System and method for determining the measure of mobility of a subscriber device in an ad-hoc wireless network with fixed wireless routers and wide area network (WAN) access points

• US 7,181,214 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MeshNetworks, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Eric D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Matthew D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pan, Yuwen
• Application Number:
  US09/987,102
• Time in Patent Office: 1,925 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310.2, 370/328, 370/331, 455/517, 455/575, 455/553.1, 455/552.1, 455/554.1, 455/455.1, 455/435.2, 455/435.3
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/026 Route selection considering the moving speed of individual devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/14 based on stability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/30 for proactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system and method for determining the mobility of a node in a network, such as a wireless ad-hoc network that requires the node to share its information with other mobile and stationary nodes, such as fixed wireless routers and intelligent access points, so that the rate at which the node shares this information and receives location information, such as Geo-location updates, could be based on the rate of mobility of the node. The node includes a transceiver which is adapted to communicate or attempt to communicate with at least one of the stationary other nodes in the network, and a controller which is adapted to determine a mobility factor of the node based on the communication or attempted communication with the at least one stationary other node. The controller is further adapted to control a rate at which the transceiver sends information pertaining to the node to at least one of the other nodes in the network based on the mobility factor. The mobility factor represents a rate of mobility of the node, and the rate at which the controller controls the transceiver to send the information is proportional to the rate of mobility.

Claims

1. A node, adapted for use in a wireless communications network and being capable of determining its mobility, said wireless communications network comprising a plurality of other nodes, at least some of which being stationary, said node comprising:

a transceiver, adapted to communicate or attempt to communicate with at least one of said stationary other nodes in said network; and

a controller, adapted to determine a mobility factor of said node based on said communication or attempted communication with said at least one stationary other node, and being adapted to control a rate at which said transceiver sends information pertaining to said node to at least one of said other nodes in said network based on said mobility factor.

2. A node as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said mobility factor represents a rate of mobility of said node.

3. A node as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said rate at which said controller controls said transceiver to send said information is proportional to said rate of mobility.

4. A node as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said communication by said transceiver with said at least one other stationary node enables said node to determine its distance to said at least one other stationary node.

5. A node as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said attempted communication by said transceiver with said at least one other stationary node enables said node to determine whether said at least one other stationary node is a within a transmission range of said node.

6. A node as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said stationary nodes includes a stationary router, adapted to route data packets which it receives that are addressed to other nodes to said other nodes.

7. A node as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said stationary nodes includes an access point, adapted to provide said node and a said other node with access to at least one of another portion of said network and another network different from said network.

8. A node as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said network includes an ad-hoc network.

9. A method of determining a mobility of a node, which is adapted for use in a wireless communications network, said wireless communications network comprising a plurality of other nodes, at least some of which being stationary, said method comprising:

controlling said node to communicate or attempt to communicate with at least one of said stationary other nodes in said network;

determining a mobility factor of said node based on said communication or attempted communication with said at least one stationary other node; and

controlling a rate at which said node sends information pertaining to itself to at least one of said other nodes in said network based on said mobility factor.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

said mobility factor represents a rate of mobility of said node.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

said rate at which said rate controlling controls said node to send said information is proportional to said rate of mobility.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

said communication by said node with said at least one other stationary node enables said node to determine its distance to said at least one other stationary node.

13. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

said attempted communication by said node with said at least one other stationary node enables said node to determine whether said at least one other stationary node is a within a transmission range of said node.

14. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

at least one of said stationary nodes includes a stationary router, adapted to route data packets which it receives that are addressed to other nodes to said other nodes.

15. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

at least one of said stationary nodes includes an access point, adapted to provide said node and a said other node with access to at least one of another portion of said network and another network different from said network.

16. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

said network includes an ad-hoc network.

17. A computer-readable medium of instructions, adapted to determine a mobility of a node, which is adapted for use in a wireless communications network, said wireless communications network comprising a plurality of other nodes, at least some of which being stationary, said computer readable medium of instructions comprising:

a first set of instructions, adapted to control said node to communicate or attempt to communicate with at least one of said stationary other nodes in said network;

a second set of instructions, adapted to determine a mobility factor of said node based on said communication or attempted communication with said at least one stationary other node; and

a third set of instructions, adapted to control a rate at which said node sends information pertaining to itself to at least one of said other nodes in said network based on said mobility factor.

18. A computer-readable medium of instructions as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

said mobility factor represents a rate of mobility of said node.

19. A computer-readable medium of instructions as claimed in claim 18, wherein:

said rate at which said third set of instructions controls said node to send said information is proportional to said rate of mobility.

20. A computer-readable medium of instructions as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

a fourth set of instructions, adapted to determine a distance of said node to said at least one other stationary node based on said communication by said node with said at least one other stationary node.

21. A computer-readable medium of instructions as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

a fifth set of instructions, adapted to determine whether said at least one other stationary node is a within a transmission range of said node based on said attempted communication by said node with said at least one other stationary node.

22. A computer-readable medium of instructions as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

at least one of said stationary nodes includes a stationary router, adapted to route data packets which it receives that are addressed to other nodes to said other nodes.

23. A computer-readable medium of instructions as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

at least one of said stationary nodes includes an access point, adapted to provide said node and a said other node with access to at least one of another portion of said network and another network different from said network.

24. A computer-readable medium of instructions as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

said network includes an ad-hoc network.