Utilizing multiple mesh network gateways in a shared access network
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- means for identifying a group of nodes operating in a wireless mesh network as a gateway group to communicate with a shared access network, each of the gateway group nodes enabled to access a respective wired link to communicate with the shared access network and a respective wireless link to communicate within the wireless mesh network;
in the gateway group, means for selecting one of the nodes of the gateway group as a designated broadcast server to control entrance of broadcast packets into the wireless mesh network from the shared access network;
in the designated broadcast server, means for forwarding broadcast packets from the shared access network into the wireless mesh network; and
in all the nodes of the gateway group except the designated broadcast server, means for ignoring broadcast packets from the shared access network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mesh network, operating as a virtual Ethernet switch, includes multiple nodes operating as Mesh Network Gateway Interfaces (mesh NGIs) enabled for communication with one or more shared access networks. Selectively coupling the multiple NGIs to the same shared access network provides redundancy and load balancing aimed at improving the reliability and performance of the network. A first architecture is based on a gateway group, including a plurality of NGIs enabled to communicate with a single shared access network via a designated broadcast server elected from among the NGIs. A second architecture is based on a plurality of (physical) NGIs enabled to communicate with a single shared access network via one or more designated nodes in the shared access network. The designated nodes, or Mesh Servers (MSs), operate as virtual NGIs, and traffic entering or exiting the mesh flows through one of the MSs, thus improving packet broadcast efficiency.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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means for identifying a group of nodes operating in a wireless mesh network as a gateway group to communicate with a shared access network, each of the gateway group nodes enabled to access a respective wired link to communicate with the shared access network and a respective wireless link to communicate within the wireless mesh network; in the gateway group, means for selecting one of the nodes of the gateway group as a designated broadcast server to control entrance of broadcast packets into the wireless mesh network from the shared access network; in the designated broadcast server, means for forwarding broadcast packets from the shared access network into the wireless mesh network; and in all the nodes of the gateway group except the designated broadcast server, means for ignoring broadcast packets from the shared access network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method comprising:
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identifying a group of nodes operating in a wireless mesh network as a gateway group to communicate with a shared access network, each of the gateway group nodes enabled to access a respective wired link to communicate with the shared access network and a respective wireless link to communicate within the wireless mesh network; in the gateway group, selecting one of the nodes of the gateway group as a designated broadcast server to control entrance of broadcast packets into the wireless mesh network from the shared access network; in the designated broadcast server, forwarding broadcast packets from the shared access network into the wireless mesh network; and in all the nodes of the gateway group except the designated broadcast server, ignoring broadcast packets from the shared access network. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification