Upgrading mesh access points in a wireless mesh network
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- maintaining a mesh topology data structure containing information on a tree topology of a wireless mesh network comprising mesh points, including a root access point and one or more other mesh points including at least one mesh access point, the root access point forming a root of the tree topology; and
using a tree-walking method to send an upgrade message to the root access point and to each other mesh point in the wireless mesh network until each mesh point has received the upgrade message,wherein receiving the upgrade message enables the receiving mesh point to upgrade according to contents of the upgrade message without necessarily disrupting the wireless mesh network,wherein in case the upgrade message is for an upgrade wherein none of the receiving mesh points needs to be rebooted, the method further comprises receiving an upgrade acknowledgement message from one or more mesh points that receive the upgrade message and that upgrade as a result of the receipt, andwherein in case the upgrade message is for an upgrade wherein the receiving mesh points need to be rebooted, said using the tree-walking method to send the upgrade continues until it is known that all mesh points of the tree topology have received the upgrade message, the method further comprises sending a message to all the mesh points of the wireless mesh network to reboot once it is known that all mesh points of the tree-topology have received the upgrade message,wherein the upgrade message for a particular mesh point includes one or both a software upgrade message comprising new operating software for the particular mesh point, and a configuration upgrade message comprising one or more new wireless mesh network configuration parameters for the mesh point.
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Abstract
A method, system, and logic for upgrading mesh points of a wireless mesh network. One method includes maintaining a mesh topology data structure containing information on the tree topology of a wireless mesh network. The method further includes using a tree-walking method to send an upgrade message to the root access point and to each other mesh point in the wireless mesh network until each mesh point has received the upgrade message. Receiving the upgrade message enables the receiving mesh point to upgrade according to the contents of the upgrade message without necessarily disrupting the mesh network.
23 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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maintaining a mesh topology data structure containing information on a tree topology of a wireless mesh network comprising mesh points, including a root access point and one or more other mesh points including at least one mesh access point, the root access point forming a root of the tree topology; and using a tree-walking method to send an upgrade message to the root access point and to each other mesh point in the wireless mesh network until each mesh point has received the upgrade message, wherein receiving the upgrade message enables the receiving mesh point to upgrade according to contents of the upgrade message without necessarily disrupting the wireless mesh network, wherein in case the upgrade message is for an upgrade wherein none of the receiving mesh points needs to be rebooted, the method further comprises receiving an upgrade acknowledgement message from one or more mesh points that receive the upgrade message and that upgrade as a result of the receipt, and wherein in case the upgrade message is for an upgrade wherein the receiving mesh points need to be rebooted, said using the tree-walking method to send the upgrade continues until it is known that all mesh points of the tree topology have received the upgrade message, the method further comprises sending a message to all the mesh points of the wireless mesh network to reboot once it is known that all mesh points of the tree-topology have received the upgrade message, wherein the upgrade message for a particular mesh point includes one or both a software upgrade message comprising new operating software for the particular mesh point, and a configuration upgrade message comprising one or more new wireless mesh network configuration parameters for the mesh point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method comprising:
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sending an upgrade message to upgrade mesh points of a wireless mesh network, the wireless mesh network comprising a tree topology, including a root access point and one or more other mesh points including at least one mesh access point, the sending comprising using a tree-walking method to send an upgrade message to the root access point and to each mesh point in the wireless mesh network until each mesh point has received the upgrade message, wherein the upgrade message to a mesh point is not a software upgrade that required rebooting the mesh point, the upgrade message including a configuration upgrade message comprising one or more wireless network configuration parameters for the mesh point including one or more of channel change information, power setting information, and/or data rate information, and wherein the root access point is operative to send one or more action messages to each intended mesh point comprising corresponding new configuration parameter or parameters, the sending of the action messages as a result of the root access point receiving the configuration upgrade message, and wherein receiving the action message or messages enables the receiving mesh point to upgrade its configuration according to contents of the configuration upgrade message without necessarily disrupting the wireless mesh network, and without using any additional inactive mesh point that can become active while receiving mesh point upgrades, wherein the upgrade message to a mesh point is a software upgrade that required rebooting the mesh point, said using the tree-walking method to send the upgrade continues until it is known that all mesh points of the tree topology have received the upgrade message, the method further comprises sending a message to all the mesh points of the wireless mesh network to reboot once it is known that all mesh points of the tree-topology have received the upgrade message, wherein the upgrade message for a particular mesh point includes one or both a software upgrade message comprising new operating software for the particular mesh point, and a configuration upgrade message comprising one or more new wireless mesh network configuration parameters for the mesh point. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which is encoded a set of instructions that when executed by at least one processor of a processing system cause the processing system to:
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maintain a mesh topology data structure containing information on a tree topology of a wireless mesh network comprising mesh points, including a root access point and one or more other mesh points including at least one mesh access point, the root access point forming a root of the tree topology; and use a tree-walking method to send an upgrade message to the root access point and to each other mesh point in the wireless mesh network until each mesh point has received the upgrade message, wherein receiving the upgrade message enables the receiving mesh point to upgrade according to contents of the upgrade message without necessarily disrupting the wireless mesh network, wherein in case the upgrade message is for an upgrade wherein none of the receiving mesh points needs to be rebooted, the method further comprises receiving an upgrade acknowledgement message from one or more mesh points that receive the upgrade message and that upgrade as a result of the receipt, and wherein in case the upgrade message is for an upgrade wherein the receiving mesh points need to be rebooted, said using the tree-walking method to send the upgrade continues until it is known that all mesh points of the tree topology have received the upgrade message, the method further comprises sending a message to all the mesh points of the wireless mesh network to reboot once it is known that all mesh points of the tree-topology have received the upgrade message, wherein the upgrade message for a particular mesh point includes one or both a software upgrade message comprising new operating software for the particular mesh point, and a configuration upgrade message comprising one or more new wireless mesh network configuration parameters for the mesh point.
