Patent ID: 8259648
Filing Date: 2012-09-04
Classification: A61B,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for communicating data in a wireless control area network, wherein the wireless control area network comprises: one or more sensor nodes configured to facilitate acquisition of patient data; an access coordinator configured to facilitate acquisition of the patient data from the one or more sensor nodes; the method comprising creating a correlation between one or more poll packets from an access coordinator and time of arrival of data at one or more sensor nodes, wherein creating a correlation comprises: transmitting a first beacon from the access coordinator to the one or more sensor nodes, wherein the first beacon is configured to indicate a start of a new communication cycle; preparing data for transmission from the one or more sensor nodes to the access coordinator in response to the first beacon; generating a first data frame, wherein the first data frame is indicative of a sensor node having data to transmit, and wherein the first data frame is configured to create the correlation between a poll packet arrival time and a data arrival time at the one or more sensor nodes; transmitting the first data frame from at least one sensor node to the access coordinator; transmitting a second beacon from the access coordinator to the sensor node transmitting the first data frame, wherein the second beacon is configured to initiate polling of data from the one or more sensor nodes; and communicating data from the one or more sensor nodes to the access coordinator in response to the second beacon, wherein the second beacon is further configured to acknowledge receipt of the first data frame.