Hierarchical sensor network for a grouped set of packages being shipped using elements of a wireless node network

1. A method for creating a hierarchical sensor network for enhanced monitoring of a grouped set of packages being shipped, the hierarchical sensor network using a wireless node network having a mobile master node, an ID node and a server, comprising:

associating, by the server, the mobile master node with one of the packages in the grouped set of packages, wherein the mobile master node is operative to communicate directly with the server in the wireless node network over a first communication path;

associating, by the server, the ID node with another of the packages in the grouped set of packages, wherein the ID node is operative to communicate directly with the mobile master node over a second communication path but not operative to communicate directly with the server over the first communication path; and

creating the hierarchical sensor network for the grouped set of packages with the mobile master node and the ID node when the server associates the mobile master node with the ID node.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

associating, by the server, an additional ID node with each of the remaining ones of the packages; and

updating, by the server, the hierarchical sensor network to further comprise each of the associated additional ID nodes.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the grouped set of packages comprise a palletized group of packages being shipped together.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the grouped set of packages comprise a group of packages together within a shipping container.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising sensing, by the ID node, shipping condition information related to the another of the packages.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the shipping condition information comprises at least one of environmental information and location information.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising sharing, by the ID node, the sensed shipping condition information with the mobile master node.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising providing, by the master node to the server, the shared sensed shipping condition information.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising managing, by the server, power consumption of the hierarchical sensor network by transmitting a power management instruction to the master node by the server, the power management instruction causing the mobile master node to alter at least one operation of the mobile master node and the ID node to change power consumption by at least one of the mobile master node and the ID node.

10. A method for creating a hierarchical sensor network for a grouped set of packages being shipped, the hierarchical sensor network using a wireless node network having a mobile master node, an ID node and a server, comprising:

placing the mobile master node within one of the packages in the grouped set of packages, wherein the mobile master node is operative to communicate directly with a server in the wireless node network over a first communication path;

placing an ID node within another of the packages in the grouped set of packages, wherein the ID node is operative to communicate directly with the master node over a second communication path but not operative to communicate directly with a server over the first communication path;

enabling the mobile master node and the ID node with power; and

activating the hierarchical sensor network for the grouped set of packages by causing the server to associate the mobile master node with the ID node.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

placing an additional ID node within each of the remaining ones of the packages; and

enabling each of the additional ID nodes placed within each of the remaining ones of the packages, wherein the enabled each of the additional ID nodes are powered and discoverable by the mobile master node and added to the hierarchical sensor network when the enabled each of the additional ID nodes are associated with the mobile master node.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

placing an additional ID node within a remaining one of the packages; and

enabling the additional ID node placed within the remaining one of the packages, wherein the enabled additional ID node is powered and discoverable by the mobile master node and added to the hierarchical sensor network when the enabled additional ID node is associated with the mobile master node.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the grouped set of packages comprise a palletized group of packages being shipped together.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the grouped set of packages comprise a group of packages together within a shipping container.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising selecting the packages in the grouped set of packages as a monitored group of packages to be shipped together for at least a portion of a shipping path from an origin to a destination.

16. A method for creating a hierarchical sensor network for a grouped set of packages being shipped, the hierarchical sensor network using a wireless node network having a mobile master node, an ID node and a server, comprising:

associating, by the mobile master node, one of the packages in the grouped set of packages with the mobile master node, wherein the mobile master node is operative to communicate directly with the server over a longer range communication path and operative to communicate with the ID node over a short range communication path;

detecting, by the mobile master node, a signal broadcast from the ID node over the short range communication path; the ID node being associated with another of the packages in the grouped set of packages, wherein the ID node is operative to communicate directly with the mobile master node over the short range communication path but not operative to communicate directly with the server;

transmitting, by the mobile master node, an authorization request to associate the mobile master node and the ID node;

receiving, by the mobile master node, a response from the server to authorize associating the mobile master node and the ID node; and

establishing the hierarchical sensor network for the grouped set of packages with the mobile master node and the ID node when the mobile master node associates with the ID node.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of associating, by the mobile master node, an additional ID node with each of the remaining ones of the packages, wherein the hierarchical sensor network further comprises each of the associated additional ID nodes.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the grouped set of packages comprise a palletized group of packages being shipped together.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the grouped set of packages comprise a group of packages together within a shipping container.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving, by the mobile master node, shipping condition information from the ID node.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the shipping condition information comprises at least one of environmental information and location information related to the ID node.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing, by the mobile master node to the server, the shared shipping condition information from the ID node.

23. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the mobile master node from the server, a power management instruction; and

implementing the power management instruction by the mobile master node to manage power consumed by the mobile master node and the ID node.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the step of implementing the power management instruction by the mobile master node further comprises instructing the ID node to alter an operation of the ID node in order to change the power consumed by the ID node.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the step of implementing the power management instruction by the mobile master node further comprises altering an operation of the mobile master node in order to change the power consumed by the mobile master node.

26. A hierarchical sensor system for a set of packages being shipped, the hierarchical sensor system comprising:

a mobile master node associated with one of the packages in the set of packages, the mobile master node being operative to communicate with a server over a longer range communication path;

a plurality of ID nodes, wherein each of the ID nodes is associated with one of the remaining packages in the set of packages, and each of the plurality of ID nodes being operative to communicate with the mobile master node over a short range communication path but unable to directly communicate with the server;

wherein one or more of the ID nodes further comprises a sensor that collects shipment condition information about its associated package; and

wherein the mobile master node is further operative to receive the collected shipment condition information from the ID nodes over the short range communication path and update the server over the longer range communication path with summary shipment condition information related to each of the packages in the set of packages, the summary shipment condition information being based upon the collected shipment condition information from the ID nodes.

27. The hierarchical sensor system of claim 26 , wherein the mobile master node further comprises a sensor that collects shipment condition information about the one of the packages in the set of packages.

28. The hierarchical sensor system of claim 26 , wherein the set of packages comprise a group of packages identified by shipping information to be related and shipped together, the shipping information maintained on the server and defined by a shipping customer.

29. The hierarchical sensor system of claim 26 , wherein the set of packages comprise a palletized group of packages being shipped together.

30. The hierarchical sensor system of claim 26 , wherein the set of packages comprise a group of packages together within a shipping container.