Logical and physical mesh network separation

• US 20060039298A1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rahman, Shamim Akbar, Zuniga, Juan Carlos, Rudolf, Marian
• Application Number:
  US11/169,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20060039298A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/46 Cluster building
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies
• 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

Abstract

A method for creating sub-networks in a wireless mesh network begins by determining whether a trigger condition for creating a sub-network exists. Nodes in the mesh network are selected to create the sub-network if the trigger condition exists. The sub-network is then created with the selected nodes. A node for use in a wireless mesh network includes a state device for maintaining a state of the node, the state of the node relating to activity occurring at the node; an attachment list communicating with the state device; a trigger device communicating with the state device; and an attachment device communicating with the attachment list and the trigger device.

Claims

1. A method for creating sub-networks in a wireless mesh network, comprising the steps of:

determining whether a trigger condition for creating a sub-network exists;

selecting nodes in the mesh network to create the sub-network if the trigger condition exists; and

creating the sub-network with the selected nodes.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the trigger condition includes a change in conditions in the mesh network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the trigger condition is generated by a central control point in the mesh network.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the trigger condition is generated individually by each node in the mesh network.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the trigger condition is generated by a subset of nodes in the mesh network.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining a state of all nodes in the mesh network.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein each node maintains a record of its current state.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein each node signals its current state to other nodes in the mesh network.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the selecting step includes selecting nodes based upon the state of the node.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether a restore condition exists; and

combining sub-networks into a single mesh network if the restore condition exists.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the restore condition includes the mesh network returning to a condition prior to the trigger condition existing.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a node can belong to more than one sub-network.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the node can change sub-networks at any time.

14. A node for use in a wireless mesh network, comprising:

a state device, said state device maintaining a state of the node, the state of the node relating to activity occurring at the node;

an attachment list communicating with said state device;

a trigger device communicating with said state device; and

an attachment device communicating with said attachment list and said trigger device.

15. The node according to claim 14, wherein said attachment list includes all other nodes that the node is attached to.

16. The node according to claim 14, wherein said trigger device determines when to form a sub-network.

17. The node according to claim 14, wherein said attachment device notifies other nodes in the mesh network of a change in the state of the node;

and

receives the states of other nodes in the mesh network and records the states of the other nodes in said attachment list.

18. The node according to claim 17, wherein the node can belong to more than one sub-network.

19. The node according to claim 17, wherein the node can change sub-networks at any time.