U.S. patent application number 14/618237 was filed with the patent office on 2016-08-11 for wireless sensor network controlled low energy link.
This patent application is currently assigned to Tyco Fire & Security GmbH. The applicant listed for this patent is Jorge F. Alicot, Paul B. Rasband. Invention is credited to Jorge F. Alicot, Paul B. Rasband.
Application Number | 20160234634 14/618237 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55447135 |
Filed Date | 2016-08-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160234634 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rasband; Paul B. ; et
al. |
August 11, 2016 |
WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK CONTROLLED LOW ENERGY LINK
Abstract
Systems (100) and methods (200) for operating a sensor system.
The methods comprise: performing first operations by a Wireless
Sensor Network (102) to (a) configure operations of WSN end nodes
(104, 134-138) and (b) control Bluetooth Low Energy ("BLE") link
activity within a BLE network; and performing second operations by
the BLE network to (a) find people or objects (156) within a
specified area and (b) provide services to users of mobile
communication devices which are BLE enabled (152) and reside within
the specified area
Inventors: |
Rasband; Paul B.; (Lantana,
FL) ; Alicot; Jorge F.; (Davie, FL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Rasband; Paul B.
Alicot; Jorge F. |
Lantana
Davie |
FL
FL |
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Tyco Fire & Security
GmbH
Neuhausen Am Rheinfall
CH
|
Family ID: |
55447135 |
Appl. No.: |
14/618237 |
Filed: |
February 10, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 4/70 20180201; H04L
67/12 20130101; Y02D 30/70 20200801; Y02D 70/144 20180101; Y02D
70/142 20180101; Y02D 70/22 20180101; Y02D 70/162 20180101; H04W
4/80 20180201; H04W 84/18 20130101; H04L 67/18 20130101; H04W
52/0219 20130101; H04B 17/318 20150115 |
International
Class: |
H04W 4/02 20060101
H04W004/02; H04W 4/00 20060101 H04W004/00 |
Claims
1. A method for operating a sensor system, comprising: performing
first operations by a Wireless Sensor Network ("WSN") to (a)
configure operations of WSN end nodes and (b) control Bluetooth Low
Energy ("BLE") link activity within a BLE network; and performing
second operations by the BLE network to (a) find people or objects
within a specified area and (b) provide services to users of mobile
communication devices which are BLE enabled and reside within the
specified area.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein BLE link activity is
controlled by deactivating a BLE peripheral node when a first
condition exits and activating the BLE peripheral node when a
second condition exits.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first condition is
a normal operating condition and the second condition is an
emergency condition.
4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising
communicating information from a first mobile communication device
of the mobile communication devices to the WSN that indicates at
least one of a type of object or person that is trying to be
located, a particular object or person that is trying to be
located, a desired behavior of a BLE peripheral node associated
with the object or person that is trying to be located, and a
location of the mobile communication device within the specified
area.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first operations
comprise invoking activation of the BLE peripheral node based on
the information communicated from the first mobile communication
device to the WSN.
6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first operations
comprise configuring third operations of the BLE peripheral node
based on the information communicated from the first mobile
communication device to the WSN.
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the third operations
are configured such that the signal power, antenna pattern or range
of the BLE peripheral node is increased or decreased.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second operations
comprise: establishing a BLE link between a first mobile
communication device of the mobile communication devices and a BLE
peripheral node; receiving a BLE interrogation signal at the BLE
peripheral node which was transmitted from the first mobile
communication device; and issuing an alarm of the BLE peripheral
node in response to the BLE interrogation signal in accordance with
a manner in which the BLE peripheral node was configured by the
WSN.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second operations
comprise outputting information from a first mobile communication
device of the mobile communication devices indicating relative
locations of the first mobile communication device and a BLE
peripheral node of the BLE network.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first operations
comprise periodically re-configuring operations of at least one WSN
end node during a BLE session in which the WSN end node has a BLE
connection to at least one of the mobile communication devices,
where the periodic re-configuring is performed based on information
received from at least one of the WSN end node and the mobile
communication device indicating or that is useful in determining
relative locations of the WSN end node and the mobile communication
device.
11. A sensor system, comprising: a Wireless Sensor Network ("WSN")
comprising at least one first electronic circuit performing
operations to (a) configure operations of WSN end nodes and (b)
control Bluetooth Low Energy ("BLE") link activity within a BLE
network; and the BLE network comprising at least one second
electronic circuit performing second operations to (a) find people
or objects within a specified area and (b) provide services to
users of mobile communication devices which are BLE enabled and
reside within the specified area.
