Method and System for Creating and Deploying a Mesh Network

• US 20110228736A1
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Fang Wu, Fuyong Zhao, Xiadong Wang
• Inventors: Zhao, Fuyong, Wang, Xiadong, Wu, Fang
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/12 Fixed resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]

Abstract

A method and system for creating and deploying a mesh network are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing a mesh router having a plurality of radios. The mesh router is used in a cell of a plurality of cells that covers a geographic region. Channels are assigned to the plurality of radios. The channels are selected from a plurality of channels to allow channel reuse throughout the plurality of cells.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

communicating, at a network device in a cell of a mesh network, to at least three neighboring cells in the mesh network through at least three backhaul radio antennas respectively, wherein each backhaul radio antenna comprises a sectored directional antenna corresponding to a respective direction;

assigning a separate channel associated with a respective backhaul radio antenna; and

reassigning the separate channel in another cell that is (1) approximately opposite to the direction corresponding to the sectored directional antenna, and (2) adjacent to one of the at least three neighboring cells.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating, at the network device, to a plurality of network subscribers through an access radio antenna, wherein the access radio antenna is assigned a separate channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each backhaul radio antenna comprises a tri-sectored directional antenna.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the separate channel assigned to the access radio antenna is in a different communication band from the separate channels assigned to the at least three backhaul radio antennas.

5. A method comprising:

dividing, by a network management server, a mesh network into a plurality of logical cells;

placing a mesh router in each logical cell;

receiving a channel assignment request from a respective mesh router responsive to the mesh router finding another neighboring mesh router that has a gateway to the network management server;

determining a channel assignment for the respective mesh router based on a set of predetermined rules and network topology in response to the received channel assignment request; and

sending the channel assignment to the respective mesh router.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the set of predetermined rules comprises:

assigning a separate channel associated with each backhaul radio antenna of the respective mesh router; and

reassigning the separate channel in another cell that is (1) approximately opposite to the direction corresponding to the sectored directional antenna, and (2) adjacent to one of the at least three neighboring cells.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the mesh router finds another neighboring mesh router that has a gateway to the network management server through a default channel.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein, responsive to the mesh router not finding another neighboring mesh router that has a gateway to the network management server through a default channel, the mesh router scans channels to find the other neighboring mesh router that has the gateway to the network management server.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the mesh router is placed during an incremental deployment.

10. A network device in a cell of a mesh network, the network device comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a communicating mechanism coupled to the processor, the communicating mechanism to communicate to at least three neighboring cells in the mesh network through at least three backhaul radio antennas respectively, wherein each backhaul radio antenna comprises a sectored directional antenna corresponding to a respective direction;

an assigning mechanism coupled to the processor, the assigning mechanism to assign a separate channel associated with a respective backhaul radio antenna; and

wherein the assigning mechanism further reassigns the separate channel in another cell that is (1) approximately opposite to the direction corresponding to the sectored directional antenna, and (2) adjacent to one of the at least three neighboring cells.

11. The network device of claim 10, wherein the communicating mechanism further to:

communicate to a plurality of network subscribers through an access radio antenna, wherein the access radio antenna is assigned a separate channel.

12. The network device of claim 10, wherein each backhaul radio antenna comprises a tri-sectored directional antenna.

13. The network device of claim 11, wherein the separate channel assigned to the access radio antenna is in a different communication band from the separate channels assigned to the at least three backhaul radio antennas.

14. A network management server comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a dividing mechanism coupled to the processor, the dividing mechanism to divide a mesh network into a plurality of logical cells;

a placing mechanism coupled to the processor, the placing mechanism to place a mesh router in each logical cell;

a receiving mechanism coupled to the processor, the receiving mechanism to receive a channel assignment request from a respective mesh router responsive to the mesh router finding another neighboring mesh router that has a gateway to the network management server;

a determining mechanism coupled to the processor, the determining mechanism to determine a channel assignment for the respective mesh router based on a set of predetermined rules and network topology in response to the received channel assignment request; and

a sending mechanism coupled to the processor, the sending mechanism to send the channel assignment to the respective mesh router.

15. The network management server of claim 14, wherein the set of predetermined rules comprises:

assigning a separate channel associated with each backhaul radio antenna of the respective mesh router; and

reassigning the separate channel in another cell that is (1) approximately opposite to the direction corresponding to the sectored directional antenna, and (2) adjacent to one of the at least three neighboring cells.

16. The network management server of claim 14, wherein the mesh router finds another neighboring mesh router that has a gateway to the network management server through a default channel.

17. The network management server of claim 14, wherein, responsive to the mesh router not finding another neighboring mesh router that has a gateway to the network management server through a default channel, the mesh router scans channels to find the other neighboring mesh router that has the gateway to the network management server.

18. The network management server of claim 14, wherein the mesh router is placed during an incremental deployment.