Backhaul and fronthaul communications in a wireless mesh network

• US 10,417,887 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2017
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Inventors: Amini, Peiman, Emmanuel, Joseph Amalan Arul
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Jung
• Application Number:
  US15/590,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20180103505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2494 by interference with electro-magnetic field distribution combined with other electrical sensor means, e.g. microwave detectors combined with other sensor means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/005 adapting radio receivers, transmitters andtransceivers for operation on two or more bands, i.e. frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/0085 using test signal generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/7154 with means for preventing interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/003 Arrangements for allocating sub-channels of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 : Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 : Time-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 : Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 : Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0236 : radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 : Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 : Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 : Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0055 : Transmission or use of information for re-establishing the radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 : of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0083 : Determination of parameters used for hand-off, e.g. generation or modification of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/008375 : based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0094 : Definition of hand-off measurement parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/16 : Performing reselection for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/20 : for optimising the interference level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 : by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/36 : by user or terminal equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/38 : by fixed network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 : Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 : Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 : Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 : using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 : Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 : Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 : Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 : using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 : PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 : adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 : between access points

Abstract

Adjusting backhaul and fronthaul communication links of wireless mesh networks are described. In one aspect, characteristics of network data packets transmitted within a wireless mesh network can be identified. Based on those characteristics, fronthaul communication links and/or backhaul communication links can be adjusted.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting communication links of a wireless mesh network, comprising:

determining, by a first computing node of the wireless mesh network, characteristics of network data packets associated with a first client device of the wireless mesh network; and

adjusting, by the first computing node, one or both of a first fronthaul communication link or a first backhaul communication link of the wireless mesh network based on the characteristics of the network data packets, the first fronthaul communication link representing a communication link established between the first computing node and the first client device, the first backhaul communication link representing a communication link established between the first computing node and a second computing node of the wireless mesh network, wherein the adjusting includes;

changing the first fronthaul communication link to operate from within a first frequency band to a second frequency band, and

changing the first backhaul communication link to operate from within the second frequency band to the first frequency band, the first frequency band and the second frequency band being different.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting one or both of the first fronthaul communication link or the first backhaul communication link includes changing the first fronthaul communication link to operate from within a first channel of a frequency band to a second channel of the frequency band, and changing the first backhaul communication link to operate from within the second channel of the frequency band to the first channel of the frequency band, the first channel and the second channel being different.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting one or both of the first fronthaul communication link or the first backhaul communication link includes adjusting one or both of a frequency band or a channel of one or both of the first fronthaul communication link or the first backhaul communication link.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics include one or more of a type of the first client device, a type of application corresponding to the network data packets, or a time duration of the application corresponding to the network data packets, the application representing how the network data packets are to be used by the first client device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting one or both of the first fronthaul communication link or the first backhaul communication link includes changing a topology of the wireless mesh network based on the characteristics of the network data packets.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein changing the topology of the wireless mesh network includes changing the first backhaul communication link from establishing a communication link between the first computing node and the second computing node to a communication link between the second computing node and a third computing node.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is performed using deep packet inspection (DPI).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the DPI is based on performing regular expression matching on the network data packets.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the regular expression matching is based on automata.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions such that the one or more processors and memory are configured to;

determine characteristics of network data packets associated with a first client device of a wireless mesh network; and

adjust one or both of a first fronthaul communication link or a first backhaul communication link of the wireless mesh network based on the characteristics of the network data packets, the first fronthaul communication link representing a communication link established between a first computing node and the first client device, the first backhaul communication link representing a communication link established between the first computing node and a second computing node of the wireless mesh network, wherein the adjusting includes;

changing the first fronthaul communication link to operate from within a first frequency band to a second frequency band, and

changing the first backhaul communication link to operate from within the second frequency band to the first frequency band, the first frequency band and the second frequency band being different.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein adjusting one or both of the first fronthaul communication link or the first backhaul communication link includes changing the first fronthaul communication link to operate from within a first channel of a frequency band to a second channel of the frequency band, and changing the first backhaul communication link to operate from within the second channel of the frequency band to the first channel of the frequency band, the first channel and the second channel being different.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein adjusting one or both of the first fronthaul communication link or the first backhaul communication link includes adjusting one or both of a frequency band or a channel of one or both of the first fronthaul communication link or the first backhaul communication link.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the characteristics include one or more of a type of the first client device, a type of application corresponding to the network data packets, or a time duration of the application corresponding to the network data packets, the application representing how the network data packets are to be used by the first client device.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein adjusting one or both of the first fronthaul communication link or the first backhaul communication link includes changing a topology of the wireless mesh network based on the characteristics of the network data packets.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein changing the topology of the wireless mesh network includes changing the first backhaul communication link from establishing a communication link between the first computing node and the second computing node to a communication link between the second computing node and a third computing node.

16. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the determining is performed using deep packet inspection (DPI).

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the DPI is based on performing regular expression matching on the network data packets.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the regular expression matching is based on automata.