Radio network system and control node switching method

• US 7,974,184 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2009
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamauchi, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chou; Albert T
• Application Number:
  US12/458,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20100080118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 370/221, 370/216, 370/310
• US Class Current: 370/221
• 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 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update

Abstract

A radio network system and a control node switching method which can improve a reliability of the whole network and improve a wording efficiency. The system includes at least one alternate control node which can be substituted form the control node. The alternate control node monitors an operating state in the control node and discriminates whether or not the operating state is abnormal. When the operating state is determined to be abnormal, the alternate control node sets its own address into a control node address.

Claims

1. A radio network system which includes one control node for setting its own address into a control node address at the time of activating a network, a plurality of general nodes each for setting its own address on the basis of control by said control node when associating with the network and which makes multihop communication of radio data by using each of the addresses between the nodes, and at least one alternate control node that is substitutable for said control node, the alternate control node including:

a control node monitoring component, which monitors an operating state in said control node;

an operating state discriminating component, which discriminates whether or not said operating state is abnormal; and

an upon-abnormality address setting component which sets its own address into said control node address when the operating state discriminating component determines that said operating state is abnormal,

wherein as the monitoring of said operating state, said control node monitoring means monitors a communicating state of the radio data transmitted from said general node to said control node.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein when a radio data packet of a same sequence number has repetitively been transmitted as said radio data, said operating state discriminating means determines that said operating state.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said alternate control node further comprises a normal time address setting component which sets its own address on the basis of the control by said control node when it is determined by said operating state discriminating component that said operating state of said control node is normal.

4. A control mode switching method in a radio network system which includes one control node for setting its own address into a control node address at the time of activating a network and a plurality of general nodes each for setting its own address on the basis of control by said control node when associating with the network and which makes multihop communication of radio data by using each of the addresses between the nodes, comprising:

an alternate control node association control step of allowing at least one alternate control node which can be substituted for said control node to be associated as said general node with the network;

a control node monitoring step of monitoring an operating state in said control node;

an operating state discriminating step of discriminating whether or not said operating state is abnormal; and

an upon-abnormality address setting step of setting an address of said alternate control node into said control node address when the operating state discriminating step determines that said operating state is normal,

wherein said control node monitoring step includes monitoring a communication state of the radio data transmitted from the general node to the control node.

5. A radio network system, which includes one control node for setting its own address into a control node address at the time of activating a network, a plurality of general nodes each for setting its own address on the basis of control by said control node when associating with the network and which makes multihop communication of radio data by using each of the addresses between the nodes, and at least one alternate control node that is substitutable for said control node, the alternate control node including:

a control node monitoring means for monitoring an operating state in said control node;

an operating state discriminating means for discriminating whether or not said operating state is abnormal; and

an upon-abnormality address setting means for setting its own address into said control node address when the operating state discriminating means decides that said operating state is abnormal,

wherein as the monitoring of said operating state, said control node monitoring means monitors a communicating state of the radio data transmitted from said general node to said control node.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein when a radio data packet of a same sequence number has repetitively been transmitted as said radio data, said operating state discriminating means determines that said operating state.

7. A system according to claim 5, wherein said alternate control node further comprises normal time address setting means for setting its own address on the basis of the control by said control node when it is determined by said operating state discriminating means that said operating state of said control node is normal.