*** 9661732 Redi This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will introduce novel energy-saving protocols which are critical for the successful wide range commercial deployment of wireless tag networks. A myriad of applications are emerging in which communication between low speed - very low cost tags (wireless nodes) and base stations designates energy conservation as a critical system parameter, such as warehouse identification tags, hospital ID tags, smart tags, intelligent ID cards, to name only a few of these applications. Tags are small devices with radio or infrared reception/transmission and processing capabilities, integrated in the size of an ID card or smaller, designed for the lowest possible cost. Cost minimization and network size prohibit the replacement of batteries which need to last for as long as the object needs to be identified, from weeks to several years. The design of wireless access protocols for tag networks requires, therefore, that transmission of, often delay sensitive data, occur under critical energy conservation and cost constraints. As classical access protocols do not meet these requirements, this project will introduce and evaluate several novel classes of protocols designated for these emerging low speed - low cost networks. The market potential for these systems is estimated at billions of dollars per year, underscoring the importance of this work. ***
