Topology system of wireless network with dynamic balance

• US 7,808,959 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpha Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alpha Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Guo, Ming-Wang
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pitt, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US11/724,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20080225809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 370/225, 370/338, 370/235, 370/238, 370/255, 370/326, 370/328, 370/329, 455/453
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a topology system of wireless network with dynamic balance comprising at least one subsidiary topology system of wireless network each having a plurality of access points and only one access point automatically becomes a root access point which operates on a channel different from others, and dynamically generates an unique derivative group ID different from others as the root access point linked with a wired network; other access points not linked with the wired network join one of subsidiary topology systems of wireless network according to loading and dataflow of the subsidiary topology systems of wireless network, and automatically become either a pure access point or an escape access point, dynamically generate an unique derivative group ID same as those linked with other root access points, and operate on a channel same as those linked with other root access points.

Claims

1. A topology system of wireless network with dynamic balance, comprising:

at least a root access point formed automatically by one of a plurality of access points in said topology system when said access point is linked with a wired network, wherein each of said access points is given a default address group ID in advance, said access point which hasn'"'"'t established a link or has been disconnected from a link is turned into an initial access point automatically, and said root access point dynamically generates an unique derivative group ID, operates on a channel different from those of the other root access points after detection and periodically declares status thereof in said wireless network;

at least a pure access point formed automatically after said initial access point establishes a link with another of the plurality of access points having a minimum loading and dataflow according to statuses received from each of said access points which has established a link, wherein said pure access point generates said derivative group ID identical to that of said root access point linked therewith directly or indirectly, operates on said channel identical to that of said root access point linked therewith directly or indirectly, and declares status thereof periodically in said wireless network;

at least an escape access point formed automatically after said initial access point establishes a link with said root access point or said pure access point having a minimum loading and dataflow according to statuses received from said root access point or said pure access point, wherein said default address group ID of said escape access point is different from those of said root access points or said pure access points linked therewith, and said escape access point dynamically and automatically generates said derivative group ID identical to that of said root access point linked therewith, operates on said channel identical to that of said root access point linked therewith, and declares status thereof periodically in said wireless network;

a probe request frame being broadcasted respectively from each of said access points, wherein said status of said access point is embedded in said probe request frame, and an information element is respectively appended to each of said probe request frames and comprises;

an Element ID field for storing an ID of said information element which is different from the other used ID;

a Length field for storing length of said information element, wherein the length is a total amount of bytes counted from the third byte to the last byte of said information element;

a Default Address Group ID field for indicating said default address group ID thereof;

a Current Group ID field for indicating a group ID joined by said access point during operation which enables the other access points to determine whether a specific group exists and operates normally, and said group ID of said specific group is said derivative group ID of said subsidiary topology system which said access point joins;

a Role of AP field which indicates a current role of said access point during operation under said topology system;

a Sequence field which indicates a sequence number of a latest information element known to show existence of said specific group;

a MACofRootAP field which indicates MAC address of said root access point of said specific group;

a Hop Count field which indicates an amount of both wireless and wired links that said access point should pass through to link with a said wired network, wherein one of said links has to be a wired link while the others are wireless links; and

a Service Hop Count field which indicates an amount of said access points not directly linked with said wired network but linked with said wired network through the other access points; and

said root access points and said pure access points linked back-end therewith respectively forming a subsidiary topology system of said wireless network, wherein, said access points of the same subsidiary topology system transmit data through the same channel, and said channels corresponding to the different subsidiary topology systems are different, so that frames of said pure access point are transmitted to said wired network through said root access point having said derivative group ID identical to that of said pure access point.

2. A topology system of wireless network with dynamic balance of claim 1, wherein said Role of AP field is an information mode field for indicating said current role that said access point is playing when transmitting said information element.

3. A topology system of wireless network with dynamic balance of claim 1, wherein a value is added to said Sequence field each time when said root access point sends said probe request frame having said information element, and the other access points in said specific group takes a maximum value of said Sequence field received as a content to be sent.

4. A topology system of wireless network with dynamic balance of claim 1, wherein each of said root access points writes MAC address thereof into said MACofRootAP field while each of said pure access points writes MAC address of said root access point linked therewith into said MACofRootAP field.

5. A topology system of wireless network with dynamic balance of claim 1, wherein said information element further comprises a RunOutofVport field for indicating whether or not said access point is able to establish a new wireless link.

6. A topology system of wireless network with dynamic balance of claim 5, wherein said RunOutofVport field comprises one of the following modes:

a mode representing that said access point is not permitted to establish a new wireless link with the other access points; and

a mode representing that said access point is permitted to establish a wireless link with the other access points, wherein a real time status of network dataflow of said access point must be provided in said RunOutofVport field for the other access points to consider when establishing a wireless link therewith.

7. A topology system of wireless network with dynamic balance of claim 1, wherein said information element further comprises a Channel field for indicating said channel of said specific group.

8. A topology system of wireless network with dynamic balance of claim 1, wherein said information element further comprises an Escape mode field for indicating whether or not said access point is permitted to establish a wireless link with one of the other access points having said default address group IDs different from that of said access point.

9. A topology system of wireless network with dynamic balance of claim 8, wherein said Escape mode field comprises one of the following modes:

a mode representing that said access point is permitted to be said escape access point;

a mode representing that said access point is not permitted to be said escape access point; and

a mode representing that anyone of said access points of said specific group is not permitted to be said escape access point.

10. A topology system of wireless network with dynamic balance of claim 1, wherein said information element further comprises an Unique Selection Link field for indicating that only one of the other access points having a smallest amount in said Hop Count field exists within a signal transmission range of said access point.

11. A topology system of wireless network with dynamic balance of claim 1, wherein said current role indicated in said Role of AP field comprises roles of being said root access point, said pure access point, said initial access point or said escape access point, and said escape access point is linked with said wired network through the other access points having said default address group IDs different from that of said escape access point.

12. A topology system of wireless network with dynamic balance of claim 11, wherein said initial access point automatically detects all of said channels to determine whether or not said topology system exists and, when none of the other access points is detected and said initial access point is not directly linked with said wired network, periodically detects all of said channels to determine whether or not said root access point exists.

13. A topology system of wireless network with dynamic balance of claim 12, wherein, when said initial access point links with said wired network, said initial access point changes status thereof to be said root access point, and operates on said channel having less interference according to a result of detecting said channels used by the other root access points.

14. A topology system of wireless network with dynamic balance of claim 13, wherein said root access point periodically determines whether or not said wired network still exists, and is turned into said initial access point no longer capable of serving said pure access points linked back-end therewith when it is determined that link between said root access point and said wired network is cut.