12. The sensor system according to claim 11, wherein BLE link
activity is controlled by deactivating a BLE peripheral node when a
first condition exits and activating the BLE peripheral node when a
second condition exits.
13. The sensor system according to claim 12, wherein the first
condition is a normal operating condition and the second condition
is an emergency condition.
14. The sensor system according to claim 11, wherein a first mobile
communication device of the mobile communication devices
communicates information to the WSN that indicates at least one of
a type of object or person that is trying to be located, a
particular object or person that is trying to be located, a desired
behavior of a BLE peripheral node associated with the object or
person that is trying to be located, and a location of the mobile
communication device within the specified area.
15. The sensor system according to claim 14, wherein the first
operations comprise invoking activation of the BLE peripheral node
based on the information communicated from the first mobile
communication device to the WSN.
16. The sensor system according to claim 14, wherein the first
operations comprise configuring third operations of the BLE
peripheral node based on the information communicated from the
first mobile communication device to the WSN.
17. The sensor system according to claim 16, wherein the third
operations are configured such that the signal power, antenna
pattern or range of the BLE peripheral node is increased or
decreased.
18. The sensor system according to claim 11, wherein the second
operations comprise: establishing a BLE link between a first mobile
communication device of the mobile communication devices and a BLE
peripheral node; receiving a BLE interrogation signal at the BLE
peripheral node which was transmitted from the first mobile
communication device; and issuing an alarm of the BLE peripheral
node in response to the BLE interrogation signal in accordance with
a manner in which the BLE peripheral node was configured by the
WSN.
19. The sensor system according to claim 11, wherein the second
operations comprise outputting information from a first mobile
communication device of the mobile communication devices indicating
relative locations of the first mobile communication device and a
BLE peripheral node of the BLE network.
20. The sensor system according to claim 11, wherein the first
operations comprise periodically re-configuring operations of at
least one WSN end node during a BLE session in which the WSN end
node has a BLE connection to at least one of the mobile
communication devices, where the periodic re-configuring is
performed based on information received from at least one of the
WSN end node and the mobile communication device indicating or that
is useful in determining relative locations of the WSN end node and
the mobile communication device.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This document relates generally to Wireless Sensor Network
("WSN") based systems. More particularly, this document relates to
systems and methods for providing controlled low energy links
(e.g., Bluetooth.RTM. low energy links) in WSN based systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Bluetooth.RTM. Low Energy ("BLE" or "Bluetooth.RTM. Smart")
is a particular type of wireless communication technology that
consumes only a fraction of the power of classic Bluetooth.RTM.
radios. In this regard, BLE is designed especially for
short-to-moderate-range point-to-point communication between two or
more BLE enabled devices. The BLE enabled devices comprise BLE
peripheral devices ("BLE beacons") and BLE central devices ("BLE
hubs"). A BLE beacon is often a fixed or mobile electronic device
powered by a coin-cell battery, which transmits a periodic code. A
BLE hub is often a mobile device (e.g., a smart phone) or gateway
to a Local Area Network ("LAN") or WiFi network. The BLE enabled
devices can have a range up to 200 feet and beyond (particularly
where longer ranges are desired, such as in sensor
applications).
[0003] BLE link technology has traditionally been applied to
problems such as smart signs, health data monitoring (i.e.,
wireless attachment to medical equipment) and access control. BLE
link technology operates in the 2.400 GHz-2.4835 GHz ISM band, but
uses a different set of channels than the classic Bluetooth.RTM.
technology. Within a channel, data is transmitted using Guassian
frequency shift modulation. BLE supports very short data packets
(8-27 octets) that are transferred at a bit rate of 1 Mbps. The
maximum transmit power of a BLE enable device is 10 mW.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present disclosure concerns implementing systems and
methods for operating a sensor system. The methods comprise:
performing first operations by a WSN to (a) configure operations of
WSN end nodes and (b) control BLE link activity within a BLE
network; and performing second operations by the BLE network to (a)
find people or objects within a specified area and (b) provide
services to users of mobile communication devices which are BLE
enabled and reside within the specified area. Notably, the
operations of at least one WSN end node can be periodically
re-configured during a BLE session in which the WSN end node has a
BLE connection to at least one of the mobile communication devices.
The periodic re-configuring may be performed based on information
received from the WSN end node and the mobile communication device
indicating or that is useful in determining relative locations of
the WSN end node and the mobile communication device.
