US 8,558,695 B2 · Biodegradable device and mesh network for optimization of payload material delivery

Abstract

A biodegradable payload material delivery and notification device includes a biodegradable shell enclosing at least a portion of a biodegradable detector that includes a payload material, and biodegradable circuitry electrically connected to the detector and capable of performing a delivery notification operation. The biodegradable shell degrades upon exposure to environmental conditions causing release of an amount of the payload material, and the detector communicates release of the amount of the payload material to the circuitry causing the circuitry to perform the delivery notification operation. The delivery notification operation includes generating and transmitting to a mesh network a signal having one or more parameters that are correlated with the amount of the payload material released. A mesh network includes a plurality of biodegradable devices and one or more edge collection devices. Each biodegradable device is configured to broadcast a signal that may be received and processed by the edge collection devices.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A biodegradable payload material delivery and notification device comprising:

a biodegradable shell enclosing at least a portion of a biodegradable detector, the detector comprising a payload material;
and
biodegradable circuitry electrically connected to the detector and capable of performing a delivery notification operation;
wherein,
at least a portion of the biodegradable shell degrades upon exposure to one or more environmental conditions causing release of an amount of the payload material, and
the detector communicates release of the amount of the payload material to the circuitry causing the circuitry to perform the delivery notification operation, the delivery notification operation comprising generating and transmitting to a mesh network a signal having one or more parameters associated therewith that are correlated with the amount of the payload material released.

3 more elements

A mesh network comprising:

a plurality of biodegradable devices networked together in accordance with a network architecture and a network communications protocol;
and
one or more edge collection devices;
wherein,
each biodegradable device is configured to transmit a signal to one or more other biodegradable devices in the mesh network, the signal comprising a data packet having a plurality of data bits including:
a first set of the data bits storing an origin identifier, and
a second set of the data bits storing one or more hop identifiers;
and
the edge collection devices receive one or more signals from one or more of the plurality of biodegradable devices and process information included in the one or more received signals.

6 more elements

A method for collecting and processing payload material delivery data, the method comprising:

establishing a mesh network comprising:
a plurality of biodegradable devices, and
one or more edge collection devices;
configuring each biodegradable device to transmit a signal to one or more other biodegradable devices in the mesh network, the signal comprising a data packet having a plurality of data bits including:
a first set of the data bits storing an origin identifier, and
a second set of the data bits storing one or more hop identifiers;
configuring the edge collection devices to receive one or more signals from one or more of the plurality of biodegradable devices;
and
configuring the edge collection devices to process information included in the one or more received signals.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Biodegradable device and mesh network for optimization of payload material delivery

Life of this patent

Biodegradable device and mesh network for optimization of payload material delivery

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20