Simultaneous channel access transmission method for a multi-hop communications radio network

• US 5,949,760 A
• Filed: 03/21/1997
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
• Inventors: Stevens, James A., Young, C. David, Sunlin, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): HSU, ALPUS
• Application Number:
  US08/821,482
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 370/330, 370/329, 370/332, 370/256, 370/406, 370/400, 370/401, 370/436, 370/343, 370/344, 370/345, 370/347, 370/254, 370/351
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A method for establishing simultaneous communications between nodes having neighboring nodes in a multi-hop network of transceiver nodes arranged in neighborhoods includes determining the quality of communication links between the nodes of a neighborhood and adjacent neighborhoods. A table of quality data is stored representing the quality of communication links between nodes of the neighborhood for each node. A set of performance criterion of desired service in the neighborhood is stored. A set of possible link assignments between ones of the nodes in the neighborhood is generated from the table of quality data based upon a maximized performance criterion of desired service in the neighborhood. Link assignments are then allocated between nodes of the neighborhood based upon the desired performance criterion.

Claims

1. A method for establishing communication between multiple nodes, comprising the steps of:

creating a multi-hop network including a plurality of nodes, each of said plurality of nodes operating in a transmit mode and a receive mode, the plurality of nodes arranged in neighborhoods, such that nodes operating in a transmit mode communicate simultaneously over links with multiple nodes in the neighborhood operating in a receive mode, and wherein a node operating in a receive mode can be a neighbor of more than one node operating in a transmit mode;

allocating frequency and time slots for each node to create link assignments between nodes of the neighborhood based upon desired performance criteria;

determining the quality of communication links between the nodes of a neighborhood and adjacent neighborhoods;

creating a table of data representing the quality of transmission between nodes of the neighborhood for each node;

storing a set of performance criterion of service desired;

generating a set of actual link assignments between ones of the nodes in the neighborhood from the table of data based upon a maximized performance criterion of service desired in the neighborhood; and

allocating frequency and time slots to satisfy the actual link assignments between nodes of the neighborhood based upon the desired performance criterion.

2. The method of claim 1 and further including the steps of:

creating a mesh network based upon the actual link assignments, the mesh network having a capacity; and

routing and switching user traffic over the mesh network.

3. The method of claim 2 and further including the step of:

creating additional network capacity where user traffic exceeds the mesh network capacity.

4. A method for establishing communication between multiple nodes, comprising the steps of:

creating a multi-hop network including a plurality of nodes, each of said plurality of nodes operating in a transmit mode and a receive mode, the plurality of nodes arranged in neighborhoods, such that nodes operating in a transmit mode communicate simultaneously over links with multiple nodes in the neighborhood operating in a receive mode, and wherein a node operating in a receive mode can be a neighbor of more than one node operating in a transmit mode;

allocating frequency and time slots for each node to create link assignments between nodes of the neighborhood based upon desired performance criteria;

determining the quality of communication links between the nodes of a neighborhood and adjacent neighborhoods;

creating a table of data representing the quality of transmission between nodes of the neighborhood for each node;

storing a set of performance criterion of service desired;

generating a set of potential link assignments between ones of the nodes in the neighborhood from the table of data based upon a maximized performance criterion of service desired in the neighborhood;

negotiating the set of potential link assignments to generate actual link assignments; and

allocating frequency and time slots to satisfy the actual link assignments between nodes of the neighborhood based upon the desired performance criterion.

5. The method of claim 4 and further including the steps of:

creating a mesh network based upon the actual link assignments, the mesh network having a capacity; and

routing and switching user traffic over the mesh network.

6. The method of claim 5 and further including the step of:

creating additional network capacity where user traffic exceeds the mesh network capacity.