Mesh Communication Network and Devices

• US 20090111456A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Labhesh, Jagadeesan, Ramanathan T., Pelton, Gregory D., Shaffer, Shmuel, Nguyen, Bich T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A method for communicating in a wireless communication network includes establishing a first direct communication link with a base transceiver station and communicating data associated with a communication session over the first direct communication link. The method also includes establishing a mesh connection to the base transceiver station. The mesh connection includes at least one mesh communication link with at least one intermediate communication device of a plurality of communication devices in the wireless network, the at least one intermediate communication device communicating with the base transceiver station over a second direct communication link with the base transceiver station. The method further includes switching between communicating data associated with the communication session over the first direct communication link and communicating data associated with the communication session over the mesh connection.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a first direct communication link with a base transceiver station;

communicating data associated with a communication session over the first direct communication link;

establishing a mesh connection to the base transceiver station, the mesh connection comprising at least one mesh communication link with at least one intermediate communication device of a plurality of communication devices in a wireless network, the at least one intermediate communication device communicating with the base transceiver station over a second direct communication link with the base transceiver station; and

switching between communicating data associated with the communication session over the first direct communication link and communicating data associated with the communication session over the mesh connection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring the quality of the first direct communication link.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining that the quality of the first direct communication link does not satisfy a threshold value; and

wherein switching between communicating data associated with the communication session over the first direct communication link and communicating data associated with the communication session over the mesh connection comprises switching between communicating data associated with the communication session over the first direct communication link and communicating data associated with the communication session over the mesh connection in response to determining that that the quality of the first direct communication link does not satisfy the threshold value.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining that the quality of the first direct communication link does not satisfy a threshold value; and

wherein establishing a mesh connection to the base transceiver station comprises establishing a mesh connection to the base transceiver station in response to determining that the quality of the first direct communication link does not satisfy the threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising simultaneously communicating data associated with the communication session over the first direct communication link and the mesh connection.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

comparing the data communicated over the first direct communication link with the data communicated over the mesh connection;

determining that one or more packets of data were not received over either the first direct communication link or the mesh connection;

if the one or more packets of data were not received over the first direct communication link, replacing the one or more packets of data that were not received over the first direct communication link with one or more packets of data that were received over the mesh connection; and

if the one or more packets of data were not received over the mesh connection, replacing the one or more packets of data that were not received over the mesh connection with one or more packets of data that were received over the first direct communication link.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a command from a user to communicate data over the mesh connection; and

wherein communicating data associated with the communication session over the mesh connection comprises communicating data associated with the communication session over the mesh connection in response to receiving a command from a user to communicate data over the mesh connection.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising billing in response to communicating data over the mesh connection.

9. A method comprising:

determining the quality of a plurality of direct communication links between a plurality of communication devices and a base transceiver station; and

allocating bandwidth to the plurality of communication devices to serve as intermediate communication devices for one or more mesh connections, the allocation based at least on the quality of the plurality of the direct communication links.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining the quality of a plurality of mesh communication links associated with a first intermediate communication device of the plurality of communication devices; and

allocating bandwidth based at least on the quality of the mesh communication links associated with the first intermediate communication device.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining that a second intermediate communication device of the plurality of communication devices has more mesh communication links; and

allocating bandwidth to the second intermediate communication device based at least on determining that a second intermediate communication device has more mesh communication links.

12. A method comprising:

establishing a mesh communication link with a communication device;

establishing a direct communication link with a base transceiver station;

receiving data associated with a communication session over the mesh communication link; and

communicating data associated with the communication session over the direct communication link to the base transceiver station.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the communication session comprises a first communication session, the method further comprising receiving data associated with a second communication session over the mesh communication link.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a request to establish a mesh communication link; and

wherein establishing a mesh communication link with a communication device comprises establishing a mesh communication link with a communication device in response to receiving a request to establish a mesh communication link.

15. An apparatus comprising a processor operable to:

establish a first direct communication link with a base transceiver station;

communicate data associated with a communication session over the first direct communication link;

establish a mesh connection to the base transceiver station, the mesh connection comprising at least one mesh communication link with at least one intermediate communication device of a plurality of communication devices in a wireless network, the at least one intermediate communication device communicating with the base transceiver station over a second direct communication link with the base transceiver station; and

switch between communicating data associated with the communication session over the first direct communication link and communicating data associated with the communication session over the mesh connection.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to monitor the quality of the first direct communication link.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operable to

determine that the quality of the first direct communication link does not satisfy a threshold value;

and

wherein a processor operable to switch between communicating data associated with the communication session over the first direct communication link and communicating data associated with the communication session over the mesh connection comprises a processor operable to switch between communicating data associated with the communication session over the first direct communication link and communicating data associated with the communication session over the mesh connection in response to determining that that the quality of the first direct communication link does not satisfy the threshold value.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine that the quality of the first direct communication link does not satisfy a threshold value; and

wherein a processor operable to establish a mesh connection to the base transceiver station comprises a processor operable to establish a mesh connection to the base transceiver station in response to determining that the quality of the first direct communication link does not satisfy the threshold value.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to simultaneously communicate data associated with the communication session over the first direct communication link and the mesh connection.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is further operable to:

compare the data communicated over the first direct communication link with the data communicated over the mesh connection;

determine that one or more packets of data were not received over either the first direct communication link or the mesh connection;

if the one or more packets of data were not received over the first direct communication link, replace the one or more packets of data that were not received over the first direct communication link with one or more packets of data that were received over the mesh connection; and

if the one or more packets of data were not received over the mesh connection, replace the one or more packets of data that were not received over the mesh connection with one or more packets of data that were received over the first direct communication link.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to:

receive a command from a user to communicate data over the mesh connection; and

wherein a processor operable to communicate data associated with the communication session over the mesh connection comprises a processor operable to communicate data associated with the communication session over the mesh connection in response to receiving a command from a user to communicate data over the mesh connection.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the user is a user of the intermediate communication device and the command comprises approval from the user for establishment of the mesh connection.

23. An apparatus comprising a processor operable to:

establish a mesh communication link with a communication device;

establish a direct communication link with a base transceiver station;

receive data associated with a communication session over the mesh communication link; and

communicate data associated with the communication session over the direct communication link to the base transceiver station.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the communication session comprises a first communication session, the processor further operable to receive data associated with a second communication session over the mesh communication link.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the processor is further operable to:

receive a request to establish a mesh communication link; and

wherein a processor operable to establish a mesh communication link with a communication device comprises a processor operable to establish a mesh communication link with a communication device in response to receiving a request to establish a mesh communication link.