Fault reporting tag for mesh access points

• US 7,843,807 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thomson, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Moe; Aung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rose; Kerri M
• Application Number:
  US11/689,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20080232259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 370216-220, 370/225, 370/228, 370/241, 370/242, 370/245, 714/100, 714/1, 714/2, 714/25, 714/27, 714/30, 714/31, 714/43, 714/45, 714/48, 714/56, 702/108
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Mesh access point fault reporting. In particular implementations, a method includes receiving a fault indication indicating one or more failures; collecting fault data related to the one or more failures or a state of the mesh access point; and passing the fault data to the RFID tag, which wirelessly transmits messages relating to the fault.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory;

a wireless network interface; and

an RFID tag application, physically stored in the memory, comprising instructions operable to cause the one or more processors to;

receive data from a wireless access point;

detect one or more access point failures;

generate, responsive to one or more detected failures, a fault report; and

transmit one or more wireless fault report messages including the fault report,

wherein an access point failure is detected by detecting heartbeat messages from the wireless access point;

if the heartbeat messages are not detected for a threshold time period, determining whether the wireless access point is rebooting; and

if the wireless mesh access point is not re-booting, transmitting the one or more fault report messages.

2. The RFID tag of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag application is operative to:

store the fault data in persistent memory; and

query one or more components of the wireless access point for state information and status information.

3. The RFID tag of claim 1 wherein the fault report messages comprise one or more aspects of identification data, configuration data, or fault data.

4. A method comprising:

receiving, at a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, data from a wireless access point;

detecting one or more access point failures;

generating, responsive to one or more detected failures, a fault report; and

transmitting one or more wireless fault report messages including the fault report;

wherein the detecting the one or more access point failures comprises detecting heartbeat messages from the wireless access point;

if the heartbeat messages are not detected for a threshold time period, determining whether the wireless access point is rebooting; and

if the wireless mesh access point is not re-booting, transmitting the one or more fault report messages.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

storing the fault data in persistent memory; and

querying one or more components of the wireless access point for state information and status information.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the fault report messages comprise one or more aspects of identification data, configuration data, or fault data.