Wireless infrastructure and ad hoc network integration
First Claim
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1. A method for an access point (AP), the method comprising:
- intermittently broadcasting, by the AP, a beacon message to be forwarded among a plurality of node devices to solicit joining a zone of the AP;
receiving, by the AP, a reply message in response to the beacon message from a first node device of the plurality of node devices; and
updating, by the AP, a list of node devices in the zone based on the reply message;
wherein the zone of the AP includes second node devices of the plurality of node devices, and each of the second node devices has a default route to the AP through one or more hops.
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Abstract
A system and method for integrating infrastructure and ad hoc wireless networks. In one example embodiment, a plurality of nodes and access points exchange beacons and route replies which are forwarded by intervening nodes. Nodes determine whether to switch access points based on cost values contained in the received beacons. Intervening nodes store routes with weights to the source node, such that the access points maintain weights to every node in their zones.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A method for an access point (AP), the method comprising:
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intermittently broadcasting, by the AP, a beacon message to be forwarded among a plurality of node devices to solicit joining a zone of the AP; receiving, by the AP, a reply message in response to the beacon message from a first node device of the plurality of node devices; and updating, by the AP, a list of node devices in the zone based on the reply message; wherein the zone of the AP includes second node devices of the plurality of node devices, and each of the second node devices has a default route to the AP through one or more hops. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of managing wireless coverage, comprising:
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receiving, by a receiving node, a beacon message; if the beacon message is from a new access point (AP) that is not included in a list of APs of the receiving node, then; adding, by the receiving node, the new AP to the list; computing, by the receiving node, a cost to join a zone of the new AP; and if the cost for the receiving node to join the zone of the new AP is lower by a given threshold than a cost to remain in a zone of another AP, which is already included in the list, then determining, by the receiving node, whether to switch to the zone of the new AP as a default zone; and if the beacon message is from one of the APs in the list other than the new AP, then; updating, by the receiving node, a cost to remain in a zone of said one of the APs based on information contained in the beacon message; and forwarding, by the receiving node, the beacon message with the updated cost if a time-to-live of the beacon message is greater than zero. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method comprising:
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receiving, by a node device, a beacon message transmitted from an access point (AP), wherein the beacon message includes a cost field that is based on a traffic load and a number of nodes in a zone of the AP; if the AP is not included in a list of APs of the node device; determining, by the node device, whether to switch to the zone of the AP; and sending, by the node device, a route reply message to the AP; if the AP is included in the list of APs of the node device; updating, by the node device, the cost field of the beacon message; and sending, by the node device, a route reply message to the AP that is included in the list; wherein the route reply messages provides an updated default route between the receiving node and the AP. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method, comprising:
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receiving, by a first of a plurality of node devices, a beacon message from an access point (AP), the beacon message being configured to solicit joining a zone of the AP; determining, by the first node device, if the AP is new by checking a list of APs of the first node device, wherein the AP is new if not included in the list; and adding, by the first node device, the AP to the list if the AP is determined to be new;
wherein;the beacon message includes a value in a first field indicating a cost for the first node device to join the zone of the AP; and the zone of the AP includes second node devices, of the plurality of node devices and each of the second node devices has a default route to the AP through one or more hops. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method, comprising:
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sending, by a first node device of a plurality of node devices, a plurality of request messages that request a route to a destination node device; receiving, by the first node device, a plurality of reply messages from second node devices of the plurality of node devices and an access point (AP), the reply messages offering a plurality of corresponding routes to the destination node device; and selecting, by the first node device, a route from the offered plurality of routes based at least in part on the reply messages; wherein; each of the reply messages includes a value in a first field indicating a cost to route to the destination node device; and the value, in the first field of the reply message from the AP, is a sum of an initial cost value of the AP and cost values of third node devices of the plurality of node devices on a route through which the reply message is received by the first node device from the AP. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. An article of manufacture, comprising:
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a tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer executable instructions that, if executed by a first node device of a plurality of node devices, cause the first node device to perform operations comprising; determining, in response to receiving a beacon message from an access point (AP) that solicits joining a zone of the AP, if the AP is new by checking a list of APs of the first node device, wherein the AP is determined to be new if not included in the list; and adding the AP to the list if the AP is determined to be new; wherein; the beacon message includes a value in a first field indicating a cost for the first node device to join the zone of the AP; and the zone of the AP includes second node devices of the plurality of node devices and each of the second node devices has a default route to the AP through one or more hops. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An apparatus, comprising:
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a node device that includes; a receiver configured to receive a beacon message, from an access point (AP), that solicits joining a zone of the AP; a processor, coupled with the receiver, configured to; determine if the AP is new by checking a list of APs of the node device, wherein the AP is new if not included in the list; and add the AP to the list if the AP is determined to be new; wherein; the beacon message includes a value in a first field indicating a cost for the node device to join the zone of the AP; and the zone of the AP includes a first group of node devices and each of the first group of node devices has a default route to the AP through one or more hops. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. An apparatus, comprising:
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an access point (AP) device that includes; a transmitter, configured to broadcast a beacon message to be forwarded among a plurality of node devices to solicit joining a zone of the AP device; a receiver, configured to receive a reply message in response to the beacon message from a first node device of the plurality of node devices; and a processor, coupled with the receiver and transmitter, configured to update a list of node devices in the zone of the AP device based on the reply message; wherein the zone of the AP device includes second node devices of the plurality of node devices, and each of the second node devices has a default route to the AP device through one or more hops. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46)
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Specification