Fault reporting tag for mesh access points

• US 8,406,122 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thomson, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): ROSE, KERRI M
• Application Number:
  US12/884,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20110007636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 370216-220, 370/225, 370/228, 370/241, 370/242, 370/245, 714/100, 714/1, 714/2, 714/25, 714/27, 714/30, 714/31, 714/43, 714/45, 714/48, 702/108
• US Class Current: 370/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Mesh access point fault reporting. In particular implementations, a method includes receiving a fault indication indicating one or more failures; collecting fault data related to the one or more failures or a state of the mesh access point; and passing the fault data to the RFID tag, which wirelessly transmits messages relating to the fault.

Claims

1. An access point comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory;

a wireless network interface;

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag; and

an access point module, physically stored in the memory, comprising instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to;

receive a fault indication indicating one or more failures;

collect fault data related to the one or more failures or a state of the access point; and

pass the fault data to the RFID tag;

wherein the RFID tag is operative to;

autonomously detect a failure of the access point module or the access point; and

automatically in response to the detected failure, wirelessly broadcast one or more fault report messages on one or more radio frequency channels.

4. The access point of claim 1 wherein the one or more fault report messages transmitted by the RFID tag are transmitted as multicast frames.

5. The access point of claim 1 wherein the access point module further comprises instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

forward fault reporting messages received from RFID tags of other access points to a wireless network management node for processing.

6. The access point of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag is operative to digitally sign the one or more fault reporting messages with a digital certificate of the access point.

7. The access point of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag is operative to encrypt the one or more fault reporting messages.

8. The access point of claim 1 wherein the access point module is operative to pass configuration information to the RFID tag.

9. The access point of claim 1 wherein the access point module is operative to pass identification information to the RFID tag.

10. The access point of claim 1 wherein the fault report messages comprises one or more aspects of identification data, configuration data, and fault data.

11. The access point of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag is operative to store the fault data in a persistent memory.

12. The access point of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag is operative to query one or more components of the wireless access point for state information.

2. An access point comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory;

a wireless network interface;

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag; and

an access point module, physically stored in the memory, comprising instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to;

receive a fault indication indicating one or more failures;

collect fault data related to the one or more failures or a state of the access point; and

pass the fault data to the RFID tag;

wherein the RFID tag is operative to;

detect a failure of the access point module or the access point; and

automatically in response to the detected failure, wirelessly broadcast one or more fault report messages on one or more radio frequency channels;

wherein the access point module further comprises instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to;

determine, in response to the fault indication, whether the access point can communicate with a wireless network,

transmit an in-band fault reporting message over the wireless network via the wireless network interface, if the access point can communicate with the wireless network;

utilize the RFID tag, if the access point can not communicate with the wireless network.

3. The access point of claim 2 wherein the in-band fault reporting message is a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) trap.

13. A method comprising:

detecting, at an access point, a fault indication indicating one or more failures on the access point;

collecting, by the access point, fault data related to the one or more failures or a state of the access point; and

passing the fault data to an RFID tag connected to the access point;

wherein the RFID tag is operative to;

autonomously detect a failure of the access point; and

automatically in response to the detected failure, wirelessly broadcast one or more fault report messages on one or more radio frequency channels.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising

forwarding, by the access point, fault reporting messages received from RFID tags of other access points to a wireless network management node for processing.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising digitally signing, by the RFID tag, the one or more fault reporting messages with a digital certificate of the access point.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising, storing, by the RFID tag, the fault data in a persistent memory.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising, querying, by the RFID tag one or more components of the wireless access point for state information.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the one or more fault report messages transmitted by the RFID tag are transmitted as multicast frames.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising passing identification information of the access point from the access point to the RFID tag.

14. A method comprising:

detecting, at an access point, a fault indication indicating one or more failures on the access point;

collecting, by the access point, fault data related to the one or more failures or a state of the access point;

passing the fault data to an RFID tag connected to the access point;

wherein the RFID tag is operative to;

detect a failure of the access point; and

automatically in response to the detected failure, wirelessly broadcast one or more fault report messages on one or more radio frequency channels; and

determining by the access point, in response to the fault indication, whether the access point can communicate with a wireless network,

transmitting an in-band fault reporting message over the wireless network via a wireless network interface of the access point, if the access point can communicate with the wireless network; and

utilizing by the access point the RFID tag, if the access point can not communicate with the wireless network.