WIRELESS NETWORKS AND METHODS USING MULTIPLE VALID NETWORK IDENTIFIERS

• US 20100074234A1
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synapse Wireless Incorporated (Mcwane Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Synapse Wireless Incorporated (Mcwane Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ewing, David B., Banks, Kevin R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,392,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1867 Arrangements specially adapted for the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/10 based on available power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless sensor network comprises a plurality of nodes. Each of the plurality of nodes is configured to communicate messages through the wireless sensor network based on a first network identifier identifying the wireless sensor network. Each of the nodes is further configured to communicate messages through the wireless sensor network based on a default network identifier identifying the wireless sensor network, and the first network identifier and the default network identifier are concurrently valid for communicating messages through the wireless sensor network.

Claims

1. A wireless sensor network, comprising:

a plurality of nodes, each of the plurality of nodes configured to communicate messages through the wireless sensor network based on a first network identifier identifying the wireless sensor network, each of the nodes further configured to communicate messages through the wireless sensor network based on a default network identifier identifying the wireless sensor network, wherein the first network identifier and the default network identifier are concurrently valid for communicating messages through the wireless sensor network.

2. The wireless sensor network of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of nodes is configured to disable updates to the default network identifier.

3. The wireless sensor network of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of nodes is configured to enable updates to the first network identifier.

4. A wireless sensor network, comprising:

a first node configured to store a first network identifier identifying the wireless network and a second network identifier identifying the wireless network, the first node configured to transmit a first data packet through the wireless sensor network and to insert the first network identifier in the first data packet, the first node further configured to transmit a second data packet through the wireless sensor network and to insert the second network identifier in the second data packet; and

a second node configured to receive and respond to the second data packet based on the second network identifier,

wherein at least one node of the wireless sensor network is configured to receive and respond to the first data packet based on the first network identifier, and wherein the first and second network identifiers are concurrently valid for communicating messages through the wireless sensor network.

5. The wireless sensor network of claim 4, wherein the first node is configured to enable updates to the first network identifier and to disable updates to the second network identifier.

6. The wireless sensor network of claim 4, wherein second node is configured to receive and respond to the first data packet based on the first network identifier.

7. A method for use in a wireless sensor network, comprising the steps of:

communicating a plurality of messages through the wireless sensor network based on a first network identifier identifying the wireless sensor network, each of the plurality of messages including the first network identifier; and

communicating at least one message through the wireless sensor network based on a second network identifier identifying the wireless sensor network, the at least one message including the second network identifier,

wherein the first and second network identifiers are concurrently valid for communicating messages through the wireless sensor network.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of disabling updates to the second network identifier.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of enabling updates to the first network identifier.

10. A method for correcting network identifiers, comprising the steps of:

attempting to transmit a first message through a wireless sensor network to a node of the wireless sensor network, the first message including a first network identifier identifying the wireless sensor network;

transmitting a second message through the wireless sensor network to the node if the node fails to respond to the first message, the second message including a default network identifier identifying the wireless sensor network;

retrieving a network identifier stored at the node in response to the second message;

comparing the retrieved network identifier and the first network identifier; and

updating the stored network identifier based on the comparing step.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the updating step comprises the step of changing the stored network identifier to match the first network identifier.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of disabling updates to the default network identifier.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of enabling updates to the first network identifier.