MESH NETWORK TRANSMISSION DECISIONS BASED ON NODE PERFORMANCE METRICS

• US 20160105359A1
• Filed: 10/13/2014
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Ryan Yong, Pathuri, Venkata Subba Rao, Sidhu, Gursharan, Schneider, Aaron, Knopf, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 10,158,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/14 Routing performance; Theoretical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/70 Routing based on monitoring results
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality

Abstract

Systems and methods for transmission of data through mesh networks are disclosed. Specifically, various techniques and systems are provided for using performance metrics of nodes in a mesh network to make data transmission decisions. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention include a computer-implemented method. The method comprises receiving, at a network device on a network, performance metrics associated with an additional network device on the network; generating performance metrics associated with the network device; storing the performance metrics associated with the network device and the performance metrics associated with the additional network device; and transmitting the performance metrics associated with the network device and the performance metrics associated with an additional network device, wherein when the performance metrics are received, the performance metrics are used to determine whether data will be transmitted to the network device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining, by a network device on a network, two or more communication paths with one or more additional network devices on the network;

generating current performance metrics associated with the network device, wherein the current performance metrics indicate a current performance of the network device;

receiving additional performance metrics associated with the network device or the one or more additional network devices on the network;

comparing performances of the two or more communication paths over a period of time using the current performance metrics and the additional performance metrics;

determining a chosen communication path of the two or more communication paths using the comparison of the performances of the two or more communications paths; and

transmitting a communication using the chosen communication path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein current and additional performance metrics are continually stored and updated.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a beacon packet including data associated with the network; and

embedding the current performance metrics associated with the network device within the beacon packet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the communication includes transmitting a beacon packet.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a beacon packet including data associated with the network; and

embedding the additional performance metrics associated with the one or more additional network devices on the network within the beacon packet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the current performance metrics associated with the network device include reliability metrics.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the current performance metrics associated with the network device include latency metrics.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving updated performance metrics associated with the one or more additional network devices on the network;

generating updated performance metrics associated with the network device; and

determining a new chosen communication path using the updated performance metrics.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the network device, new performance metrics associated with the one or more additional network devices on the network using communications between the network device and the one or more additional network devices on the network.

10. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including;

determining, by a network device on a network, two or more communication paths with one or more additional network devices on the network;

generating current performance metrics associated with the network device, wherein the current performance metrics indicate a current performance of the network device;

receiving additional performance metrics associated with the network device or the one or more additional network devices on the network;

comparing performances of the two or more communication paths over a period of time using the current performance metrics and the additional performance metrics;

determining a chosen communication path of the two or more communication paths using the comparison of the performances of the two or more communications paths; and

transmitting a communication using the chosen communication path.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein current and additional performance metrics are continually stored and updated.

12. The computing device of claim 10, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

generating a beacon packet including data associated with the network; and

embedding the current performance metrics associated with the network device within the beacon packet.

13. The computing device of claim 10, wherein transmitting the communication includes transmitting a beacon packet.

14. The computing device of claim 10, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

generating a beacon packet including data associated with the network; and

embedding the additional performance metrics associated with the one or more additional network devices on the network within the beacon packet.

15. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the current performance metrics associated with the network device include reliability metrics.

16. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the current performance metrics associated with the network device include latency metrics.

17. The computing device of claim 10, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

receiving updated performance metrics associated with the one or more additional network devices on the network;

generating updated performance metrics associated with the network device; and

determining a new chosen communication path using the updated performance metrics.

18. The computing device of claim 10, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

generating, by the network device, new performance metrics associated with the one or more additional network devices on the network using communications between the network device and the one or more additional network devices on the network.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

determine, by a network device on a network, two or more communication paths with one or more additional network devices on the network;

generate current performance metrics associated with the network device, wherein the current performance metrics indicate a current performance of the network device;

receive additional performance metrics associated with the network device or the one or more additional network devices on the network;

determine a chosen communication path of the two or more communication paths using the comparison of the performances of the two or more communications paths; and

transmit a communication using the chosen communication path.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein current and additional performance metrics are continually stored and updated.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

generate a beacon packet including data associated with the network; and

embed the current performance metrics associated with the network device within the beacon packet.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein transmitting the communication includes transmitting a beacon packet.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

generate a beacon packet including data associated with the network; and

embed the additional performance metrics associated with the one or more additional network devices on the network within the beacon packet.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the current performance metrics associated with the network device include reliability metrics.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the current performance metrics associated with the network device include latency metrics.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

receive updated performance metrics associated with the one or more additional network devices on the network;

generate updated performance metrics associated with the network device; and

determine a new chosen communication path using the updated performance metrics.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

generate, by the network device, new performance metrics associated with the one or more additional network devices on the network using communications between the network device and the one or more additional network devices on the network.