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Back of iRFID - MTI - Interesting Points.doc 1

The Nature of the MachineTalker Concept

Unlike LANs, MachineTalker networks have nodes that are self-configuring meaning they can enter or leave the networkseamlessly and at will. There is no setup since MachineTalker

elements can learn about their function from their neighbors or byexamining their own internal programming.

The collective nature of a MachineTalker network allows its

members to form communities where there may be a similarity ofpurpose. For example, a group of pallets in a warehouse, eachhaving a wireless Talker, may form a small network communityif each pallet has similar inventory, ownership or final

destination. If a pallet is removed, this information is transferredto the rest of the community or to a central location. Since allmembers of the networked community are in contact, there is no

single point of failure.

MachineTalker networks form distributed computingenvironments where intelligence and decision making resides insmall, low power computers with sensors or actuators and not in

a central processor.

Each MachineTalker node can perform a different function.They can collect data like temperature, vibration, pressure, gas,

timing, switches, and valves; and since installation is wireless,the low cost and reliability compared to wired installation isdramatic.

Applications for MachineTalker wireless networks arewidespread. They include supply chain management, buildingautomation, security, National Defense, industrial control,

automotive, aerospace, biomedical monitoring and a host of otherapplications.

Important Attributes

MachineTalkers may be thought of as purpose-specific peripheral

controllers that automatically become part of a wireless meshnetwork. They can be made to service all types of sensors anddetectors and to carry out processes in real time. They can bemade to report events of interest or maintain a history of suchevents for later review.

The essential difference between these Talkers and othercontrol systems is the added layer of intelligence that theMachineTalker network contributes and the ease of using these

programmed devices to simplify configuration, modification andoperation of a particular coordinated process.

MachineTalkers create a self-coordinated network among peersthat come into proximity with each other via a wireless mesh

network infrastructure and are configured to share information

related to common applications. Any Talkers that pass near thenetwork infrastructure are configured to join in. A Talker that"disappears" or powers down or otherwise leaves the group ischecked off the list that is maintained by each member of the"Community" and the time of this event is recorded.

Adapting MachineTalker devices to processes of interestdramatically increases the amount of information available at the

remote site or as transmitted to some central facility; both actionswill make operations more efficient. Although, for differingapplications the hardware and software design remainsunchanged, the physical package can be configured for the

chosen task.

Security of Shipping Containers

The commercial MachineTalker product is a battery-poweredmicrocomputer with radio, useful for mounting within a shippingcontainer. Its purpose in this application is to maintain andcommunicate the identity of the shipping container, detect events

that impinge upon security, communicate with adjacent shipping

containers to facilitate redundancy, and to report its locationwhen asked or upon transition. Some relevant features are listed

below.

1. Freight Manifest - An on-board Talker can contain and report on the entire shipping manifest including: Source,

Destination, Content, Ownership, Special Handling Procedures, Routing (if known), Time Loaded, Time Sealed, and anyother downloaded information.

2. Event Detection, Qualification and Reporting - Talkers can monitor detectors and sensors for intrusion, biohazard,temperature, humidity, atmosphere, gases, and the like. They can be instructed to measure parameters for comparison to anorm and to report or raise the alarm, through its radio, if there is any event or change.

3. External Network Connection - Through its radio it coordinates its presence with nearby Talkers in other shipping

containers. Together, a number of Talkers inside containers automatically interact to form a "community" to maintainawareness among themselves of all changes or events that may take place in any one of them.

4. Reporting By Radio - The on-board Talker maintains a record of all events experienced by its own container with timeof occurrence and relative importance. It can be interrogated through its radio by an authorized person or controllingcomputer service.