[0005] In some scenarios, the BLE link activity is controlled by
deactivating a BLE peripheral node when a first condition exits and
activating the BLE peripheral node when a second condition exits.
The first condition is a normal operating condition and the second
condition is an emergency condition.
[0006] Additionally or alternatively, a first mobile communication
device communicates information to the WSN (e.g., via a WiFi or
cellular connection to the network to which the WSN is directly or
indirectly connected using wired and wireless internet protocols)
that indicates at least one of a type of object or person that is
trying to be located, a particular object or person that is trying
to be located, a desired behavior of a BLE peripheral node
associated with the object or person that is trying to be located,
and a location of the mobile communication device within the
specified area. In this case, the first operations comprise:
invoking activation of the BLE peripheral node based on the
information communicated from the first mobile communication device
to the WSN; and/or configuring third operations of the BLE
peripheral node based on the information communicated from the
first mobile communication device to the WSN. The third operations
are configured such that the signal power, antenna pattern or range
of the BLE peripheral node is increased or decreased.
[0007] In those or other scenarios, the second operations comprise:
establishing a BLE link between the first mobile communication
device and the BLE peripheral node; receiving a BLE interrogation
signal at the BLE peripheral node which was transmitted from the
first mobile communication device; and issuing an alarm of the BLE
peripheral node in response to the BLE interrogation signal in
accordance with a manner in which the BLE peripheral node was
configured by the WSN. The second operations may also comprise
outputting information from a first mobile communication device
indicating relative locations of the first mobile communication
device and a BLE peripheral node of the BLE network.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Embodiments will be described with reference to the
following drawing figures, in which like numerals represent like
items throughout the figures, and in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary sensor
system that is useful for understanding the present invention.
[0010] FIGS. 2A-2B (collectively referred to as FIG. 2) provide a
flow diagram of an exemplary method for operating a sensor
system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] It will be readily understood that the components of the
embodiments as generally described herein and illustrated in the
appended figures could be arranged and designed in a wide variety
of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed
description of various embodiments, as represented in the figures,
is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, but
is merely representative of various embodiments. While the various
aspects of the embodiments are presented in drawings, the drawings
are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specifically
indicated.
[0012] The present invention may be embodied in other specific
forms without departing from its spirit or essential
characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in
all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of
the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims
rather than by this detailed description. All changes which come
within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be
embraced within their scope.
[0013] Reference throughout this specification to features,
advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the
features and advantages that may be realized with the present
invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the
invention. Rather, language referring to the features and
advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature,
advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an
embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present
invention. Thus, discussions of the features and advantages, and
similar language, throughout the specification may, but do not
necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.
[0014] Furthermore, the described features, advantages and
characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable
manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art
will recognize, in light of the description herein, that the
invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific
features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other
instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in
certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of
the invention.
[0015] Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment",
"an embodiment", or similar language means that a particular
feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with
the indicated embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of
the present invention. Thus, the phrases "in one embodiment", "in
an embodiment", and similar language throughout this specification
may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.
[0016] As used in this document, the singular form "a", "an", and
"the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates
otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific
terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by
one of ordinary skill in the art. As used in this document, the
term "comprising" means "including, but not limited to".
[0017] WSNs are applied to many data collection and
control/actuation problems. WSNs have significantly greater range
and diversity of application as compared to that of BLE networks,
due in part to the inclusion of mesh topologies and multi-hop
message delivery (e.g., such as is provided in many WSN via 6LoWPAN
running on top of the 802.15.4 Media Access Control ("MAC")
protocol layer and the Physical ("PHY") protocol layer of the
wireless protocol stack). Put another way, WSNs have one set of
strengths and BLE networks have another set of strengths, even
though in many applications either technology can be employed.
[0018] Herein, a system will be described which employs both a WSN
and a BLE network. The WSN is described as comprising a WSN based
on 802.15.4/6LoWPAN. The present invention is not limited in this
regard. Any alternative WSN protocol (e.g., Zigbee.RTM.,
Z-Wave.RTM., wireless HART.RTM., etc.) can be employed in
accordance with a particular application. Notably, the WSN and BLE
network are used for different purposes. For example, the WSN is
generally used as a means to (a) configure operations of end nodes
thereof and (b) facilitate the control of BLE link activity. The
BLE network is used to provide a means to (a) find people, objects,
items, articles and/or equipment within a facility or geographic
area, (b) provide services (e.g., emergency based services--provide
a safe exit route through a burning building based on real time
sensor information) to people possessing mobile communication
devices (e.g., smart phones) within the facility or geographic
area, and/or (c) provide consumer information services over the BLE
link to the user of the smart phone at their particular location.
