Apparatus and method for improving the reliability of industrial wireless networks that experience outages in backbone connectivity
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- wirelessly receiving first data at a first backbone router in a wireless network;
routing the first data from the first backbone router to a backbone network using a backbone connection of the first backbone router when the backbone connection is operational;
detecting a failure of the backbone connection after routing of the first data;
automatically reconfiguring the first backbone router to function as a field router that does not route data using the backbone connection;
establishing an alternate path between the first backbone router and a second backbone router, the alternate path based on whether the first backbone router is within wireless range of the second backbone router;
wirelessly receiving second data at the first backbone router; and
wirelessly routing the second data along the alternate path from the first backbone router to the second backbone router without using the backbone connection;
wherein establishing the alternate path comprises, when the first backbone router is not within wireless range of the second backbone router;
if a neighboring field router within wireless range of the first backbone router is line powered, assigning to the first backbone router a first transmit link and a receive link that occur in specified time slots, the first transmit link and the receive link known to the neighboring field router; and
if the neighboring field router within wireless range of the first backbone router is locally powered, assigning a second transmit link to the first backbone router, the second transmit link known to the neighboring field router; and
wherein the second data is wirelessly routed to the neighboring field router using one of the first and second transmit links for delivery to the second backbone router.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method includes wirelessly receiving first data at a first backbone router and routing the first data from the first backbone router to a backbone network using a backbone connection of the first backbone router when the backbone connection is operational. The method also includes detecting a failure of the backbone connection after routing of the first data and automatically reconfiguring the first backbone router to function as a field router that does not route data using the backbone connection. The method further includes wirelessly receiving second data at the first backbone router and wirelessly routing the second data along an alternate path from the first backbone router to a second backbone router without using the backbone connection. The method could also include establishing the alternate path between the first backbone router and the second backbone router based on whether the first and second backbone routers are within wireless range.
97 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
wirelessly receiving first data at a first backbone router in a wireless network; routing the first data from the first backbone router to a backbone network using a backbone connection of the first backbone router when the backbone connection is operational; detecting a failure of the backbone connection after routing of the first data; automatically reconfiguring the first backbone router to function as a field router that does not route data using the backbone connection; establishing an alternate path between the first backbone router and a second backbone router, the alternate path based on whether the first backbone router is within wireless range of the second backbone router; wirelessly receiving second data at the first backbone router; and wirelessly routing the second data along the alternate path from the first backbone router to the second backbone router without using the backbone connection; wherein establishing the alternate path comprises, when the first backbone router is not within wireless range of the second backbone router; if a neighboring field router within wireless range of the first backbone router is line powered, assigning to the first backbone router a first transmit link and a receive link that occur in specified time slots, the first transmit link and the receive link known to the neighboring field router; and if the neighboring field router within wireless range of the first backbone router is locally powered, assigning a second transmit link to the first backbone router, the second transmit link known to the neighboring field router; and wherein the second data is wirelessly routed to the neighboring field router using one of the first and second transmit links for delivery to the second backbone router. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. An apparatus comprising:
-
at least one wireless transceiver configured to communicate over a wireless network; at least one network interface configured to communicate over a backbone connection; and a controller configured to; when the backbone connection is operational, route first data over the backbone connection using the at least one network interface, the first data received wirelessly by the at least one wireless transceiver; and when the backbone connection is non-operational, (i) automatically reconfigure the apparatus to function as a field router that does not route data using the backbone connection, (ii) establish an alternate path to a backbone router with an alternate backbone connection, and (iii) wirelessly route second data along the alternate path to the backbone router with the alternate backbone connection using the at least one wireless transceiver, the second data received wirelessly by the at least one wireless transceiver, the alternate path based on whether the apparatus is within wireless range of the backbone router; wherein, when the apparatus is not within wireless range of the backbone router, the controller is configured to establish the alternate path by; if a neighboring field router within wireless range of the apparatus is line powered, assigning to the apparatus a first transmit link and a receive link that occur in specified time slots, the first transmit link and the receive link known to the neighboring field router; and if the neighboring field router within wireless range of the apparatus is locally powered, assigning a second transmit link to the apparatus, the second transmit link known to the neighboring field router; and wherein the apparatus is configured to wirelessly route the second data to the neighboring field router using one of the first and second transmit links for delivery to the backbone router. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a computer program, the computer program comprising computer readable program code for:
-
receiving first data transmitted wirelessly to a first backbone router in a wireless network; routing the first data from the first backbone router to a backbone network using a backbone connection of the first backbone router when the backbone connection is operational; detecting a failure of the backbone connection after routing of the first data; automatically reconfiguring the first backbone router to function as a field router that does not route data using the backbone connection; establishing an alternate path between the first backbone router and a second backbone router, the alternate path based on whether the first backbone router is within wireless range of the second backbone router; receiving second data transmitted wirelessly to the first backbone router; and wirelessly routing the second data along the alternate path from the first backbone router to the second backbone router without using the backbone connection; wherein the computer readable program code for establishing the alternate path comprises computer readable program code for, when the first backbone router is not within wireless range of the second backbone router; if a neighboring field router within wireless range of the first backbone router is line powered, assigning to the first backbone router a first transmit link and a receive link that occur in specified time slots, the first transmit link and the receive link known to the neighboring field router; and if the neighboring field router within wireless range of the first backbone router is locally powered, assigning a second transmit link to the first backbone router, the second transmit link known to the neighboring field router; and wherein the computer readable program code for wirelessly routing the second data is configured to wirelessly route the second data to the neighboring field router using one of the first and second transmit links for delivery to the second backbone router. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification