periodic intervals that are nonconsecutive.
A communication network supporting wireless communication of messages, said communication network comprising:
- a first node having a wireless transceiver;
- a second node having a wireless receiver;
- said first node wirelessly transmitting at timed intervals to accommodate delivery of messages from said first node to said second node;
- and
- said second node synchronizing with the timed intervals to selectively enter and remain in a low power state either one of between consecutive transmissions at periodic intervals and between nonconsecutive transmissions at periodic intervals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.