Method and System For Radio Frequency Management In A Mesh Network With A Path Distance Factor

• US 20080219185A1
• Filed: 02/27/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Azalea Networks
• Inventors: Zou, Xu, Huang, Kangchang
• Granted Patent: US 7,958,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/028 Dynamic adaptation of the update intervals, e.g. event-triggered updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/18 Loop-free operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update

Abstract

A method and system for radio frequency management (RFM) in a mesh network using a path distance factor (PDF) is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a computer-implemented method, comprises calculating a path distance factor (PDF) between a first mesh router and a portal. A frame is transmitted to a second mesh router, wherein the frame includes the path distance factor.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

calculating a path distance factor (PDF) between a first mesh router and a portal; and

transmitting a frame to a second mesh router, wherein the frame includes the path distance factor.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the frame is a beacon.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the frame is a probe response management frame.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising initializing the PDF to a value representing infinite distance when the first mesh router is powered.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising setting the PDF to a predetermined value when the first mesh router is the portal.

6. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a beacon at a first mesh router, the beacon including a second PDF of a second mesh router; and

calculating a first PDF of the first mesh router using the second PDF.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining if the second mesh router exists on a neighbor list of the first mesh router; and

updating a topology database of the first mesh router if the second mesh router is not on the neighbor list.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising establishing a link to the second mesh router.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the first PDF is the minimum PDF value of a plurality of PDF values including the second PDF.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising using a diffusing update algorithm to generate a loop free topology in the topology database.

11. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, said plurality of instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to perform:

calculating a path distance factor (PDF) between a first mesh router and a portal; and

transmitting a frame to a second mesh router, wherein the frame includes the path distance factor.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the frame is a beacon.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the frame is a probe response management frame.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 having stored thereon-additional instructions, said additional instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to further perform initializing the PDF to a value representing infinite distance when the first mesh router is powered.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 having stored thereon-additional instructions, said additional instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to further perform setting the PDF to a predetermined value when the first mesh router is the portal.

16. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, said plurality of instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to perform:

receiving a beacon at a first mesh router, the beacon including a second PDF of a second mesh router; and

calculating a first PDF of the first mesh router using the second PDF.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 having stored thereon-additional instructions, said additional instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to further perform:

determining if the second mesh router exists on a neighbor list of the first mesh router; and

updating a topology database of the first mesh router if the second mesh router is not on the neighbor list.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 having stored thereon-additional instructions, said additional instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to further perform establishing a link to the second mesh router.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first PDF is the minimum PDF value of a plurality of PDF values including the second PDF.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 having stored thereon-additional instructions, said additional instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to further perform using a diffusing update algorithm to generate a loop free topology in the topology database.