Node repair in a mesh network

• US 7,680,041 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2007
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zensys A/S (Sigma Designs Incorporated)
• Inventors: Johansen, Niels Thybo
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYUN, SOON D
• Application Number:
  US11/684,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20070286205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• 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: H04L 45/26 Route discovery packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/28 for reactive routing

Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for sensing a change in a network topology using a discovery node in a mesh network; transmitting an explore frame, based at least in part on the sensed change, from the discovery node to a destination node using an intermediate node; receiving a response to the explore frame from the destination node; determining at least one functional network route from the discovery node to the destination node based at least in part on route information received in association with the response to the explore frame, wherein the route information includes a node path; and transmitting an instruction to the destination node from the discovery node based on a reverse node path.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sensing a change in a network topology using a discovery node in a mesh network and a central network topology server;

transmitting an explore frame, based at least in part on the sensed change, from the discovery node to a destination node using an intermediate node;

receiving a response to the explore frame from the destination node;

determining at least one functional network route from the discovery node to the destination node based at least in part on route information received in association with the response to the explore frame, wherein the route information includes a node path;

transmitting the route information to the central network topology server;

receiving network topology data from the central network topology server; and

transmitting an instruction to the destination node from the discovery node based on a reverse node path;

wherein

the change in network topology is due to at least one of a change of a device'"'"'s location and a device failure.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of initiating a rediscovery protocol wherein a plurality of functional network routes from the discovery node to the destination node are established and stored in association with the discovery node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate node is a plurality of intermediate nodes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the change in network topology further comprises a network route failure.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the change in network topology is associated with a user request to determine a current network topology of the mesh network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the explore frame includes information identifying it as a source routed frame.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the explore frame is transmitted through the mesh network using a flooding algorithm.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the discovery node receives a plurality of explore frames.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mesh network includes a node identifier for each node in the mesh network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the route information includes all possible routes from the discovery node to the destination node.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the node path comprises an ordering and identification of nodes through which the response to the explore frame travels from the destination node to the discovery node.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the reverse node path is the ordering of nodes in a route that enables transmission between the discovery node and the destination node.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated network topology is stored at the discovery node.

14. A system comprising:

a sense facility for sensing a change in a network topology using a discovery node in a mesh network and a central network topology server;

a transmission facility for transmitting an explore frame, based at least in part on the sensed change, from the discovery node to a destination node using an intermediate node;

a reception facility for receiving a response to the explore frame from the destination node;

a determination facility for determining at least one functional network route from the discovery node to the destination node based at least in part on route information received in association with the response to the explore frame, wherein the route information includes a node path and for transmitting the route information to the central network topology server; and

a second transmission facility for receiving network topology data from the central network topology server and for transmitting an instruction to the destination node from the discovery node based on a reverse node path, wherein the change in network topology is due to at least one of a change of a device'"'"'s location and a device failure.