We claim:
1. A method for transmitting information in a network having a plurality of nodes, one of which is a controller node, the method comprising:
(a) dividing time into frames, each frame comprising (i) a beacon slot for sending a beacon, (ii) a plurality of contention slots for sending requests for data slots, (iii) a header slot for sending a header which comprises a transmission schedule for the frame, (iv) a plurality of information summarization slots for sending summaries of the information, and (v) a plurality of data slots, each for data transmission by one of the nodes;
(b) permitting each of the plurality of nodes to reserve one of the plurality of data slots by sending the requests in the contention slots;
(c) maintaining a reservation of each of the plurality of data slots which is reserved by one of the plurality of nodes until said one of the plurality of nodes indicates that it has stopped transmitting;
(d) sending the header from the controller node, the transmission schedule in the header indicating the reservations; and
(e) sending the information from the nodes in accordance with the transmission schedule.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step (b):
the nodes transmit the requests to reserve data slots;
in an absence of collision, the controller node assigns the data slots to the nodes and broadcasts the transmission schedule indicating assignments of the data slots to the nodes; and
if a node which has requested a data slot is not listed in the transmission schedule, the node retransmits its request.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein when the controller node fails, another node becomes the controller node and operates as the controller node using the transmission schedule.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transmission schedule is used as a list of backup nodes in hierarchical order.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein:
each node sends an information summarization packet during a corresponding one of the information summarization slots; and
each node indicates that it has stopped transmitting by sending an end-of-transmission bit in its information summarization packet.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein:
each node records a power level of the information summarization packet sent by each of a plurality of other nodes to determine a listening cluster of nodes based at least partially on proximity; and
said each node listens to the nodes in the listening cluster.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein:
each node receives the information summarization packets sent by the nodes in its listening cluster, determines in accordance with the information summarization packets which information it wishes to receive, and listens only to the nodes sending the information that it wishes to receive.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the nodes in the network is assigned a priority from among a plurality of priorities, and wherein, when the network does not have sufficient capacity to permit all of the nodes to transmit the information, packets from the nodes having a highest priority are given preference.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein, at startup:
a node listens for transmissions during a predetermined time period;
if the transmissions are not detected during the predetermined time period, the node selects a random time at which to transmit its own beacon;
if, within the random time, the node hears the beacon from another node, the node starts normal operation; and
if, within the random time, the node does not hear the beacon from another node, the node transmits the beacon and functions as the controller node.
10. A device for operating as a node in a network having a plurality of nodes, one of which is a controller node, the network dividing time into frames, each frame comprising (i) a beacon slot for sending a beacon, (ii) a plurality of contention slots for sending requests for data slots, (iii) a header slot for sending a header which comprises a transmission schedule for the frame, (iv) a plurality of information summarization slots for sending summaries of the information, and (v) a plurality of data slots, each for data transmission by one of the nodes, the device comprising:
a communication component for communicating with a plurality of other devices within the network; and
a processor, operatively connected to the communication component, for controlling an operation of the communication component such that the device performs the following operational steps:
(a) permitting the node to reserve one of the plurality of data slots by sending the request in one of the contention slots;
(b) if the request is granted, maintaining a reservation of one of the plurality of data slots until the reservation is no longer needed, and setting an end-of-stream bit in a packet in a corresponding information summarization slot indicating that the reservation is no longer needed;
(c) receiving the header from the controller node, the transmission schedule in the header indicating the reservations; and
(d) sending the information in accordance with the transmission schedule.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein, at startup, the processor further controls the communication component to perform the following operational steps:
(e) listening for transmissions during a predetermined time period;
(f) if the transmissions are not detected during the predetermined time period, selecting a random time at which to transmit its own beacon;
(g) if, within the random time, the device hears the beacon from another node, starting normal operation; and
(h) if, within the random time, the device does not hear the beacon from another node, transmitting the beacon and functions as the controller node.
