Internetworking support between a LAN and a wireless mesh network

• US 7,660,318 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meier, Robert Charles, Kruys, Johannes Petrus, O'Hara, Robert Bernard Jr., Rahman, Shahriar
• Primary Examiner(s): Sefcheck; Gregory B
• Application Number:
  US11/518,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20070076730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

In one embodiment, two portals lie between a wireless mesh network and a LAN. Each portal provides a communication path between the mesh network and the LAN. The second portal is configured to forward data frames with unknown destinations to the first portal across an intramesh path between the two portals.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first portal, communicatively coupled to a wireless mesh network and to an adjacent local area network (LAN), for providing a path of communication between said wireless mesh network and said LAN;

a second portal, communicatively coupled to said wireless mesh network and to said adjacent LAN, for providing a further path of communication between said wireless mesh network and said adjacent LAN;

a third portal, communicatively coupled to said wireless mesh network and to a disconnected LAN, for providing a path of communication between said wireless mesh network and said disconnected LAN; and

a plurality of mesh points, communicatively coupled to said wireless mesh network, for providing an intermesh path between said first portal, said second portal, and said third portal, wherein said second portal is configured to forward a data frame with an unknown destination to said first portal, and wherein said first portal is configured to forward said data frame to said third portal when said unknown destination is not within said wireless mesh network.

2. The system of claim 1,

wherein said third portal is configured to forward a second data frame with an unknown destination from said disconnected LAN to said first portal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said first portal is configured to forward said second data frame from said disconnected LAN to said adjacent LAN.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless mesh network is configured to provide a bridge between said adjacent LAN and said disconnected LAN.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a fourth portal, communicatively coupled to said wireless mesh network and to said disconnected LAN, for providing a further path of communication between said wireless mesh network and said disconnected LAN, wherein said fourth portal is configured to forward data from said disconnected LAN to said adjacent LAN in a first data path, wherein said third portal is configured to forward data from said disconnected LAN to said adjacent LAN in a second data path, and wherein said first and second data paths are configured to simultaneously transmit data frames to increase a bandwidth across the wireless mesh network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said unknown destination is unknown to said first and second portals, and wherein said unknown destination is known to said third portal.

20. The system of claim 7, wherein said unknown destination is within said disconnected LAN.

6. A computer-readable storage medium having a set of instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processing device causes the processing device to perform a method comprising:

configuring a first data path between a wireless mesh network and a local area network (LAN), wherein said first data path comprises a first portal connecting said wireless mesh network and said LAN;

determining whether a destination of a data packet is known by said first portal;

configuring a second data path between said wireless mesh network and said LAN, wherein said second data path comprises a root portal connecting said wireless mesh network and said LAN;

forwarding said data packet from said first portal to said root portal;

determining whether a destination of said data packet is within said wireless mesh network;

if said destination is not within said wireless mesh network, configuring a third data path, wherein said third data path is between said LAN and a disconnected LAN; and

forwarding said data packet to said disconnected LAN via said third data path.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, further comprising:

configuring a fourth data path, wherein said fourth data path is between said LAN and said disconnected LAN, and wherein said third and fourth data paths are configured to simultaneously transmit data between said LAN and said disconnected LAN to increase a bandwidth of said wireless mesh network.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a reply from said destination into said root portal; and

establishing an optimal communication route between said destination and an origin of said data packet, wherein said destination resides in said disconnected LAN, and wherein said origin resides in said LAN.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein said optimal communication route comprises said second data path.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein said third data path comprises a bridge across said wireless mesh network, and wherein said bridge connects said LAN to said disconnected LAN.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein said third path comprises a third portal connecting said disconnected LAN to said wireless mesh network;

and wherein said method further comprises;

routing said reply from said third portal to said origin.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a frame into a first portal connecting a wireless mesh network to a first local area network (LAN);

determining whether a path between said first portal and an intended destination of said frame is known;

forwarding said frame to a root portal connecting said wireless mesh network to said first LAN;

determining whether said intended destination is within said first LAN; and

forwarding said frame to a second portal connecting said wireless mesh network to a second LAN, wherein said first LAN is connected to said second LAN via said wireless mesh network.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said first LAN is an 802 LAN.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said wireless mesh network is configured in accordance with the 802.11s standard.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said root portal is configured to forward said frame to said second portal when said intended destination is not within said first LAN.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said first portal is configured to forward said frame to said root portal when said path between said first portal and said intended destination is not known.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said intended destination is within said second LAN.

9. A method comprising:

receiving a frame into a first portal connecting a wireless mesh network to a local area network (LAN);

determining whether a path between said first portal and an intended destination of said frame is known;

if said path is known, routing said frame through said wireless mesh network to said destination;

if said path is not known, forwarding said frame to a second portal connecting said wireless mesh network to said LAN;

determining at said second portal whether said destination is within said wireless mesh network;

if said destination is within said wireless mesh network, routing said frame through said wireless mesh network to said destination; and

if said destination is not within said wireless mesh network, forwarding said frame to a third portal, said third portal connecting said wireless mesh network to a disconnected LAN.