JOINT ASSOCIATION, ROUTING AND RATE ALLOCATION IN WIRELESS MULTI-HOP MESH NETWORKS

• US 20150036528A1
• Filed: 10/02/2014
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: LIU, Hang, WU, Mingquan, LUO, Lin, LI, Dekai
• Application Number:
  US14/504,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20150036528A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/26 for hybrid routing by combining proactive and reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/29 between an access point and the access point controlling device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described including collecting network information, determining an association, bandwidth allocation and routing scheme based on the collected network information, notifying a mesh access point of the association, the bandwidth allocation and the routing scheme and notifying a client node of its association information. Also described are a method and apparatus including measuring link quality and channel conditions, reporting results of the measuring act to a controller, receiving a routing decision and data forwarding instructions from the controller and forwarding the routing decision and the data forwarding instructions to a client node. Further described are a method and apparatus including measuring link quality and channel conditions, reporting results of the measuring act to a controller, receiving association instructions from the centralized controller and updating previously stored association instructions with the received association instructions.

Claims

1. A method, said method comprising:

measuring link quality and channel conditions;

transmitting results of said measuring act to a controller;

receiving association instructions from said controller; and

updating previously stored association instructions based on said received association instructions, wherein association instructions permit an association to be made between a client node and a mesh access point.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving bandwidth allocation instructions from said controller; and

updating said bandwidth allocation instructions.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reporting act is implemented with a mesh access point.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said receiving act is implemented with a mesh access point.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method is performed by a client node.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a link measurement module, said link measurement module measuring link quality and channel conditions;

a communications interface, said communications interface transmitting said link quality and channel condition to a controller, said communications interface being in bi-directional communication with said link measurement module;

an association module, said association module receiving association instructions from said controller, said association module being in bi-directional communication with said communications interface; and

a message process module, said message process module updating previously stored association instructions based on said received association instructions, wherein association instructions permit an association to be made between a client node and a mesh access point, said message process module being in bi-directional communication with said association module.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a rate control module, said rate control module receiving bandwidth allocation instructions from said controller, said rate control module being in bi-directional communication with said communications interface; and

said message process module updating said bandwidth allocation instructions, said message process module being in bi-directional communication with said rate control module.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said communications interface transmits data to said controller by a mesh access point.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said communications interface receives messages from said controller by a mesh access point.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said apparatus is a client node.