System for visualizing design and organization of wireless mesh networks in physical space

• US 8,364,742 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Citrano, Joseph III
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH CHAU
• Application Number:
  US12/394,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20090265635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 370/254, 455/446
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A visualization tool for displays devices included within a self-organizing mesh network with respect to the physical space occupied by the network. The visualization tool receives an image representing the physical space occupied by the wireless mesh network, scale information defining the scale of the received image, and location information defining the location of each device within the physical space occupied by the network. Based on these inputs, the visualization tool displays the layout of the wireless mesh network with respect to the physical space occupied by the wireless mesh network.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented visualization tool for establishing a correlation between a wireless mesh network comprised of a plurality of devices and physical space occupied by the wireless mesh network, the visualization tool stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium executed by a processor to implement modules of the visualization tool, the visualization tool comprising:

a plot plan module that receives as input an image representing the physical space occupied by the wireless mesh network and displays the image to a user;

a scale module that receives input from a user representing a scale associated with the physical space defined by the received image, wherein the scale is associated with the physical space defined by the plot plan module;

a device module that displays one or more devices and receives input indicating placement of each device within the image representing the physical space occupied by the wireless mesh network, the locations dictating a layout of the wireless mesh network with respect to the physical space occupied by the network; and

a display module that displays the layout of the wireless mesh network with respect to the physical space occupied by the wireless mesh network.

2. The computer-implemented visualization tool of claim 1, further including:

a planning parameter module that defines one or more planning parameters, each planning parameter defining a requirement that must be met by the layout of the wireless mesh network; and

a validation module that determines based on the scale associated with the physical space and the placement of devices onto the physical space whether the wireless mesh network layout complies with each of the planning parameters, wherein the validation module provides a visual output indicating whether the layout complies with the planning parameters.

3. The computer-implemented visualization tool of claim 2, wherein the visual output provided by the validation module indicating that the layout does not comply with the planning parameters highlights each device failing to satisfy one or more of the planning parameters by displaying a circle indicating the communication range of the device and displaying the planning parameter that the device failed to satisfy.

4. The computer-implemented visualization tool of claim 2, further including:

a density module that receives input from a user associating density levels with the physical space defined by the received image, wherein the validation module further determines based on the density levels associated with the physical space whether the wireless mesh network layout complies with each of the planning parameters.

5. The computer-implemented visualization tool of claim 1, further including:

an input connected to receive organization data provided by a gateway device connected to communicate with the wireless mesh network; and

an organization module that automatically displays organization data provided by the gateway device onto the image representing the physical space occupied by the actual wireless mesh network, wherein displayed organization data represents the present organization of the mesh network as it relates to the physical space occupied by the mesh network.

6. The computer-implemented visualization tool of claim 5, wherein the organization data provided by the gateway device to the visualization tool includes at least one of the following:

actual communications between devices associated with the mesh network, a current list of parent-child relationships associated with devices on the mesh network, a neighbor list defining each neighbor associated with devices on the mesh network, or path stability between devices on the mesh network.

7. A computer-implemented diagnostic tool for automatically overlaying organization of a self-organizing wireless mesh network with respect to physical space occupied by the network, the diagnostic tool stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium executed by a processor to implement the modules of the diagnostic tool, the diagnostic tool comprising:

an input connected to receive organization data provided by a network manager connected to communicate with one or more wireless mesh networks, each comprised of a plurality of devices;

a plot plan module that receives as input an image representing the physical space occupied by the one or more wireless mesh networks and displays the received image to a user;

a device module that receives input identifying the location of each device within the physical space occupied by the one or more wireless mesh networks and overlays the location of each of the plurality of devices on the display provided to the user; and

an organization module that automatically displays organization data provided by the network manager onto the image representing the physical space occupied by the one or more wireless mesh networks, wherein organization data represents the present organization of the mesh networks as they relate to the physical space occupied by the mesh network.

8. The computer-implemented diagnostic tool of claim 7, wherein the organization data provided by the network manager to the diagnostic tool includes at least one of the following:

actual communications between devices associated with the mesh network, a current list of parent-child relationships associated with devices on the mesh network, a neighbor list defining each neighbor associated with devices on the mesh network, or path stability between devices on the mesh network.

9. The computer-implemented diagnostic tool of claim 8, wherein the network manager resides on a gateway device connected to one of the wireless mesh networks.

10. The computer-implemented diagnostic tool of claim 7, wherein the organization data is displayed graphically in the form of lines or arrows identifying relationships between devices on the mesh network.

11. The computer-implemented diagnostic tool of claim 7, wherein the diagnostic tool is implemented by a general purpose machine programmed to execute instructions for implementing the plot plan module, the device module, and the organization module.

12. A computer-implemented design tool for validating a wireless mesh network layout, the design tool stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium executed by a processor to implement modules of the design tool, the design tool comprising:

a plot plan module that receives as input an image representing the physical space occupied by the wireless mesh network and displays the image to a user;

a scale module that receives input from a user representing a scale associated with the physical space defined by the received image, wherein the scale is associated with the physical space defined by the plot plan module;

a device module that displays one or more device types available for placement onto the physical space defined by the plot plan module, wherein the placement of devices onto the physical space defines a layout of the wireless mesh network to be validated;

a planning parameter module that defines one or more planning parameters, each planning parameter defining a requirement that must be met by the wireless mesh network layout; and

a validation module that determines based on the scale associated with the physical space, a density level assigned to one or more regions in the physical space, and the placement of devices onto the physical space, whether the wireless mesh network layout complies with each of the planning parameters, wherein the validation module provides a visual output indicating whether the layout complies with the planning parameters.

13. A computer-implemented design tool of claim 12, further including:

a density module that receives input from a user associating density levels with the physical space defined by the received image, wherein the validation module further determines based on the density levels associated with the physical space whether the wireless mesh network layout complies with the planning parameters.

14. The computer-implemented design tool of claim 12, wherein the scale module includes:

a scale line provided with respect to the received image, the scale line having a location and length that can be modified by the user; and

a scale prompt module that prompts the user for a distance value represented by the scale line, wherein the scale module assigns a scale to the received image based on the selected length of the line and the distance value associated with the line.

15. The computer-implemented design tool of claim 12, wherein the planning parameter module includes at least one of the plurality of parameter values selected from the group consisting of:

communication range associated with each density level, number devices required to be within communication range of each device of a first type, number of devices required to be within communication range of each device of a second type, percentage of devices required to be within communication range of a gateway device, and whether each device is capable of reaching the gateway device.

16. The computer-implemented design tool of claim 12, wherein the device module, in response to the user placing a device from the device module onto the physical space, prompts the user for input regarding identification of the device and a height associated with the device.

17. The computer-implemented design tool of claim 12, wherein the visual output provided by the validation module indicating that the layout does not comply with the planning parameters highlights each device failing to satisfy one or more of the planning parameters by displaying a circle indicating the communication range of the device and displaying the planning parameter that the device failed to satisfy.

18. The computer-implemented design tool of claim 12, wherein the design tool is implemented by a general purpose machine programmed to execute instructions for implementing the plot plan module, the scale module, the device module, the planning parameter module, and the validation module.