Multi-channel mesh network

• US 7,769,040 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ABB Power Grids Switzerland AG (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Tropos Networks Incorporated (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Srikrishna, Devabhaktuni, Chari, Amalavoyal
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Salman
• Application Number:
  US12/378,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20090154389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 370/408, 370/406, 370/392, 370/218, 370/238, 370/401, 370/410, 370/432, 370/458, 370/486, 370/256, 370/352, 370/330, 370/338, 455/25, 455/63.4, 455/431, 455/446, 455/12.1, 455/277.1, 455/456.1, 455/447
• US Class Current: 370/432
• 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 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/20 Hop count for routing purposes, e.g. TTL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/10 based on available power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/26 for hybrid routing by combining proactive and reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/30 for proactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/32 for defining a routing cluster membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A method of selecting at least one routing path between an access node and a gateway is provided. The method includes the access node receiving over a plurality of channels, indicators from at least one upstream access node, the indicators providing information of selected upstream paths between each of the upstream access nodes and upstream gateways. The access node determines an optimal set of routing paths between the access node and at least one upstream gateway, based upon the indicators, the optimal set of routing paths including a combination of paths over multiple channels.

Claims

1. A method of routing data packets through a wireless mesh network, the mesh network comprising at least one gateway and a plurality of access nodes, the method comprising:

each gateway originating and simultaneously broadcasting beacons with a plurality of radios over a plurality of channels, each channel different from other of the plurality of channels, the beacons being broadcast by each of the radios over each of the plurality of channels at a predetermined rate;

each access node simultaneously receiving over a plurality of channels, beacons over a plurality of radios from at least one upstream device;

if the at least one upstream device is an upstream access node, the beacons providing information of selected upstream paths between each of the upstream access nodes and upstream gateways; and

each access node determining an optimal set of routing paths between the access node and at least one upstream gateway, based upon a persistence of successfully received indicators, the optimal set of routing paths including a combination of paths over multiple different channels;

each access node simultaneously re-broadcasting beacons with the plurality of access node radios, the re-broadcast beacons corresponding to the selected routing path, over each of the plurality of channels, the rebroadcast beacons modified by the access node to include information of the selected routing path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of channels comprises transmission channels according to at least one of 802.11(a), 802.11(b), 802.11(g), 802.11(n) transmission protocols.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the beacons are retransmitted by the upstream access nodes after the beacons have been modified to include selected upstream routing information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selected upstream paths between each upstream access node and upstream gateways can include a combination of paths, over multiple channels.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the access node transmitting a modified beacons over a plurality of channels, the modified beacons including the selected routing path between the access node and the at least one upstream gateway.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising

sending a reverse beacon to the gateway;

and

constructing a client tree in the gateway, wherein the gateway has at least one path including multiple channels to all clients.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the access node simultaneously re-broadcasting beacons corresponding to the selected routing path, over each of the plurality of channels comprises:

the access node adjusting a link quality and path quality associated with the received beacons based on whether beacons are received within a routing cycle;

the access node retransmitting modified beacons over each of the plurality of channels if the path quality is above a threshold.