Discovery mechanism for communication in wireless networks

• US 10,362,374 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2016
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Bartier, Jerome, Taylor, James Laurence, Barnes, Keith, Uhling, Thomas, Monier, Fabrice
• Primary Examiner(s): Lam, Yee F
• Application Number:
  US15/395,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20180124589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7143 Arrangements for generation of hop patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7156 Arrangements for sequence synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1881 with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/04 Arrangements for synchronous operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/20 for optimising the interference level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 : for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 : Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• 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

Techniques for discovering a device in a wireless network are described herein. For example, a first device may send a network discovery solicitation message to a second device to solicit a communication relationship (e.g., request connection to a parent). The network discovery solicitation may include one or more information elements that indicate a channel function associated with the first device and a listening window during which the first device will be listening for communications. The second device may use the channel function to frequency hop and send a network discovery message to the first device during the listening window. The network discovery message may include one or more information elements to establish a sampled schedule for the first device moving forward.

Claims

1. A method of discovering a limited function device in a wireless network, the method comprising:

sending, by the limited function device and over multiple channels of the wireless network, a network discovery solicitation message requesting to create a communication relationship with a parent, the limited function device comprising a battery powered device, the network discovery solicitation message including;

a channel information element indicating a channel list and a generator function that is implemented by the limited function device;

a schedule information element including schedule data regarding a schedule of the limited function device;

a seed information element indicating a seed value to input into the generator function; and

a directed network discovery information element indicating a listening window;

listening, while frequency hopping during the listening window, for a network discovery message, the frequency hopping being based at least in part on the generator function that is implemented by the limited function device, the schedule data regarding the schedule of the limited function device, and the seed value indicated in the network discovery solicitation message;

receiving, by the limited function device during the listening window, the network discovery message from a full function device, the network discovery message indicating that the full function device is able to serve as the parent, the network discovery message comprising a unicast communication, the network discovery message including;

a channel information element indicating a channel list and a generator function that is implemented by the full function device;

a schedule information element including schedule data regarding a schedule of the full function device, the schedule data indicating an event sampled listening reference point (SLRP); and

a seed information element indicating a seed value to input into the generator function that is implemented by the full function device; and

selecting, by the limited function device, the full function device for communication;

determining a sampled communication schedule based at least in part on the generator function that is implemented by the full function device and the event SLRP; and

communicating, by the limited function device, with the full function device based at least in part on the sampled communication schedule.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the network discovery message includes load balancing information, the load balancing information indicating an amount of load on the full function device, the amount of load being based on at least one of a number of children that are supported by the full function device, a processor load of the full function device, or a radio load of the full function device; and

the selecting the full function device is based at least in part on the load balancing information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating with the full function device comprises:

based at least in part on the sampled communication schedule;

placing the limited function device in a low power state associated with less than a threshold amount of power;

awaking the limited function device from the low power state; and

listening for a communication from the full function device based at least in part on the generator function that is implemented by the full function device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel information element, the schedule information element, and the seed information element of the network discovery message are associated with at least one of a broadcast operating context or a unicast operating context.

5. One or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed, instruct a processing unit of a limited function device to perform operations comprising:

sending, over multiple channels of a wireless network, a network discovery solicitation message, the network discovery solicitation message indicating a channel function that is implemented by the limited function device and a listening window;

listening, while frequency hopping during the listening window, for a network discovery message, the frequency hopping being based at least in part on the channel function that is implemented by the limited function device;

receiving, during the listening window, the network discovery message from a full function device, the network discovery message including data regarding an operating context for communication with the full function device;

selecting the full function device as a parent for communication; and

communicating with the full function device based at least in part on the operating context.

6. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the full function device comprises a mains powered device and the limited function device comprises a battery powered device.

7. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the operating context comprises a first operating context and the network discovery message further includes data regarding a second operating context for communication with the full function device.

8. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 7, wherein the first operating context comprises a broadcast operating context for broadcast communications and the second operating context comprises a unicast operating context for unicast communications.

9. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the network discovery message indicates a first event repetition interval to be used during discovery, the first event repetition interval comprising a duration of time between successive sampled listening reference points (SLRPs), and the operations further comprise:

upon completion of the discovery, receiving, by the limited function device, a message from the full function device, the message indicating a second event repetition interval; and

using, by the full function device, the second event repetition interval to communicate with the limited function device.

10. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the first event repetition interval is longer than the second event repetition interval.

11. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the first event repetition interval is shorter than the second event repetition interval.

12. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein:

the network discovery message includes load balancing information, the load balancing information indicating an amount of load on the full function device; and

the selecting the full function device is based at least in part on the load balancing information.

13. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein:

the network discovery message includes load balancing information, the load balancing information indicating a number of children that are supported by the full function device; and

the selecting the full function device is based at least in part on the load balancing information.

14. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the communicating with the full function device comprises:

placing the limited function device in a low power state associated with less than a threshold amount of power; and

awaking the limited function device from the low power state based at least in part on the operating context; and

listening for a communication from the full function device based at least in part on the operating context.