Node-enabled monitoring of a piece of equipment using a hierarchical node network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9974042-B2
Application number	US-201414538995-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2014
Priority date	Nov 29, 2013
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for monitoring a piece of equipment using a hierarchical node network having at least an ID node, a master node, and a server. The ID node is associated with the equipment, can monitor equipment operations, and communicate directly with the master node but is unable to directly communicate with the server. The master node can directly communicate with the server and separately communicate with the ID node. The master node associates with the ID node when the master node detects a signal broadcast from the ID node. The server then determines a location of the ID node. The ID node detects an actionable event related to the operation of the equipment, and transmits a message reporting the actionable event to the master node. The master node notifies the server about the actionable event. Thereafter, the server initiates a responsive action based upon the notification.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for monitoring a piece of equipment using a hierarchical node network having at least an ID node, a master node, and a server, the method comprising:
associating, by the master node, the master node and the ID node when the master node detects a signal broadcast from the ID node without requesting that the ID node broadcast the signal, wherein the ID node is associated with the piece of equipment and operative to monitor an operation of the piece of equipment and to communicate directly with the master node but is unable to directly communicate with the server, and wherein the master node is operative to directly communicate with the server and separately communicate with the ID node;
determining, by the server, a location of the ID node;
detecting, by the ID node, an actionable event related to the operation of the piece of equipment;
transmitting, by the ID node to the master node, a message reporting the actionable event;
notifying the server by the master node about the actionable event; and
initiating, by the server, a responsive action based upon the notification.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the associating step further comprises establishing a passive association between the master node and the ID node without requiring without requiring a prior authority granted by the server, wherein establishing the passive association generates association data stored on the master node that identifies the passive association between the master node and the ID node.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the associating step further comprises establishing an active association between the master node and the ID node, the active association reflecting an authorized connection between the master node and the ID node based upon an authority granted by the server, wherein establishing the active association generates association data stored on the master node that identifies the active association between the master node and the ID node.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the authorized connection between the master node and the ID node is preauthorized by the server to avoid the need for the master node to request the authority from the server after detecting the signal broadcast from the ID node.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the piece of equipment comprises one from a group comprising medical equipment, office equipment, industrial equipment, manufacturing equipment, construction equipment, transportation equipment, laboratory equipment, sporting equipment, automotive equipment, marine equipment, and mining equipment.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of detecting further comprises detecting, by the ID node, a movement status related to the operation of the piece of equipment.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of detecting further comprises detecting, by the ID node, an activation status related to the operation of the piece of equipment.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of detecting further comprises detecting, by the ID node, a usage status related to the operation of the piece of equipment.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of initiating the responsive action step further comprises updating a billing attribute related to the operation of the piece of equipment.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of initiating the responsive action step further comprises updating an inventory attribute related to the operation of the piece of equipment.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of initiating the responsive action step further comprises updating a maintenance attribute related to the operation of the piece of equipment.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of initiating the responsive action step further comprises updating a usage attribute related to the operation of the piece of equipment.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the usage attribute related to the operation of the piece of equipment further comprises a usage time associated with an operator of the piece of equipment.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of initiating the responsive action step further comprises updating a quality assurance attribute related to the operation of the piece of equipment.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the location of the ID node further comprises tracking the location of the ID node over time.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the location of the ID node further comprises tracking the location of the ID node over time and refining the location of the ID node based upon context data related to an operating environment of the piece of equipment and the ID node.

17. A system within a hierarchical node network for monitoring a piece of equipment, the system comprising:
a server;
a master node operative to directly communicate with the server over a longer range communication path; and
an ID node associated with the piece of equipment and operative to monitor an operation of the piece of equipment, the ID node being further operative to wirelessly communicate directly with the master node over a shorter range communication path but is unable to directly communicate with the server;
wherein ID node is operative to
detect an actionable event related to the operation of the piece of equipment, and
transmit a message to the master node reporting the actionable event;

wherein the master node is operative to
associate with the ID node upon detection of a signal broadcast from the ID node without requesting that the ID node broadcast the signal, and
notify the server about the actionable event reported in the message received from the ID node, and

wherein the server is operative to
determine a location of the ID node,
receive the notification from the master node regarding the actionable event, and
initiate a responsive action based upon the notification.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the master node is further operative to associate with the ID node by being operative to establish a passive association between the master node and the ID node without requiring a prior authority granted by the server, wherein establishing the passive association generates association data stored on the master node that identifies the passive association between the master node and the ID node.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the master node is further operative to associate with the ID node by being operative to establish an active association between the master node and the ID node, the active association reflecting an authorized connection between the master node and the ID node based upon an authority granted by the server, wherein establishing the active association generates association data stored on the master node that identifies the active association between the master node and the ID node.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the authorized connection between the master node and the ID node is preauthorized by the server to avoid the need for the master node to request the authority from the server after detecting the signal broadcast from the ID node.

21. The system of claim 17 , wherein the piece of equipment comprises one from a group comprising medical equipment, office equipment, industrial equipment, manufacturing equipment, construction equipment, transportation equipment, laboratory equipment, sporting equipment, automotive equipment, marine equipment, and mining equipment.

22. The system of claim 17 , wherein th

Assignees

• Fedex Corp Services Inc

Inventors

• Skaaksrud Ole-Petter

Classifications

• G01S2205/01

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title

• G01S5/14

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

• G01S5/0289

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