Methods and devices for configuring simplified, static, multi-hop wireless networks

• US 20060002302A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bejerano, Yigal, Kumar, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 9,295,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/42 Centralised routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Wireless stations (and their associated operation) making up a static, multi-hop wireless network are simplified because topological modeling and routing/scheduling decisions are shifted from the stations to a controller external to the network. The controller may determine routing paths and schedules for each of the wireless stations in a network based on the topology of a given network along with other network characteristics. Thereafter, the so-determined paths and schedules are sent to the associated wireless stations. By simplifying the operation of a wireless station, the amount of energy required to be used by each station may be reduced thereby maximizing the lifetime of the network.

Claims

1. A controller operable to:

determine a topology of a static, multi-hop wireless network; and

determine one or more routing paths, for one or more wireless stations in the network that optimizes a network criteria, based at least on the topology.

2. The controller as in claim 1 further operable to determine packet transmission schedules for the one or more wireless stations to minimize packet collisions allowing the one or more wireless stations to remain in a sleep mode for an extended time.

3. The controller as in claim 1 wherein the criteria comprises maximizing a minimum energy-to-traffic ratio.

4. The controller as in claim 1 wherein one or more non-access point wireless stations in the wireless network communicate mostly with a station external to the wireless network through one or more access point stations in the wireless network.

5. The controller as in claim 4 wherein the one or more access point stations are directly connected to an infrastructure of a separate network.

6. The controller as in claim 5 wherein the infrastructure comprises a wired infrastructure.

7. The controller as in claim 5 wherein the infrastructure comprises a wireless infrastructure.

8. The controller as in claim 1 further operable to configure each one of the one or more wireless stations by sending packet forwarding table information associated with each of the one or more determined routing paths, to the appropriate one or more wireless stations.

9. The controller as in claim 2 further operable to configure each one of the one or more wireless stations by sending the determined schedules to the appropriate one or more wireless stations.

10. The controller as in claim 2 wherein the wireless network comprises a Time Domain, Multiple Access (TDMA) network.

11. The controller as in claim 1 further including one or more wireless stations within the network, each station operable to receive appropriate forwarding table information associated with one or more of the determined routing paths to maximize a minimum energy-to-traffic-ratio.

12. The controller as in claim 2 further including one or more wireless stations within the network, each station operable to receive one or more of the determined schedules to minimize packet collisions, allowing each of the one or more wireless stations to remain in a sleep mode.

13. One or more wireless stations comprising a static, multi-hop wireless network, each station operable to receive appropriate forwarding table information associated with one or more routing paths determined by a controller external to the network to optimize a network criteria, based at least on a network topology determined by the controller.

14. The one or more wireless stations as in claim 13 wherein the criteria comprises maximizing a minimum energy-to-traffic-ratio.

15. One or more wireless stations comprising a static, multi-hop TDMA wireless network, each station operable to receive packet transmission schedules determined by a controller external to the network to minimize packet re-transmissions, allowing the one or more wireless stations to remain in a sleep mode for an extended time.

16. One or more wireless stations comprising a static, multi-hop wireless network, each station operable to route one or more packets along one or more paths determined by a controller external to the network in accordance with a maximized, minimum energy-to-traffic-ratio.

17. One or more wireless stations comprising a static, multi-hop TDMA wireless network, each station operable to re-transmit one or more packets only when indicated by one or more of schedules determined by a controller external to the network to allow each station to remain in a sleep mode for an extended time.

18. A method for configuring a static, multi-hop wireless network comprising:

determining a topology of the network; and

determining one or more routing paths, for one or more wireless stations of the network based at least on the determined topology, that maximizes a minimum energy-to-traffic ratio.

19. The method as in claim 18 further comprising determining packet transmissions schedules for the one or more wireless stations to minimize packet collisions to allow the one or more wireless stations to remain in a sleep mode for an extended time.

20. The method as in claim 18 wherein one or more non-access point wireless stations in the network communicate mostly with a station external to the wireless network through one or more access point stations in the wireless network.

21. The method as in claim 20 wherein the one or more access point stations are directly connected to an infrastructure of a separate network.

22. The method as in claim 21 wherein the infrastructure comprises a wired infrastructure.

23. The method as in claim 21 wherein the infrastructure comprises a wireless infrastructure.

24. The method as in claim 18 further comprising sending packet forwarding table information associated with the one or more determined routing paths, to the to the appropriate one or more wireless stations.

25. The method as in claim 19 further comprising sending the determined schedules to the to the appropriate one or more wireless stations.

26. The method as in claim 19 wherein the wireless network comprises a Time Domain, Multiple Access (TDMA) network.

27. The method as in claim 18 further comprising routing one or more packets along one or more of the determined paths in accordance with a maximized, minimum energy-to-traffic-ratio.

28. The method as in claim 19 further comprising re-transmitting one or more packets only when indicated by one or more of the schedules in order to remain in a sleep mode for an extended time.

29. The method as in claim 18 further comprising receiving appropriate forwarding table information associated with one or more of the determined routing paths to maximize a minimum energy-to-traffic-ratio.

30. A method for configuring a static, multi-hop wireless network comprising receiving appropriate forwarding table information associated with one or more routing paths determined by a controller external to the network to optimize a network criteria, based at least on a network topology determined by the controller.

31. The method as in claim 30 wherein the criteria comprises maximizing a minimum energy-to-traffic-ratio.

32. A method for configuring a static, multi-hop TDMA wireless network comprising receiving packet transmission schedules determined by a controller external to the network to minimizes packet re-transmissions, allowing one or more wireless stations to remain in a sleep mode for an extended time.