Message control protocol in a communications network having repeaters

• US 20030179721A1
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ax Wireless LLC (SY Ventures)
• Original Assignee: Inovonics Wireless Corporation (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pierce, Preston, Shurmantine, Neal, Koonce, Steve, Hume, Donald J., Koonce, Nathan, Burkhard, Daryl, Dunbar, Steven T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,154,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1867 Arrangements specially adapted for the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/26 Route discovery packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/08 based on transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A wireless communications network which provides directed transmissions between components of the network is provided. The components within the wireless communications include a master apparatus, a plurality of remote devices, and a plurality of repeaters. The components within the wireless communications network communicate using messages which have a control field and at least one information field. Information within the control field is used by components to make determinations for retransmitting the message, or transmitting a predefined response to the message, such as a signal strength response. The components within the network use the messages to make a determination of a communications target, which may be used as a primary contact for transmitting information, automatically, and may repeat the determination at predetermined intervals. Thus, the wireless communications network is able to adapt over time to additional components added into the network, or changing environmental conditions in and around the network.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication between a sending device and a receiving device, comprising:

forming a packet at said sending device, said packet having a plurality of message control bits and a plurality of information fields, wherein at least a first message control bit indicates routing information for said packet, and at least a second message control bit indicates whether data is included in at least one of said information fields which is associated with said second message control bit;

wirelessly communicating said packet from said sending device to said receiving device;

receiving said packet at said receiving device; and

performing a task at said receiving device based on said message control bits.

2. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said forming step includes:

identifying a message type for transmitting to said receiving device;

setting said message control bits based on said message type; and

formatting data for inclusion in said at least one of said information fields based on said message type.

3. A method, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said setting step includes:

setting a survey bit when said message type is a survey message.

4. A method, as claimed in claim 3, wherein said formatting step includes:

formatting a survey data field when said survey bit is set, said survey data field including information related to signal strength.

5. A method, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said setting step includes:

setting a layer bit when said message type is a transport message.

6. A method, as claimed in claim 5, wherein said formatting step includes:

formatting a layer/hop count information field when said layer bit is set, said layer/hop count field containing information related to a layer of said message and a number of times said message has been retransmitted.

7. A method, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said setting step includes:

setting an address bit when said message type is a directed message.

8. A method, as claimed in claim 7, wherein said formatting step includes:

formatting an address data field when said address bit is set, said address data field including unique identification information of an addressed device to which said message is to be delivered.

9. A method, as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said sending device determines whether a channel is available for sending said directed message.

10. A method, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said setting step includes:

setting a trace bit when said message type is a routing trace message.

11. A method, as claimed in claim 10, wherein said formatting step includes:

formatting a trace data field when said trace bit is set, said trace data field including information related to the number of addresses contained in said trace data field and unique identification information for each addressed device to which the message has been at least one of sent and will be sent.

12. A method, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said setting step includes:

setting a direction bit when said message type is an outbound message.

13. A method, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said setting step includes:

setting a first and second remote type bit.

14. A method, as claimed in claim 13, wherein said first and second remote type bit indicate a type of remote device associated with said message.

15. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said performing step includes:

retransmitting said packet to a second receiving device when said first control bit indicates that said packet is to be retransmitted.

16. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said performing step includes:

formatting a response packet including information related to signal strength when one of said message control bits indicates that signal strength information is included in one of said information fields; and

transmitting said response packet to said sending device.

17. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said performing step includes:

determining that signal strength information is included in said packet;

reading said signal strength information;

comparing said signal strength information with existing signal strength information; and

resetting a primary contact when said signal strength information indicates that said sending device has a stronger signal strength than an existing primary contact.

18. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said sending device and said receiving device are part of a first communications network that includes a plurality of repeaters and said packet includes a message that is to be acted on by each of said plurality of repeaters.

19. A method, as claimed in claim 18, wherein:

said plurality of repeaters is all of said repeaters in said first communications network.