With regard to (c), the user can be provided with information
specific to their context and need, which context may be
transmitted to remote applications controlling specific behavior of
the BLE beacon, via the WSN back-network at the time the service is
actually requested using the phone and a cellular network message
to a remote web-based application.
[0019] As indicated above, BLE link activity is controlled by
applications running inside and/or accessible via a WSN.
Specifically, a BLE link may be turned off under normal conditions,
but activated by a WSN-linked control application when a special
event occurs (e.g., fire or other emergency). Alternatively or
additionally, the BLE link may be active in one mode under one set
of conditions, and then converted to a second mode under a
different set of conditions via the application running inside or
accessible via the WSN. The WSN-linked control application may
reside in any one (or even more than one) node of the WSN including
a second (external) network's gateway, a WSN access point connected
to the gateway, a local server accessible via the second network,
and/or a remote and/or cloud-based real or virtual server.
[0020] In the present disclosure, BLE links are assumed to be short
range (e.g., 1-10 meters), point-to-point with no re-transmission
involved (i.e., no multi-hopping). It is true that BLE technology
can be employed in multi-hop networks where a BLE enabled device
receives a message from a second BLE enabled device and
re-transmits it to a third BLE enabled device--even over a large
distance. There is no physical reason why BLE technology may not be
employed as just another WSN technology. However, BLE has been
chosen by various markets and application standard organizations as
the basis for various use cases which demand that the BLE
technology be used in a certain way which entails intentionally
short range, single-hop transmissions. A good example of this is
proximity detection and the many use cases requiring proximity
detection (person in a position, person close to another person,
person close to a piece of equipment, etc.) which are being rapidly
standardized by groups in the healthcare and consumer electronics
industries. One of the most important points of utility of the
present invention is to allow remote (web-based) control of the BLE
enabled nodes, despite the fact that the BLE enabled nodes are not
being operated in a way which creates a general (large) mesh
network with direct web connectivity. The great utility of the WSN
network is its general flexibility and, hence, its anticipated
pervasiveness as a means of controlling distributed devices such as
BLE beacons. The great utility of the BLE in this case is its
anticipated pervasiveness support by consumer-controlled smart
phone.
[0021] Referring now to FIG. 1, there is provided a schematic
illustration of an exemplary sensor system 100. Sensor system 100
is generally configured to act as a security and access control
system, fire monitoring system, person or asset location system,
etc. In this regard, sensor system 100 comprises a plurality of end
nodes 104, 134, 136, 138 and a WSN 102. The WSN 102 may include,
but is not limited to, a mesh network. Mesh networks are well known
in the art, and therefore will not be described herein. Still, it
should be understood that the mesh network comprises a plurality of
sub-networks. If an end node's communication link with a particular
sub-network fails, then the end node can automatically join another
sub-network within the WSN 102.
[0022] The end nodes 104, 134, 136, 138 can include, but are not
limited to, electronic window locks, electronic door locks, motion
sensors (e.g.., coupled to equipment 156), area security devices
(e.g., proximity sensors and/or video cameras), fire detectors,
electronic access cards worn by employees, and/or tags secured to
objects. Each of the listed types of end nodes are well known in
the art, and therefore is not described in detail herein. Each end
node can be of any type.
[0023] In FIG. 1, end node 104 is shown as including an electronic
communication and sensing device which is attached to a piece of
equipment 156. Equipment 156 may be a fixed piece of equipment or a
mobile piece of equipment. Since end node 104 includes an
electronic communication and sensing device, it comprises an
antenna 106, a transceiver 108, a controller 110, an accelerometer
112, a temperature sensor 114, a Light Emitting Diode ("LED") 116,
other circuitry 118 (e.g., auditory alarms, tactile alarms, video
cameras, filters, cryptographic modules) and a power source (e.g.,
a battery) 120. The antenna 106 and transceiver 108 facilitate
communications with the WSN 102 and/or other end nodes via
respective wireless WSN communication links 130, 140-146. At any
given time, end node 104 performs specified functions (e.g.,
collecting sensor data, capturing images, collecting audio,
emitting light, filtering data, analyzing data, transmitting data,
outputting indictors, executing algorithms, acting as a
sub-coordinator, etc.) for which it has been configured by the WSN
102.
