Device inventory by sound
US6664892B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 28, 2001 |
| Grant date | Dec 16, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 28, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG08B29/18
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
When a person first enters an unfamiliar work space, it is useful for that person to know what devices are present in the space and often the person will spend the first few minutes looking around, effectively carrying out an inventory of the devices present. In order to simplify this process the devices are arranged to announce their existence by sound in response to a prompt, such as a handclap. To avoid the announcements being made all at once in an unintelligible manner, the devices interact with each other to order their announcements so that each device announcement is, at least in due course, made uninterrupted by announcements from other devices. Typically, this interaction involves the devices using a collision-detection and back-off protocol applied to the announcements themselves.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.