Redundantly connected wireless sensor networking methods

• US 20060274671A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Budampati, Ramakrishna S., Gonia, Patrick S., Kolavennu, Soumitri N., Narang, Smriti, Kore, Vinayak S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Methods and devices for operating a wireless network including redundant communication. Methods involving redundantly connected nodes are discussed including addressing methods and/or methods of creating groups for such redundant communication. The use of primary and secondary redundant connections is discussed. Also, devices for implementing such methods.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication system comprising a number of devices suited for wireless communication, the method comprising:

providing at least a number of infrastructure nodes and number of leaf nodes, the leaf nodes adapted to exchange messages with the infrastructure nodes, the infrastructure nodes being adapted to exchange messages with leaf nodes and infrastructure nodes; and

configuring a leaf node to associate with at least two infrastructure nodes and send a data packet as follows;

in a first transmission on a first communication channel, the leaf node sends the data packet to the at least two infrastructure nodes; and

in a second transmission on a second communication channel, the leaf node sends the data packet to the at least two infrastructure nodes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication system is compatible with devices complaint to IEEE 802.15.4 specification.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one associated infrastructure node includes first and second transceiving means for wireless communication, the first and second transceiving means being configured to simultaneously operate on different channels.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the leaf nodes are energy constrained devices.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least two infrastructure nodes associated with the leaf node include a primary node and a secondary node and, in response to the first transmission:

the primary node sends an acknowledgement if the first transmission is received by the primary node; and

the secondary node waits for the primary node to send an acknowledgement before sending an acknowledgement if the first transmission is received by the secondary node.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein, the leaf node executes the first transmission and, if the leaf node does not receive an acknowledgement from either the primary node or the secondary node, the leaf node executes the second transmission.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least two infrastructure nodes are configured to send an acknowledgement of transmissions received from the leaf node, wherein the leaf node executes the first transmission and the second transmission, and:

if the leaf node receives acknowledgement of the first transmission but not of the second transmission, the leaf node executes the second transmission again;

if the leaf node receives acknowledgement of the second transmission but not of the first transmission, the leaf node executes the first transmission again;

or

if the leaf node does not receive acknowledgement of either the first transmission or the second transmission, the leaf node executes the first transmission and the second transmission again.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the two infrastructure nodes associated with the leaf node include a primary node and a secondary node; and

;

if the primary node receives the first transmission, the primary node sends an acknowledgement; and

if the secondary node receives the first transmission, the secondary node sends an acknowledgement, the secondary node waiting for a delay period to allow the primary node to send an acknowledgement first.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the two infrastructure nodes associated with the leaf node include a primary node and a secondary node; and

;

if the primary node receives the second transmission, the primary node sends an acknowledgement; and

if the secondary node receives the second transmission, the secondary node sends an acknowledgement, the secondary node waiting for a delay period to allow the primary node to send an acknowledgement first.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the two infrastructure nodes associated with the leaf node include a primary node and a secondary node;

when the leaf node associates with the two infrastructure nodes, the leaf node indicates a primary node among the two infrastructure nodes, and the primary node selects a group address and communicates the group address to the leaf node and the secondary node; and

when the leaf node sends the first transmission, the group address is included in the first transmission.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein, after the first transmission is received by the secondary node, the secondary node waits a delay period to determine whether the primary node generates an acknowledgement and, if not, the secondary node generates an acknowledgement.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the two infrastructure nodes associated with the leaf node include a primary node and a secondary node;

when the leaf node associates with the two infrastructure nodes, the leaf node indicates a primary node among the two infrastructure nodes, and the primary node selects a group address and communicates the group address to the leaf node and the secondary node; and

when the leaf node sends the second transmission, the group address is included in the second transmission.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the infrastructure nodes and leaf nodes are part of a sub-network layer operating in cooperation with a first network layer, the method further including at least a first infrastructure node performing the following sequence:

receiving a data signal;

determining whether the data signal includes an address matching a medium access control identifier, and, if so, directing the data signal to a first network layer, routing the data signal to a destination node for the first network layer using the first network layer, and generating a signal acknowledging receipt of the data signal;

if not;

directing the data signal to a sub-network layer;

determining whether the data signal includes an address matching a group identifier associated with the first infrastructure node and, if not, discarding the data signal;

else,

routing the data signal using a sub-network layer to a destination node for the sub-network layer.

