802.11 MESH ARCHITECTURE

• US 20070248067A1
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Raja Banerjea, Sandesh Goel
• Original Assignee: Raja Banerjea, Sandesh Goel
• Inventors: Goel, Sandesh, Banerjea, Raja
• Application Number:
  US11/736,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20070248067A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/26 Route discovery packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/54 Organization of routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/10 based on available power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless network device comprises a physical layer (PHY) module that sends and receives packets wirelessly. A mesh routing module receives a first packet including a metric and a source address from a second wireless network device via the PHY module, transmits a second packet including a cumulative metric to a third wireless network device via the PHY module, determines the cumulative metric based upon the metric from the first packet and a link metric, and determines the link metric based upon a state of charge of the wireless network device and a transmission parameter of the second packet.

Claims

1. A wireless network device comprising:

a physical layer (PHY) module that sends and receives packets wirelessly; and

a mesh routing module that receives a first packet including a metric and a source address from a second wireless network device via said PHY module, that transmits a second packet including a cumulative metric to a third wireless network device via said PHY module, that determines said cumulative metric based upon said metric from said first packet and a link metric, and that determines said link metric based upon a state of charge of said wireless network device and a transmission parameter of said second packet.

2. The wireless network device of claim 1 wherein said link metric increases as said state of charge decreases.

3. The wireless network device of claim 1 wherein said transmission parameter comprises energy used to transmit said second packet.

4. The wireless network device of claim 3 wherein said link metric is proportional to said energy used and inversely related to said state of charge.

5. The wireless network device of claim 3 wherein said mesh routing module transmits said second packet using increasing amounts of energy.

6. The wireless network device of claim 1 further comprising a forwarding table that stores direct and reverse entries each including a destination address, a next hop address, and a metric, wherein said metric of said direct entries corresponds to a route from said wireless network device to said destination address, and wherein said metric of said reverse entries corresponds to a route from said destination address to said wireless network device.

7. The wireless network device of claim 6 wherein said mesh routing module creates a reverse entry in said forwarding table based on said first packet, wherein said next hop address of said reverse entry is set to an address of said second wireless network device, said destination address of said reverse entry is set to said source address of said first packet, and said metric of said reverse entry is set to said metric of said first packet.

8. The wireless network device of claim 6 wherein said mesh routing module receives a route reply packet including a reply destination address via said PHY module, identifies ones of said reverse entries that correspond to said reply destination address, and transmits said reply packet to said next hop address of a selected one of said identified reverse entries.

9. The wireless network device of claim 8 wherein said mesh routing module selects said selected one of said identified reverse entries based upon said metrics of said identified reverse entries.

10. The wireless network device of claim 8 wherein said reverse entries each include a sequence number associated with said destination address.

11. The wireless network device of claim 10 wherein said reply packet includes a reply sequence number, said mesh routing module chooses ones of said identified reverse entries having said reply sequence number, and said mesh routing module selects one of said chosen reverse entries based upon said metrics of said chosen reverse entries.

12. The wireless network device of claim 6 wherein said mesh routing module receives a route request for a requested destination address, identifies ones of said direct entries having said requested destination address, and responds to said route request with said next hop address of a selected one of said identified direct entries.

13. The wireless network device of claim 12 wherein said mesh routing module selects said selected one of said identified direct entries based upon said metrics of said identified direct entries.

14. The wireless network device of claim 12 wherein said direct entries of said forwarding table include an expiration indicator, and wherein said mesh routing module selects said selected one of said identified direct entries based upon said expiration indicators of said identified direct entries.

15. A method for a wireless network device, comprising:

receiving a first packet wirelessly from a first wireless network device, said first packet including a metric and a source address;

determining a link metric based upon a state of charge of said wireless network device and a transmission parameter of a second packet;

determining a cumulative metric based upon said metric from said first packet and said link metric; and

transmitting said second packet wirelessly to a second wireless network device, said second packet including said cumulative metric.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said link metric increases as said state of charge decreases.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said transmission parameter comprises energy used to transmit said second packet.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said link metric is proportional to said energy used and inversely related to said state of charge.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising transmitting said second packet using increasing amounts of energy.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising storing direct and reverse entries in a forwarding table, each of said entries including a destination address, a next hop address, and a metric, wherein said metric of said direct entries corresponds to a route from said wireless network device to said destination address, and wherein said metric of said reverse entries corresponds to a route from said destination address to said wireless network device.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising creating a reverse entry in said forwarding table based on said first packet, wherein said next hop address of said reverse entry is set to an address of said first wireless network device, said destination address of said reverse entry is set to said source address of said first packet, and said metric of said reverse entry is set to said metric of said first packet.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

receiving a route reply packet including a reply destination address from said second wireless network device;

identifying ones of said reverse entries that correspond to said reply destination address; and

transmitting said reply packet to said next hop address of a selected one of said identified reverse entries.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said selected one of said identified reverse entries is selected based upon said metrics of said identified reverse entries.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said reverse entries each include a sequence number associated with said destination address.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said reply packet includes a reply sequence number, and further comprising:

choosing ones of said identified reverse entries having said reply sequence number; and

selecting one of said chosen reverse entries based upon said metrics of said chosen reverse entries.

26. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

receiving a route request for a requested destination address;

identifying ones of said direct entries having said requested destination address; and

responding to said route request with said next hop address of a selected one of said identified direct entries.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said selected one of said identified direct entries is selected based upon said metrics of said identified direct entries.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein said direct entries of said forwarding table include an expiration indicator, and wherein said selected one of said identified direct entries is selected based upon said expiration indicators of said identified direct entries.