20. A wireless communications system, comprising:

a master apparatus having a memory operable to store program information and data information, a processor in communication with said memory which is operable to form and receive messages including a first message, said messages transmitted and received by a transceiver in communication with said processor, wherein each of said messages includes a control field and a plurality of information fields, said control field having a plurality of control bits including at least a first control bit indicative of whether data is contained in an information field and at least a second control bit indicative of a direction of transmission for said first message;

at least one remote device having a remote memory operable to store program information and data information, a remote processor in communication with said remote memory which is operable to form and receive messages, said messages transmitted and received by a remote transceiver in communication with said remote processor and operable to transmit and receive said messages; and

at least one repeater having a repeater memory operable to store program information and data, a repeater processor in communication with said repeater memory which is operable to form and receive messages, said messages transmitted and received by a repeater transceiver in communication with said repeater processor and operable to transmit and receive messages, wherein said repeater processor is operable to determine if a message is to be re-transmitted based on information contained in said control field.

21. A system, as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

said control field includes a survey bit that indicates, when said survey bit is in a predetermined state, one of said information fields includes information related to signal strength.

22. A system, as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

said control field includes a layer bit that indicates, when said layer bit is in a predetermined state, one of said information fields includes information related to a layer of said first message and a number of times said first message has been retransmitted.

23. A system, as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

said control field includes an address bit that indicates, when said address bit is in a predetermined state, one of said information fields includes identification information of said at least one remote device to which said first message is to be delivered.

24. A system, as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

said control field includes a trace bit that indicates, when said trace bit is in a predetermined state, one of said information fields includes information related to a number of addresses and identification information related to where said first message has been sent.

25. A system, as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

said control fields includes a control bit indicating whether said first message is to be retransmitted.

26. A system, as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

said at least one remote device sets said at least one repeater as its primary contact using signal strength.

27. A system, as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

said at least one remote device determines that said at least one repeater is its primary contact based on using a plurality of repeaters including said at least one repeater.

28. A system, as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

said first message includes network identification information that is used to differentiate the wireless communication system from another system that does not include said at least one remote device and said at least one repeater.

29. A method for configuring a wireless communications network, comprising:

providing a plurality of remote devices including a first remote device, a plurality of repeaters including a first repeater, and a master apparatus; and

determining said first repeater as a communications target by said first remote device using signal strength associated with at least one signal from said first repeater.

30. A method, as claimed in claim 29, wherein:

said determining step includes transmitting a message from said first remote device and receiving at said first remote device response messages responsive to said message indicative of signal strength from at least some of said plurality of repeaters.

31. A method, as claimed in claim 29, wherein:

said determining step includes ascertaining by said first remote device information related to desired signal strength.

32. A method, as claimed in claim 31, wherein:

said desired signal strength relates to a greatest signal strength based on a number of response messages from at least said first repeater and said greatest signal strength is based on at least one of;

noise, gain and amplitude.

33. A method, as claimed in claim 29 wherein:

said determining step includes setting said first repeater as said communications target.

34. A method, as claimed in claim 29, further including:

repeating, at desired time intervals, said determining step.

35. A method, as claimed in claim 29, wherein:

first information related to said signal strength was previously stored in memory and said determining step includes obtaining said first information from said memory.

36. A method, as claimed in claim 35, further including:

determining a second repeater as a communications target using second information previously stored in said memory related to signal strength, said second repeater communicating with said first repeater when transmitting a packet to said first remote device using said first repeater.

37. A method, as claimed in claim 29, wherein:

said determining step includes establishing a sign-on threshold and a neighbor maintenance threshold and ascertaining said signal strength exceeds at least said sign-on threshold.

38. A method, as claimed in claim 37, wherein:

said ascertaining step includes ascertaining if said signal strength exceeds said neighbor maintenance threshold.

39. A method, as claimed in claim 37, wherein:

said ascertaining step includes ascertaining if said signal strength exceeds a valid signal for decoding threshold.

40. A method, as claimed in claim 29, wherein said determining step includes:

associating said first repeater as a primary neighbor when said signal strength exceeds a sign-on threshold;

ascertaining later that said signal strength exceeds a neighbor maintenance threshold, but does not exceed said sign-on threshold; and

maintaining said first repeater as a primary neighbor after said ascertaining step.

41. A method, as claimed in claim 29, wherein said determining steps includes:

associating said first repeater as a primary neighbor when said signal strength exceeds a sign-on threshold;

ascertaining after said associating step that said signal strength does not exceed said sign-on threshold and does not exceed a neighbor maintenance threshold; and

removing said first repeater as a primary neighbor.

42. A method, as claimed in claim 40, wherein:

said associating step includes identifying said first repeater as a primary neighbor of said first remote device.