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14. A system comprising:
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a controller; a root access point coupled to the controller; and one or more other mesh points, including at least one mesh access point wirelessly coupled via a wireless mesh network to the root access point, the root access point and other mesh points forming a tree topology of mesh points in which the root access point is a root of the tree topology, the controller being operative to control operation of the wireless mesh network, wherein the controller is further operative to maintain a mesh topology data structure containing information on the tree topology, and wherein the controller is further operative to initiate an upgrade of the mesh points, comprising using a tree-walking method to send an upgrade message to the root access point and to each mesh point in the wireless mesh network until each mesh point has received the upgrade message, and wherein receiving the upgrade message enables the receiving mesh point to upgrade according to contents of the upgrade message without necessarily disrupting the wireless mesh network, wherein in case the upgrade message is for an upgrade wherein none of the receiving mesh points needs to be rebooted, the method further comprises receiving an upgrade acknowledgement message from one or more mesh points that receive the upgrade message and that upgrade as a result of the receipt, wherein in case the upgrade message is for an upgrade wherein the receiving mesh points need to be rebooted, said using the tree-walking method to send the upgrade continues until it is known that all mesh points of the tree topology have received the upgrade message, the method further comprises sending a message to all the mesh points of the wireless mesh network to reboot once it is known that all mesh points of the tree-topology have received the upgrade message, wherein the upgrade message for a particular mesh point includes one or both a software upgrade message comprising new operating software for the particular mesh point, and a configuration upgrade message comprising one or more new wireless mesh network configuration parameters for the mesh point. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A system comprising:
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a controller; a root access point coupled to the controller; and one or more other mesh points, including at least one mesh access point wirelessly coupled via a wireless mesh network to the root access point, the root access point and other mesh points forming a tree topology of mesh points in which the root access point is a root of the tree topology, the controller being operative to control operation of the wireless mesh network, wherein the controller is further operative to send an upgrade message using a tree-walking method to send the upgrade message to the root access point and to each mesh point in the wireless mesh network until each mesh point has received the upgrade message, wherein in case the upgrade message comprising one or more wireless network configuration parameters for the mesh points of the wireless mesh network wherein none of the receiving mesh points needs to be rebooted, the root access point is operative to respond to receiving the upgrade message, including upgrading according to the wireless network configuration parameters, sending an acknowledgement message to the controller, sending one or more action messages containing the one or more wireless network configuration parameters to each of its directly connected mesh points, waiting for acknowledgements from other mesh points of the wireless mesh network, and sending an acknowledgement message to the controller corresponding to the received acknowledgements, wherein each other mesh point is operative to respond to receiving the action messages, including; upgrading according to the configuration parameters, sending an acknowledgement to its immediate parent in the tree topology, and in case that there are directly connected child mesh points, sending the one or more action messages to each of its directly connected child mesh points, waiting for acknowledgements from its child mesh points of the wireless mesh network, and sending an acknowledgement to its parent corresponding to the received acknowledgements, and wherein the upgrading according to the wireless network configuration parameters occurs without necessarily disrupting the mesh network, and without using any additional inactive mesh point that can become active while receiving mesh point upgrades, wherein in case the upgrade message comprising software upgrade message for the mesh points of the wireless mesh network wherein the receiving mesh points need to be rebooted, said using the tree-walking method to send the software upgrade message continues until it is known that all mesh points of the tree topology have received the software upgrade message, the method further comprises sending a message to all the mesh points of the wireless mesh network to reboot once it is known that all mesh points of the tree-topology have received the upgrade message, wherein the upgrade message for a particular mesh point includes one or both a software upgrade message comprising new operating software for the particular mesh point, and a configuration upgrade message comprising one or more new wireless mesh network configuration parameters for the mesh point.
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Specification