Clear Channel Reporting and Assisting Orphaned Nodes in a Wireless Network

• US 20090043879A1
• Filed: 03/05/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting Holding BV (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Sexton, Adam C.R., Jamieson, Phil A., Avery, David M., Rudland, Philip A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• 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 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

In a wireless network, a device regularly communicates with at least one other node or device: generally this is its parent. If a problem with communication is detected, the device is preferably able to autonomously carry out a procedure to reacquire the network. In one embodiment, if a device is unable to communicate, it enters a temporary failsafe mode until that problem can be rectified. The device is suitably able to carry out a survey of local conditions in order to assist both it and the network to find a suitable alternative channel and, if a device is unable to immediately reconnect it broadcasts the result of its survey, the Network Environment Status (NES) message, in the hope that another device on the network will hear it. This Status message may then be used by the network to select an alternative channel.

Claims

1. A method for communicating wirelessly from a device with at least one node in a wireless network, said method comprising, at the device:

detecting a problem with communication,

carrying out a survey of local conditions according to predetermined criteria and generate a network environment status message derived from the result of the survey, and

broadcast the network status message.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of detecting a problem comprises detecting that a number of non-received messages is above a predetermined threshold.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, at the device, the step of attempting to contact a non-predetermined device by broadcasting a message on a previously used channel.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the step of attempting to contact a non-predetermined device is operated before the step of carrying out a survey.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising, at the device, the step of attempting to contact a non-predetermined device by broadcasting a message on at least one channel different from the previously used channel.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of carrying out a survey further comprises detection of local interference on each available channel.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein if no interference is detected, the device indicates in a report that a non related to interference problem exists locally, and broadcasts this report.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, at a further device of the network, the step of sending a channel change request, in order to transfer communication to another channel.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of communicating on two different channels.

10. A device operable to wirelessly communicate with at least one node in a wireless network, the device being arranged to:

detect a problem with communication;

carry out a survey of local conditions according to predetermined criteria and generate a network environment status message derived from the result of the survey; and

broadcast the network environment status message.