Adaptive network topology

• US 10,313,977 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2016
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Cavalcanti, Dave, Somayazulu, Vallabhajosyula S., Liao, Yiting, Sydir, Jaroslaw J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Anh Ngoc M
• Application Number:
  US15/390,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20180184360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems and methods associated with adaptive communication topology within a wireless mesh network of devices are disclosed herein. In embodiments, a computer device, may include wireless circuitry to communicate with a leader of a network and a controller coupled to the wireless circuitry. The controller may identify one or more values located within a message received via the network, wherein the one or more values are generated by the leader, and determine in which of one or more operation modes the computer device is to operate based, at least partially, on the one or more values. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Claims

1. A computer device, comprising:

wireless circuitry to communicate with a leader of a network; and

a controller coupled to the wireless circuitry, the controller to;

identify one or more operation mode selection values located within a message received via the network, wherein the one or more operation mode selection values are generated by the leader, and the one or more operation mode selection values correspond to a rank;

determine a rank of the computer device within the network; and

determine in which of one or more operation modes the computer device is to operate based, at least partially, on an operation mode selection value of the one or more operation mode selection values that corresponds to the rank of the computer device.

2. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the one or more operation modes include a relay operation mode and an end point operation mode.

3. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the one or more operation modes include a relay operation mode, and wherein the computer device is to operate in the relay operation mode in response to a determination, based at least partially on the one or more operation mode selection values, that the computer device is to operate in the relay operation mode within the network.

4. The computer device of claim 2, wherein the one or more operation modes include an end point operation mode, and wherein the computer device is to operate in the end point operation mode in response to a determination, based at least partially on the one or more operation mode selection values, that the computer device is not to operate in the relay operation mode within the network.

5. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the message includes a plurality of operation mode selection values, and wherein the controller is to:

identify the one or more operation mode selection values, from the plurality of operation mode selection values, based on the one or more operation mode selection values being associated with the rank of the computer device.

6. The computer device of claim 5, wherein the controller is to determine the rank of the computer device based, at least partially, on one or more of:

a distance from the computer device to the leader, a battery level of the computer device, and a network density.

7. The computer device of claim 6, wherein the controller is to:

when the controller is to determine the rank based on the distance from the computer device to the leader, determine the distance from the computer device to the leader based on one or more of;

a number of relays between the leader and the computer device, a quality of a link between the leader and the computer device, a transmission power of a transmission received from the leader or a relay, and a transmission power required to transmit a transmission to the leader or a relay; and

when the controller is to determine the rank based on the network density, determine the network density based on a number of collected beacons or routing advertisements obtained from one or more neighboring nodes.

8. The computer device of claim 1, further comprising a battery coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is to:

determine a battery level of the battery; and

alter the one or more operation mode selection values based on the battery level, wherein the one or more operation mode selection values used to determine in which one of the operation modes the computer device is to operate are the altered one or more operation mode selection values.

9. A leader apparatus, comprising:

a controller to;

identify information associated with one or more computer devices within one or more messages received from at least a portion of the one or more computer devices, the one or more computer devices being within a network coordinated by the leader apparatus; and

generate one or more operation mode selection values based on the information associated with the one or more computer devices, the one or more operation mode selection values to facilitate the one or more computer devices in selection of an operation mode based on ranks of the one or more computer devices within the network as determined by respective ones of the one or more computer devices; and

wireless circuitry coupled to the controller and to communicate with the one or more computer devices, the wireless circuitry to transmit the one or more operation mode selection values to the one or more computer devices.

10. The leader apparatus of claim 9, wherein the information associated with the one or more computer devices includes respective indication or indications of quality of link or links between the leader apparatus and the one or more computer devices.

11. The leader apparatus of claim 9, wherein the information associated with the one or more computer devices includes an indication of a number of neighbors that a computer device, of the one or more computer devices, detects.

12. The leader apparatus of claim 9, wherein the information associated with the one or more computer devices includes an indication of a number of the one or more computer devices that can operate in a relay operation mode.

