Apparatus and method for adapting to failures in gateway devices in mesh networks

• US 20090154343A1
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vigilent Corporation
• Original Assignee: Synapsanse Corporation
• Inventors: Fitch, Jeffery D., Pandey, Raju
• Granted Patent: US 7,995,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/74 for increasing reliability, e.g. using redundant or spare channels or apparatus replacing by standby devices for amplifiers H03F1/52, H03F1/542
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0641 Change of the master or reference, e.g. take-over or failure of the master
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0679 by determining clock distribution path in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/58 Association of routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Various embodiments provide an apparatus and method for adapting to failures in gateway devices in mesh networks. An example embodiment is configured to provide a plurality of interconnected nodes in a mesh network, at least one node of the plurality of nodes being designated a primary node, the primary node providing timing synchronization for other nodes of the plurality of nodes; and the primary node to designate another one of the plurality of nodes as a secondary node, the secondary node only providing timing synchronization for other nodes of the plurality of nodes when the primary node fails to provide the timing synchronization.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of interconnected nodes in a mesh network, at least one node of the plurality of nodes being designated a primary node, the primary node providing timing synchronization for other nodes of the plurality of nodes; and

the primary node designating another one of the plurality of nodes as a secondary node, the secondary node only providing timing synchronization for other nodes of the plurality of nodes when the primary node fails to provide the timing synchronization.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the designated secondary node is a node closest to the primary node.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the designated secondary node is a node with a largest number of neighbor nodes.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the identity of the designated secondary node is based on a node identifier.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the primary node is a gateway node.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the secondary node periodically sends timing information to other nodes of the plurality of nodes upon failure of the primary node.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 including detecting when the primary node has failed to provide the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes and enabling the secondary node to begin providing the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 including detecting when the primary node has recovered and is able to provide the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes, disabling the secondary node from providing the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes, and enabling the primary node to begin providing the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 including the secondary node identifying another one of the plurality of nodes as an alternate secondary node, the alternate secondary node only providing timing synchronization for other nodes of the plurality of nodes when the secondary node fails to provide the timing synchronization.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 including detecting when the secondary node has failed to provide the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes and enabling the alternate secondary node to begin providing the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 including detecting when the secondary node has recovered and is able to provide the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes, disabling the alternate secondary node from providing the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes, and enabling the secondary node to begin providing the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes.

12. A network node comprising:

a network timing synchronizer to enable a node to be designated a primary node, the network timing synchronizer providing timing synchronization for other nodes of a plurality of nodes in a mesh network; and

a secondary node designator to designate another one of the plurality of nodes as a secondary node, the secondary node only providing timing synchronization for other nodes of the plurality of nodes when the primary node fails to provide the timing synchronization.

13. The network node as claimed in claim 12 wherein the designated secondary node is a node closest to the primary node.

14. The network node as claimed in claim 12 wherein the designated secondary node is a node with a largest number of neighbor nodes.

15. The network node as claimed in claim 12 wherein the secondary node periodically sends timing information to other nodes of the plurality of nodes upon failure of the primary node.

16. The network node as claimed in claim 12 being further configured to detect when the primary node has failed to provide the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes and to enable the secondary node to begin providing the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes.

17. The network node as claimed in claim 12 being further configured to detect when the primary node has recovered and is able to provide the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes, to disable the secondary node from providing the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes, and to enable the primary node to begin providing the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes.

18. The network node as claimed in claim 12 wherein the secondary node is further configured to identify another one of the plurality of nodes as an alternate secondary node, the alternate secondary node only providing timing synchronization for other nodes of the plurality of nodes when the secondary node fails to provide the timing synchronization.

19. The network node as claimed in claim 18 being further configured to detect when the secondary node has failed to provide the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes and to enable the alternate secondary node to begin providing the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes.

20. The network node as claimed in claim 18 being further configured to detect when the secondary node has recovered and is able to provide the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes, to disable the alternate secondary node from providing the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes, and to enable the secondary node to begin providing the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes.

21. A sensor network comprising:

a gateway to provide timing synchronization for other nodes of a plurality of nodes in a mesh network, the gateway to designate another one of the plurality of nodes as a secondary node, the secondary node only providing timing synchronization for other nodes of the plurality of nodes when the primary node fails to provide the timing synchronization; and

a sensor in wireless data communications with the gateway, the sensor being configured to act as the secondary node.

22. The sensor network as claimed in claim 21 wherein the secondary node periodically sends timing information to other nodes of the plurality of nodes upon failure of the gateway.

23. The sensor network as claimed in claim 21 being further configured to detect when the gateway has failed to provide the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes and to enable the secondary node to begin providing the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes.

24. An article of manufacture comprising a machine-readable storage medium having machine executable instructions embedded thereon, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

provide a plurality of interconnected nodes in a mesh network, at least one node of the plurality of nodes being designated a primary node, the primary node providing timing synchronization for other nodes of the plurality of nodes; and

the primary node to designate another one of the plurality of nodes as a secondary node, the secondary node only providing timing synchronization for other nodes of the plurality of nodes when the primary node fails to provide the timing synchronization.

25. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 24 being further configured to detect when the primary node has failed to provide the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes and to enable the secondary node to begin providing the timing synchronization to other nodes of the plurality of nodes.