Node repair in a mesh network

• US 8,089,874 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2010
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sigma Designs Incorporated
• Inventors: Johansen, Niels Thybo
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYUN, SOON D
• Application Number:
  US12/691,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20100149967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/230
• 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 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/26 Route discovery packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/28 for reactive routing

Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for sensing a change in a network topology using a discovery node in a mesh network; transmitting an explore frame, based at least in part on the sensed change, from the discovery node to a destination node using an intermediate node; receiving a response to the explore frame from the destination node; determining at least one functional network route from the discovery node to the destination node based at least in part on route information received in association with the response to the explore frame, wherein the route information includes a node path; and transmitting an instruction to the destination node from the discovery node based on a reverse node path.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sensing an error in a network topology based on a network transmission failure;

in response to identifying the error, flooding accessible mesh network routes from a first node to a destination node with transmissions of explore frames originating at the first node, wherein each transmitted explore frame collects node identifiers of each intermediate node that is traveled en route to the destination node, and to instruct the destination node to transmit a report frame back to the first node once each transmitted explore frame reaches the destination node;

receiving the report frame at the first node from the destination node, wherein the report frame includes all node identifiers associated with the transmission of the explore frame from the first node to the destination node;

determining at least one functional network route from the first node to the destination node based at least in part on the node identifiers received in association the report frame, wherein the node identifiers indicate a functional node path from the first node to the destination node; and

transmitting an instruction to the destination node from the first node based on the functional node path.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the at least one functional network is based at least in part on a number of nodes within the functional node path.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the at least one functional network is based at least in part a transmission speed associated with the node identifiers within the functional node path.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the error in the network topology is caused at least in part by the introduction of a new device in a mesh network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the error in the network topology is caused at least in part by a malfunction in the destination node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the error in the network topology is caused at least in part by an intermediate node malfunction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the error in the network topology is caused at least in part by an outdated network topology map.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the outdated network topology map is caused at least in part by a change in location of a node in the network topology.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the node is the destination node.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the node is the intermediate node.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the network topology in a source route table based at least in part on the determination of the at least one functional network route.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted instruction relates to controlling a device in a home.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the device is an appliance.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted instruction relates to an action associated with controlling a device in a home.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the action is a controlling action.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the action is a monitoring action.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the action is determining a device status.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the action is a maintenance alert.