Link layered networks

• US 8,072,945 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AES Corporation
• Original Assignee: AES Corporation
• Inventors: Sherman, Michael, Bastable, James P. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): GENACK, MATTHEW W
• Application Number:
  US10/950,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20060067282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,629 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/229, 370/237, 370/351, 455/445
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/04 based on wireless node resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and system for optimizing and keeping operational a wireless link layered network in which a system control and modifying message (SCMM) is elicited from nodes receiving information packets and based upon whether the node originating the SCMM is from a link layer level which is equal to or less than the link layer level eliciting the SCMM, rerouting or adjusting future transmissions can be effected or items like a current time at a receiving node and a most recent utilization rate of a receiving node can be adjusted, recorded or set.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically keeping operational and optimized, without operator intervention, in response to changes occurring at any node, a wireless link layered network comprising a plurality of transceivers at respective nodes which route communications from any node to a then central node of the network and wherein said communications are in a form of information packets transmitted from one node to another, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) from each node successfully receiving an information packet, eliciting as an acknowledgment, a system control and modifying message (SCMM) containing information pertaining to at least one packet reception operational parameter of said receiving node, in addition to a link layer level of said receiving node;

(b) determining whether the node originating the SCMM is from a link layer level equal to or less than the link layer level of the node eliciting the SCMM; and

(c) where the node originating the SCMM has a link layer level equal to or less than the link layer level of the node eliciting the SCMM, at the eliciting node and in response to the SCMM, rerouting future transmissions and/or adjusting signal parameters of future transmissions based at least upon said information contained in the SCMM.

2. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said information includes a packet length or capacity of the receiving node, said method further comprising:

at the node eliciting the SCMM;

(i) determining whether the node receiving the acknowledged information packet and from which the SCMM has been elicited has adequate capacity for the acknowledged information packet;

(ii) if the node from which the SCMM has been elicited has insufficient capacity, registering that capacity for other messages and routing future messages requiring the capacity of the acknowledged information packet through other nodes; and

(iii) if the node from which the SCMM has been elicited has sufficient capacity, registering that capacity and continue to route future messages requiring the capacity of the acknowledged information packet through that node.

3. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said information includes a received signal strength by the receiving node, said method further comprising:

at the node eliciting said SCMM;

(i) determining whether the node from which the SCMM has been elicited has adequate received signal strength for the acknowledged information packet;

(ii) if the node from which the SCMM has been elicited has insufficient received signal strength, at the eliciting node, increasing power by an amount which will cause the received signal strength to be equal to an ideal signal strength for other messages to be routed through that node;

(iii) if the node from which the SCMM has been elicited has greater received signal strength than an ideal value, decreasing power by an amount which will cause the received signal strength to be equal to the ideal signal strength; and

(iv) registering a new power value for the node from which the SCMM has been elicited.

4. The method defined in claim 3 wherein, in step (ii), the power is increased to a maximum power available at the node eliciting the SCMM.

5. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said information includes a most recent utilization rate of the receiving node, said method further comprising:

from the utilization rate included in the SCMM, determining at the node eliciting the SCMM whether the utilization of the node from which the SCMM has been elicited is such that the node from which the SCMM has been elicited should be used further and/or altering routing information stored in at least one of a plurality of nodes receiving the broadcast SCMM based upon the degree of utilization incorporated in the SCMM.

6. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said information includes a most recent utilization rate of the receiving node, said method further comprising:

from the utilization rate included in the SCMM, determining at the node eliciting the SCMM whether the utilization of the node from which the SCMM has been elicited is such that the node from which the SCMM has been elicited should be used further and/or altering routing information stored in the node eliciting the SCMM.

7. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said information includes a deviation from standard network frequency of the received information packet, said method further comprising:

from information in said SCMM as to a deviation from standard network frequency of the received information packet, reducing a broadcast frequency at the node eliciting the SCMM to equal an SCMM originating node frequency or increasing the broadcast frequency at the node eliciting the SCMM to equal the SCMM originating node frequency.

8. The method defined in claim 7, further comprising the step of storing a new frequency at the node eliciting the SCMM in a frequency database thereof.

9. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said information includes a current time at the receiving node, said method further comprising:

comparing said current time information of the SCMM with a clock of a node receiving the SCMM; and

decreasing or increasing the time of the clock at each node receiving said SCMM to equal the time represented by said time information plus the time to propagate the time signal to the respective node.

10. A method of dynamically keeping operational and optimized, without operator intervention, in response to changes occurring at any node, a wireless link layered network comprising a plurality of transceivers at respective nodes which route communications from any node to a then central node of the network and wherein said communications are in a form of information packets transmitted from one node to another, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) broadcasting from each node successfully receiving an information packet, as an acknowledgment, a system control and modifying message (SCMM) containing at least the following items of information;

(a₁) a current time at the receiving node, and

(a₂) a most recent utilization rate of the receiving node;

(b) at any node capturing said SCMM, determining whether the node originating the SCMM is from a link layer level equal to or less than the link layer level of the node capturing the SCMM; and

(c) where the node originating the SCMM has a link layer level equal to or less than the link layer level of the node capturing the SCMM, carrying-out required network changes at such node based upon the information items (a₁ and a₂) contained in the SCMM.

11. The method defined in claim 10 wherein said changes include adjustment of local time at each of the nodes capturing said SCMM based upon the time information (a₁).

12. The method defined in claim 10 wherein said changes include rerouting of information packets to other nodes than said receiving node when said receiving node has a utilization rate above a preset threshold.

13. A wireless link layered network comprising a plurality of transceivers at respective nodes which route communications from any node to a then central node of the network and wherein said communications are in a form of information packets transmitted from one node to another, some of the nodes having a link layer level less than the link layer level of others of said nodes, said nodes being configured upon successfully receiving an information packet, to generate as an acknowledgment, a system control and modifying message (SCMM) containing information pertaining to at least one packet reception operational parameter of said receiving node, in addition to a link layer level of said receiving node;

each transmitting node determining whether the node originating the SCMM is from a link layer level equal to or less than the link layer level of the node eliciting the SCMM, and where the node originating the SCMM has a link layer level equal to or less than the link layer level of the node eliciting the SCMM, in response to the SCMM at the node eliciting the SCMM, rerouting future transmissions and/or adjusting signal parameters of future transmissions based at least upon the information contained in the SCMM.

14. A wireless link layered network comprising a plurality of transceivers at respective nodes which route communications from any node to a then central node of the network and wherein said communications are in a form of information packets transmitted from one node to another, said nodes being configured upon successful receipt of an information packet, to generate as an acknowledgment, a system control and modifying message (SCMM) containing at least the following items of information:

(a₁) a current time at the receiving node, and

(a₂) a most recent utilization rate of the receiving node, and

upon determining whether the node originating the SCMM is from a link layer level equal to or less than the link layer level of the node eliciting the SCMM, resetting a local time for each node receiving the SCMM where the node originating the SCMM has a link layer level equal to or less than the link layer level of the node eliciting the SCMM, in response to current time of the SCMM or rerouting information packets to other nodes in response to an excessive utilization rate of the node originating the SCMM.