Apparatus and method for admitting new devices in a self-healing, self-organizing mesh network

• US 20090168703A1
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vigilent Corporation
• Original Assignee: Synapsense Corporation (Panduit Corporation)
• Inventors: Pandey, Raju, Ghosh, Rituparna, Han, Seokman Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,885,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• 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 admitting new devices in a self-healing, self-organizing mesh network. An example embodiment is configured to listen on a dynamically-determined frequency for the network management message; to send jamming messages to neighbor nodes in the wireless mesh network, if the network management message is not received; to receive the network management message from a neighbor node in response to the jamming messages; to synchronize a node timer to the received network management message; and to begin data communications with neighbor sensors using the synchronized node timer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

listening on a dynamically-determined frequency for a network management message sent from a neighbor node in a wireless mesh network;

synchronizing a node timer to the received network management message; and

beginning data communications with neighbor nodes using the synchronized node timer.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the neighbor node is operating in a low power listening (LPL) mode.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the neighbor node is a gateway device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 including listening on the dynamically-determined frequency for a pre-determined amount of time.

5. A method comprising:

listening on a dynamically-determined frequency for a network management message sent from a neighbor node in a wireless mesh network;

sending jamming messages to neighbor nodes in the wireless mesh network, if the network management message is not received;

receive the network management message from a neighbor node in response to the jamming messages;

synchronizing a node timer to the received network management message; and

beginning data communications with neighbor nodes using the synchronized node timer.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the neighbor node is operating in a low power listening (LPL) mode.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the neighbor node is a gateway device.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5 including listening on the dynamically-determined frequency for a pre-determined amount of time.

9. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the jamming messages are identifiable as jamming messages.

10. A network node comprising:

a network communication controller to listen on a dynamically-determined frequency for a network management message sent from a neighbor node in a wireless mesh network;

to synchronize a node timer to the received network management message; and

to begin data communications with neighbor nodes using the synchronized node timer.

11. The network node as claimed in claim 10 wherein the neighbor node is operating in a low power listening (LPL) mode.

12. The network node as claimed in claim 10 wherein the neighbor node is a gateway device.

13. The network node as claimed in claim 10 including being further configured to listen on the dynamically-determined frequency for a pre-determined amount of time.

14. A network node comprising:

a network communication controller to listen on a dynamically-determined frequency for a network management message sent from a neighbor node in a wireless mesh network;

to send jamming messages to neighbor nodes in the wireless mesh network, if the network management message is not received;

to receive the network management message from a neighbor node in response to the jamming messages;

to synchronize a node timer to the received network management message; and

to begin data communications with neighbor nodes using the synchronized node timer.

15. The network node as claimed in claim 14 wherein the neighbor node is operating in a low power listening (LPL) mode.

16. The network node as claimed in claim 14 wherein the neighbor node is a gateway device.

17. The network node as claimed in claim 14 including being further configured to listen on the dynamically-determined frequency for a pre-determined amount of time.

18. The network node as claimed in claim 14 wherein the jamming messages are identifiable as jamming messages.

19. A sensor network comprising:

a gateway to communicate network management messages to other sensors in a sensor network; and

a sensor being configured to listen on a dynamically-determined frequency for the network management message;

to synchronize a node timer to the received network management message; and

to begin data communications with neighbor sensors using the synchronized node timer.

20. The sensor network as claimed in claim 19 wherein the neighbor node is operating in a low power listening (LPL) mode.

21. The sensor network as claimed in claim 19 wherein the neighbor node is a gateway device.

22. The sensor network as claimed in claim 19 wherein the sensor being further configured to listen on the dynamically-determined frequency for a pre-determined amount of time.

23. A sensor network comprising:

a gateway to communicate network management messages to other sensors in a sensor network; and

a sensor being configured to listen on a dynamically-determined frequency for the network management message;

to send jamming messages to neighbor nodes in the wireless mesh network, if the network management message is not received;

to receive the network management message from a neighbor node in response to the jamming messages;

to synchronize a node timer to the received network management message; and

to begin data communications with neighbor sensors using the synchronized node timer.

24. The sensor network as claimed in claim 23 wherein the neighbor node is operating in a low power listening (LPL) mode.

25. The sensor network as claimed in claim 23 wherein the neighbor node is a gateway device.

26. The sensor network as claimed in claim 23 wherein the sensor being further configured to listen on the dynamically-determined frequency for a pre-determined amount of time.

27. The sensor network as claimed in claim 23 wherein the jamming messages are identifiable as jamming messages.

28. 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:

listen on a dynamically-determined frequency for the network management message;

send jamming messages to neighbor nodes in the wireless mesh network, if the network management message is not received;

receive the network management message from a neighbor node in response to the jamming messages;

synchronize a node timer to the received network management message; and

begin data communications with neighbor sensors using the synchronized node timer.