Dynamic relay assignment for jamming mitigation in wireless networks

• US 10,158,431 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2017
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Inventors: Chongoushian, John H
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Lana N
• Application Number:
  US15/496,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20180309523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/14 Relay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/18 for wireless local area networks or WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/226 Selection of non-jammed channel for communication spectrum sharing arrangements H04W16/14; selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

A method for mitigating the effect of a localized jamming attack on a secure, tactical wireless network implements a dynamic relay assignment (“DRA”) approach, whereby nodes are dynamically assigned to relay communications to “disadvantaged” nodes that are subject to the attack, the relay nodes being selected based on their communication reliability and their proximity to the disadvantaged nodes. In embodiments, the nodes share with each other performance statistics and, in embodiments, measured local noise levels. In various embodiments, each node provides data to a “strategy optimizer” which then dynamically makes relay assignments. In Link-16 embodiments support for a “DRA” relay mode is added, and the communication protocol is extended to support the required exchange of communication quality and local noise information via PPLI messages.

Claims

1. A method of conveying a communication from a transmitting node to a disadvantaged node of a wireless communication network, said disadvantaged node being a node in the network that is subject to localized interference that is present within a jammed region, the method comprising:

for each of a plurality of candidate nodes in the network, collecting by the candidate node of node quality data of the candidate node, the node quality data including statistics on the communication performance of the candidate node and a measured local noise level of the candidate node;

for each of the plurality of candidate nodes in the network, sharing by the candidate node of the node quality data of the candidate node with at least one other of the plurality of candidate nodes in the network;

for each of the plurality of candidate nodes in the network, determining by the candidate node of a node quality of the candidate node using the node quality data of the candidate node and node quality data received from at least one other of the candidate nodes in the network;

for each of the plurality of candidate nodes in the network, determining a quality level of the candidate node, said quality level being dependent at least in part on a communication reliability of the candidate node and a proximity of the candidate node to the disadvantaged node;

according to the quality levels of the candidate nodes, designating a node from among the plurality of candidate nodes as a relay node; and

relaying by the relay node of the communication between the transmitting node and the disadvantaged node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein for each of the candidate notes, the node quality is dependent upon at least one of:

a rate at which the candidate node is receiving messages;

a success rate at which the candidate node is receiving the messages;

an average signal-to-noise ratio of the messages received by the candidate node; and

the local noise level of the candidate node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein for each of the candidate notes, determining the quality level of the candidate node includes determining the node quality of the closest candidate node, where the closest candidate node is the candidate node from among the plurality of candidate nodes that is closest to the transmitting node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein for each of the candidate notes, determining the quality level of the candidate node includes determining a relay quality of the candidate node, the relay quality being dependent upon at least one of:

the node quality of the candidate node;

a number of disadvantaged nodes in the network;

a distance between the candidate node and the disadvantaged node or, if the network includes a plurality of disadvantaged nodes, an average distance between the candidate node and the plurality of disadvantaged nodes; and

a transmit power of the candidate node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the quality level of the candidate node includes determining the relay quality of the closest candidate node, where the closest candidate node is the candidate node from among the plurality of candidate nodes that is closest to the transmitting node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the quality level of the candidate node includes determining how many of the candidate nodes are within a communication range of the transmitting node.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a Link-16 network.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising sharing among nodes of the network via PPLI messages of information regarding at least one of:

the local noise levels of the nodes;

statistics regarding rates at which the nodes are receiving messages;

statistics regarding success rates at which the nodes are receiving the messages;

average signal-to-noise ratios of messages received by the nodes;

transmit powers of the nodes; and

relay modes of the nodes.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein for each of the candidate notes, determining the quality level of the candidate node includes providing by an interference recognizer of at least one of a number of received messages, a message success rate, an average signal to noise ratio of received messages, and a measurement of ambient noise of the candidate node.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the Link-16 network is configured to include dynamic relay assignment (“

DRA”

) as a relay mode applicable to nodes in the network.

11. Non-transitory media containing software operable on nodes in a wireless communications network so as to cause a transmitting node of the network to communicate with a disadvantaged node of the network, said disadvantaged node being a node in the network that is subject to localized interference that is present within a jammed region, the software being configured to cause:

collecting by each of a plurality of candidate nodes in the network of node quality data of the candidate node, the node quality data including statistics on the communication performance of the candidate node and a measured local noise level of the candidate node;

sharing by each of the plurality of candidate nodes in the network of the node quality data of the candidate node with at least one other of the plurality of candidate nodes in the network;

determining by each of the plurality of candidate nodes in the network of a node quality of the candidate node using the node quality data of the candidate node and node quality data received from at least one other of the candidate nodes in the network;

determining for each of the plurality of candidate nodes in the network of a quality level of that candidate node, said quality level being dependent at least in part on a communication reliability of the candidate node and a proximity of the candidate node to the disadvantaged node;

designating of a node from among the plurality of candidate nodes as a relay node, the relay node being selected according to the quality levels of the candidate nodes; and

relaying by the relay node of a communication between the transmitting node and the disadvantaged node.