Mesh based/tower based network

• US 7,706,320 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Landis+Gyr Inc. (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Hunt Technologies LLC (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Inventors: Davis, James S., Meek, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost; Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): THAO, CHHEAN K
• Application Number:
  US11/588,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20070116021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/401, 370/254, 370/310, 370/332, 370/325, 370/328, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 370/325
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/16 based on interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location

Abstract

Included are embodiments for providing communications services. At least one embodiment includes a first communications component configured to receive data from a first communications device and a second communications component configured to send at least a portion of the received data to a second communications device.

Claims

1. A method for communicating data between a communications device and an elevated communications point, comprising the steps of:

selecting by the elevated communications point one or more communications devices geographically dispersed from the elevated communications point and having a communication indicator value that meets a predetermined threshold to be first layer communications devices;

determining whether one or more of the first layer communications devices can facilitate communications with at least one additional communications device that is not a first layer communications device;

determining by the elevated communications point a potential routing scheme for communicating data between the elevated communications point, a first layer communications device, and a recipient communications device that is not a first layer communications device;

transmitting from the elevated communications point to a first layer communications device according to the potential routing scheme data intended for receipt by the recipient communications device that is thereafter retransmitted by the first layer communications device; and

amending the potential routing scheme by a communications device contained in the potential routing scheme upon receipt of the data to optimize a communications path to the recipient communications device,

wherein the elevated communications point further comprises at least one cost setting, where signals below the at least one cost setting are rejected at the elevated communications point and where signals above the at least one cost setting are accepted at the elevated communications point, the at least one cost setting being set intermittently based on changing propagation and interference patterns, and

wherein a predetermined number of the one or more communications devices is maintained by the elevated communications point at a percentile of the one or more communication devices having the highest signal strength values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold is established in correlation with communication indicator values received from a plurality of communications devices so a predetermined percentage of communications devices having a higher communication indicator values are selected as first layer communication devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold is the top five percent of communication indicator values for communications devices capable of communicating with the elevated communications point.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold is established as a predetermined percentage of communication indicator values for communications devices capable of communicating with the elevated communications point so as to optimize the integrity of communication links with first layer communications devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the elevated communications point is located at least fifty times higher from the ground than an average height off the ground of a number of communications devices communicably coupled to the elevated communication point.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

identifying a channel of communication of a plurality of channels of communication as not preferred for communication; and

instructing by the elevated communications point each of the first layer communications devices to transmit data to the elevated communications point on selected channels of communication that excludes the channel not preferred for communication.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the elevated communication point has a wireless communicable range of approximately 10 miles.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining by the elevated communications point that interference meets a predetermined level; and

in response to determining by the elevated communications point that interference meets a predetermined level, transferring to a different first layer communications device the transmission from the elevated communications point, the different first layer communications device being able to receive the transmission from the elevated communications point and the different first layer communications device being able to send the transmission to at least one additional communications device that is not a first layer communications device.

8. A system for communicating data, comprising:

a base node located at an elevated position and configured to transmit and receive data wirelessly;

a plurality of communication devices geographically dispersed from the base node and capable to transmit and receive data wirelessly with other communication devices and the base node if positioned within a range of communication;

a first logical layer of communication devices selected from the plurality of communication devices by the base node, the first logical layer of communication devices having a signal strength indicator value within a predetermined percentile range of communication devices in the plurality of communication devices and one or more additional communication devices not on the first logical layer within a communication range;

one or more additional logical layers of communications devices each having at least one wireless communicable path to the base node through one communication device on the first logical layer of communication devices; and

a data transmission transmitted from the base node to a target communication device on one of the one or more additional logical layers of communication devices via one communication device on the first logical layer of communication devices, the data transmission containing predetermined routing information for routing the data transmission to the target communication device, wherein a communication device that receives the data transmission is configured to amend the routing information for routing the data transmission to the target device if communicating with the target device can be optimized by the communication device making the amendment to the routing information,

wherein the base node initiates a potential routing scheme for communicating data between the base node, the first logical layer of communications devices, and the one or more additional logical layers of communications devices, the base node further comprising at least one cost setting, where signals below the at least one cost setting are rejected at the base node and where signals above the at least one cost setting are accepted at the base node, the at least one cost setting being set intermittently based on changing propagation and interference patterns,

wherein the base node further comprises at least one cost setting, where signals below the at least one cost setting are rejected at the base node and where signals above the at least one cost setting are accepted at the base node, the at least one cost setting being set intermittently based on changing propagation and interference patterns, and

wherein a predetermined number of the plurality of communication devices is maintained by the base node at a percentile of the plurality of communication devices having the highest signal strength values.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the predetermined percentile is about five percent.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the predetermined percentile is established in correlation to a value that optimizes the integrity of wireless communication between the base node and the communication devices on the first logical layer of communications devices.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the base node is elevated from the ground at a height that is at least fifty times higher in relationship to an average height from the ground of the plurality of communications devices.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the base node identifies a communication channel that is not preferred for communication and instructs each communication device on the first layer of communication devices to communicate with the base node on a communication channel other than the communication channel not preferred for communication.

13. A method for a mesh network having an elevated access node, comprising the steps of:

establishing a predetermined number of qualified nodes from a plurality of communication nodes geographically dispersed from the elevated access node for direct two-way wireless communication with the elevated access node, whereby at least one communication node within the communicable range of the access node is rejected as a qualified node;

determining whether one or more of the qualified nodes can facilitate communications with at least one additional communications node that is not a qualified node;

determining at the access node a potential routing scheme for communicating data between the access node, a qualified node, and a target communications node, the access node further comprising at least one cost setting, wherein a signal meeting the at least one cost setting is accepted at the access node, the at least one cost setting being set intermittently based on changing propagation and interference patterns;

transmitting from the access node to a qualified node according to the potential routing scheme data intended for receipt by the target node that is thereafter retransmitted by the qualified node;

amending the potential routing scheme by a communications node identified in the potential routing scheme upon receipt of the data to optimize a communications path to the target node;

determining by the access node that interference meets a predetermined level; and

in response to determining by the access node that interference meets a predetermined level, transferring to a different qualified node the transmission from the access node, the different qualified node configured to receive the transmission from the access node and the different qualified node configured to send the transmission to at least one additional communications node that is not a qualified node,

wherein the elevated access node further comprises at least one cost setting, where signals below the at least one cost setting are rejected at the elevated access node and where signals above the at least one cost setting are accepted at the elevated access node, the at least one cost setting being set intermittently based on changing propagation and interference patterns, and

wherein the predetermined number of qualified nodes is maintained by the elevated access node at a percentile of the plurality of communication nodes having the highest signal strength values.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the elevated access node is elevated from the ground at a height that is at least fifty times higher in relationship to an average height from the ground of the plurality of communications nodes.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the elevated access node identifies a communication channel that is not preferred for communication and instructs each qualified node to communicate with the elevated access node on a communication channel other than the communication channel not preferred for communication.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the elevated access node has a communicable range of approximately 10 miles.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein a signal not meeting the at least one cost setting is not accepted at the access node.