Abstract: A portable position tracking apparatus including a power supply, a position sensor that receives signals and uses the signals to determine an absolute position of the apparatus, a trigger sensor that detects a trigger, and an electronic processing device in communication with the position and trigger sensor that monitors the power supply to determine an available power, determines the trigger in response to a signal from the trigger sensor, in response to detection of the trigger, uses the available power to control operation of the position sensor to thereby selectively determine the absolute position, and stores an indication of a position of the apparatus in a memory at least partially in accordance an absolute position.

Abstract: This invention concerns remote sensor networks, and particularly energy management for wireless sensor networks. In a first aspect the invention is a wireless sensor node specified to operate for a given lifetime, including an onboard computer system and a set of one or more associated sensors. The computer system operates to periodically sample data from each sensor of the set of associated sensors, and to store a multi-state model representing one or more phenomena described by the collected data. And, the computer system operates to calculate a value associated with movement of the phenomena between the states of the multi-state model, and to adjust the rate of sampling of one or more of the set of associated sensors depending on the calculated value. In other aspects the invention is a network of sensor nodes and a method of operation.

Abstract: A portable position tracking apparatus including a power supply, a position sensor that receives signals and uses the signals to determine an absolute position of the apparatus, a trigger sensor that detects a trigger, and an electronic processing device in communication with the position and trigger sensor that monitors the power supply to determine an available power, determines the trigger in response to a signal from the trigger sensor, in response to detection of the trigger, uses the available power to control operation of the position sensor to thereby selectively determine the absolute position, and stores an indication of a position of the apparatus in a store at least partially in accordance an absolute position.

Abstract: This invention concerns remote sensor networks, and particularly energy management for wireless sensor networks. In a first aspect the invention is a wireless sensor node specified to operate for a given lifetime, including an onboard computer system and a set of one or more associated sensors. The computer system operates to periodically sample data from each sensor of the set of associated sensors, and to store a multi-state model representing one or more phenomena described by the collected data. And, the computer system operates to calculate a value associated with movement of the phenomena between the states of the multi-state model, and to adjust the rate of sampling of one or more of the set of associated sensors depending on the calculated value. In other aspects the invention is a network of sensor nodes and a method of operation.

Abstract: This invention concerns remote sensor networks, and particularly energy management for wireless sensor networks. In a first aspect the invention is a wireless sensor node specified to operate for a given lifetime, comprising: an onboard computer system and a set of one or more associated sensors. The computer system operates to periodically sample data from each sensor of the set of associated sensors, and to store a multi-state model representing one or more phenomena described by the collected data. And, the computer system operates to calculate a value associated with movement of the phenomena between the states of the multi-state model, and to adjust the rate of sampling of one or more of the set of associated sensors depending on the calculated value. In other aspects the invention is a network of sensor nodes and a method of operation.