Wireless mesh networks

• US 20070206616A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Orth, Kelly
• Granted Patent: US 7,944,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/10 based on available power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A wireless network system includes overlapping wireless mesh networks. Nodes that are members of more than one mesh network are capable of communicating with the gateways of each of those mesh networks, which allows sharing information between interrelated control systems through the wireless network system.

Claims

1. A wireless network comprising:

a first wireless mesh network including a first gateway and a first plurality of nodes capable of transmitting and receiving messages; and

a second wireless mesh network including a second gateway and a second plurality of nodes capable of transmitting and receiving messages;

wherein the first and second mesh networks at least partially overlap so that at least one common node is a member of both the first plurality of nodes and the second plurality of nodes and is capable of communicating with the first gateway through the first wireless mesh network and is capable of communicating with the second gateway through the second wireless mesh network.

2. The wireless network of claim 1 and further comprising:

a third wireless mesh network including a third gateway and a third plurality of nodes capable of transmitting and receiving messages;

wherein the third mesh network at least partially overlaps at least one of the first and second mesh networks.

3. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network includes a sub-network that operates on a separate communication schedule within an overall communication schedule of the first network.

4. The wireless network of claim 3, wherein the sub-network of the first wireless network at least partially overlaps the second wireless network so that at least one common node is a member of the sub-network and the second wireless network.

5. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network operates on a first communication schedule and the second wireless network operates on a second communication schedule.

6. The wireless network of claim 5, wherein the at least one common node operates on both the first communication schedule and the second communication schedule.

7. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the first gateway is connected to a first host computer.

8. The wireless network of claim 7, wherein the second gateway is connected to a second host computer.

9. A wireless network comprising:

a plurality of wireless mesh networks that share a set of common nodes;

a plurality of gateways, each gateway being associated with one of the wireless mesh networks;

wherein the common nodes are capable of communicating with more than one gateway.

10. The wireless network of claim 9, wherein the plurality of wireless mesh networks include a first wireless mesh network and a second wireless mesh network.

11. The wireless network of claim 10, wherein the plurality of wireless mesh networks include a third wireless mesh network.

12. The wireless network of claim 10, wherein the first wireless network includes a sub-network that operates on a separate communication schedule within an overall communication schedule of the first network.

13. The wireless network of claim 12, wherein the sub-network of the first wireless network at least partially overlaps the second wireless network so that at least one common node is a member of the sub-network and the second wireless network.

14. The wireless network of claim 10, wherein the first wireless network operates on a first communication schedule and the second wireless network operates on a second communication schedule.

15. The wireless network of claim 14, wherein the common nodes operate on both the first communication schedule and the second communication schedule.

16. The wireless network of claim 10, wherein the plurality of gateways includes a first gateway associated with the first wireless mesh network and connected to a first host computer.

17. The wireless network of claim 16, wherein the plurality of gateways includes a second gateway associated with the second wireless mesh network and connected to a second host computer.

18. The wireless network of claim 9, wherein each of the wireless mesh networks operates a separate communication schedule.

19. The wireless network of claim 18, wherein the set of common nodes operate on each of the separate communication schedules.

20. The wireless network of claim 9, wherein the plurality of wireless mesh networks and the plurality of gateways form a part of a plurality of interrelated control systems.