Priority-Based Scheduling and Routing in a Wireless Network
First Claim
1. A method of routing data in a mesh communication network including a plurality of network devices and operating in a process control environment, the method comprising:
- assigning one of a plurality of priority levels associated with the communication network to a data packet;
sending the data packet from a source network device included in the plurality of network devices to a destination network device included in the plurality of network devices; and
routing the data packet to a destination network device via at least one intermediate network device included in the plurality of network devices, including;
comparing, at each intermediate network device, the priority level of the data packet to a priority mask of the intermediate network device, andmodifying at least one of scheduling or routing of the data packet if the priority level of the data packet is not associated with the priority mask of the intermediate network device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of routing data in a mesh communication network including a plurality of network devices and operating in a process control environment, including assigning one of a plurality of priority levels associated with the communication network to a data packet, sending the data packet from a source network device included in the plurality of network devices to a destination network device included in the plurality of network devices, and routing the data packet to a destination network device via at least one intermediate network device included in the plurality of network devices. The act of routing includes comparing, at each intermediate network device, the priority level of the data packet to a priority mask of the intermediate network device, and modifying at least one of scheduling or routing of the data packet if the priority level of the data packet is not associated with the priority mask of the intermediate network device.
163 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of routing data in a mesh communication network including a plurality of network devices and operating in a process control environment, the method comprising:
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assigning one of a plurality of priority levels associated with the communication network to a data packet; sending the data packet from a source network device included in the plurality of network devices to a destination network device included in the plurality of network devices; and routing the data packet to a destination network device via at least one intermediate network device included in the plurality of network devices, including; comparing, at each intermediate network device, the priority level of the data packet to a priority mask of the intermediate network device, and modifying at least one of scheduling or routing of the data packet if the priority level of the data packet is not associated with the priority mask of the intermediate network device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of routing data in a wireless mesh communication network including a plurality of network devices and operating in a process control environment, the method comprising:
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assigning one of a plurality of priority levels associated with the communication network to a data packet; sending the data packet from a source network device included in the plurality of network devices to a destination network device included in the plurality of network devices; and routing the data packet to a destination network device from the source network device to the destination network device, including; selecting, at a network device associated with the communication path, a communication link to another network device included in at least one communication path to the destination network device in view of the priority level of the data packet. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of routing data in a mesh communication network including a plurality of network devices and operating in a process control environment, the method comprising:
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defining a communication timeslot of a certain duration; defining at least one superframe having a plurality of the communication timeslots; associating a data packet with one a plurality of priority levels; and routing the data packet at a first one of the plurality of network devices, including; selecting a communication timeslot within the first superframe for communicating with another one of the plurality of network devices so that the priority level of the data packet is included in a priority mask associated with the communication timeslot; and transmitting the data packet in the selected communication timeslot. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method of routing data in a mesh communication network including a plurality of nodes and operating in a process control environment, the method comprising:
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establishing a plurality of direct connections, wherein each of the plurality of direct connections is a unidirectional wireless connection having a transmitting node and a receiving node, wherein each of the transmitting node and the receiving node are included in the plurality of nodes; generating a plurality of directed graphs defining communication paths between pairs of nodes based on a topology of the wireless network, wherein each directed graph includes at least one of the plurality direct connections; defining a plurality of concurrent superframes as repeating cycles of consecutively scheduled communication timeslots of a certain duration; defining a plurality of links to generate a communication schedule of the wireless mesh network, including; associating each of the plurality of links with one of the plurality of direct connections associated with at least one of the plurality of directed graphs; and allocating an individual timeslot associated with one of the plurality of superframes to each primary link;
the method further comprising;routing a data packet from a first one to a second one of a pair of the plurality of nodes along at least one of the plurality of directed graphs, including; selecting, at least one of the plurality of nodes associated with the one of the plurality of directed graphs, one of the plurality of links associated with the node in view of a priority level of the data packet. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification