System and method for using per-packet receive signal strength indication and transmit power levels to compute path loss for a link for use in layer II routing in a wireless communication network

• US 7,672,246 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MeshNetworks, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stanforth, Peter J., Hasty, William Vann Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, MAN U
• Application Number:
  US11/360,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20060159038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 370216-342, 370349-350, 455432-524, 455 63- 67
• US Class Current: 370/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/08 based on transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/28 for reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/24 using SIR [Signal to Interference Ratio] or other wireless path parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method for evaluating at least one communication link between a transmitting node and a receiving node in a communications network. The system and method perform the operation of assigning respective link quality values to the respective communication links based on a transmit power level (TPL) value at which the respective data packets were transmitted by the transmitting node over the respective links, a received sensitivity (RS) value of the receiving node receiving the data packets, and a receive signal strength indication (RSSI) value provided by the network for each respective link. Based on the link quality values, the system and method can determine whether additional data packets are to be sent by the transmitting node to the receiving node via the communication link. Specifically, the link having the highest link quality value is selected.

Claims

1. A node operating within a communications network, for evaluating at least one of a plurality of communication links between said node and an other node in the communications network, said node comprising:

a controller for

assigning a link quality value to said at least one communication link on a per packet basis based on a transmit power level (TPL) value at which a data packet was transmitted by said other node, a received sensitivity (RS) value of said node receiving said data packet, and a receive signal strength indication (RSSI) value provided by said network; and

selecting one of said communication links as a selected route via which additional data packets are to be sent by said other node to said node via said communication link based on said link quality value.

2. A node as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a packet analyzer for examining a content of a data packet being sent between said two nodes to determine said TPL.

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

said controller receives said RSSI value from a physical layer of said communications network.

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

said controller determines whether additional data packets are to be sent by said other node to said node via said communication link based on said link quality value.

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

said network includes an ad-hoc wireless communications network; and

said controller assigns said link quality value to said communication link between said other node and said node which are each wireless nodes in said ad-hoc wireless communications network.

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

said controller maintains an average of the link quality value.

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

said controller selects as said selected route one of said communications links having the highest link quality value.

15. A node as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said node is a receiving node and said other node is a transmitting node.

8. A method for evaluating at least one of a plurality of communication links between a first node and a second node in a communications network, the method comprising:

assigning a link quality value to said at least one communication link on a per packet basis based on a transmit power level (TPL) value at which a data packet was transmitted by said second node, a received sensitivity (RS) value of said first node receiving said data packet, and a receive signal strength indication (RSSI) value provided by said network; and

selecting one of said communication links as a selected route via which additional data packets are to be sent by said other node to said node via said communication link based on said link quality value.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

examining a content of a data packet being sent between said two nodes to determine said TPL.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

receiving said RSSI value from a physical layer of said communications network.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether additional data packets are to be sent by said second node to said first node via said communication link based on said link quality value.

12. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

said network includes an ad-hoc wireless communications network; and

said assigning assigns said link quality value to said communication link between said second and first nodes which are each wireless nodes in said ad-hoc wireless communications network.

13. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

maintaining an average of the link quality value.

14. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

said selecting selects as said selected route one of said communications links having the highest link quality value.

16. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein, said first node is a receiving node and said second node is a transmitting node.