Hierarchical Mesh Network for Wireless Access

• US 20080192713A1
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EXS Incorporated
• Original Assignee: EXS Incorporated
• Inventors: Mighani, Farhad, Vutukury, Srinvas, Tzamaloukas, Assimakis F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,675,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies

Abstract

A wireless mesh network is configured as a multiple-level hierarchical network, with each level of the hierarchy having a plurality of nodes. Several clusters of nodes each acting as access points may be organized in numerous first-level meshes (102, 106, 110, 112), with each of the first-level meshes being coupled to a second-level mesh having several nodes that act as gateways (G1-G5) to the first-level meshes. The number of nodes in each of the first-level and second-level meshes may be limited to a predetermined number of nodes throughout the full topology of the mesh network in order to improve performance of the mesh network.

Claims

1. A wireless mesh network comprising:

a first plurality of nodes organized in a first-level mesh, wherein one of the first plurality of nodes operates as a lead node for the first-level mesh;

a second plurality of nodes organized in a second-level mesh; and

wherein the lead node for the first-level mesh is coupled to communicate with the second-level mesh.

2. The mesh network of claim 1 wherein:

two or more of the first plurality of nodes are wireless access point nodes; and

two or more of the second plurality of nodes are gateway nodes.

4. The mesh network of claim 1 wherein each of the first plurality of nodes and at least one of the second plurality of nodes comprise a radio for wireless communications with another node in the mesh network.

5. The mesh network of claim 1:

wherein one of the second plurality of nodes is designated as a lead node for the second-level mesh;

further comprising a third plurality of nodes organized in a third-level mesh; and

wherein the lead node for the second-level mesh is coupled to communicate with the third-level mesh.

7. The mesh network of claim 1 wherein the lead node for the first-level mesh comprises:

a processor;

a first radio coupled to the processor;

a second radio coupled to the processor; and

wherein the first radio communicates with at least one of the first plurality of nodes and the second radio communicates with at least one of the second plurality of nodes.

8. The mesh network of claim 7 wherein the lead node for the first-level mesh further comprises a memory, coupled to the processor, having computer-executable instructions to control the channel selection and radio signal power output of the first radio.

9. The mesh network of claim 1 wherein each of the first plurality of nodes and each of the second plurality of nodes comprises:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a first radio controlled by the processor; and

a second radio controlled by the processor.

10. The mesh network of claim 9 wherein the memory has computer-executable instructions to control the channel selection and radio signal power output of the first radio.

13. The mesh network of claim 10 wherein:

the first-level mesh is one of a plurality of first-level meshes coupled to communicate with the second-level mesh;

the first plurality of nodes communicates within the first-level mesh using a first channel; and

the instructions in the memory for each of the first plurality of nodes to control the channel selection comprise instructions to select a frequency for the first channel that is different from the frequency used for communications within another one of the plurality of first-level meshes in close proximity to the first plurality of nodes.

15. The mesh network of claim 1 wherein at least one of the second plurality of nodes is coupled to communicate with an external network.

19. The mesh network of claim 1 wherein another one of the first plurality of nodes is configured to operate as a back-up node to the lead node for communications to the second-level mesh in the event the lead node ceases communication with the second-level mesh.

22. The mesh network of claim 1 wherein each of the second plurality of nodes is coupled to a first-level mesh having a size of no more than a predetermined total number of nodes.

24. The mesh network of claim 1 wherein each of the second plurality of nodes comprises:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a first radio controlled by the processor; and

a second radio controlled by the processor.

25. The mesh network of claim 24 wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions to control the configuration of each of the second plurality of nodes so that each of the second plurality of nodes is coupled to a first-level mesh having a size of no more than a predetermined total number of nodes.

26. The mesh network of claim 25 wherein each of the first plurality of nodes comprises:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a first radio controlled by the processor;

a second radio controlled by the processor; and

wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions to control the configuration of each of the first plurality of nodes so that each of the first plurality of nodes is substantially in close proximity to one other relative to nodes contained in other first-level meshes coupled to the second-level mesh.

3. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

11-12. -12. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

16-18. -18. (canceled)

20-21. -21. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

27-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A wireless mesh network comprising:

a plurality of first-level meshes, wherein each of the plurality of first-level meshes comprises a plurality of access point nodes;

a second plurality of gateway nodes organized in a second-level mesh, wherein each of the gateway nodes provides a communications gateway from at least one of the plurality of first-level meshes to the second-level mesh;

wherein the plurality of access point nodes within one of the plurality of first-level meshes communicates using a common frequency; and

wherein the common frequency for one of the plurality of first-level meshes is different from the common frequency used for communications within an adjacent one of the plurality of first-level meshes.

30. The mesh network of claim 29 wherein:

each of the plurality of access point nodes comprises a radio; and

the signal power output of the radio is controlled to reduce interference with access point nodes in other of the plurality of first-level meshes operating on the same frequency as the radio.

31. The mesh network of claim 29 wherein the common frequency is selected from one or more of the channels defined by an 802.11 wireless standard.

32. A wireless mesh network comprising:

a first plurality of nodes organized in a first-level mesh, wherein one of the first plurality of nodes operates as a lead node for the first-level mesh;

a second plurality of nodes organized in a second-level mesh;

wherein the lead node for the first-level mesh is coupled to communicate with the second-level mesh;

wherein each of the first plurality of nodes and each of the second plurality of nodes comprises;

(i) a processor;

(ii) a memory coupled to the processor;

(iii) a first radio; and

(iv) a second radio; and

wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions to select a route for wireless communications from the node within the mesh network.

37. The mesh network of claim 32 wherein, for each of the first plurality of nodes:

the first radio communicates with an end-user device;

the second radio communicates with at least another of the first plurality of nodes; and

the first radio and second radio operate within different frequency spectrums.

39. The mesh network of claim 37 wherein the end-user device is selected from the group consisting of:

a personal computer, a telephone, and a personal digital assistant.

33-36. -36. (canceled)

38. (canceled)

40. A wireless mesh network comprising:

a first plurality of nodes organized in a first-level mesh, wherein one of the first plurality of nodes operates as a lead node for the first-level mesh;

a second plurality of nodes organized in a second-level mesh;

wherein the lead node for the first-level mesh is coupled to communicate with the second-level mesh;

wherein each of the first plurality of nodes and each of the second plurality of nodes stores computer-executable instructions to select a route for wireless communications by the node within the mesh network; and

wherein each of the first plurality of nodes further stores a session identifier so that packets associated with the session identifier are directed from the node using a common route.

41-42. -42. (canceled)

43. A wireless mesh network comprising:

a first plurality of nodes organized in a first-level mesh, wherein one of the first plurality of nodes operates as a lead node for the first-level mesh;

a second plurality of nodes organized in a second-level mesh, wherein the lead node for the first-level mesh is coupled to communicate with the second-level mesh;

wherein each of the first plurality of nodes and each of the second plurality of nodes stores computer-executable instructions to select one or more routes for wireless communications by the node within the mesh network;

wherein at least one node in the first plurality of nodes is configured to sense the presence of a failed node in another of the first plurality of nodes and to communicate information relating to the failure to a source node in the mesh network that includes the failed node in at least one of the routes stored in a routing table used by the source node; and

wherein the source node is operable to update the routing table to select an alternate route in response to receiving the information relating to the failure.

44. The mesh network of claim 43 wherein the at least one node in the first plurality of nodes is configured to periodically check for the presence of the failed node.

46. The mesh network of claim 43 wherein the source node selects the alternate route by exploring the mesh network for a new route.

45. (canceled)

47. (canceled)