Quality of service and power aware forwarding rules for mesh points in wireless mesh networks

• US 20090279449A1
• Filed: 05/07/2008
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kasslin, Mika, Marin, Janne, Kneckt, Jarkko
• Granted Patent: US 8,274,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/253
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/08 based on transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/10 based on available power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Apparatus, methods and computer program products provide quality of service and power aware forwarding rules for mesh points in wireless mesh networks by monitoring frame flow to and from a first mesh point in the wireless mesh network; and in dependence on the monitored frame flow, setting a power management mode of the first mesh point. The first mesh point monitors, for example, the power save mode and mesh deterministic access status of peer modes and selects power save and frame transmission modes in dependence on the monitored information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a first mesh point in a wireless mesh network, monitoring frame flow to and from the first mesh point; and

in dependence on the monitored frame flow, setting a power management mode of the first mesh point.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein setting a power management mode of the first mesh point further comprises setting a power management mode of the first mesh point to meet a predetermined quality of service for an application using the wireless mesh network to communicate information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring frame flow to and from the first mesh point further comprises monitoring the frame flow on a per peer mesh point basis.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein monitoring frame flow to and from the first mesh point further comprises performing measurements to determine a highest access category of a frame received from a peer mesh point.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein monitoring frame flow to and from the first mesh point further comprises performing measurements to determine a highest access category of a frame transmitted to a peer mesh point.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein monitoring frame flow to and from the first mesh point further comprises performing measurements to determine a duration of a time period since a high access category frame was last received from a peer mesh point.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein monitoring frame flow to and from the first mesh point further comprises performing measurements to determine a duration of a time period since a high access category frame was last transmitted to a peer mesh point.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises monitoring a power management mode indicated by a peer mesh point.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein if it is determined that a peer mesh point to be used in frame forwarding is in power save mode and supports mesh deterministic access, using mesh deterministic access to forward frames to the peer mesh point.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the frames comprises high access category frames.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises monitoring a power management mode indicated to a peer mesh point.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises monitoring a mesh deterministic access support status of a peer mesh point.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

determining whether to use mesh deterministic access for information transmission in dependence on the monitored mesh deterministic access support status of a peer mesh point.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring frame flow to and from the first mesh point further comprises determining whether received frames are part of a mesh deterministic access transmission.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring frame flow to and from the first mesh point further comprises determining whether transmitted frames are part of a mesh deterministic access transmission.

16. The method of claim 3 wherein the frame flow is monitored on a per peer mesh point basis to determine which peer mesh points will be selected to participate in high access category frame forwarding.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting receipt of high access category traffic; and

when high access category traffic is detected, transmitting a message indicating that high access category traffic is being transmitted.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the high access category traffic is associated with a real time application.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the message comprises a unicast traffic announcement frame.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the unicast traffic announcement frame comprises at least information specifying traffic address and classifying criteria.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the unicast traffic announcement frame comprises at least information specifying traffic generation interval and frame sizes.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising using the message indicating that high access category traffic is being transmitted to set triggering intervals in peer mesh points.

23. The method of claim 17 further comprising using the message indicating that high access category traffic is being transmitted to setup mesh deterministic access information transmissions.

24. An apparatus comprising:

radio apparatus configured to perform bidirectional communication operations in a wireless mesh network; and

a controller, when the apparatus is operating as a first mesh point, that is configured to monitor frame flow to and from the first mesh point; and

in dependence on the monitored frame flow, to set a power management mode of the first mesh point.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein to set a power management mode of the first mesh point further comprises to set a power management mode of the first mesh point to meet a predetermined quality of service for an application using the wireless mesh network to communicate information.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein to monitor frame flow to and from the first mesh point further comprises to monitor the frame flow on a per peer mesh point basis.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein to monitor frame flow to and from the first mesh point further comprises to perform measurements to determine a highest access category of a frame received from a peer mesh point.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein to monitor frame flow to and from the first mesh point further comprises to perform measurements to determine a highest access category of a frame transmitted to a peer mesh point.

29. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein to monitor frame flow to and from the first mesh point further comprises to perform measurements to determine a duration of a time period since a high access category frame was last received from a peer mesh point.

30. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein to monitor frame flow to and from the first mesh point further comprises to perform measurements to determine a duration of a time period since a high access category frame was last transmitted to a peer mesh point.

31. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the controller is further configured to monitor a power management mode indicated by a peer mesh point.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein if it is determined that a peer mesh point to be used in frame forwarding is in power save mode and supports mesh deterministic access, the controller is further configured to use mesh deterministic access to forward frames to the peer mesh point.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the frames comprise high access category frames.

34. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the controller is further configured to monitor a power management mode indicated to a peer mesh point.

35. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the controller is further configured to monitor a mesh deterministic access support status of a peer mesh point.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether to use mesh deterministic access for information transmission in dependence on the monitored mesh deterministic access support status of a peer mesh point.

37. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein to monitor frame flow to and from the first mesh point further comprises to determine whether received frames are part of a mesh deterministic access transmission.

38. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein to monitor frame flow to and from the first mesh point further comprises to determine whether transmitted frames are part of a mesh deterministic access transmission.

39. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the frame flow is monitored on a per peer mesh point basis to determine which peer mesh points will be selected to participate in high access category frame forwarding.

40. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the controller is further configured to detect receipt of high access category traffic;

and

when high access category traffic is detected, to transmit a message indicating that high access category traffic is being transmitted.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the high access category traffic is associated with a real time application.

42. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the message comprises a unicast traffic announcement frame.

44. The apparatus of claim 42 wherein the unicast traffic announcement frame comprises at least information specifying traffic generation interval and frame sizes.

45. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the controller is further configured to use a message indicating that high access category traffic is being transmitted to set triggering intervals in peer mesh points.

46. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the controller is further configured to use the message indicating that high access category traffic is being transmitted to setup mesh deterministic access information transmissions.

43. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the unicast traffic announcement frame comprises at least information specifying traffic address and classifying criteria.

47. A computer program product comprising a computer readable memory medium tangibly embodying a computer program, the computer program, when executed, configured to cause a device to operate as a first mesh point in a wireless mesh network to monitor frame flow to and from the first mesh point;

and in dependence on the monitored frame flow, to set a power management mode of the first mesh point.

48. An apparatus configured to operate as a first mesh point in a wireless mesh network, the apparatus comprising:

means for performing bidirectional communication operations in a wireless mesh network;

means for monitoring frame flow to and from the apparatus; and

means for setting a power management mode of the apparatus in dependence on the monitored frame flow.