[0024] Notably, end node 104 is BLE enabled, and therefore also
comprises a BLE peripheral module (or BLE beacon) 150. BLE
peripheral module 150 implements BLE technology designed for
short-to-moderate-range point-to-point communication between itself
and other BLE enabled devices, such as a BLE central node (or BLE
hub) 152. The BLE central node 152 can include, but is not limited
to, a mobile communication device (e.g., a smart phone, a personal
assistant, or other mobile computing device) that is BLE enabled
(i.e., implements BLE technology). BLE technology is well known in
the art, and therefore will not be described herein. Similarly,
mobile communication devices are well known in the art. Any known
or to be known BLE technology and/or mobile communication device
can be used herein without limitation. In all cases, the BLE
components of the network nodes 104, 134-138, 152 can be
implemented in hardware, software and/or a combination of hardware
and software. The hardware includes, but is not limited to, one or
more electronic circuits.
[0025] Establishment of the BLE communication links 154 are at
least partially controlled by the WSN. In this regard, the WSN 102
comprises a WSN-linked control application 176. The WSN-linked
control application may reside in any one (or even more than one)
node of the WSN including a second (external) network's gateway
(not shown), a WSN access point 158 connected to the gateway, a
local server (not shown) accessible via the second network (not
shown), and/or a remote and/or cloud-based real or virtual server
160.
[0026] Although end node 104 is shown as having two separate and
distinct electronic components for WSN based communications and BLE
based communications, the present invention is not limited in this
regard. A single electronic circuit can alternatively be employed
which performs both WSN based operations and BLE based operations
in accordance with software running thereon (e.g., a WSN based
firmware and a BLE based firmware). In this case, a single antenna
may be provided with the end node 104, rather than two antennas as
shown in FIG. 1. A switch can be provided for controlling
connections between the antenna and each of the WSN and BLE
functional components. A common power source (e.g., a battery, an
energy harvesting device or mains-power connection) and a
converter/voltage regulator may be provided to serve both the WSN
and BLE functional components.
[0027] During operation, the BLE technology of sensor system 100
can be used to find a person, a piece of equipment or other item
within a facility (e.g., a building or warehouse with many
cluttered rooms or areas). For example, a person 164 in possession
of the BLE central node 152 is searching for equipment 156 within
the facility. A software application 166 is installed on the BLE
central node 152 by which the person can: specify a particular type
of equipment or piece of equipment (e.g., by name, ID number, or
assigned custodian) for which (s)he is searching (e.g., via a menu
or other entry option); select the behavior to be performed by a
BLE peripheral module in response to its reception of a signal
transmitted from the BLE central node (e.g., whether the BLE
peripheral module is to output a visual indicator, an auditory
indicator, a tactile indicator and/or an electrical power
measurements); communicate specified information, a unique
identifier of the BLE central node and/or location information to
the WSN 102 for use thereby in configuring operations of and/or
invoking activation of the BLE peripheral module contained in the
end node coupled to a particular piece of equipment; establish a
BLE connection to the BLE peripheral module; and/or obtain
information from the BLE peripheral module which causes the
software application 166 to run with some specificity and/or inform
the person that (s)he is in proximity to the desired equipment 156.
Notably, the BLE central nodes communication with the WSN 102 can
be direct or indirect via a cell network (not shown).
[0028] In some scenarios, the WSN 102 may control and/or change the
signal power of the BLE peripheral module and/or antenna pattern of
the BLE antenna 174 based on information received from the BLE
central node 152 and/or BLE peripheral module 150 (e.g., location
information and/or signal power measurement information). For
example, the WSN 102 can command the BLE peripheral module 150 to
keep its signal power relatively low (e.g., less than 0 dB) or
operate with a relatively low transmit power to conserve power
and/or prevent bandwidth crowding with unnecessary energy during a
given period of time. If and when the BLE central node 152 receives
a BLE signal transmitted from the BLE peripheral module, the BLE
central node is assumed to be near the BLE peripheral module.
Alternatively, the WSN 102 can command the BLE peripheral module
150 to operate with a relatively high transmit power during periods
when a person desires to interact with the end node 104 from
relatively far away (e.g., the transmit power of the BLE peripheral
module may be increased for a certain period of time when the
person is looking for a particular piece of equipment that is not
where it is supposed to be so that the person can find the
equipment relatively quickly and with minimal effort). The present
invention is not limited to the particulars of these examples.
