MONITORING ITEMS USING NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED NETWORK

摘要

The proposed technology relates to methods and devices/nodes for monitoring items in physical vicinity of one another. For example, a method comprises forming (S1) a neighborhood-based network (3) comprising a plurality of items (2; 2a; 2b) to be monitored, where each item is provided with a respective communication device (10; 10a; 10b), and the neighborhood-based network (3) is based on a respective neighborhood of each respective communication device. The method further comprises checking (S2) the presence of each item within the neighborhood-based network. The forming (S1) and the checking (S2) are based on each communication device (10) broadcasting its own presence to other communication devices (10a; 10b) within its neighborhood, and each communication device (10) detecting other communication devices (10a; 10b) within its neighborhood. The method also comprises determining (S3) if an item is missing from the neighborhood-based network (3), based on each communication device (10) reporting to other communication devices (10a; 10b) within its neighborhood when a communication device is missing from its neighborhood, and when a communication device that has been reported as missing is detected in its neighborhood.