High performance wireless networks using distributed control

• US 7,885,243 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dynamic MESH Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mesh Dynamics Incorporated
• Inventors: da Costa, Francis, Dayanandan, Sriram
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US12/154,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20090040989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/450, 455/502, 455/507, 370/319, 370/321, 370/328, 370/338, 370/336, 370/442, 370/445
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5087 wherein the managed service relates to voice services management of VoIP services H04M7/0081
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

A design and proof of concept of a new type of WLAN, complete with simulation and results from the simulation has been described. Each AP Node is implemented as a self-contained embedded OS unit, with all algorithms resident in its Operating system. The normal day-to-day functioning of the AP node is based entirely on resident control algorithms. Upgrades are possible through a simple secure communications interface supported by the OS kernel for each AP node. Benefits provided by a wireless network, as proposed in this invention, are that: it installs out of the box; the network is self-configuring; the network is redundant in that mesh network formalism is supported, ensuring multiple paths; load balancing is supported; there is no single point of failure; allows for decentralized execution; there is a central control; it is network application aware; there is application awareness; there is automatic channel allocation to manage and curtail RF interference, maximize non interference bandwidth and enable seamless roaming between adjoining wireless sub networks (BSS) and it supports the wireless equivalent for switching—for seamless roaming requirements.

Claims

1. A wireless mesh network comprising:

an access server wherein the access server sets one or more functioning parameters of the wireless mesh network;

one or more root nodes connected to said access server and an external network;

one or more AP nodes wherein each AP node is in wireless two-way data communication with an associated parent node wherein said associated parent node is selected from all available parent nodes wherein an available parent node is another AP node within wireless communication range of the AP node and the associated parent node is an available parent node meeting one or more communication criteria or the associated parent node is a root node within wireless communication range;

wherein an AP node is in wireless communication with zero or more clients; and

wherein an AP node includes a means for switching two-way data communication from a first associated parent node to a second associated parent node based on the functioning parameters of the wireless mesh network and wherein an AP node contains one or more datasets;

wherein the communication criteria comprises instructions for the AP node to select the associated parent node wherein an available parent node is selected to become the associated parent node if the available parent node is in wireless communication with a root node or if a root node is contained in the available parent node'"'"'s route path dataset;

wherein one of the datasets contained in an AP node comprises a route path dataset comprising an identifier for the associated parent node appended to the route path dataset for the associated parent node; and

wherein one of the datasets contained in the AP node comprises an amount of AP data traffic wherein the amount of AP data traffic comprises the amount of data exchanged between the AP node and the zero or more clients in communication with the node and wherein another of the datasets contained in the AP node comprises a maximum capacity amount of the AP node.

2. The wireless mesh network of claim 1 wherein one of the datasets contained in the AP node comprises a cost to connect and said cost to connect is calculated using the level of network congestion experienced by the available parent node.

3. The wireless mesh network of claim 1 wherein the communication criteria comprises instructions for the AP node to select the associated parent node wherein the cost to connect of the associated parent is the lowest of all available parent nodes.

4. The wireless mesh network of claim 1 wherein the communication criteria comprises instructions for the AP node to associate with an available parent node wherein the amount of AP data traffic is less than the sum of the maximum capacity amount of the available parent node and the available parent amount of AP data traffic.

5. The wireless mesh network of claim 4 wherein the communication criteria comprises instructions for the AP node to associate with a single suitable parent node wherein a parent node is suitable if the throughput capacity of the parent node is the highest of all available parent nodes.

6. The wireless mesh network of claim 1 wherein one of the datasets contained in an AP node comprises a throughput capacity of the AP node.

7. The wireless mesh network of claim 1 wherein the means for switching two-way data communications selects the second associated parent node when the first associated parent node amount of AP data traffic approaches the parent node maximum capacity amount within a congestion value set by the access server.

8. The wireless mesh network of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication with clients includes a means to adjust a signal strength of the AP node wireless communication with clients and wherein the means for adjusting the signal strength of the AP node decreases the signal strength of the AP node when the amount of data sent from the zero or more clients exceeds a data congestion threshold value.

