Interference mitigation and adaptive routing in wireless ad-hoc packet-switched networks

• US 8,018,840 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2007
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SRI International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SRI International, Inc.
• Inventors: Bellur, Barghav R., Ogier, Richard G., Sastry, Ambatipudi R., Steadman, Karl, Waterston, John
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, PHUC H
• Application Number:
  US11/833,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20070268880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 370216-228, 370242-251
• US Class Current: 370/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/06 based on characteristics of available antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/16 based on interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Described are an apparatus and method for routing packets through a multiple-hop wireless communications network. Interference with packet switched communications carried by radio frequency (RF) over the multiple-hop wireless communications network is detected. In response to information related to the detected interference, a route is adaptively determined for transmitting packets through the multiple-hop wireless communications network that mitigates the effect of the interference on the packets.

Claims

1. A method for use by a node to route packet traffic through a multiple-hop wireless communications network, the method comprising:

detecting an interference in a form of signals that are attempting to interfere with packet-switched communications at the node that are carried by radio frequency (RF) over the multiple-hop wireless communications network;

determining, in response to information related to the detected interference, a route for transmitting packets through the multiple-hop wireless communications network that mitigates an effect of interference on the packets; and

disseminating to other nodes in the multiple-hop wireless communications network an identity of at least one node associated with the interference.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a source of the interference to be a first node in the multiple-hop wireless communications network, and wherein the determined route excludes the first node.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying one or more nodes interfered with by the interference, and wherein the determined route excludes the one or more of the interfered-with nodes.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising approximating a geographical location of a source of the interference, and wherein the determined route excludes one or more nodes near that geographical location.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting the interference includes determining that signals received by a node are of an unauthorized protocol.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting the interference includes determining that an address included in signals received by a node is an address of a known unauthorized source.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting the interference includes determining that a protocol header included in signals received by a node has invalid information.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising operating a protocol at a physical layer of a protocol stack that detects the interference.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the determining the route is performed by a network layer protocol in the protocol stack in response to a notification from the protocol of the physical layer of the interference.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising operating a protocol at a data link layer of a protocol stack that detects the interference.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the determining the route is performed by a network layer protocol in the protocol stack in response to a notification from the protocol of the data link layer of the interference.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising operating a protocol at a network layer of a protocol stack that detects suspicious communication behavior.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the detecting the interference is accomplished by a physical layer protocol of the protocol stack in response to a notification from the protocol of the network layer of the suspicious network behavior.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting an antenna pattern of a node in the multiple-hop wireless communications network in response to detecting the interference.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the adjusting the antenna pattern includes forming a null in the antenna pattern in a direction of the interference.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the identity identifies a source of the interference.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the identity identifies a node in the multiple-hop wireless communications network that is being interfered with by the interference.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a source of the interference to be a node in the multiple-hop wireless communications network, calculating a cost function for a plurality of routes from a sending node to a destination node that exclude the interfering node, and selecting the route with a lowest cost function.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein nodes in the multiple-hop wireless communications network operate according to one of protocols selected from a group comprising of:

IEEE 802.11, BLUETOOTH, HYPERLAN and HOMERF.

20. A method for use by a node to route packet traffic through a multiple-hop wireless communications network, the method comprising:

detecting an interference in a form of signals that are attempting to interfere with packet-switched communications at the node that are carried by radio frequency (RF) over the multiple-hop wireless communications network, wherein the detecting is performed by a protocol operating at at least one of;

a physical layer of a protocol stack, a data link layer of the protocol stack, or a network layer of the protocol stack; and

determining, in response to information related to the detected interference, a route for transmitting packets through the multiple-hop wireless communications network that mitigates an effect of interference on the packets.