[0029] The WSN 102 can manage and/or change any properties,
characteristics, stored data, operations and/or behavior of one or
more BLE peripheral modules in accordance with a particular
application at any given time. In this regard, a BLE beacon's duty
cycle (i.e., the number of BLE signals transmitted from the BLE
peripheral module) may be altered by the WSN 102 (either increased
to provide higher resolution tracking by the BLE central node, or
decreased to conserve power). Additionally or alternatively, the
WSN 102 can: provide the BLE peripheral module 150 with situation
specific content (e.g., the parts of a building which are known to
be on fire and which must not be considered as part of an
evacuation route) that is to be provided to BLE central nodes in
proximity thereto; increase a transmit power of the BLE peripheral
module in order to give significantly greater range thereto so as
to increase the chances that people possessing BLE central nodes
may receive emergency notification beacon messages; change modes of
the BLE peripheral module (e.g., a power conservation mode, a
higher performance mode, etc.); and/or change security-related
characteristics of the BLE peripheral module (e.g., nonces, hash
algorithms, seed numbers, active security algorithms, etc.) in
order to respond to actual or potential security breaches.
[0030] Additionally or alternatively, the back-end analytics and
BLE control logic (located in a server 160 or distributed
throughout the WSN 102) is used to control the power of one or more
BLE peripheral modules representing a sub-set of a plurality of BLE
peripheral modules in such a way that the location of the BLE
central node can be more accurately determined. In other words,
when the BLE central node is located within a service area of a
particular BLE peripheral module, the transmit power of the BLE
peripheral module and surrounding BLE central nodes can be
increased and/or reduced via control messages sent through the WSN
102 according to an algorithm which is designed to make clear the
exact location of the BLE central node relative to the sub-set of
BLE peripheral modules.
[0031] In the simplest approach, the BLE central node 152 can make
an initial contact with a first BLE peripheral module 150 (i.e.,
receiving its signal sent at normal power). Thereafter, the BLE
central node 152 then phone contacts a back-end control software
application 168 (via a cellular network) telling the control
application that the BLE central node is in contact with a
particular BLE peripheral module. The control software application
168 would then use the WSN to increase the transmit power used by
second and third BLE peripheral modules 170, 172 in the vicinity of
the first BLE peripheral module (e.g., in a series of stepwise
increases in power). The software application 166 on the BLE
central node 152 notes the time and/or order in which the second
and third BLE peripheral modules were received. The BLE central
node 152 then sends a report via the cell network (not shown) to
the back-end software application listing the times and signal
numbers of BLE signals received thereat. The back-end software
application 168 is able to infer (using well known simple or
modified triangulation techniques) the location of the BLE central
node 152.
[0032] As noted above, the BLE peripheral module 150 may perform
certain operations in response to its reception of a BLE signal
transmitted from the BLE central node 152. For example, the BLE
peripheral module 150 outputs an audio alarm, a visual alarm, a
tactile alarm and/or a radio signature alarm message indicating a
distance between the BLE peripheral module 150 and the BLE central
node 152. In the radio signature case, the BLE central node 152
outputs information to the person 164 specifying whether (s)he is
traveling towards (and thereby getting closer to the BLE peripheral
module 150) or traveling away (and thereby getting further away
from the BLE peripheral module 150). The information can be
displayed as a map showing a measured distance between the two
devices 150, 152, a graph, a chart, a hot-cold scale and/or other
graphical user interface.
[0033] The type of alarm output from the BLE peripheral module 150
can be controlled by the BLE central node 152 via the WSN 102, as
described above. For example, if the person 164 is trying to find
the equipment 156 during business hours in which customers are
present within the facility, then it is may not desirable to have
the BLE peripheral module 150 output auditory alarms (e.g., beeps).
In this case, the person 164 performs user-software interactions
with the BLE central node 152 to have the WSN 102 communicate a
command signal to the BLE peripheral module 150 for disabling the
auditory alarm(s) 118 thereof and/or enabling the circuitry for
generating radio signature alarm messages. In contrast, if the
person 164 is trying to find the equipment 156 during non-business
hours in which customers are not present within the facility, then
it may not desirable to have the BLE peripheral module 150 output
auditory, visual and/or tactile alarms. In this case, the person
164 performs user-software interactions with the BLE central node
152 to have the WSN 102 communicate a command signal to the BLE
peripheral module 150 for enabling the auditory alarm(s) 118,
visual alarms 116, and/or tactile alarms 118. The present invention
is not limited to the particulars of this example.
