Systems, apparatus, and methods of enhanced management of a wireless node network based upon an event candidate related to elements of the wireless node network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10313199-B2
Application number	US-201615168482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2016
Priority date	Jul 8, 2015
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

A server apparatus allows for enhanced management of a wireless node network having a ID nodes and a master node in communication with the ID nodes. The server includes a processing unit, memory storage, and a network interface. The memory storage maintains event candidate analytics engine code for execution by the server, node management information (e.g., context data describing a contextual environment of the ID nodes and rule data used for node control operations) used to control ID nodes and the master node as part of managing the wireless node network. When executing the event candidate analytics engine code and having access to the node management information, the server becomes unconventionally operative to receive from the master node an event candidate identified as representing an updated status related to an ID node; generate a confidence rating for the event candidate based upon an evaluation of the event candidate against at least a portion of the context data, where the confidence rating indicates a degree to which the event candidate represents a node relevant activity; update the node management information stored on the memory storage based upon a type of the event candidate and the confidence rating for the event candidate; and transmit to the master node a management message providing at least a portion of the updated node management information to the master node as instructional input to be used by the master node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An enhanced node management system for a wireless node network having a plurality of ID nodes, the system comprising:
a master node disposed within the wireless node network and executes an event detection engine code to become operative to
generate a report message regarding an event candidate representing an updated status related to a first of the ID nodes, and
receive a management message in response to the generated report message; and

a server in communication with the master node over a first communication path, the server maintaining node management information used to control one or more of the ID nodes and the master node as part of managing the wireless node network, wherein the node management information comprises at least context data describing a contextual operating environment of the ID nodes and rule data used for node control operations of the ID nodes and the master node, wherein when the server executes an event candidate analytics engine code maintained on the server, the server becomes operative to:
receive the report message from the master node,
extract the event candidate from the report message, the event candidate being identified by the master node as representing the updated status related to the first ID node,
generate a confidence rating for the event candidate based upon an evaluation of the event candidate compared to at least a portion of the context data maintained by the server, the confidence rating indicating a degree to which the event candidate represents a node relevant activity,
update the node management information based upon a type of the event candidate and the confidence rating for the event candidate, and
transmit the management message to the master node, the management message providing at least a portion of the updated node management information to the master node as instructional input to be used by the master node.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructional input is used by the master node to control an operation of the master node.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructional input is used by the master node to cause at least one of the ID nodes to alter operation.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the node relevant activity comprises at least one of a detectable physical activity and a detectable electromagnetic activity.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the node relevant activity is an anticipated activity characterized by at least a portion of the context data that is related to the first ID node.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the node relevant activity is a new activity not characterized by the context data identified as related to the first ID node.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rule data defines at least one parameter of an operational profile for one or more ID nodes.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rule data defines at least one parameter of an operational profile for the master node.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server updates the node management information by transforming the node management information to further indicate a correspondence between the node relevant activity and the updated status related to the first ID node.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the server transforms the node management information based upon the type of the event candidate and the confidence rating of the event candidate.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the node relevant activity comprises movement of at least one of the first ID node, the master node, and an object near the master node.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the node relevant activity comprises exposure to a source of shielding that inhibits communication between the first ID node and the master node.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the node relevant activity comprises exposure to a source of RF interference.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the node relevant activity comprises placement of the first ID node within a container.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is operative to transmit the management message to cause the master node to alter how the master node operates.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is operative to transmit the management message to cause the master node to send a second management message to at least one of the ID nodes, the second management message causing the one of the ID nodes to alter how the one of the ID nodes operates.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the revised node management information provided as the instructional input comprises updated rule data.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the updated status comprises a changed status of the first ID node.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the updated status comprises an unchanged status of the first ID node.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the updated status comprises a summarized checkpoint status of the first ID node.

21. An enhanced node management system for a wireless node network having a plurality of ID nodes, the system comprising:
a server;
a master node disposed within the wireless node network in direct communication with the server over a first communication path and in direct communication with the ID nodes over a second communication path distinct from the first communication path,
wherein when the master node executes a first engine code, the master node becomes operative to:
detect a first updated status related to a first of the ID nodes, wherein the detected first status is represented by a first event candidate,
detect a second updated status related to a second of the ID nodes, wherein the detected second status is represented by a second event candidate,
transmit the first event candidate and the second event candidate by the master node to the server over the first communication path, and
receive a management message in response to the transmitting the first event candidate and the second event candidate;

wherein the server maintains node management information used to control one or more of the ID nodes and the master node as part of managing the wireless node network, wherein the node management information comprises at least context data describing a contextual operating environment of the ID nodes and rule data used for node control operations of the ID nodes and the master node; and
wherein when the server executes a second engine code maintained on the server, the server becomes operative to:
receive the first event candidate and the second event candidate from the master node,
generate a first confidence rating for the first event candidate based upon an evaluation of the first event candidate compared to at least a first portion of the context data maintained by the server, the first confidence rating indicating a degree to which the first event candidate represents a node relevant activity,
generate a second confidence rating for the second event candidate based upon an evaluation of the second event candidate compared to at least a second portion of the context data maintained by the server, the second confidence rating indicating a degree to which the second event candidate represents the node relevant activity,
compare the first confidence rating and the second confidence rating to determine a combined confidence rating reflecting a degree to which the detected first change and the detected second change represent a pattern corresponding to the node relevant activity,
update the node management information based u

Assignees

• Fedex Corp Services Inc

Inventors

• Skaaksrud Ole-Petter
• Hollahan Terence

Classifications

• H04L41/32

  Specific management aspects for broadband networks · CPC title

• H04W4/80 Primary

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• G06Q10/0833

  Tracking · CPC title

• H04L41/0645

  by additionally acting on or stimulating the network after receiving notifications · CPC title

• H04W48/16

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title