Methods and systems for a mesh-network takeover

• US 8,244,249 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2007
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Everson, John M., Delker, Jason R., Titus, Jeremy G., Norris, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérrez, Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Behrooz, Neda
• Application Number:
  US11/716,095
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/331, 370/329, 370/332, 455438-439
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Methods and systems for a mesh-network takeover are provided. In one embodiment, a first controller having a first attribute and a first group of nodes in its network receives a message from a node in the first group. The message indicates that the node in the first group received a signal from a node that is in a second group and associated with a second controller having a second attribute. Further, the message includes the second attribute. Responsive to receiving the message, the first controller compares the first attribute with the second attribute. As a result of comparing the first attribute with the second attribute, the first controller makes a determination that it has a lower priority than the second controller. Responsive to making the determination, the first controller no longer communicates with the first group, resulting in at least one node in the first group joining the second network.

Claims

1. In a communications system wherein a first mesh network (“

first network”

) comprises a first controller having a first attribute, and also initially comprises a first group of at least one mesh-network node (“

node”

), the first group not comprising the first controller, and wherein a second mesh network (“

second network”

) comprises a second controller having a second attribute, and also initially comprises a second group of at least one node, the second group not comprising the second controller, a method comprising;

the first controller receiving a first message from a given node in the first group, the first message indicating that the given node in the first group received a first signal from a given node in the second group, the first signal comprising the second attribute, and the first message comprising the second attribute;

responsive to receiving the first message, the first controller comparing the first attribute with the second attribute;

as a result of comparing the first attribute with the second attribute, the first controller making a first determination that the first controller has a lower priority than the second controller;

responsive to making the first determination, the first controller no longer communicating with the first group, resulting in at least one node in the first group joining the second network;

wherein a particular node in the first group joining the second group comprises;

the particular node broadcasting a discovery message;

a node in the second group (i) detecting the discovery message and (ii) passing a second message to the second controller; and

responsive to receiving the second message, the second controller authorizing the particular node to join the second network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises the first signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, also responsive to making the first determination, the first controller powering down.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first controller no longer communicating with the first group comprises the first controller not responding to communications received from the first group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one node in the first group joining the second network comprises all of the nodes in the first group joining the second network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a particular node in the first group joins the second network, the method further comprising:

the second controller receiving a second message from the particular node, the second message indicating that the particular node received communications from the first controller, the second message comprising the first attribute;

responsive to receiving the second message, the second controller comparing the second attribute with the first attribute;

as a result of comparing the second attribute with the first attribute, the second controller making a second determination that the second controller now has a lower priority than the first controller; and

responsive to making the second determination, the second controller no longer communicating with either the second group or the first group, resulting in at least one of (a) at least one node in the first group rejoining the first network and (b) at least one node in the second group joining the first network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first controller and the second controller comprises a wireless access point.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the second controller receiving a second message from the given node in the second group, the second message indicating that the given node in the second group received a second signal from the given node in the first group, the second message comprising the first attribute;

responsive to receiving the second message, the second controller comparing the second attribute with the first attribute; and

as a result of comparing the second attribute with the first attribute, the second controller making a second determination that the second controller has a higher priority than the first controller.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first attribute and the second attribute comprises at least one of a priority level, a backhaul value, an uptime value, a signal-to-noise ratio, a carrier-to-cochannel interference ratio, and a hop count.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first attribute comprises a first numerical value, wherein the second network attribute comprises a second numerical value, and wherein the first controller making the first determination comprises the first controller determining that the first numerical value is less than the second numerical value.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first attribute comprises a first plurality of parameters, wherein the second attribute comprises a second plurality of parameters, and wherein the first controller comparing the first attribute with the second attribute comprises the first controller sequentially comparing parameters from the first plurality with corresponding parameters from the second plurality until identifying a difference between a parameter from the first plurality and a corresponding parameter from the second plurality.

12. In a communications system wherein a first mesh network (“

first network”

) comprises a first controller having a first attribute, and also initially comprises a first group of at least one mesh-network node (“

node”

), the first group not comprising the first controller, and wherein a second mesh network (“

second network”

) comprises a second controller having a second attribute, and also initially comprises a second group of at least one node, the second group not comprising the second controller, a method comprising;

the first controller receiving a first message from a given node in the first group, the first message indicating that the given node in the first group received a first signal from a given node in the second group, the first signal comprising the second attribute, and the first message comprising the second attribute;

responsive to receiving the first message the first controller comparing the first attribute with the second attribute;

as a result of comparing the first attribute with the second attribute, the first controller making a first determination that the first controller has a lower priority than the second controller;

responsive to making the first determination, the first controller directing at least one node in the first group to disassociate from the first network;

wherein a particular node in the first group joining the second group comprises;

the particular node broadcasting a discovery message;

a node in the second group (i) detecting the discovery message and (ii) passing a second message to the second controller; and

responsive to receiving the second message, the second controller authorizing the particular node to join the second network.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the at least one node in the first group joining the second network.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising upon the at least one node in the first group joining the second network, each of the other nodes in the first group also joining the second network.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising, also responsive to making the first determination, the first controller directing the at least one node in the first group to join the second network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one node in the first group initially stores first-network configuration data, wherein the at least one node in the first group initially utilizes the first-network configuration data to operate on the first network, and wherein the first controller directing the at least one node in the first group to join the second network comprises the first controller reconfiguring the at least one node in the first group to store second-network configuration data so as to enable the at least one node in the first group to operate on the second network.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

a particular node in the first group joining the second network;

the second controller receiving a second message from the particular node, the second message indicating that the particular node received communications from the first controller, the second message comprising the first attribute;

responsive to receiving the second message, the second controller comparing the second attribute with the first attribute;

as a result of comparing the second attribute with the first attribute, the second controller making a second determination that the second controller now has a lower priority than the first controller; and

responsive to making the second determination, the second controller directing the particular node to disassociate from the second network.

18. In a communications system wherein a first mesh network (“

first network”

) comprises a first controller having a first attribute, and also initially comprises a first group of at least one mesh-network node (“

node”

), the first group not comprising the first controller and wherein a second mesh network (“

second network”

) comprises a second controller having a second attribute, and also initially comprises a second group of at least one node, the second group not comprising the second controller, the first controller comprising;

a communications interface operable to receive a first message from a given node in the first group, the first message indicating that the given node in the first group received a first signal from a given node in the second group, the first signal comprising the second attribute, and the first message comprising the second attribute;

a processor; and

data storage comprising programming instructions executable by the processor to;

upon receiving the first message compare the first attribute with the second attribute;

as a result of comparing the first attribute with the second attribute, make a determination that the first controller has a lower priority than the second controller;

responsive to making the determination, no longer communicate with the first group, resulting in at least one node in the first group joining the second network;

wherein a particular node in the first group joining the second group comprises;

the particular node broadcasting a discovery message;

a node in the second group (i) detecting the discovery message and (ii) passing a second message to the second controller; and

responsive to receiving the second message, the second controller authorizing the particular node to join the second network.