Proximity node location using a wireless node network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9674812-B2
Application number	US-201414538851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2014
Priority date	Nov 29, 2013
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

Methods, media, apparatus, and systems are described for improved and enhanced node location determination related to one of a plurality of nodes in a wireless node network. A first and second other node in the network are instructed to detect any message broadcast from the one node over a period of time. The server receives a first indication from the first other node, where the first indication relates to a characteristic of all messages broadcast from the one node that are detected by the first other node during the time period. The server receives a second indication from the second other node, where the second indication relates to the characteristic of all messages broadcast from the one node that are detected by the second other node during the time period. The server then determines a location of the one node based upon a difference in the first and second indications.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An improved method for locating a particular one of a plurality of nodes in a wireless node network having a server, the method comprising:
instructing a first other of the nodes and a second other of the nodes to detect any message broadcast from the particular one node over a time period;
receiving, by the server, a first indication from the first other node, the first indication related to a characteristic of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the first other node during the time period;
receiving, by the server, a second indication from the second other node, the second indication related to the characteristic of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the second other node during the time period;
determining a location of the particular one node based upon a difference in the first indication and the second indication; and
receiving, by the server, at least one of a first updated location from the first other node and a second updated location received from the second other node; and
refining the location of the particular one node based upon at least one of the received first updated location received from the first other node and the received second updated location received from the second other node.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first indication is a first count of messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the first other node during the time period, and wherein the second indication is a second count of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the second other node during the time period.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the determining step further comprises determining the location of the particular one node to be closer to the first other node than the second other node when the first count is greater than the second count.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining a node movement direction for the particular one node based upon comparing the first count and the second count over a plurality of the time periods.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first indication is a first time factor of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the first other node during the time period, and wherein the second indication is a second time factor of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the second other node during the time period.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising determining a node movement direction for the particular one node based upon comparing the first time factor and the second time factor.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first time factor is an average transit time for a message detected at the first other node to go from the particular one node to the first other node, and wherein the second time factor is an average transit time for a message detected at the second other node to go from the particular one node to the second other node.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the determining step further comprises determining the location of the particular one node to be closer to the first other node than the second other node when the first time factor is less than the second time factor.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first indication is a first average signal strength of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the first other node during the time period;
wherein the second indication is a second average signal strength of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the second other node during the time period;
wherein the determining step further comprises determining the location of the particular one node to be closer to the first other node than the second other node when the first average signal strength is greater than the second average signal strength; and
further comprising the steps of:
observing a degree of change in the first average signal strength and a degree of change in the second average signal strength over repeated time periods, and
determining a node movement direction for the particular one node based upon comparing the degree of change in the first average signal strength and the degree of change in the second average signal strength.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising comparing the location of the particular one node to a predicted path of the particular one node to determine if the one node is located outside the predicted path.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising generating a notification if the particular one node is outside the predicted path.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining context data related to the particular one node, and refining the location of the particular one node based upon the context data.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining context data related to the closer of the first other node and the second other node when compared to the location of the particular one node, and refining the location of the particular one node based upon the context data.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular one node is part of a node-enabled package; and
wherein the step of determining the location of the particular one node further comprises determining the location of the one node while the one node is within the node-enabled package and while the node-enabled package is within a vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
generating a location message regarding where the node-enabled package is located within the vehicle based upon the determined location of the particular one node; and
transmitting the location message to another network device in the wireless node network for display on a user interface of the another network device.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
accessing shipping information related to the node-enabled package;
generating a relocation message regarding where the node-enabled package is to be relocated within the vehicle based upon the determined location of the particular one node and the accessed shipping information; and
transmitting the relocation message to another network device in the wireless node network for display on a user interface of the another network device.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the shipping information comprises weight information on the node-enabled package.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the location of the node-enabled package within the vehicle is according to a loading scheme.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the loading scheme is related to an anticipated delivery schedule.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the vehicle is one from a group consisting of a truck, a van, a trailer, an aircraft, and a marine vessel.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which when executed on a processor performs an improved method for locating a particular one of a plurality of nodes in a wireless node network having a server, the method comprising:
instructing a first other of the nodes and a second other of the nodes to detect any message broadcast from the particular one node over a time period;
receiving, by the server, a first indication from the first other node, the first indication related to a characteristic of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the first other node during the time peri

Assignees

• Fedex Corp Services Inc

Inventors

• Skaaksrud Ole-Petter
• Hollahan Terence
• Benton Steven

Classifications

• G01S2205/01

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title

• G01S5/0289

  of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks · CPC title

• G01S5/14

  Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location · CPC title