12. The device of claim 10, wherein, when the controller node fails, the processor further controls the communication device such that the device functions as the controller node in accordance with a list of backup nodes.
13. The device of claim 12, wherein the list of backup nodes is based on the transmission schedule.
14. A method for transmitting information in a network having a plurality of nodes, one of which is a controller node, the method comprising:
(a) dividing time into frames, each frame comprising a plurality of data slots, each for data transmission by one of the nodes;
(b) permitting each of the plurality of nodes to reserve one of the plurality of data slots;
(c) maintaining a reservation of each of the plurality of data slots which is reserved by one of the plurality of nodes until said one of the plurality of nodes indicates that it has stopped transmitting;
(d) sending a transmission schedule indicating the reservations from the controller node; and
(e) sending the information from the nodes in accordance with the transmission schedule.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of providing light in conjunction with a scent-producing product andor a scent-producing facility that includes the scent-producing product, the method comprising:
A) providing at least one light system, comprising at least one light source controllable by a processor for generating radiation of one or more colors andor one or more brightness levels;
B) disposing the at least one light system in proximity to the scent-producing facility so as to generate the radiation in proximity to the scent-producing facility andor the scent-producing product; and
C) generating at least one selected color of the radiation in response to a signal from the processor.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal relates to data indicative of a condition of the scent-producing product.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing at least one condition in an environment proximate to the scent-producing facility, wherein C) comprises generating the at least one selected color of the radiation based at least in part on the sensed at least one condition.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
D) varying a scent produced by the scent-producing product; and
E) varying the at least one selected color of the radiation based at least in part on D).
5. The method of claim 1, wherein:
B) comprises disposing the at least one light system in proximity to the scent-producing facility so as to illuminate at least a portion of the scent-producing facility andor the scent-producing product with the radiation; and
C) comprises generating the at least one selected color of the radiation so as to cause a color change of the scent-producing facility andor the scent-producing product.
6. An apparatus, comprising:
a scent-producing facility that includes a scent-producing product; and
at least one light system comprising at least one light source controllable by a processor for generating radiation of one or more colors andor one or more brightness levels, the at least one light system disposed proximate to the scent-producing facility and configured to generate at least one selected color of the radiation in response to a signal from the processor.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the scent-producing product comprises a liquid or a gel.
8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the scent-producing facility comprises a household air-freshener.
9. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising at least one sensor for monitoring at least one condition in an environment proximate to the apparatus, wherein the at least one controller controls the at least one light source andor the scent-producing facility based at least in part on the monitored at least one condition.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to monitor germ, bacteria or other contamination levels in the environment proximate to the apparatus.
11. An apparatus, comprising:
at least one LED-based light source for generating light having one or more colors andor one or more brightness levels;
a scent-producing facility for producing at least one scent from a scent-producing product; and
at least one controller for controlling the at least one LED-based light source and the scent-producing facility so as to generate the light in coordination with the at least one scent.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one controller receives at least one control signal from an external source for controlling the at least one light source andor the scent-producing facility.
13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the scent-producing facility comprises an air-freshener, and wherein the at least one LED-based light source comprises an LED-based night light.
14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one controller controls the at least one LED-based light source based at least in part on at least one condition associated with the scent-producing facility, the scent-producing product or the at least one scent.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one condition comprises an amount of the scent-producing product, a quality of the at least one scent, a strength of the scent, or a remaining life of the scent-producing facility.
16. A method, comprising:
A) generating at least one scent; and
B) generating light via at least one LED-based light source, wherein at least one characteristic of the light is based at least in part on the at least one scent.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising generating the at least one scent andor the at least one characteristic of the light based at least in part on at least one environmental condition.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one environmental condition includes germ, bacteria or other contamination levels.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one scent and the at least one characteristic of light share at least one correlated aesthetic attribute.
20. The method of claim 16, further comprising generating the at least one characteristic of light based at least in part on at least one condition associated with the at least one scent.