9. A wireless mesh network comprising:

an access server wherein the access server sets one or more functioning parameters of the wireless mesh network;

one or more root nodes connected to said access server and an external network;

one or more AP nodes wherein each AP node is in wireless two-way data communication with an associated parent node wherein said associated parent node is selected from all available parent nodes wherein an available parent node is another AP node within wireless communication range of the AP node and the associated parent node is an available parent node meeting one or more communication criteria or the associated parent node is a root node within wireless communication range;

wherein an AP node is in wireless communication with zero or more clients; and

wherein an AP node includes a means for switching two-way data communication from a first associated parent node to a second associated parent node based on the functioning parameters of the wireless mesh network and wherein an AP node contains one or more datasets

wherein one of the datasets contained in an AP node comprises a route path dataset comprising an identifier for the associated parent node appended to the route path dataset for the associated parent node

wherein the communication criteria comprises instructions for the AP node to select the associated parent node wherein an available parent node is selected to become the associated parent node if the available parent node is in wireless communication with a root node or if a root node is contained in the available parent node'"'"'s route path dataset; and

wherein one of the datasets contained in an AP node comprises a dataset of child node identifiers wherein the dataset of child node identifiers is a dataset identifying each AP node in wireless communication with the AP.

10. The wireless mesh network of claim 9 wherein the dataset of child node identifiers is accessible to each child node.

11. The wireless mesh network of claim 10 wherein the AP node dataset of child nodes contains two or more child nodes wherein the zero or more clients in communication with a first child node sends data wherein a destination of the data is a second child node, the first child node sends the data directly to the second child node.

12. A wireless mesh network comprising:

an access server wherein the access server sets one or more functioning parameters of the wireless mesh network;

one or more root nodes connected to said access server and an external network;

one or more AP nodes wherein each AP node is in wireless two-way data communication with an associated parent node wherein said associated parent node is selected from all available parent nodes wherein an available parent node is another AP node within wireless communication range of the AP node and the associated parent node is an available parent node meeting one or more communication criteria or the associated parent node is a root node within wireless communication range;

wherein an AP node is in wireless communication with zero or more clients; and

wherein an AP node includes a means for switching two-way data communication from a first associated parent node to a second associated parent node based on the functioning parameters of the wireless mesh network and wherein an AP node contains one or more datasets

wherein one of the datasets contained in an AP node comprises a route path dataset comprising an identifier for the associated parent node appended to the route path dataset for the associated parent node

wherein the communication criteria comprises instructions for the AP node to select the associated parent node wherein an available parent node is selected to become the associated parent node if the available parent node is in wireless communication with a root node or if a root node is contained in the available parent node'"'"'s route path dataset; and

wherein the communication criteria further comprises instructions for the AP node to associate with a single suitable parent node wherein the route path dataset of the parent node is the shortest route path dataset of all available parent nodes.

13. A wireless mesh network comprising:

an access server wherein the access server sets one or more functioning parameters of the wireless mesh network;

one or more root nodes connected to said access server and an external network;

one or more AP nodes wherein each AP node is in wireless two-way data communication with an associated parent node wherein said associated parent node is selected from all available parent nodes wherein an available parent node is another AP node within wireless communication range of the AP node and the associated parent node is an available parent node meeting one or more communication criteria or the associated parent node is a root node within wireless communication range;

wherein an AP node is in wireless communication with zero or more clients; and

wherein an AP node includes a means for switching two-way data communication from a first associated parent node to a second associated parent node based on the functioning parameters of the wireless mesh network and wherein an AP node contains one or more datasets

wherein one of the datasets contained in an AP node comprises a route path dataset comprising an identifier for the associated parent node appended to the route path dataset for the associated parent node

wherein the communication criteria comprises instructions for the AP node to select the associated parent node wherein an available parent node is selected to become the associated parent node if the available parent node is in wireless communication with a root node or if a root node is contained in the available parent node'"'"'s route path dataset; and

wherein the access server functioning parameters includes a latency modifier wherein the AP node means for switching from the first associated parent node to a second associated parent node result in selection of the second associated parent wherein the route path of the second associated parent node is shorter than the first associated route path by a value related to the latency modifier.