Philips Electronics North America Corporation

Frank C Guida

George A Melnik

Damian M Lyons

Srinagesh Satyanarayana

Shrinagesh Satyanarayana

Antonius Hendriks

In a multinode, wireless packet-hopping network, all nodes operate on a same frequency, by waiting for each other. If the frequency is subject to excessive out-of-network jamming, the building computer transmits a &ldquo;time-bomb&rdquo;, i.e. an instruction for all nodes to change to a different frequency at a fixed time.

Automatic channel switching for jamming avoidance in burst-mode packet data wireless communication networks

A vacuum cleaner is provided that is adapted to detect and display and/or avoid obstacles. In such vacuum cleaners the driving wheels and/or castor wheels that determine the direction of travel may be actively controlled to achieve, at the point in time of obstacle touch or obstacle sensing, a resultant velocity away from obstacles in the path of the cleaning apparatus.

Vacuum cleaner with obstacle avoidance

A method for installing a wireless network, which includes the steps of physically installing a plurality of nodes in respective different locations in a building, connecting the nodes to a power supply and powering up the nodes, using a wireless installation device to program a respective address into the nodes, using the wireless installation device to program one or more default settings into the nodes, using the wireless installation device to verify operation of the nodes, and, using the wireless installation device to dump at least information regarding the physical location and associated address of the nodes to a building computer. In a presently preferred embodiment, the wireless installation device is preferably an RF portable computer which has an RF transmitter which has a variable power setting, and an RF receiver which also has a variable power setting. During installation of each node, the RF portable computer assigns a unique address to that node, and then loads the assigned address and all appropriate default settings into that node. The address data and default settings are preferably stored in nonvolatile memory provided in each node. The wireless programming of the nodes is preferably accomplished using a software 'handshaking' procedure which ensures that the address and default setting data is only loaded into the node currently being programmed, and not inadvertently into one or more other nearby nodes. In this connection, an iterative power reduction scheme can be utilized to prevent multiple nodes from being inadvertently assigned the same address. Also disclosed is a method for installing one or more nodes in an existing wireless network, which method is performed in essentially the same manner as that described above in connection with the original installation of the wireless network itself, with the exception being that instead of an entire network of nodes being installed, only one or more nodes are installed in a pre-existing wireless network.

Growing community of inventors

Fishkill, NY, United States of America

Frank C Guida