Wireless Tape Agent Hierarchy Inversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wireless sensor networks face challenges with high power consumption and network congestion due to the hierarchical topology where high power parent nodes are responsible for scanning transmissions from low power child nodes, leading to rapid battery depletion and increased latency as the number of child nodes increases.
Innovation Solution
Reversing the hierarchical control structure by configuring low power child nodes as master agents with unilateral control over higher power parent agents, using a tiered system of wireless tape agents with different communication interfaces to optimize power consumption and reduce network congestion, where child nodes schedule transmissions and request resources as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high power parent nodes are deployed as master agents to manage low power child nodes, then network coverage and management capability are improved, but battery life is rapidly depleted due to frequent packet scan mode operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional master-agent relationship by making low power child nodes the masters that control high power parent nodes. This reversal allows the child nodes to operate in low power mode while still providing network management, and parent nodes only activate their high power interfaces when explicitly requested by child nodes, thereby extending battery life while maintaining management capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Each wireless agent autonomously determines when to activate its communication interface based on local needs and child node requests, rather than being continuously controlled by an external master. This self-service approach eliminates unnecessary scan mode operations and extends battery life while maintaining network functionality.
2Reliability
If master agents continuously scan for transmissions from multiple child agents, then network monitoring and control are improved, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reverses the monitoring relationship: instead of masters continuously scanning for child transmissions, child nodes autonomously transmit their status and needs, and parent nodes only listen when explicitly addressed by child nodes. This inversion eliminates continuous scan mode operation and significantly reduces power consumption while maintaining network monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from continuous scan mode to periodic, event-driven communication where parent nodes only activate their receivers when child nodes need to transmit data or request resources. This periodic action pattern dramatically reduces power consumption compared to continuous monitoring.
3Device complexity
If conventional hierarchical topology is used with parent nodes controlling child nodes, then network organization is simplified, but network congestion and latency increase as the number of child nodes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the control hierarchy so that child nodes directly control and communicate with parent nodes without requiring parent nodes to coordinate among themselves. This inversion eliminates the bottleneck at the parent node level, allowing each child node to independently manage its communications and reducing overall network latency while maintaining organizational simplicity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3C
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
A plurality of tape agents includes an autonomous master wireless tape agent. The autonomous wireless tape agent includes a first wireless communications interface type that corresponds to a child node in a wireless agent hierarchy operative to communicate over a wireless communications link with an associated secondary wireless agent. The secondary wireless agent includes a second wireless communications interface type that has a longer wireless communications range than a wireless communications range of the first wireless communications interface type. The secondary wireless agent corresponds to a parent node in the wireless agent hierarchy. The master wireless tape agent governs the wireless communications link and traffic between the master wireless tape agent and the secondary wireless agent. The secondary wireless agent is operative to synchronize its transmit and receive timing with that of the master wireless tape agent and respond to requests received from the master wireless tape agent.