SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONVERGENCE AND AUTOMATIC DISABLING OF ACCESS POINTS IN A WIRELESS MESH NETWORK

• US 20130170335A1
• Filed: 12/28/2011
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: George H. Flammer III, Iii, William E. San Filippo, James Pace, Jana van Greunen, Sterling Hughes
• Inventors: VAN GREUNEN, Jana, HUGHES, Sterling, FLAMMER, George H. III, SAN FILIPPO, William E. III, PACE, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,173,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/218
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/122 by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

One embodiment of the present disclosure sets forth a technique for convergence and automatic disabling of access points in a wireless mesh network. Specifically, an access point within a wireless mesh network computes one or more network metrics to determine whether the metrics are unfavorable or favorable. If the network metrics are favorable, then the access point disables the access point'"'"'s network connection. An access point turns the network connection back on based on whether a routing was lost for at least a preset amount of time, utilization of one or more neighboring access points is above a preset value, or one or more network metrics have degraded by a certain percentage value. One advantage of this approach is that cost savings may be achieved when the number of access points dynamically changes to accommodate varying communications conditions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for participating as a node within a network, the method comprising:

computing a value associated with at least one network metric;

measuring the at least one network metric against a predetermined value; and

determining whether to participate as an active node within the network based on the value of the at least one network metric relative to the predetermined value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

computing a random time duration;

waiting for the random time duration;

measuring again the at least one network metric against the predetermined value to confirm whether to participate as an active node within the network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one network metric measures a routing cost associated with an access point.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one network metric measures a first hop count between the node and an access point and a second hop count between the first access point and a second node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one network metric measures a first utilization value associated with the node and a second utilization value associated with an access point.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one network metric measures a loss of routing connectivity associated with the node.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one network metric measures a degradation of at least one routing parameter.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a general packet radio service (GPRS) network.

9. A computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to determine whether to participate as a node in a network, by performing the steps of:

computing a value associated with at least one network metric;

measuring the at least one network metric against a predetermined value; and

determining whether to participate as an active node within the network based on the value of the at least one network metric relative to the predetermined value.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

computing a random time duration;

waiting for the random time duration;

measuring again the at least one network metric against the predetermined value to confirm whether to participate as an active node within the network.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the at least one network metric measures a routing cost associated with an access point.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the at least one network metric measures a first hop count between the node and an access point and a second hop count between the first access point and a second node.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the at least one network metric measures a first utilization value associated with the node and a second utilization value associated with an access point.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the at least one network metric measures a loss of routing connectivity associated with the node.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the at least one network metric measures a degradation of at least one routing parameter.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the network comprises a general packet radio service (GPRS) network.

17. A computing device comprising:

a processing unit configured to determine whether to participate as a node in a network, by performing the steps of;

computing a value associated with at least one network metric;

measuring the at least one network metric against a predetermined value; and

determining whether to participate as an active node within the network based on the value of the at least one network metric relative to the predetermined value.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the processing unit is further configured to perform the steps of:

computing a random time duration;

waiting for the random time duration;

measuring again the at least one network metric against the predetermined value to confirm whether to participate as an active node within the network.

19. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the at least one network metric measures a routing cost associated with an access point.

20. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the network comprises a general packet radio service (GPRS) network.