13. The leader apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more operation mode selection values include:

a first operation mode selection value for a first rank of the one or more computer devices; and

a second operation mode selection value for a second rank of the one or more computer devices, the second operation mode selection value being different than the first operation mode selection value.

14. The leader apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first operation mode selection value is based on a number of the one or more computer devices having the first rank and the second operation mode selection value is based on a number of the one or more computer devices having the second rank.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media (NTCRM) comprising instructions, wherein execution of the instructions by a computer device is to cause the computer device to:

identify a message transmitted by a leader of a network, wherein the message includes one or more operation mode selection values;

determine a rank of the computer device within the network;

identify a specific operation mode selection value associated with the rank of the computer device from the one or more operation mode selection values; and

determine in which of one or more operation modes the computer device is to operate based, at least partially, on the specific operation mode selection value.

16. The one or more NTCRM of claim 15, wherein the one or more operation modes include a relay operation mode and an end point operation mode.

17. The one or more NTCRM of claim 15, wherein the one or more operation modes include a relay operation mode, and wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the computer device to:

enter the relay operation mode in response to a determination, based at least partially on the specific operation mode selection value, that the computer device is to operate in the relay operation mode.

18. The one or more NTCRM of claim 16, wherein the one or more operation modes include an end point operation mode, and wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the computer device to:

enter the end point operation mode in response to a determination, based at least partially on the specific operation mode selection value, that the computer device is not to operate in the relay operation mode.

19. The one or more NTCRM of claim 15, wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the computer device to:

determine the rank of the computer device within the network based in part on one or more of a distance from the computer device to the leader, a battery level of the computer device, and a network density, wherein the specific operation mode selection value is identified based on the rank.

20. The one or more NTCRM of claim 19, wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the computer device to:

when the rank is to be based on the distance, determine the distance based on one or more of a number of relays between the leader and the computer device, a quality of a link between the leader and the computer device, a transmission power of a transmission received from the leader or a relay, and a transmission power required to transmit a transmission to the leader or a relay; and

when the rank is to be based on the network density, determine the network density based on a number of collected beacons or routing advertisements obtained from one or more neighboring nodes.

21. The one or more NTCRM of claim 15, wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the computer device to further:

determine a battery level of the computer device;

determine that the battery level of the computer device is less than a threshold value; and

alter the specific operation mode selection value to zero based on the battery level being less than the threshold value, wherein the specific operation mode selection value used for determination of in which of the one or more operation modes the computer device is to operate is the altered specific operation mode selection value.

22. The one or more NTCRM of claim 15, wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the computer device to:

enter an operation mode, of the one or more operation modes, based on a result of the determination that denotes in which of the one or more operation modes the computer device is to operate;

initiate a timer in response to the operation mode being entered;

identify an updated specific operation mode selection value associated with the computer device; and

redetermine, based at least partially on the updated specific operation mode selection value, in which of the one or more operation modes the computer device is to operate in response to an expiration of the timer.

23. The one or more NTCRM of claim 15, wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the computer device to:

identify information within transmissions from neighboring computer devices within the network to determine a number of the neighboring computer devices; and

alter the specific operation mode selection value based on the number of the neighboring computer devices, wherein the specific operation mode selection value used to determination in which of the one or more operation modes the computer device is to operate is the altered specific operation mode selection value.

24. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media (NTCRM) comprising instructions, wherein execution of the instructions by a leader is to cause the leader to:

identify information associated with one or more computer devices within transmissions from at least a portion of the one or more computer devices, the one or more computer devices being within a network coordinated by the leader;

determine, based on the information, a number of the one or more computer devices and ranks associated with the one or more computer devices;

generate one or more values based on the number of the one or more computer devices and the ranks associated with the one or more computer devices, the one or more values to facilitate the one or more computer devices in selection of an operation mode; and

transmit a message that includes the one or more values to the network.

25. The one or more NTCRM of claim 24, wherein the ranks associated with the one or more computer devices are based on a number of relays between the leader and each of the one or more computer devices.