Multi-node communication system and method of requesting, reporting and collecting destination-node-based measurements and route-based measurements

• US 7,738,859 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2006
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tomici, John L., Roy, Vincent, Zaki, Maged, Lu, Guang
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao; Minh D
• Application Number:
  US11/370,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20060230238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/432.2, 455/466, 455/411, 455/433, 455/436, 709/246, 370/259, 370/260, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/122 by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A multi-node communication system and method used to request, report and collect destination-node-based measurements and route-based measurements is disclosed. The communication system may be a mesh network including a plurality of mesh points (MPs). In one embodiment, a destination-node-based measurement request is sent to one or more destination nodes via destination-unicast, destination-multicast, or destination-broadcast, using routes specified via next-hop-unicast, next-hop-multicast, or next-hop-broadcast addressing. In another embodiment, a source node sends a measurement request message to a final destination node, whereby each node along the route individually sends a measurement report message to the source node. Alternatively, measurement results of each node are combined and appended to the measurement request message, and a measurement report message including the combined measurement results is sent to the source node.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting a message in a wireless mesh network, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a first wireless mesh point (MWP), that includes a source address of the first WMP, a destination address of a second WMP, a receiver address field that includes a first receiver address, a transmitter address field that includes a first transmitter address of the first WMP, and a value equal to the maximum number of next-hop addresses field;

updating the message by decrementing the value equal to the maximum number of next-hop addresses, by updating the receiver address field in the message with a second receiver address, and by updating the transmitter address field in the message with the first receiver address; and

transmitting the updated message to the second WMP.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the message further comprises a destination count field, that includes a number of destinations contained in the message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the updated message is transmitted to at least one other intermediate node.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the destination address is a media access control (MAC) address.

5. A method of forwarding a message in a wireless mesh network, the method comprising:

receiving, at an intermediate node, a message from a first wireless mesh point (WMP), that includes a source address of the first WMP, a destination address of a second WMP, a receiver address field that includes a first receiver address, a transmitter address field that includes a first transmitter address of the first WMP, and a value equal to the maximum number of next-hop addresses field;

updating the message by decrementing the value equal to the maximum number of next-hop addresses, by determining a second receiver address, by updating the receiver address field in the message with the second receiver address, and by updating the transmitter address field in the message with the first receiver address; and

forwarding the updated message to the second WMP.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

transmitting the updated message to at least one other intermediate node.

7. A wireless mesh point (WMP), the WMP comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a message from a first WMP, that includes a source address of the first WMP, a destination address of a second WMP, a receiver address field that includes a first receiver address, a transmitter address field that includes a first transmitter address of the first WMP, and a value equal to the maximum number of next-hop addresses field;

a processor configured to update the message by decrementing the value equal to the maximum number of next-hop addresses, updating the receiver address field in the message with a second receiver address, and updating the transmitter address field in the message with the first receiver address; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the updated message to the second WMP.

8. The MP of claim 7 wherein the message further includes a destination count field that includes a number of destinations contained in the message.

9. The MP of claim 7 wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the updated message to an intermediate node.

10. The MP of claim 7 wherein the destination address is a media access control (MAC) address.

11. A wireless mesh point (WMP), the WMP comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a message from a first WMP, that includes a source address of the first WMP, a destination address of a second WMP, a receiver address field that includes a first receiver address, a transmitter address field that includes a first transmitter address of the first WMP, and a value equal to the maximum number of next-hop addresses field;

a processor configured to update the message by decrementing the value of the maximum number of next-hop address, by determining a second receiver address, by updating the receiver address field in the message with the second receiver address, and by updating the transmitter address field in the message with the first receiver address; and

a transmitter configured to forward the updated message to the second WMP.

12. The MP of claim 11 wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the updated message to at least one other intermediate node.