SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A LARGE-SCALE WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20080186902A1
• Filed: 04/10/2008
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xfeer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Xfeer Corporation
• Inventors: Furukoshi, Akinori, Damke, Mikel
• Granted Patent: US 8,391,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures

Abstract

There is described an inventive system and method for reducing route computational work load by restricting the routing calculation to a local portion of the data path based on the consideration of the location of those member devices within the same cell, each of which wireless member units is operably connected to form a large-scale wireless communication network.

Claims

1. A method of relaying data, for use with a wireless network having a grid of cells, while reducing the computational work load of each wireless member unit (WMU) in a given cell with respect to a path between an originating WMU and a destination WMU, the method comprising:

querying other available WMUs within signal range to acquire cell identification data of each other available WMU;

completing calculations to create a local or cell level routing table based on those portions of said path that are within said cell; and

relaying the data toward the destination WMU using said routing table to deliver said data to a first WMU on the path selected based on defined criteria.

2. A wireless system for transferring data packets along a path through a network coverage area having a grid of cells in which member devices are located, the system comprising:

a plurality of portable link units (PLUs) to receive and send data between said member devices;

at least one database unit (DBU) to store and then to deliver cell identification data to said member devices upon their request; and

programming means for reducing computational work load with respect to said path by restricting a routing calculation to a local portion of said path based on consideration of a location of those member devices within a same cell, so as to limit a size of the routing table shared by member devices within that cell.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising at least one gateway unit (GWU) to exchange data with external networks.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, further comprising at least one server unit (SU) for high capacity data transfer across the network coverage area.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4 further comprising at least one fixed link unit (FLU) for long distance connection across the network coverage area.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, further comprising at least one peripheral peer unit (PPU), for use with connecting laptop computing devices to the system.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, further comprising at least one mobile stand-along peer unit (SPU).

8. The system as claimed in claim 7 wherein said SPU is enabled to relay data throughout the network coverage area.

9. The system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said PPU is enabled to relay data throughout the network coverage area.

13. An apparatus, for intra-cell use with non-mobile wireless member units (WMUs) operating as part of the system as claimed in claim 2, the apparatus comprising:

at least one multi-sectored directional antenna or array communicably coupled to each said WMU; and

at least one transceiver operably coupled to each said directional antenna or array.

14. An apparatus, for intra-cell use with non-mobile wireless member units (WMUs) operating as part of the system as claimed in claim 2, the apparatus comprising:

at least one 3 sectored directional antenna or array communicably coupled to each said WMU;

at least one transceiver operably coupled to each said directional antenna or array; and

means for adjusting electro-physical characteristics of each said directional antenna or array, in order to control lobe shape.

15. An apparatus, for inter-cell use with non-mobile wireless member units (WMUs) operating as part of the system as claimed in claim 2, the apparatus comprising:

at least one 6 sectored directional antenna or array communicably coupled to each said WMU;

at least one transceiver operably coupled to each said directional antenna or array; and

means for adjusting electro-physical characteristics of each said directional antenna or array, in order to control lobe shape.

16. An apparatus, for intra or inter-cell use with wireless member units (WMUs) operating as part of the system as claimed in claim 2, the apparatus comprising:

an omni-directional antenna communicably coupled to each WMU; and

an adjustable transceiver operably coupled to said antenna.

17. A method of reducing the number of house-keeping packets sent to wireless member units (WMUs), for use with the system as claimed in claim 2, the method comprising:

receiving at least one miss-directed data packet;

reading a header of said miss-directed data packet;

updating local or cell level routing table with respect to available status of a sending WMU; and

deleting said miss-directed data packet.

10. A method of enabling operation of a large-scale wireless communication network serving a network coverage area, to permit exchange of data packets between member devices, the method comprising:

define a grid of cells in relation to said network coverage area;

position a plurality of portable link units (PLUs) within said grid, each PLU being operably coupled to a member device located within a cell and a signal transmission range of at least one other PLU;

locate at least one wireless member unit (WMU) within said grid, to enable access to external sources of data;

assign a cell number to each WMU; and

initiate communication between said at least one WMU to create a local or cell level routing table of information with respect to active links available to each member unit, to determine possible paths over which to route data packets within the grid.

11. A method of minimizing burden of computation of data travel paths by individual wireless member units by distributing routing computations between the wireless member units of a large-scale wireless communication network that serves a network coverage area defined as cells of a grid, the method comprising:

a) determining a grid direction for transmission from a current source unit to a destination unit;

b) querying available wireless member units within direct signal transmission range of said source unit, through which to relay data packets along said grid direction, and storing resulting network topology information onboard the current source unit, to enable reuse and share of said information;

c) comparing and ranking said available wireless member units, based on performance criteria, and computing only that part of a total data path route that falls within those grid cells neighboring said source unit;

d) selecting a suitable path and send the packet to a wireless member unit at the beginning of said selected path;

e) transmitting a data packet from the current source unit to said select wireless member unit associated with said next hop; and

f) repeat a) to e) using said selected wireless member unit associated with said next hop as a then-current source unit.

12. A method for a mobile wireless member unit (WMU) maintaining communication with a destination node while switching relay nodes, the method comprising:

selecting, based on predetermined criteria, an appropriate non-mobile WMU through which to send data packets to said destination node;

comparing unit IDs of the selected non-mobile WMU and a non-mobile WMU through which previous data packets were sent, until the unit IDs are different;

sending a location-update data packet (including the unit ID of the selected non-mobile WMU) to the non-mobile WMU through which previous data packets were sent;

adding the unit ID of the selected non-mobile WMU to a relay table of the non-mobile WMU through which previous data packets were sent; and

relaying all future data packets to the selected non-mobile WMU.