Automatic route configuration in hierarchical wireless mesh networks
First Claim
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1. A wireless routing node for use in a hierarchical wireless mesh network, comprising:
- a wireless network interface for communicating with one or more routing nodes;
a processor;
a memory storing an adjacency data structure comprising path information for at least one neighboring routing node;
a routing node application, stored in the memory, comprising instructions operable to cause the processor and the wireless routing node to;
discover neighboring routing nodes;
exchange path information with discovered routing nodes;
determine whether any discovered routing node is not available to be a parent routing node;
select, from the available discovered routing nodes, the wireless routing node'"'"'s own parent routing node based at least in part on the path information;
set a synchronization timer;
perform synchronization with the selected parent routing node;
establish the selected parent routing node as a parent for the wireless routing node in response to synchronization being completed before the synchronization timer times out;
select a new parent routing node in response to the synchronization timer timing out prior to completion of synchronization;
wherein to discover neighboring routing nodes and exchange path metric information, the routing node application further comprises instructions operable to cause the processor and the wireless routing node to transmit neighbor request messages; and
receive neighbor response messages from neighboring routing nodes;
wherein a neighbor response message transmitted from a first routing node includes a first throughput metric indicative of the throughput of the most constrained link in a path from the first routing node to the root routing node; and
wherein the routing node application further comprises instructions operable to cause the processor and the wireless routing node to compute a second throughput metric indicative of the throughput of the link between the wireless routing node and the first routing node; and
store the lesser of the first and second throughput metric in the entry of the adjacency data structure corresponding to the first routing node.
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Abstract
Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to routing configuration in a hierarchical wireless mesh network. In one implementation, the present invention uses neighbor messages to allow routing nodes to discover one another and configure a hierarchical routing configuration. In one implementation, the present invention provides a neighbor and adjacency protocol that provides for automatic mesh configuration and loop-free mesh topologies.
81 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A wireless routing node for use in a hierarchical wireless mesh network, comprising:
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a wireless network interface for communicating with one or more routing nodes; a processor; a memory storing an adjacency data structure comprising path information for at least one neighboring routing node; a routing node application, stored in the memory, comprising instructions operable to cause the processor and the wireless routing node to; discover neighboring routing nodes; exchange path information with discovered routing nodes; determine whether any discovered routing node is not available to be a parent routing node; select, from the available discovered routing nodes, the wireless routing node'"'"'s own parent routing node based at least in part on the path information; set a synchronization timer; perform synchronization with the selected parent routing node; establish the selected parent routing node as a parent for the wireless routing node in response to synchronization being completed before the synchronization timer times out; select a new parent routing node in response to the synchronization timer timing out prior to completion of synchronization;
wherein to discover neighboring routing nodes and exchange path metric information, the routing node application further comprises instructions operable to cause the processor and the wireless routing node to transmit neighbor request messages; and
receive neighbor response messages from neighboring routing nodes;
wherein a neighbor response message transmitted from a first routing node includes a first throughput metric indicative of the throughput of the most constrained link in a path from the first routing node to the root routing node; and
wherein the routing node application further comprises instructions operable to cause the processor and the wireless routing node to compute a second throughput metric indicative of the throughput of the link between the wireless routing node and the first routing node; and
store the lesser of the first and second throughput metric in the entry of the adjacency data structure corresponding to the first routing node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. In a wireless routing node operable in a hierarchal mesh network, the hierarchical mesh network comprising a root routing node, a method comprising:
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discovering neighboring routing nodes; exchanging path information with the discovered neighboring routing nodes, wherein the path information comprises signal attribute information corresponding to the respective links between the wireless routing node and the discovered neighboring routing nodes, and routing information characterizing the path from a given routing node to the root routing node; determining whether any discovered routing node is not available to be a parent routing node; and selecting, based on the path information, the wireless routing node'"'"'s own parent routing node from the available discovered routing nodes; setting a synchronization timer; performing synchronization with the selected parent routing node; establishing the selected parent routing node as a parent for the wireless routing node in response to synchronization being completed before the synchronization timer times out; selecting a new parent routing node in response to the synchronization timer timing out prior to completion of synchronization;
transmitting neighbor request messages; and
receiving neighbor response messages from neighboring routing nodes;
wherein a neighbor response message transmitted from a first routing node includes a first throughput metric indicative of the throughput of the most constrained link in a path from the first routing node to the root routing node; and
wherein the method further comprises computing a second throughput metric indicative of the throughput of the link between the wireless routing node and the first routing node; and
storing the lesser of the first and second throughput metric in the entry of the adjacency data structure corresponding to the first routing node. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A wireless routing node for use in a hierarchical wireless mesh network, comprising:
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means for wirelessly communicating with one or more routing nodes; means for discovering neighboring routing nodes; means for exchanging path information with the discovered neighboring routing nodes, wherein the path information comprises signal attribute information corresponding to the respective links between the wireless routing node and the discovered neighboring routing nodes, and routing information characterizing the path from a given routing node to the root routing node; means for determining whether any discovered routing node is not available to be a parent routing node; and means for selecting, based on the path information, the wireless routing node'"'"'s own parent routing node from the available discovered routing nodes; means for setting a synchronization timer; means for performing synchronization with the selected parent routing node; means for establishing the selected parent routing node as a parent for the wireless routing node in response to synchronization being completed before the synchronization timer times out; means for selecting a new parent routing node in response to the synchronization timer timing out prior to completion of synchronization;
wherein to discover neighboring routing nodes and exchange path metric information, the routing node application further comprises instructions operable to cause the processor and the wireless routing node to transmit neighbor request messages; and
receive neighbor response messages from neighboring routing nodes;
wherein a neighbor response message transmitted from a first routing node includes a first throughput metric indicative of the throughput of the most constrained link in a path from the first routing node to the root routing node; and
wherein the routing node application further comprises instructions operable to cause the processor and the wireless routing node to compute a second throughput metric indicative of the throughput of the link between the wireless routing node and the first routing node; and
store the lesser of the first and second throughput metric in the entry of the adjacency data structure corresponding to the first routing node.
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Specification