Systems, apparatus, and methods of event monitoring for an event candidate related to an id node within a wireless node network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017012719-A1
Application number	US-201615166926-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 27, 2016
Priority date	Jul 8, 2015
Publication date	Jan 12, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, and methods are described for enhanced monitoring for an event candidate within a wireless node network. Such a system, for example, may include a server at a top level within the wireless node network, an ID node disposed at a low level within the wireless node network, and a master node disposed at a middle level within the wireless node network. The master node, which separately communicates with the server and the ID node and executes event detection code stored on its memory storage, is operative to detect a first and a second advertising signal broadcast by the ID node over a communication path with the ID node, compare an observed parameter of each of the first and second advertising signal (such as signal strength), identify the event candidate based upon the comparison, and use a second communication path to report the identified event candidate to the server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A monitoring system that identifies an event candidate within a wireless node network, the system comprising:
a server disposed at a top level within the wireless node network; an ID node disposed at a low level within the wireless node network; a master node disposed at a middle level within the wireless node network, wherein the master node further comprises
a master node processing unit,
a memory storage coupled to the master node processing unit, the memory storage maintaining event detection engine code for execution by the master node processing unit,
a first communication interface coupled to the master node processing unit and operative to communicate with the ID node over a first communication path, and
a second communication interface coupled to the master node processing unit and operative to communicate with the server over a second communication path, wherein the first communication path is different from the second communication path;
wherein the master node, when executing the event detection engine code on the master node processing unit, is operative to
detect, with the first communication interface, a first advertising signal broadcast by the ID node over the first communication path,
detect, with the first communication interface, a second advertising signal broadcast by the ID node over the first communication path after the ID node broadcasts the first advertising signal,
compare an observed parameter of each of the first advertising signal and the second advertising signal,
identify the event candidate based upon the comparison of the observed parameter of each of the first advertising signal and the second advertising signal, and
cause the second communication interface to report the identified event candidate to the server over the second communication path.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second communication interface of the master node is operative to transmit a message to the server when reporting the identified event candidate, the message comprising summary information reflecting a monitored change relative to the ID node.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the observed parameter comprises a signal strength value as detected by the master node via the first communication interface.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the observed parameter comprises a signal strength value as detected by the master node via the first communication interface; and
wherein the monitored change comprises a shift in signal strength value between at least a first signal strength value of the first advertising signal and a second signal strength value of the second advertising signal.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the master node processing unit is operative to compare the observed parameter of each of the first advertising signal and the second advertising signal by being further operative to compare the observed parameter of the second advertising signal to an average of the observed parameters of a set of prior advertising signals from the ID node including the first advertising signal.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the observed parameter comprises a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) reflecting a signal strength as detected by the master node; and
wherein the master node processing unit is operative to compare the parameter of each of the first advertising signal and the second advertising signal by being further operative to compare a received signal strength indicator value of the second advertising signal to an average of a set of received signal strength indicator values of prior advertising signals from the ID node including the first advertising signal.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the averaged set of received signal strength indicator values of advertising signals from the ID node broadcast prior to the second advertising signal comprises a moving average of the set of received signal strength indicator values of advertising signals from the ID node broadcast within a moving window prior to the second advertising signal.

8 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the observed parameter comprises a shift in the received signal strength value as detected by the master node; and
wherein the master node processing unit is operative to identify the event candidate by being further operative to:
detect the shift in received signal strength value when comparing the signal strength value of first advertising signal and the signal strength value of the second advertising signal; and
identify the event candidate as a shift event when the detected shift in received signal strength value is at least a threshold value.

9 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the observed parameter comprises an observed shift in the signal strength value as detected by the master node; and
wherein the master node is operative to identify the event candidate and cause reporting of the event candidate to the server by being further operative to:
detect a beginning shift in received signal strength value when the observed shift in the signal strength value between the detected first advertising signal compared to the detected second advertising signal is at least an initiating threshold value;
detect a subsequent advertising signal broadcast by the first ID node after the first ID node broadcasts the second advertising signal;
identify a continued shift in received signal strength value when the observed shift in the signal strength value between the received second advertising signal compared to the received subsequent advertising signal; and
cause the second communication interface to report the event candidate to the server as a shift event only after detecting the beginning shift and if the identified continued shift is less than a continued event threshold value.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the observed parameter comprises a detected time between successive advertising signals broadcast from the ID node and as detected by the master node.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the master node processing unit is operative to identify the event candidate by being further operative to
detect a time gap between the first advertising signal and the second advertising signal as the observed parameter; and identify the event candidate when the detected time gap is less than a threshold time gap.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the master node processing unit is operative to identify the event candidate as an online event when the detected time gap is less than the threshold time gap and the first communication interface of the master node detects at least one additional advertising signal broadcast by the ID node within the threshold time gap after the second advertising signal.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the master node processing unit is operative to identify the event candidate as the online event when (a) the detected time gap between the first advertising signal and the second advertising signal is less than the threshold time gap and (b) the first communication interface of the master node has detected at least a threshold number of advertising signals from the ID node each of which are received by the master node within the threshold time gap from each other, wherein detection of the first advertising signal and detection of the second advertising signal are included in the threshold number of advertising signals from the ID node.

14 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the master node processing unit is operative to identify the event candidate as an offline event when (a) the detected time since the first communication i

Assignees

• Fedex Corp Services Inc

Inventors

• Skaaksrud Ole-Petter
• Hollahan Terence

Classifications

• H04W4/80 Primary

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

• H04W84/20

  Leader-follower arrangements · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• G06Q10/0833

  Tracking · CPC title

• H04L41/0645

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