Hybrid Mesh Routing Protocol

• US 20080170550A1
• Filed: 03/10/2005
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Mathur, Saurabh, Li, Jun, Liu, Hang
• Granted Patent: US 8,467,297 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/201 Multicast operation; Broadcast operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/205 Quality of Service based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3009 Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/602 Multilayer or multiprotocol switching, e.g. IP switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/26 for hybrid routing by combining proactive and reactive routing

Abstract

A method for selecting a route by a node between a source node and a destination node in a wireless mesh network by establishing the route between the source node and the destination node using media access control addresses is described. A method for a node to selecting a route to join a multicast group in a wireless mesh network using media access control addresses, is also described.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a route by a node between a source node and a destination node in a wireless mesh network, said method comprising establishing said route between said source node and said destination node using media access control addresses.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said route between said source node and said destination node is established based on on-demand routing.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said route between said source node and said destination node is established based on proactive routing.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising maintaining currently used routes in said wireless mesh network.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising maintaining information on all routes between said source node and said destination node using advertised route information.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said wireless mesh network is dynamic and any node is able to dynamically join or exit said wireless mesh network at any time.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein said act of establishing said route based on on-demand routing further comprises:

determining at least one route between said source node and said destination node in said wireless mesh network; and

selecting one route between said source node and said destination node if a plurality of routes between said source node and said destination node are identified, wherein said selection is based on a sequence number and a metric.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein said act of establishing said route based on proactive routing further comprises advertising by a configured node in said wireless mesh network routes to reach it.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising periodically transmitting beacon messages by each node in said wireless mesh network to its neighbors in order to maintain local connectivity.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising permitting an access point to join said wireless mesh network, wherein at least one station is associated with said access point and further wherein said at least one station associated with said access point is not a member of said wireless mesh network and further wherein said access point acts as a proxy for said at least one station associated with said access point and routing between any station of said at least one station associated with said access point and any member of said wireless mesh network is transparent to said at least one station.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising supporting non-forwarding mesh nodes, wherein said non-forwarding mesh nodes are either source nodes or destination nodes.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising supporting quality of service by performing route establishment and maintenance based on quality of service requirements.

13. A method for a node to select a route to join a multicast group in a wireless mesh network, said method comprising establishing said route between said node and said multicast group using media access control addresses.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said route between said node and said multicast group is established based on on-demand routing.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said route between said node and said multicast group is established based on proactive routing.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising maintaining currently used routes in said wireless mesh network.

17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising maintaining information on all routes for said multicast group using advertised route information.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein said multicast group of said wireless local area mesh network is dynamic and any node is able to dynamically join or exit said multicast group of said wireless mesh network at any time.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein said act of establishing said route based on on-demand routing further comprises:

determining at least one route between said node and said multicast group in said wireless mesh network; and

selecting one route between said node and said multicast group if a plurality of routes between said node and said multicast group are identified, wherein said selection is based on a sequence number and a metric.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein said act of establishing said route based on proactive routing further comprises advertising by a configured group leader of said multicast group in said wireless mesh network routes to reach it.

27. The method according to claim 13, further comprising supporting non-forwarding mesh nodes, wherein said non-forwarding mesh nodes are either source nodes or destination nodes.

28. The method according to claim 13, further comprising supporting quality of service by performing route establishment and maintenance based on quality of service requirements.

29. The method according to claim 19, further comprising activating said selected route.

30. The method according to claim 13, further comprising bypassing a broken multicast tree link.

21. The method according to claim 13, further comprising periodically transmitting beacon messages by each node in said wireless mesh network to its neighbors in order to maintain local connectivity.

21-1. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

32. The access point with proxy according to claim 26, wherein said mesh routing unit further comprises:

a mesh discovery unit;

a mesh route announcement unit;

a routing message processing unit;

a route maintenance unit;

a data processing unit; and

a routing table.

33. The access point according to claim 26, wherein said station interface module is used for transmission and reception.

31. An access point with proxy comprising:

a station proxy, which controls at least one station associated with said access point with proxy;

a station association control module, which is in communication with said station proxy;

at least one station interface module, wherein a first interface module is in communication with said station association control module;

a mesh routing unit, wherein said mesh routing unit is in communication with said station proxy; and

a mesh network interface module, wherein a second interface module is in communication with said mesh routing unit.