Mobile Aggregator Sensor Network Discovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current patient monitoring systems face high power consumption in mobile wireless personal area network (WPAN) devices due to the burden of rediscovering a fixed aggregator, leading to reduced battery life and inefficient data transmission.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method and system that allows mobile devices in a WPAN to detect and switch between fixed and mobile communication modes, where a fixed aggregator module detects the sensor group's range and notifies the mobile aggregator, enabling seamless communication via a mobile aggregator personal area network when out of range, thereby conserving battery power and ensuring continuous monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mobile WPAN devices individually scan for fixed aggregator to enable network discovery, then network connectivity is established, but power consumption increases and battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mobile aggregator device as an intermediary that performs scanning and discovery operations on behalf of patient-mounted sensors. The mobile aggregator acts as a mediator between the fixed aggregator and the battery-powered sensors, eliminating the need for individual sensor scanning while maintaining network connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile aggregator device performs self-service by autonomously scanning for fixed aggregators and managing network discovery without requiring patient-mounted sensors to consume battery power for these operations. The system serves itself through the mobile aggregator's independent discovery capabilities.
2Reliability
If mobile aggregator performs scanning on channels other than operating channel, then complete network discovery is achieved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile aggregator performs preliminary scanning and discovery actions before needing to switch channels or before patient-mounted sensors would require discovery. By conducting discovery operations in advance and caching results, the system reduces the need for repeated full-channel scans.
3Reliability
If patient-mounted sensors continuously monitor for fixed aggregator, then network availability is ensured, but battery life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile aggregator serves as an intermediary that handles the continuous monitoring and discovery tasks, allowing patient-mounted sensors to remain in low-power states. The mobile aggregator translates between the fixed aggregator's beacon transmissions and the patient sensors, ensuring network availability without requiring continuous sensor activity.
Data Source
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AI summary
When monitoring a patient in a healthcare environment, a location of a battery-powered mobile aggregator (MA) sensor (22), which is mounted on a patient with one or more other patient-mounted sensors (12, S1, S2, S3), is monitored. The MA (22) maintains a personal area network (PAN) (24) for the sensors (12, S1, S2, S3) and wirelessly transmits signals from patient mounted sensors (12, S1, S2, S3) to a wired network (18). When the MA (22) comes within range of a mains-powered fixed aggregator (FA) (16), the MA (22) is informed of the availability of the FA (16), transfers patient data communication duties to the FA (16), and shuts down its PAN to conserve battery power. If the patient moves out of range of the FA (16), then the MA (22) regenerates the PAN (24) and resumes wireless patient data transmission.