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Multi-hop power management in a wireless mesh network

  • US 10,609,620 B1
  • Filed: 01/08/2018
  • Issued: 03/31/2020
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2018
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A mesh network device deployed in a wireless mesh network (WMN), the mesh network device comprising:

  • a first radio coupled to an omnidirectional antenna;

    a second radio selectively coupled to any one of a plurality of directional antennas;

    a third radio selectively coupled to any one of the plurality of directional antennas;

    an application processor coupled to the first radio, the second radio, and the third radio, wherein the application processor;

    stores a first interference threshold parameter indicative of an amount of acceptable radio-frequency interference at the mesh network device;

    stores a first signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) threshold parameter indicative of an acceptable data transmission rate for the mesh network device;

    measures radio-frequency (RF) noise samples using at least one of the first radio, the second radio, and the third radio, during a pre-determined period of no-activity in the WMN, the RF noise samples are indicative of RF power measured at the at least one of the first radio, the second radio, and the third radio at a specified frequency;

    estimates a first noise floor value from the RF noise samples;

    determines a first path loss value (G1,2) for a first communication channel between the second radio and a radio of a second mesh network device, wherein the first path loss value (G1,2) is indicative of a first amount of interference affecting transmissions on the first communication channel;

    determines a second path loss value (G1,3) for a second communication channel between the third radio and a radio of a third mesh network device, wherein the second path loss value (G1,3) is indicative of a second amount of interference affecting transmissions on the second communication channel, wherein the first amount of interference and the second amount of interference form a first set of interference metrics for the mesh network device;

    obtains, from the second mesh network device, second data comprising a second noise floor value for the second mesh network device, a second set of interference metrics for the second mesh network device, a second interference threshold parameter for the second mesh network device, and a second SINR threshold parameter for the second mesh network device;

    obtains, from the third mesh network device, third data comprising a third noise floor value for the second mesh network device, a third set of interference metrics for the third mesh network device, a third interference threshold parameter for the third mesh network device, and a third SINR threshold parameter for the third mesh network device; and

    calculates a first transmit power level for the mesh network device, a second transmit power level for the second mesh network device, and a third transmit power level for the third mesh network device that results in a minimum data transmission rate of data transmissions over each hop of a network path that traverses the mesh network device, the second mesh network device, and the third mesh network device, wherein the application processor calculates the first transmit power, the second transmit power level, and the third transmit power level using the first noise floor value, the first set of interference metrics, the first interference threshold parameter, the first SINR threshold parameter, the second data, and the third data;

    sends information that represents the second transmit power level to the second mesh network device via the second radio; and

    sends information that represents the third transmit power level to the third mesh network device via the third radio.

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