Intermittent Wireless Device Serial Code Relay for POS Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
In remote maintenance of point of sales (POS) products, the reachability of wireless transmission of serial codes to a base station is often insufficient due to radio wave conditions such as obstacles and distance, which affects the reliability of tracking non-operational POS products.
Innovation Solution
A wireless communication device with a reception unit, storage control unit, and transmission unit that intermittently starts up to receive and store serial codes from other devices, and then transmits its own serial code along with the received codes, using a hash code with a unique KEY value, to improve reachability by synchronizing with other devices and the base station during startup periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the wireless communication device transmits serial codes intermittently to save battery power, then battery consumption is reduced, but the reachability of serial code transmission to the base station deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless communication device performs preliminary actions by receiving and storing serial codes from other devices during its startup period before transmission. This prepares the device to have multiple serial codes ready for transmission in a single intermittent activation, increasing the probability of successful transmission to the base station while maintaining battery savings.
Solution Approach 2:
Other wireless communication devices act as intermediaries by transmitting their serial codes to the target device during startup periods. This intermediary mechanism allows serial codes to be accumulated and relayed through devices that are temporarily active, improving overall transmission reachability without requiring continuous operation of all devices.
2Reliability
If the wireless communication device starts up frequently to improve transmission reachability, then the reachability of serial code transmission improves, but battery consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuity of useful action by having devices that remain in standby mode continuously receive and store serial codes from passing devices. This creates an ongoing chain of code accumulation that ensures transmission opportunities are maximized whenever a device does activate, without requiring frequent activations.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless communication devices operate on a periodic intermittent schedule, activating at predetermined intervals to perform reception, storage, and transmission operations. This periodic action balances battery conservation with transmission opportunities, allowing the system to achieve adequate reachability through scheduled activations rather than continuous or frequent operation.
3Reliability
If the wireless communication device stores serial codes from multiple devices, then the reachability of transmission improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the serial code management function across multiple independent wireless communication devices rather than requiring a single complex centralized system. Each device independently performs reception, storage, and transmission of serial codes, dividing the overall complexity into manageable distributed units while improving transmission reachability through multiple potential transmitters.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one example embodiment, a wireless communication device having an associated first serial code. The wireless communication device includes a receiver, a processor, and a transmitter. The wireless communication device starts up intermittently. The receiver receives a second serial code different from the first serial code from a second the wireless communication device different from the wireless communication device. The processor stores the second serial code received by the receiver in a memory, and acquires the first serial code and the second serial code from the memory. The transmitter transmits the first serial code and the second serial code.