Energy harvesting nodes in a mesh network

1. A system, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) wireless energy-harvesting device comprising an energy-harvesting mechanism, a message generation facility, and a transmission facility; and

an RF wireless mesh network comprising a plurality of RF mesh network nodes, wherein at least a first of the plurality of RF mesh network nodes is at least intermittently communicatively coupled to the RF wireless energy-harvesting device;

wherein the RF wireless energy-harvesting device is configured to:

generate electrical energy from a harvesting action of the energy-harvesting mechanism;

generate a broadcast message through the message generation facility; and

transmit the broadcast message through the transmission facility;

wherein the first of the plurality of RF mesh network nodes is configured to receive the broadcast message and transmit the broadcast message as a network message to at least a second of the plurality of RF mesh network nodes;

wherein the energy-harvesting device is further configured to:

set a device timer for a period of time;

transition to a low-power mode until the device timer reaches the end of the period of time; and

transition from the low-power mode to an operational mode and monitor for reception of a reply message from one of the plurality of RF mesh network nodes; and

wherein the energy-harvesting device is further configured to embed a time value into the broadcast message that corresponds to the period of time set in the device timer.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first of the plurality of RF mesh network nodes is configured to decode the broadcast message, determine the time value, and set a network timer in response to the period of time.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first of the plurality of RF mesh network nodes is further configured to receive a response network message from the at least second of the plurality of RF mesh network nodes and transmit the reply message to the RF wireless energy-harvesting device in response to the response network message and the network timer.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first of the plurality of RF mesh network nodes acts as a network node proxy for the RF wireless energy-harvesting device, and wherein the plurality of RF mesh network nodes communicate with the network node proxy as if it were the originator of the network message.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the RF wireless energy-harvesting device operates solely from energy generated in the energy-harvesting mechanism.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy-harvesting mechanism comprises at least one energy harvesting mechanism selected from the mechanisms consisting of:

a piezo-electric mechanism;

a thermal-electric mechanism;

a photo-electric mechanism;

an RF recovery mechanism;

an inductive mechanism; and

a chemical gradient mechanism.

7. A system, comprising:

an RF wireless energy-harvesting device comprising an energy-harvesting mechanism, a message generation facility, and a transmission facility, wherein the RF wireless energy-harvesting device is configured to:

generate electrical energy from a harvesting action of the energy-harvesting mechanism;

generate messages through the message generation facility; and

transmit messages through the transmission facility to at least one RF wireless device;

wherein the RF wireless energy-harvesting device is further configured to:

set a device timer for a period of time;

transition to a low-power mode until the device timer reaches the end of the period of time; and

transition from the low-power mode to an operational mode and monitor for reception of a reply message; and

wherein the RF wireless energy-harvesting device is further configured to embed a time value into the broadcast message that corresponds to the period of time set in the device timer.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the message is a broadcast message and the at least one RF wireless device comprises a member of a mesh network.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one RF wireless device that receives the transmitted message from the RF wireless energy-harvesting device acts as a repeater and retransmits the message to another RF wireless device comprising a member of a mesh network.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the energy-harvesting mechanism generates the electrical energy at least in part from the single physical action.

11. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a second RF wireless energy-harvesting device, wherein the RF wireless energy-harvesting device and the second RF wireless energy-harvesting device are activated by a single physical action.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the RF wireless energy-harvesting device and the second RF wireless energy-harvesting device both broadcast messages from the single physical action.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the messages broadcast by both the RF wireless energy-harvesting device and the second RF wireless energy-harvesting device are received by a at least one RF wireless device comprising a member of a mesh network.

14. A method, comprising:

generating electrical energy on a first wireless device in response to a physical action;

setting a device timer for a period of time within the first wireless device;

generating a message on the first wireless device in response to the physical action and the generated electrical energy, wherein the generating the message comprises embedding a time value in the message that corresponds to the period of time set in the device timer; and

transmitting the generated message to a second wireless device;

transitioning the first wireless device into a low-power mode after the transmitting; and

transitioning the first wireless device from the low-power mode to an operational mode after an expiration of the time value in the low-power mode.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising transmitting the generated message from the second wireless device to a third wireless device, and receiving a reply message from the third wireless device at the second wireless device.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising transmitting the reply message from the second wireless device to the first wireless device after the expiration of the time value in the generated message.