PORTABLE WIRELESS NETWORK ENHANCEMENT DEVICE AND ASSOCIATED METHODS
A portable device may include a housing sized and shaped to enclose: a power source, a wireless communication module including an antenna and associated transceiver circuitry coupled with the antenna to receive and transmit wireless signals, a human-interaction interface, a memory storing computer-readable instructions; and a processor in communication with the power source, the wireless communication module, and the memory. The housing may be sized and shaped to self-stand when placed at a location. The computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, may cause the portable device to: scan, using the wireless communication module, for ones of the plurality of wireless nodes within operating range of the wireless communication module, receive, in response to the scan, wireless-node data from responding ones of the plurality of wireless nodes, generate a user-interpretable signal based on the wireless-node data; and output, using the human-interaction interface, the user-interpretable signal.
1 . A portable device for enhancing network of a plurality of wireless nodes, comprising:
a housing sized and shaped to enclose:
a power source;
a wireless communication module including an antenna and associated transceiver circuitry coupled with the antenna to receive and transmit wireless signals;
a human-interaction interface;
a memory storing computer-readable instructions; and
a processor in communication with the power source, the wireless communication module, and the memory;
the housing being sized and shaped to self-stand when placed at a location;
the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the portable device to:
scan, using the wireless communication module, for ones of the plurality of wireless nodes within operating range of the wireless communication module;
receive, in response to the scan, wireless-node data from responding ones of the plurality of wireless nodes;
generate a user-interpretable signal based on the wireless-node data; and
output, using the human-interaction interface, the user-interpretable signal.
2 . The portable device of claim 1 , the housing comprising:
a base;
an extension extending upward from the base; and
a top area at an opposite end of the extension from the base.
3 . The portable device of claim 1 , the housing having a box form-factor.
4 . The portable device of claim 1 , the housing having a handle for maneuverability of the portable device.
5 . The portable device of claim 1 , the power source being a rechargeable battery; the housing having a battery slot configured to releasably retain the rechargeable battery.
6 . The portable device of claim 1 , the portable device further comprising an energy harvesting device.
7 . The portable device of claim 1 , the human-interaction interface including a display.
8 . The portable device of claim 1 , the human-interaction interface including a speaker.
9 . The portable device of claim 1 , the human-interaction interface including a microphone.
10 . The portable device of claim 9 , comprising further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the portable device to:
determine a mission task for the portable device based on user input received using the microphone.
11 . The portable device of claim 10 , the mission task including terminating the user-interpretable signal when the user input indicates that a user has resolved an event defined within the wireless-node data.
12 . The portable device of claim 10 ,
the user input defining an action that the user intends to perform;
the mission task including:
identify one or more assets required to perform the action,
analyze the wireless-node data to determine if asset-specific wireless nodes of the plurality of wireless nodes are in proximity to the portable device, and
generate the user-interpretable signal including indication that all of the one or more assets are present or that one or more of the one or more assets are missing.
13 . The portable device of claim 1 , the wireless communication module implementing a plurality of wireless communication protocols; at least one of the plurality of wireless communication protocols including RFID reading capability.
14 . The portable device of claim 1 , comprising further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the portable device to:
receive indication of a specific wireless node, or asset associated with the specific wireless node, to be searched;
determine if the specific wireless node is within the wireless-node data; and
generate the user-interpretable signal to indicate that the specific wireless node is nearby the portable device.
15 . A method for performing a task using a portable wireless network enhancement device, the method comprising:
assigning a task to the portable wireless network enhancement device;
receiving, at the portable wireless network enhancement device, wireless-node data from at least one wireless node;
generating a user-interpretable signal based on the wireless-node data; and,
control a human-interaction interface based on the user-interpretable signal.
16 . The method of claim 15 , the task being a loading or unloading task.
17 . The method of claim 16 , the at least one wireless node being associated with assets being loaded and unloaded, and/or at least one container in which the assets are being loaded into or unloaded from.
18 . The method of claim 16 , the user-interpretable signal indicating an asset being improperly loaded.
19 . The method of claim 16 , the user-interpretable signal indicating an asset being properly loaded.
20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising outputting a misload signal to an external server when the wireless node data indicates a wireless node is improperly being loaded into a container and not unloaded after a period of time.