[0034] In some scenarios, the BLE devices 150, 152 continuously or
periodically communicate information useful in determining their
relative locations to each other and/or the WSN 102. For example,
the BLE peripheral device 150 may send a response message to the
BLE central node 152 at N different power levels, where N is an
integer. The response message may include a transmit power and an
expected received signal strength at a given distance. In this
case, the BLE central node 152 can infer its distance to the BLE
peripheral device 150 by comparing the actual received signal
strength to the expected received signal strength. The inferred
distance can then be communicated from the BLE central node 152 to
the WSN 102. The present invention is not limited to the
particulars of this example. Other location determining techniques
can be employed herein without limitation, such as a triangulation
technique and/or an attenuation mapping based technique.
[0035] Based on the inferred distance between the BLE devices 150
and 152, the transmit power and/or antenna pattern of the BLE
peripheral module 150 can be adjusted by the WSN 102 once or a
plurality of times during the period of time in which the person
164 is trying to find the equipment 156. Upon finding the equipment
156, the person 164 can perform operations to obtain other
information from the BLE peripheral module 150 (e.g., measurement
data from an accelerometer 112, a temperature sensor 114, or other
circuitry 118). The other information can include, but is not
limited to, sensor data, emergency related data (e.g., emergency
exit route data), equipment specification data, equipment
promotional data and/or equipment purchase/rent/check-out data.
[0036] Referring now to FIGS. 2A-2B, there is provided a flow
diagram of an exemplary method 200 for operating a sensor system
(e.g., sensor system 100 of FIG. 1). Method 200 begins with step
202 and continues with step 204 where a WSN (e.g., WSN 102 of FIG.
1) performs operations to configure operations of at least one
first end node thereof (e.g., end node 104 of FIG. 1). For example,
the WSN can send command signals to the first end node directing it
to perform at least one of the following operations: collect sensor
data; capture images; collect audio; emit light; filter data;
analyze data; transmit data; output indicators; execute algorithms;
and act as a sub-coordinator. Thereafter, in a next step 206, the
first end node performs specified functions for which it has been
configured by the WSN.
[0037] Sometime thereafter, optional steps 208 and 210 are
performed. These steps involve: performing operations by the WSN to
detect when a special event has occurred (e.g., a fire or other
emergency) or certain conditions exists; and activating or changing
a mode of at least a first BLE peripheral module (e.g., BLE
peripheral module 150 of FIG. 1) in response to the detection of
the special event occurrence or condition existence. The first BLE
peripheral module is contained in an end node (e.g., end node 104
of FIG. 1) of the WSN that is coupled to a piece of equipment
(e.g., equipment 156 of FIG. 1), person or other object.
[0038] In a next step 212, a BLE central node (e.g., BLE central
node 152 of FIG. 1) receives a first user input for launching a BLE
software application (e.g., BLE software application 166 of FIG. 1)
installed thereon. The BLE software application is operative to
assist a person in finding the piece of equipment, person or object
within a facility (e.g., a building). After the BLE software
application has been launched, steps 214-216 are performed where
the BLE central node receives second and third user inputs. In the
equipment scenario, the second user input specifies a particular
type of equipment and/or a particular piece of equipment for which
the person is searching. In other types of scenarios (e.g., find a
person or other object), the second user input may specify
different information (e.g., a type of person, a unique identifier
for a person, a type of object, a unique identifier for an object,
etc.). The third user input specifies the behavior to be performed
by the BLE peripheral module in response to its reception of a
signal transmitted from the BLE central node. For example, the
third user input may specify that the BLE peripheral module cause
an end node to output a visual alarm, an auditory alarm, a tactile
alarm and/or information useful in determining an actual or
approximate distance between the BLE peripheral module and the BLE
central node, when the BLE peripheral module receives a BLE
interrogation signal from the BLE central node. Alternatively or
additionally, the third user input may specify that one or more
alarms (e.g., the auditory alarm) should be deactivated at the
present time and/or automatically reactivated at a later time.
[0039] The information specified by the first, second and third
user inputs is then communicated from the BLE central node to the
WSN, as shown by step 218. At the WSN, the information is used in
step 220 of FIG. 2B to invoke activation of the BLE peripheral
module (if the BLE peripheral module was not activated in previous
step 210) and/or configure operations of the end node to which the
BLE peripheral module is contained. The operations may additionally
be configured based on the location of the BLE central node within
the facility. The BLE central node's location can be acquired using
any known or to be known location determining technique.
