APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ENHANCING WIRELESS MESH NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20120326927A1
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Nikkels, Robert R.
• Application Number:
  US13/169,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20120326927A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/367
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless mesh network includes at least one data collection device. The wireless mesh network also includes a plurality of directional antennas operatively coupled to each other and the at least one data collection device. The wireless mesh network is configured to transmit information with a data rate of approximately 250 Kilobits per second (Kbits/sec) or less, and at a frequency of approximately 2.4 GigaHertz (GHz) or less.

Claims

1. A wireless mesh network comprising:

at least one data collection device; and

a plurality of directional antennas operatively coupled to each other and to said at least one data collection device,

wherein said wireless mesh network is configured to transmit information with a data rate of approximately 250 Kilobits per second (Kbits/sec) or less, and at a frequency of approximately 2.4 GigaHertz (GHz) or less.

2. A wireless mesh network in accordance with claim 1 further comprising at least one omnidirectional antenna operatively coupled to at least one of said at least one data collection device and at least one of said plurality of directional antennas.

3. A wireless mesh network in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of directional antennas comprises:

a first directional antenna positioned in communications range of a first omnidirectional antenna; and

a second directional antenna positioned in communications range of a second omnidirectional antenna.

4. A wireless mesh network in accordance with claim 1 further comprising at least one memory device and at least one processor coupled to said at least one memory device, wherein said at least one memory device is configured to:

store data transmitted from at least one sensor measurement device; and

store programmed computer instructions to instruct said processor to transmit at least a portion of the data stored in said at least one memory device to at least one of;

said plurality of directional antennas; and

at least one omnidirectional antenna operatively coupled to at least one of said plurality of directional antennas.

5. A wireless mesh network in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of directional antennas transmits the portion of the data from said at least one memory device in a manner compliant with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.15.4™

for low-rate wireless networks.

6. A wireless mesh network in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

a first portion comprising a plurality of omnidirectional antennas; and

a second portion comprising said plurality of directional antennas, wherein at least one of said plurality of directional antennas is operatively coupled to at least one of said plurality of omnidirectional antennas.

7. A wireless mesh network in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of directional antennas comprises two directional antennas that are opposing and adjacent to each other.

8. A method of assembling a network, said method comprising:

providing at least one data collection device;

providing a plurality of directional antennas; and

operatively coupling at least one of the plurality of directional antennas to the at least one data collection device,

wherein, network is configured to transmit information with a data rate of approximately 250 Kilobits per second (Kbits/sec) or less, and at a frequency of approximately 2.4 GigaHertz (GHz) or less.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising operatively coupling at least one sensor measurement device to the at least one data collection device.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9, wherein providing at least one data collection device comprises providing at least one memory device configured to store a plurality of operational measurements transmitted from the at least one sensor measurement device.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10, wherein providing at least one data collection device further comprises operatively coupling at least one processor to the at least one memory device, wherein the at least one memory device includes programmed computer instructions, such instructions instruct the processor to transmit the plurality of operational measurements to at least one of at least one omnidirectional antenna and at least one of the plurality of directional antennas.

12. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein providing a plurality of directional antennas comprises providing a first portion of the network that includes two directional antennas that are opposing and adjacent to each other.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 further comprising:

providing a second portion of the network, the second portion including a plurality of omnidirectional antennas; and

operatively coupling at least one of the two directional antennas to at least one of the plurality of omnidirectional antennas.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein operatively coupling at least one of the two directional antennas to at least one of the plurality of omnidirectional antennas comprises:

positioning a first directional antenna;

positioning a first omnidirectional antenna in communications range of the first directional antenna; and

positioning a second directional antenna in communications range of the first directional antenna.

15. A monitoring system comprising:

at least one sensor measurement device;

at least one data collection device; and

a wireless mesh network coupled to said at least one data collection device and said at least one sensor measurement device, said wireless mesh network comprising a plurality of directional antennas operatively coupled to each other and to said at least one data collection device,

wherein, said wireless mesh network is configured to transmit information with a data rate of approximately 250 Kilobits per second (Kbits/sec) or less, and at a frequency of approximately 2.4 GigaHertz (GHz) or less.

16. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 15 further comprising at least one omnidirectional antenna operatively coupled to at least one of said at least one data collection device and at least one of said plurality of directional antennas.

17. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 15, wherein said plurality of directional antennas comprises:

a first directional antenna positioned in communications range of a first omnidirectional antenna; and

a second directional antenna positioned in communications range of a second omnidirectional antenna.

18. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 15, wherein said at least one data collection device comprises at least one memory device and at least one processor coupled to said at least one memory device, said at least one memory device is configured to:

store data transmitted from said at least one sensor measurement device; and

store programmed computer instructions to instruct said processor to transmit the data stored in said at least one memory device to at least one of;

said plurality of directional antennas; and

at least one omnidirectional antenna operatively coupled to at least one of said plurality of directional antennas.

19. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 15 further comprising:

a first portion comprising a plurality of omnidirectional antennas; and

a second portion comprising said plurality of directional antennas, wherein at least one of said plurality of directional antennas is operatively coupled to at least one of said plurality of omnidirectional antennas.

20. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 19, wherein said plurality of directional antennas comprises two directional antennas that are opposing and adjacent to each other.