Supporting mobile ad-hoc network (Manet ) and point to multi-point (pmp) communications among nodes in a wireless network

• US 20090201860A1
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Inventors: Sherman, Matthew J., McNevin, Timothy, Conner, Keith, McNeill, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,821,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1881 with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Member nodes of a wireless point-to-multipoint (PMP) network may participate in mobile ad hoc (MANET) or mesh communications with other nodes on the same channels used by the network for PMP communications. A PMP network base station node transmits a downlink signal defining a downlink map for scheduling first time periods for transmitting messages to subscriber station nodes, and an uplink map for scheduling second time periods allowing a subscriber station node to transmit messages to the base station node in a scheduled second time period. A MANET/mesh zone is allocated in either or both the downlink and the uplink maps, each zone operating to reserve one or more time slots and channels in which the base station and other nodes may communicate using a MANET/mesh protocol, thus avoiding interference with communications that are being conducted between the base and the subscriber station nodes under the PMP protocol.

Claims

1. A method of allowing member nodes of a wireless point-to-multipoint (PMP) network to participate in mobile ad hoc (MANET) or mesh communications with other nodes on a shared set of channels without interfering with network communications conducted under a PMP protocol, comprising:

transmitting a downlink signal from a base station node to a number of subscriber station nodes in a wireless PMP network;

defining a downlink map in the downlink signal for scheduling first time periods for transmitting messages from the base station node to corresponding ones of the subscriber station nodes, and defining an uplink map in the downlink signal for scheduling second time periods for allowing a subscriber station node to transmit messages to the base station node in a scheduled second time period; and

allocating a MANET/mesh zone in either one or both of the downlink and the uplink maps, each zone operating to reserve one or more time slots and channels in which the base and any of the subscriber station nodes can communicate with other nodes using a MANET or mesh protocol while avoiding interference with network communications between the base and the subscriber station nodes under the PMP protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, including providing a MANET/mesh scheduler for the PMP network, and carrying out the allocating step in response to reservations of time received at the base station from the scheduler for reserving time for MANET/mesh communications.

3. The method of claim 1, including partitioning the downlink and the uplink signals according to a time division duplex (TDD) scheme.

4. The method of claim 1, including arranging the base station node as a fixed node.

5. The method of claim 1, including arranging the base station node as a mobile node.

6. The method of claim 1, including arranging one or more of the subscriber station nodes as a mobile node.

7. The method of claim 1, including establishing communications using a MANET or mesh protocol between a member node of the PMP network and a given node outside of the PMP network.

8. The method of claim 7, including extending the coverage of the base station node of the PMP network to a given node by linking between an intermediate node and the base station node using a mesh protocol for coordinating scheduling information, and operating the intermediate node as a PMP base station node with respect to the given node.

9. The method of claim 3, including

defining a time frame for the PMP network as comprising (i) a downlink subframe having a number of successive first time slots corresponding to parts of the downlink signal transmitted from the base station node, and (ii) an uplink subframe having a number of successive second time slots corresponding to the scheduled second time periods in which the subscriber station nodes transmit messages to the base station node, and

allocating the MANET/mesh zones so that MANET or mesh communications are scheduled for occurring over not more than a desired portion of the time frame.

10. The method of claim 9, including allocating the MANET/mesh zones so that MANET or mesh communications are scheduled for occurring over not more than about 50% of the time frame.

11. A multi-protocol wireless communications node, comprising:

an interface component constructed and arranged for providing control information or data to and from the node with respect to outside devices requiring communication services;

a networking component coupled to the interface component and configured for routing data to be transported by the node over either a link that follows a MANET or mesh protocol, or a link that follows a point-to-multipoint (PMP) protocol;

a first medium access controller (MAC) component coupled to the networking component and configured to implement the MANET or mesh protocol;

a second MAC component coupled to the networking component and configured to implement the PMP protocol, wherein the first and the second MAC components are arranged to interface with one another for passing scheduling information;

a radio frequency (RF) component;

a timing reference source;

a first physical layer component responsive to the timing reference source and coupled to the first MAC component and the RF component, for (i) processing first data input from the first MAC component according to the MANET or mesh protocol, and outputting the processed first data to the RF component for transmission, and (ii) processing second data input from the RF component according to the MANET or mesh protocol, and outputting the processed second data to the first MAC component; and

a second physical layer component responsive to the timing reference source and coupled to the second MAC component and to the RF component, for (i) processing third data input from the second MAC component according to the PMP protocol, and outputting the processed third data to the RF component for transmission, and (ii) processing fourth data input from the RF component according to the PMP protocol, and outputting the processed fourth data to the second MAC component.

12. A communications node according to claim 11, wherein the second MAC component is constructed and arranged to configure the node as a fixed subscriber station node in a PMP protocol network.

13. A communications node according to claim 11, wherein the second MAC component is constructed and arranged to configure the node as a mobile subscriber station node in a PMP protocol network.

14. A communications node according to claim 11, wherein the second MAC component is constructed and arranged to configure the node as a base station node in a PMP protocol network.

15. A communications node according to claim 11, including a bridging component coupled to the first and the second MAC components for exchanging data between the MAC components.

16. A communications node according to claim 11, wherein the first MAC component is configured to implement a mesh protocol according to the IEEE 802.11 Standard.

17. A communications node according to claim 11, wherein the second MAC component is configured to implement the PMP protocol according to the IEEE 802.16 Standard.

18. A communications node according to claim 11, wherein the first MAC component is configured to implement a mesh protocol according to the IEEE 802.11 standard, and the second MAC component is configured to implement the PMP protocol according to the IEEE 802.16 Standard, wherein the second MAC component is arranged to configure the node as a base station node in a PMP protocol network, the first MAC component is arranged to configure the node as an access point (AP) node in a mesh protocol network, and both of the first and the second MAC components are coupled to a common timing reference for synchronization.

19. A communications node according to claim 18, including a bridging component coupled to the first and the second MAC components for exchanging data between the MAC components.

20. A communications node according to claim 11, wherein the first MAC component is configured to implement a MANET protocol having a frame format that is structured to operate with both Slotted Aloha and CSMA contention protocols.

21. A communications network comprised of a number of nodes including one or more multi-protocol nodes according to claim 11, and one or more schedulers associated with the multi-protocol nodes for reserving time for PMP and MANET/mesh communications among the nodes over a common set of network channels or subchannels.