14. A method of operating a communication system comprising a number of devices suited for wireless communication, the method comprising:

providing at least a number of infrastructure nodes and number of leaf nodes, the leaf nodes adapted to exchange messages with the infrastructure nodes, the infrastructure nodes being adapted to exchange messages with leaf nodes and infrastructure nodes; and

configuring a leaf node to associate with at least a first infrastructure node and a second infrastructure node and send a data packet as follows;

in a first transmission on a first communication channel, the leaf node sends the data packet to the first infrastructure node by addressing a message containing the data packet to the first infrastructure node; and

in a second transmission on a second communication channel, the leaf node sends the data packet to the second infrastructure node by addressing a message containing the data packet to the second infrastructure node.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the leaf node executes the first transmission and observes whether an acknowledgement is received from the first infrastructure node and, if no acknowledgement is received, the leaf node executes the second transmission.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein, if the leaf node executes the first transmission, the leaf node also executes the second transmission.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the communication system is compatible with devices complaint to IEEE 802.15.4 specification.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein at least one associated infrastructure node includes first and second transceiving means for wireless communication, the first and second transceiving means being configured to simultaneously operate on different channels.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein at least some of the leaf nodes are energy constrained devices.

20. A communication system comprising at least a number of infrastructure nodes and number of leaf nodes, the leaf nodes adapted to exchange messages with the infrastructure nodes, the infrastructure nodes being adapted to exchange messages with leaf nodes and infrastructure nodes;

wherein;

a leaf node associates with at least two infrastructure nodes;

the leaf node sends a data packet as follows;

in a first transmission on a first communication channel, the leaf node sends the data packet to the at least two infrastructure nodes; and

in a second transmission on a second communication channel, the leaf node sends the data packet to the at least two infrastructure nodes.

21. A communication system comprising at least a number of infrastructure nodes and number of leaf nodes, the leaf nodes adapted to exchange messages with the infrastructure nodes, the infrastructure nodes being adapted to exchange messages with leaf nodes and infrastructure nodes;

wherein;

a leaf node associates with a first infrastructure node and a second infrastructure node;

the leaf node sends a data packet as follows;

in a first transmission on a first communication channel, the leaf node sends the data packet to the first infrastructure node by addressing a message containing the data packet to the first infrastructure node; and

in a second transmission on a second communication channel, the leaf node sends the data packet to the second infrastructure node by addressing a message containing the data packet to the second infrastructure node.

22. A method of associating a data sending node with data relaying nodes in a communication system having a number of nodes adapted for wireless data transmission, the method comprising:

the data sending node initiating a discovery sequence by generating and sending a discovery beacon;

at least one data relaying node that receives the discovery beacon responding by sending a discovery signal to the data sending node;

the data sending node gathering a list of nodes that respond, the list including data related to one or more characteristics of the response signal for responding data relaying nodes;

the data sending node selecting a primary node from among the data relaying nodes on the list;

the data sending node notifying a data relaying node that it is the primary node and provides data related to the list to the primary node;

the primary node analyzing the list, selecting one or more secondary nodes, and generating a group address for itself, the secondary nodes, and the data sending node;

the primary node notifying other data relaying nodes that they are the secondary nodes; and

the primary node indicating the group address to the secondary nodes and the data sending node.

23. A method of sending data from a data sending node to a destination node using intermediate data relaying nodes, the method comprising:

the data sending node associating itself with first and second data relaying nodes using the method of claim 22;

the data sending node sending a data packet to the primary and secondary nodes by including the group address; and

the primary and secondary nodes forwarding the data signal.