Mesh node association method in a mesh network, and mesh network supporting the same

• US 20070011435A1
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, In-Sun
• Granted Patent: US 7,957,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 712/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A mesh network has a plurality of mesh nodes, including a moving mesh node. A serving mesh node initially associates with the moving mesh node at the request of the moving mesh node, transmits context information due to the initial association to at least one neighbor mesh node, and transmits information on the at least one neighbor mesh node to the moving mesh node. The at least one neighbor mesh node stores the context information received from the serving mesh node, and re-associates with the moving mesh node using the context information at the request of the moving mesh node.

Claims

1. A mesh node association method in a mesh network including a plurality of mesh nodes, the method comprising the steps of:

associating a new mesh node to a particular mesh node among the plurality of mesh nodes; and

delivering context information generated by the association of the new mesh node from the particular mesh node to at least one neighbor mesh node.

2. The mesh node association method of claim 1, wherein the new mesh node is a moving node.

3. The mesh node association method of claim 2, wherein the at least one neighbor mesh node is a mesh node to which the new mesh node can directly move from the particular mesh node, without passing through another mesh node.

4. The mesh node association method of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of mesh nodes manages at least one neighbor mesh node based on a neighbor list.

5. The mesh node association method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting the neighbor list from the particular mesh node to the new mesh node.

6. The mesh node association method of claim 1, wherein the step of associating a new mesh node comprises:

transmitting, by the new mesh node, an association request message;

transmitting, by the particular mesh node, an association response message in response to the association request message;

transmitting, by the new mesh node, an authentication request message in response to the association response message;

performing, by the particular mesh node, an authentication procedure for the new mesh node with an authentication server in response to the authentication request message;

storing, by the particular mesh node, context information for the new mesh node based on authentication information obtained by performing the authentication procedure; and

transmitting, by the particular mesh node, an authentication response message to the new mesh node in response to the authentication request message.

7. The mesh node association method of claim 6, further comprising receiving, by the at least one neighbor mesh node, context information transmit by the particular mesh node and storing the received context information.

8. The mesh node association method of claim 7, wherein the context information includes information necessary for authentication of the new mesh node.

9. The mesh node association method of claim 8, wherein the context information further includes information on a valid time of the information necessary for authentication of the new mesh node.

10. The mesh node association method of claim 9, further comprising, if the valid time expires, the particular mesh node and the at least one neighbor mesh node discard corresponding context information.

11. A method for associating with a neighbor mesh node by a particular mesh node among a plurality of mesh nodes in a mesh network including the plurality of mesh nodes, the method comprising the steps of:

performing initial association with a serving mesh node among the plurality of mesh nodes;

receiving a neighbor list from the serving mesh node;

determining a target mesh node from at least one neighbor mesh node acquired based on the neighbor list; and

performing re-association with the target mesh node;

wherein the re-association between the particular mesh node and the target mesh node is performed based on context information generated by the initial association, and the generated context information is previously delivered to the at least one neighbor mesh node by the serving mesh node.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the particular mesh node is a moving node.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one neighbor mesh node is a mesh node to which the particular mesh node can directly move from the serving mesh node, without passing through another mesh node.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the context information includes information necessary for authentication of the particular mesh node.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the context information further includes information on a valid time of the information necessary for authentication of the particular mesh node.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising if the valid time expires, the serving mesh node and the at least one neighbor mesh node discard corresponding context information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the re-association request message is a handover request message, and the re-association response message is a handover response message.

18. A method for associating with a new mesh node by a particular mesh node among a plurality of mesh nodes in a mesh network including the plurality of mesh nodes, the method comprising the steps of:

performing initial association with the new mesh node at the request of the new mesh node;

transmitting a neighbor list to the new mesh node for which the initial association is performed; and

delivering context information generated by the initial association to at least one neighbor mesh node determined based on the neighbor list;

wherein information on the at least one neighbor mesh node is written in the neighbor list, and the context information includes information necessary for authentication of the new mesh node.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the new mesh node is a moving node.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one neighbor mesh node is a mesh node to which the new mesh node can directly move from the particular mesh node, without passing through another mesh node.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the context information includes information necessary for authentication of the new mesh node.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the context information further includes information on a valid time of the information necessary for authentication of the new mesh node.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising, if the valid time expires, the particular mesh node discards corresponding context information.

24. A method for associating with a moving mesh node from a neighbor mesh node by a particular mesh node among a plurality of mesh nodes in a mesh network including the plurality of mesh nodes, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving context information for the moving mesh node from the neighbor mesh node;

storing the received context information; and

performing association with the moving mesh node using the context information at the request of the moving mesh node.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the neighbor mesh node is a mesh node to which the moving mesh node can directly move from the particular mesh node, without passing through another mesh node.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the context information includes information necessary for authentication of the moving mesh node.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the context information further includes information on a valid time of the information necessary for authentication of the moving mesh node.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising, if the valid time expires, the particular mesh node discards corresponding context information.

29. A mesh network including a plurality of mesh nodes, the network comprising:

a moving mesh node;

a serving mesh node for initially associating with the moving mesh node at the request of the moving mesh node, transmitting context information due to the initial association to at least one neighbor mesh node, and transmitting information on the at least one neighbor mesh node to the moving mesh node; and

the at least one neighbor mesh node for storing the context information received from the serving mesh node, and re-associating with the moving mesh node using the context information at the request of the moving mesh node.

30. The mesh network of claim 29, wherein the at least one neighbor mesh node is a mesh node to which the moving mesh node can directly move from the serving mesh node, without passing through another mesh node.

31. The mesh network of claim 30, wherein the context information includes information necessary for authentication of the moving mesh node.

32. The mesh network of claim 31, wherein the context information further includes information on a valid time of the information necessary for authentication of the moving mesh node.

33. The mesh network of claim 32, wherein if the valid time expires, the serving mesh node and the at least one neighbor mesh node discard corresponding context information.