DISCOVERY OF MULTIPLE INTER-NODE LINKS IN WIRELESS MULTI-HOP NETWORKS

• US 20100097957A1
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National ICT Australia Limited
• Original Assignee: National ICT Australia Limited
• Inventors: Portmann, Marius, Pirzada, Asad Amir
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/28 for reactive routing

Abstract

An extension to reactive ad-hoc routing protocols in multi-hop wireless mesh networks. The protocol discovers bi-directional links during route establishment, particularly multiple links between a single pair of nodes. Source and intermediate nodes transmit a route request, at least one of the nodes transmitting the route request on more than one wireless interface. Upon receiving a route request, each node creates at least one reverse link to the node from which the route request was received. The destination and intermediate nodes transmit, via at least one of the reverse links, at least one route reply which enables a node receiving the route reply to identify one or more wireless interfaces of the node transmitting the route reply. Upon receiving a route reply, each node creates at least one forward link to the node from which the route reply was received. Routes may then be established using any discovered bidirectional link.

Claims

1. A protocol for discovering bi-directional links during route establishment via a reactive routing protocol in a multi-hop wireless network, the protocol comprising:

each of a plurality of source and intermediate nodes transmitting a route request, at least one such node transmitting the route request on a plurality of wireless interfaces;

upon receiving a route request, each node creating at least one reverse link to the node from which the route request was received;

each of a plurality of destination and intermediate nodes transmitting, via at least one of the reverse links, at least one route reply which enables a node receiving the route reply to identify one or more wireless interfaces of the node transmitting the route reply; and

upon receiving a route reply, each node creating at least one forward link to the node from which the route reply was received.

2. The protocol of claim 1 wherein the route reply is transmitted on a plurality of wireless interfaces.

3. The protocol of claim 2 wherein the route reply is transmitted on all wireless interfaces of the node.

4. The protocol of claim 1 wherein the route reply is transmitted on a subset of wireless interfaces of the node, and contains data identifying all available wireless interfaces of the node.

5. The protocol of claim 1 wherein a node associates a plurality of links with a single adjacent node by reference to the IP address of the adjacent node.

6. The protocol of claim 1 wherein a node associates a plurality of links with a single adjacent node by reference to a node identifier included in the route request and/or route reply.

7. The protocol of claim 1 further comprising exploiting multiple links between a pair of adjacent nodes for at least one of:

local link repairing, channel optimisation, load balancing, and multi-linking.

8. The protocol of claim 1 wherein the network is a wireless mesh network.

9. A wireless mesh network node operable in accordance with the protocol of claim 1.

10. A computer program product comprising computer program code means to make a wireless network node execute the protocol of claim 1.