APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LOCATING AND UPDATING LOW-POWER WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICES

摘要

A low-power wireless communication device is in a sleep or standby mode of operation for extended periods of time, periodically becoming fully operational and issuing a “check in” message to a base station, thereby inhibiting the ability of the base station to assist in the locating of device, and remotely updating the settings or operational programming of the device much of the time. Upon receipt of a command to locate a misplaced low-power wireless device or to update the device, a base station queues an associated command in a task queue. Upon receipt of a check-in message from an associated low-power wireless device, indicating it is in a fully powered and communicative state of operation, the base station searches its task queue for applicable commands relative to the specific wireless device and executes them via communication with the now fully-operational wireless device.

主权项

1. A method of locating a misplaced low-power wireless communication device that is primarily in an uncommunicative mode of operation, the method comprising, at a base unit, the steps of:
receiving a command to find the misplaced low-power wireless communication device; adding a locate mobile device command to a task queue; listening for mobile messages from the low-power wireless communication device; determining if a mobile message received from the low-power wireless communication device is a periodic check-in message; searching the task queue for a locate mobile device command upon receipt of the periodic check-in message; and issuing a find command message to the low-power wireless communication device, prompting the misplaced low-power wireless communication device to take action assisting in its location.