Method and Apparatus for Forming and Configuring a Dynamic Network of Mobile Network Nodes

• US 20090147702A1
• Filed: 12/10/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wi-LAN Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wi-LAN Inc.
• Inventors: Buddhikot, Milind M., Viswanathan, Harish, Klein, Thierry Etienne
• Application Number:
  US11/953,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20090147702A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The invention includes methods for forming, configuring, and managing a dynamic wireless network. A dynamic wireless network may be formed from at least one wireless node. The dynamic wireless network uses a Role Assignment Protocol (RAP) adapted for assigning one or more roles to each of the at least one wireless node. The dynamic wireless network uses a Network Configuration Protocol (NCP) adapted for configuring each of the at least one node at least according to the assigned role(s). A dynamic wireless network may be modified in response to one or more conditions, such as a wireless node joining the dynamic wireless network, a wireless node leaving the dynamic wireless network, wireless nodes moving within the dynamic wireless network, and the like. A dynamic wireless network may be split into multiple dynamic wireless networks and, similarly, multiple dynamic wireless networks may merge to form one dynamic wireless network.

Claims

1. A method for forming a dynamic wireless network, comprising:

assigning at least one of a plurality of roles to each of at least one wireless node, wherein for each wireless node each of the at least one role assigned to the wireless node is associated with at least one operational parameter of the wireless node; and

configuring each of the at least one wireless node of the dynamic wireless network based on the at least one role assigned to the at least one wireless node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one role assigned to each of the at least one wireless node is assigned using a Role Assignment Protocol (RAP).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one wireless node is configured using a Network Configuration Protocol (NCP).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the at least one role to each of at least one wireless node is performed periodically.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the at least one role to each of at least one wireless node of the dynamic wireless network is performed in response to an event.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the event comprises at least one of a wireless node joining the dynamic wireless network, a wireless node leaving the dynamic wireless network, a wireless node moving within the dynamic wireless network, a change of at least one condition of the dynamic wireless network, the dynamic wireless network detecting another dynamic wireless network, and the dynamic wireless network splitting into at least two separate dynamic wireless networks.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the roles comprises a defined role, where each defined role comprises at least one associated function expected to be performed by a wireless node assigned that role.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of roles comprises a standalone node (SN) role, a gateway node (GN) role, a primary serving node (PSN) role, a secondary serving node (SSN) role, and a relay node (RN) role.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exchanging node state information associated with each of the at least one wireless node.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein assigning the at least one role to each of the at least one wireless node is performed using the node state information.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the node state information comprises at least one of network size information, network connectivity information, channel condition information, addressing information, and existing role information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein, when at least two wireless nodes are associated with the dynamic wireless network, the step of assigning comprises:

exchanging node state information between each of the at least two wireless nodes; and

executing a role assignment session for the at least two wireless nodes, whereby at least one of the plurality of roles is assigned to each of the at least two wireless nodes.

13. A method for controlling a dynamic wireless network, comprising:

identifying, by a target wireless node, at least one neighbor wireless node;

exchanging node state information with the at least one neighbor wireless node;

participating in a role assignment session whereby at least one of a plurality of roles is assigned to the target wireless node; and

participating in a network configuration session whereby the target wireless node is configured according to the at least one role assigned to the target wireless node.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the target wireless node identifies the at least one neighbor wireless node from at least one advertisement received from the at least one neighbor wireless node.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the target wireless node identifies the at least one neighbor wireless node by transmitting at least one probe signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the target wireless node transmits the probe signal in the absence of any advertisements from the at least one neighbor wireless node.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein, in response to a determination that the neighbor wireless nodes are already engaged in a role assignment session, the target wireless node delays participation in the role assignment session.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the node state information comprises at least one of network size information, network connectivity information, channel condition information, addressing information, and existing role information.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

executing a second role assignment session in response to an event.

20. The method of claim 19, where the event comprises at least one of a wireless node joining the dynamic wireless network, a wireless node leaving the dynamic wireless network, a wireless node moving within the dynamic wireless network, a change of at least one condition of the dynamic wireless network, the dynamic wireless network detecting another dynamic wireless network, and the dynamic wireless network splitting into at least two separate dynamic wireless networks.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of roles comprises a gateway node (GN) role, a primary serving node (PSN) role, a secondary serving node (SSN) role, and a relay node (RN) role.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

reassigning at least one role of at least one of the at least one neighbor wireless node during the role assignment session.

23. A method for reconfiguring a dynamic wireless network comprising a plurality of wireless nodes, comprising

detecting that one of the wireless nodes of the dynamic wireless network is no longer available as part of the dynamic wireless network;

determining a role assigned to the unavailable wireless node; and

if the role assigned to the unavailable wireless node comprises a first role type, executing a role assignment session within the dynamic wireless network.

24. A method for determining whether to split a dynamic wireless network comprising a plurality of wireless nodes into at least a first dynamic wireless network and a second dynamic wireless network, comprising:

detecting that one of the wireless nodes of the dynamic wireless network is no longer available as part of the dynamic wireless network;

determining a position of the unavailable wireless node in a connectivity graph of the dynamic wireless network; and

if the unavailable wireless node occupies a first type of position in the connectivity graph of the dynamic wireless network, splitting the dynamic wireless network into at least the first dynamic wireless network and the second dynamic wireless network;

or

if the unavailable wireless node occupies a second type of position in the connectivity graph of the dynamic wireless network, determining whether to perform a role assignment session within the dynamic wireless network.

25. A method for merging a first dynamic wireless network comprising a first plurality of wireless nodes and a second dynamic wireless network comprising a second plurality of wireless nodes, comprising:

exchanging node state information between at least one wireless node of the first dynamic wireless network and at least one wireless node of the second dynamic wireless network;

determining, using the node state information, whether to merge the first dynamic wireless network and the second dynamic wireless network; and

in response to a determination to merge the first and second dynamic wireless networks, executing a role assignment session including at least one wireless node of the first dynamic wireless network and at least one wireless node of the second dynamic wireless network, wherein the role assignment session results in reassignment of at least one role of at least one wireless node of the first dynamic wireless network and at least one role of at least one wireless node of the second dynamic wireless network.