System and method for synchronizing TDMA mesh networks
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A communications system, comprising:
- first and second Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) mesh networks, each comprising a plurality of wireless nodes;
each node of the plurality of wireless nodes within respective first and second TDMA mesh networks comprising a transmitter and receiver that communicate on a primary and at least one secondary frequency and use a TDMA epoch that is divided into at least a beacon interval using the primary frequency and a digital data interval using both the primary and secondary frequencies, wherein the wireless nodes in first and second TDMA mesh networks are synchronized to each other such that a start of TDMA epoch in the first TDMA mesh network overlaps with the start of a TDMA epoch in the second TDMA network and each have the same TDMA epoch duration or an integer multiple thereof and an unused digital data secondary frequency TDMA usage for the second TDMA mesh network falls into an unused portion of the secondary frequency usage map of the first TDMA mesh network.
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Abstract
A communications system includes a plurality of Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) mesh networks formed by a plurality of wireless nodes. Each plurality of wireless nodes within a respective TDMA mesh network comprises a transmitter and receiver that communicate on a primary and optionally at least one secondary frequency and use a TDMA epoch that is divided into at least a beacon interval using the primary frequency and a digital data interval using the primary and secondary frequencies. The wireless nodes are synchronized to each other such that the start of TDMA epochs for each TDMA mesh network overlap and have the same TDMA epoch duration or an integer multiple thereof.
42 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A communications system, comprising:
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first and second Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) mesh networks, each comprising a plurality of wireless nodes; each node of the plurality of wireless nodes within respective first and second TDMA mesh networks comprising a transmitter and receiver that communicate on a primary and at least one secondary frequency and use a TDMA epoch that is divided into at least a beacon interval using the primary frequency and a digital data interval using both the primary and secondary frequencies, wherein the wireless nodes in first and second TDMA mesh networks are synchronized to each other such that a start of TDMA epoch in the first TDMA mesh network overlaps with the start of a TDMA epoch in the second TDMA network and each have the same TDMA epoch duration or an integer multiple thereof and an unused digital data secondary frequency TDMA usage for the second TDMA mesh network falls into an unused portion of the secondary frequency usage map of the first TDMA mesh network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A communications system, comprising:
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first and second Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) mesh networks, each comprising a plurality of wireless nodes; each plurality of wireless nodes within respective first and second TDMA mesh networks comprising a transmitter and receiver that communicate on a primary and at least one secondary frequency and use a TDMA epoch that is divided into at least a beacon interval using the primary frequency and a digital data interval using both the primary and secondary frequencies, wherein the wireless nodes in first and second TDMA mesh networks are synchronized to each other and the beacon interval within the first TDMA mesh network falls within the digital data interval of the second TDMA mesh network and an unused digital data secondary frequency TDMA usage for the second TDMA mesh network falls into an unused portion of the secondary frequency usage map of the first TDMA mesh network such that the beacon transmissions of the first TDMA mesh network do not collide with the beacon transmissions of the second TDMA network and each TDMA epoch for first and second TDMA mesh networks have the same TDMA epoch duration on an integer multiple thereof. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for synchronizing Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) mesh networks, which comprises:
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allocating a primary frequency and at least one secondary frequency within first and second TDMA mesh networks, each having a plurality of wireless nodes and communicating with each other using a TDMA epoch that is divided into at least a beacon interval using the primary frequency and a digital data interval using both the primary and secondary frequencies; and synchronizing the first and second TDMA mesh networks with each other by overlapping the start of a TDMA epoch in the first TDMA mesh network with the start of a TDMA epoch in the second TDMA network, wherein each TDMA mesh network has the same TDMA epoch duration or an integer multiple thereof and an unused digital data secondary frequency TDMA usage for the second TDMA mesh network falls into an unused portion of the secondary frequency usage map of the first TDMA mesh network. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for synchronizing Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) mesh networks, which comprises:
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allocating a primary frequency and at least one secondary frequency within first and second TDMA mesh networks, each having a plurality of wireless nodes and communicating with each other using a TDMA epoch that is divided into at least a beacon interval using the primary frequency and a digital data interval using both the primary and secondary frequencies; and synchronizing the beacon interval within the first TDMA mesh network to fall within the unused portion of the digital data interval of the second TDMA mesh network such that the beacon transmissions of the first TDMA mesh network does not collide with those beacon transmissions of the second TDMA mesh network and a TDMA epoch for first and second TDMA mesh networks have the same TDMA epoch duration or an integer multiple thereof. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification