HELP SAVE MESH NETWORKING —This application from General Electric seeks to patent a system for extending the range of communication for low rate wireless mesh networks.

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QUESTION: Have you seen anything that was published before June 27, 2011 that discusses:

A low-rate wireless mesh network that uses several directional antennas (communication nodes including: directional wSIM, any directional wireless sensor interface) to extend the range of wireless communication between devices; OR A method of assembling such a network; OR A sensor and controller connected to such a mesh network.

If so, please submit evidence of prior art as an answer to this question. Only one piece of prior art per answer below. We welcome multiple answers from the same individual.

EXTRA CREDIT --- A reference to anything that meets all of the criteria above AND ALSO uses one or more omnidirectional antennas. A reference to anything that meets all of the criteria above AND ALSO uses a memory device connected to a processor. A reference to anything that meets all of the criteria above AND ALSO uses two adjacent directional antennas with opposite polarization.

TITLE: APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ENHANCING WIRELESS MESH NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS

Summary: [Translated from Legalish into English] A system for increasing the range of communication between devices in low-rate wireless mesh networks by using multiple directional antennas (for example directional wSIM or any directional wireless sensor interface device).

• Publication Number: US 2012/0326927

• Assignee: General Electric

• Prior Art Date: June 27, 2011

• Open for Challenge at USPTO: open until June 27, 2013

Claim 1 requires each and every element below:

A wireless mesh network comprising:

At least one data collection device; and A plurality of directional antennas operatively coupled to each other and to said at least one data collection device, Wherein said wireless mesh network is configured to transmit information with a data rate of approximately 250 Kilobits per second (Kbits/sec) or less, and at a frequency of approximately 2.4 Gigahertz (GHz) or less.

In plain English this could mean: At least one device that collects data input from any kind of sensor or user input interface (including, for example, a microcontroller programmed to collect, store and process input from sensors, user interfaces such as touch screens or keyboards, or GPS); AND Multiple mesh nodes using directional radio antennas configured in such a way that they are in communication with each other and with the device described in (1); AND The mesh network is configured to transmit information with a low-data rate, using either the Zigbee® specification, the WirelessHART™ standard, or any low-rate specification, standard or protocol based on IEEE standard 802.15.4™ [a data rate of approximately 250 Kilobits per second (250Kbits/sec) or less, at a frequency of approximately 2.4 Gigahertz (GHz) or less].

Claim 15 requires each and every element below:

A monitoring system comprising:

At least one sensor measurement device; At least one data collection device; and A wireless mesh network coupled to said at least one data collection device and said at least one sensor measurement device, said wireless mesh network comprising a plurality of directional antennas operatively coupled to each other and to said at least one data collection device, Wherein, said wireless mesh network is configured to transmit information with a data rate of approximate 250 Kilobits per second (Kbits/sec) or less, and at a frequency of approximately 2.4 GigaHertz (GHz) or less.

In plain English this could mean: At least one sensor At least one device that collects data input from any kind of sensor or user input interface (including, for example, a microcontroller programmed to collect, store and process input from sensors, or user interfaces such as touch screens or keyboards, or GPS); AND Multiple mesh nodes using directional antennas configured such that the nodes are in communication with each other, the sensor, and the data collection device. The mesh network is configured to transmit information with a low-data rate, using either the Zigbee® specification, the WirelessHART™ standard, or any low-rate specification, standard or protocol based on IEEE standard 802.15.4™ [a data rate of approximately 250 Kilobits per second (250Kbits/sec) or less, at a frequency of approximately 2.4 Gigahertz (GHz) or less].

You’re probably aware of ten pieces of art that meet these criteria already... Separately, the applicant is claiming:

• A method and system using all of the elements described above and including multiple omnidirectional antennas;

• A data collection device composed of any memory device coupled to a processor, where the memory device includes programmed instructions to the processor to transmit data through the network;

• An arrangement of antennas where the first directional antenna is positioned within range of a first omnidirectional antenna; and a second directional antenna positioned within range of a second omnidirectional antenna.

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