[0040] The BLE peripheral module may be configured such that it
will provide certain services to the BLE central node once a BLE
connection has been established therebetween. The services can
include, but are not limited to, person/object/equipment locating
services, sensor reporting services, emergency based services
(e.g., providing a safe exit from a building, providing a map
showing the path of travel of one or more individuals through the
building, providing a map showing areas within a building that are
unsafe or have an emergency issue therein, etc.), equipment
purchase/lease/check-out based services, and/or equipment
utilization based services (e.g., providing specifications and/or
instructions on how to use/repair a piece of equipment). The
transmit signal power, antenna pattern and/or range of the BLE
peripheral module may alternatively or additionally be changed at
this time. For example, the WSN can command the BLE peripheral
module to operate with a relatively low or high transmit power.
[0041] Referring again to FIG. 2B, method 200 continues with step
222-228 in which various BLE communication operations are
performed. These steps involve: establishing a BLE communications
link (e.g., BLE link 154 of FIG. 1) between the BLE central node
and the BLE peripheral module; transmit a BLE interrogation signal
from the BLE central node to the BLE peripheral module; and perform
operations at the BLE peripheral module in response to its
reception of the BLE interrogation signal. For example, the BLE
peripheral module may output an alarm. Additionally, the BLE
peripheral module communicates a BLE response signal to the BLE
central node. The BLE response signal includes information that (a)
causes the BLE software application executing on the BLE central
node to run with specificity and/or (b) is useful in determining
the relative distance between the BLE central node and the BLE
peripheral module. The relative distance can be determined by the
BLE central node and/or the WSN. In the WSN scenarios, the BLE
central node communicates information to the WSN that is useful in
determining the actual or approximate relative locations of the BLE
central node and/or the BLE peripheral module within a facility, as
shown by step 230. In either scenario, the BLE central node may
optionally communicate information indicting the relative distance
determined thereby.
[0042] Once the relative distance has been determined, step 232 is
performed where the BLE central node outputs information to the
user thereof (e.g., person 164 of FIG. 1) indicating his(her)
location relative to the BLE peripheral module. For example, the
BLE central node may display on a display screen thereof (not
shown) a map, a graph, a chart, a hot-cold scale and/or other
graphical user interface showing or indicating the distance between
itself and the BLE peripheral module, the direction pointing
towards the BLE peripheral module, the relative locations of the
two BLE enabled devices, and/or whether the BLE central node is
traveling towards/away from the BLE peripheral device.
[0043] Upon completing step 232, a decision step 234 is performed
to determine if the BLE central node is in proximity to the BLE
peripheral module. If the BLE central node is in proximity to the
BLE peripheral module [234:YES], then step 238 is performed where
the BLE central node obtains information of interest from the BLE
peripheral module. For example, the BLE central node may be
provided sensor information, emergency related information (e.g.,
emergency exit route information), equipment specification
information, equipment promotional information and/or equipment
purchase/rent/check-out information. Thereafter, step 240 is
performed where method 200 ends or other processing is
performed.
[0044] In contrast, if the BLE central node is not in proximity to
the BLE peripheral module [234:N0], then optional step 236 is
performed where the WSN re-configures operations of the BLE
peripheral module and/or associated end node based on the relative
distance between the BLE central node and the BLE peripheral
module. For example, the transmit signal power, antenna pattern
and/or range of the BLE peripheral module may alternatively or
additionally be changed at this time. In this way, the transmit
signal power, antenna pattern and/or range of the BLE peripheral
module may be periodically changed while a person is looking for
another person, a piece of equipment, or other object within the
facility. Subsequently, step 240 is performed where method 200 ends
or other processing is performed.
[0045] All of the apparatus, methods, and algorithms disclosed and
claimed herein can be made and executed without undue
experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the
invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it
will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art that
variations may be applied to the apparatus, methods and sequence of
steps of the method without departing from the concept, spirit and
scope of the invention. More specifically, it will be apparent that
certain components may be added to, combined with, or substituted
for the components described herein while the same or similar
results would be achieved. All such similar substitutes and
modifications apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art
are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and concept of the
invention as defined.
[0046] The features and functions disclosed above, as well as
alternatives, may be combined into many other different systems or
applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated
alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements may be made
by those skilled in the art, each of which is also intended to be
encompassed by the disclosed embodiments.
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