Interference mitigation and adaptive routing in wireless ad-hoc packet-switched networks

• US 7,342,876 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SRI International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SRI International, Inc.
• Inventors: Steadman, Karl, Waterston, John, Bellur, Barghav R., Ogier, Richard G., Sastry, Ambatipudi R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, PHUC H
• Application Number:
  US10/029,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20030120809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,273 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/06 based on characteristics of available antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/16 based on interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Described are an apparatus and method for routing packets through a multiple-hop wireless communications network. Interference with packet switched communications carried by radio frequency (RF) over the multiple-hop wireless communications network is detected. In response to information related to the detected interference, a route is adaptively determined for transmitting packets through the multiple-hop wireless communications network that mitigates the effect of the interference on the packets.

Claims

1. A protocol stack for use by a node to communicate over a wireless communications network, the protocol stack comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) physical layer for detecting signals that are attempting to interfere with packet-switched communications at the node, the RF physical layer producing a signal that indicates that interference has been detected; and

a network layer receiving the signal from the RF physical layer and producing an alternate route of packets through the wireless communications network in response to the signal.

2. The protocol stack of claim 1 further comprising a data link layer for checking for errors packets received by the node and sending a signal to the network layer when interference has been detected.