Mesh network connecting 3G wireless routers

• US 8,233,396 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Novatel Wireless, Inc. (Inseego Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Novatel Wireless, Inc. (Inseego Corp.)
• Inventors: Polsdorf, Thomas G., Pham, Cuong, Gore, Anand, DeSchepper, Dirk, Söderberg, Ulf
• Primary Examiner(s): Chung, Hoon J
• Application Number:
  US12/110,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20090073941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 370217-221, 370225-228, 370/310.2, 370328-339, 370/349, 370/237, 370/238, 370/401, 370/406, 455/8, 455/422.1, 455/445, 709239-241, 709/244, 379/221.01, 379/221.02, 379/221.03, 379/221.04, 379272-274
• US Class Current: 370/237
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/04 based on wireless node resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A communication routing arrangement includes two or more wireless routers coupled to a communication network, and a user device adapted to couple with the communication network through a communication path including at least one of the two or more wireless routers. The communication path between the user device and the communication network is selected based on available resources of the two or more wireless routers.

Claims

1. A communication routing system, comprising:

two or more wireless routers coupled to a communication network;

a user device configured to couple with the communication network through a communication path including at least one of the two or more wireless routers;

a multiplexer coupled to the two or more wireless routers and positioned in the communication path between the two or more wireless routers and the user device, wherein the two or more wireless routers are not in direct communication with each other and the multiplexer is configured to communicate with either one of the wireless routers at a time or a plurality of the two or more wireless routers simultaneously such that the communication path between the user device and the communication network is selected based on available resources of the two or more wireless routers, wherein the multiplexer is configured to select one or more wireless routers of the two or more wireless routers for uploading to the communication network and another one or more wireless routers of the two or more wireless routers for downloading to the user device.

2. The communication routing system of claim 1, wherein the multiplexer is configured to select the communication path.

3. The communication routing system of claim 1, wherein the multiplexer is configured to form a virtual mesh network of the two or more wireless routers.

4. The communication routing system of claim 1, wherein the user device communicates to the communication network through the plurality of two or more wireless routers simultaneously combining resources of the the plurality of two or more wireless routers thus increasing available bandwidth between the user device and the communication network.

5. The communication routing system of claim 1, wherein resources of the two or more wireless routers are combined to provide greater capacity to the user device.

6. A router multiplexer, comprising:

inputs configured to couple to two or more wireless routers for communication with a communication network;

an output for coupling to a user device with the communication network through a communication path including at least one of the two or more wireless routers; and

a multiplexer configured to select a communication path between the user device and the communication network based on available resources of the two or more wireless routers, wherein the two or more wireless routers are not in direct communication with each other and the multiplexer is configured to communicate with either one of the wireless routers at a time or a plurality of the two or more wireless routers simultaneously, wherein the multiplexer is configured to select one or more wireless routers of the two or more wireless routers for uploading to the communication network and another one or more wireless routers of the two or more wireless routers for downloading to the user device.

7. The router multiplexer of claim 6, wherein the available resources include available bandwidth and/or signal strength.

8. The router multiplexer of claim 6, wherein the multiplexer is configured to form a virtual mesh network of the two or more wireless routers.

9. The router multiplexer of claim 6, wherein the user device communicates to the communication network through the plurality of two or more wireless routers simultaneously combining resources of the the plurality of two or more wireless routers thus increasing available bandwidth between the user device and the communication network.

10. The router multiplexer of claim 6, wherein the resources of two or more wireless routers are combined to provide greater capacity to the user device.