Method and apparatus for wireless communication in a mesh network with central control of communication relationships

• US 8,711,704 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International SARL (Honeywell International Inc.), Yokogawa USA, Inc. (Yokogawa Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International SARL (Honeywell International Inc.), Yokogawa USA, Inc. (Yokogawa Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Werb, Jay Philip, Berry, Victor A., Weiss, Howard P., Lamb, C. Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Kiet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Michael T
• Application Number:
  US11/776,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20140071837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,483 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/338, 370/332, 370/241, 370/244, 370/252, 370/329, 370/340, 370/406, 455/434, 455/448, 455/11.1
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/083 involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/16 the keys or algorithms being changed during operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for communication in a wireless sensor network. In one embodiment, one or more routers in a network may be available for communication with one or more star nodes at a randomized time and/or frequency. A connectivity assessment, which may be performed at several different frequencies and/or times, may be performed to evaluate the quality of communications between devices in the network. Primary and secondary communication relationships may be formed between devices to provide for system redundancy. One or more proxies may be maintained where each proxy includes a status of one or more devices in the network, e.g., one or more star nodes or routers. Proxies may be used to handle information requests and/or status change requests, e.g., a proxy may be requested to change a communication relationship between devices in the network and may generate command signals to cause the corresponding devices to make the change.

Claims

1. A mesh network comprising:

multiple nodes including a plurality of star nodes and a plurality of routing nodes, each star node configured to transmit and receive wireless signals, each routing node configured to transmit and receive wireless signals for communication with at least one of the star nodes; and

a network control device configured to communicate with one or more of the multiple nodes;

wherein at least one of the multiple nodes is configured to perform a connectivity assessment and to send information regarding the connectivity assessment to the network control device, the connectivity assessment indicating a measure of a quality of wireless communication between the at least one node and at least one other device in the mesh network; and

wherein the network control device is configured to use the information regarding the connectivity assessment to define a communication relationship between the at least one node and the at least one other device, the communication relationship indicating that data is to be transmitted wirelessly between the at least one node and the at least one other device.

2. The mesh network of claim 1, wherein the network control device is configured to define a primary parent/child communication relationship between the at least one node and a first available device with which the at least one node has a highest quality of communication amongst available devices within the mesh network based on the connectivity assessment.

3. The mesh network of claim 2, wherein the network control device is configured to define a secondary parent/child communication relationship between the at least one node and a second available device with which the at least one node has a second highest quality of communication amongst available devices within the mesh network based on the connectivity assessment.

4. The mesh network of claim 1, wherein the at least one node is configured to perform the connectivity assessment at multiple frequencies.

5. The mesh network of claim 1, wherein the at least one node is configured to perform the connectivity assessment and to report results of the connectivity assessment based on a wireless signal sent to the at least one node.

6. The mesh network of claim 5, wherein the at least one node is configured to perform the connectivity assessment based on a first wireless signal sent to the at least one node from the at least one other device and a second wireless signal sent from the at least one node to the at least one other device.

7. The mesh network of claim 1, wherein the network control device is configured to define a primary parent/child relationship between the at least one node and a first device and to define a secondary parent/child relationship between the at least one node and a second device, and

wherein the at least one node is configured to change the primary or secondary parent-child relationship to be established with another device based on a command signal.

8. The mesh network of claim 7, wherein the network control device is configured to send the command signal.

9. The mesh network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the multiple nodes is configured to change its status from routing node to star node in the mesh network based on a command signal.

10. The mesh network of claim 9, wherein the network control device is configured to send the command signal.

11. The mesh network of claim 1, wherein the at least one node is configured to perform the connectivity assessment based on one-way communication between the at least one node and the at least one other device.

12. The mesh network of claim 1, wherein the at least one node is configured to perform the connectivity assessment based on two-way communication between the at least one node and the at least one other device.

13. The mesh network of claim 1, wherein the at least one node is configured to perform the connectivity assessment based on a probabilistic analysis of communication between the at least one node and the at least one other device.

14. The mesh network of claim 1, further comprising:

a host computer; and

a plurality of gateways configured to communicate with the host computer, each gateway configured to communicate with a different set of the nodes.

15. The mesh network of claim 14, wherein two or more of the different sets of nodes have at least one of:

one or more routing nodes in common and one or more star nodes in common.

16. The mesh network of claim 1, wherein the network control device includes a gateway.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless radio configured to communicate with one or more of multiple nodes in a mesh network, the multiple nodes including a plurality of star nodes and a plurality of routing nodes, each star node configured to transmit and receive wireless signals, each routing node configured to transmit and receive wireless signals for communication with at least one of the star nodes; and

a processor configured to receive, from at least one of the multiple nodes via the wireless radio, information regarding a connectivity assessment, the connectivity assessment indicating a measure of a quality of wireless communication between the at least one node and at least one other device in the mesh network;

the processor further configured to use the information regarding the connectivity assessment to define a communication relationship between the at least one node and the at least one other device, the communication relationship indicating that data is to be transmitted wirelessly between the at least one node and the at least one other device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to:

define a primary parent/child communication relationship between the at least one node and a first available device with which the at least one node has a highest quality of communication amongst available devices within the mesh network based on the connectivity assessment; and

define a secondary parent/child communication relationship between the at least one node and a second available device with which the at least one node has a second highest quality of communication amongst available devices within the mesh network based on the connectivity assessment.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to initiate communication of a command signal to the at least one node, the command signal configured to cause the at least one node to change its status from routing node to star node.

20. A method comprising:

communicating with one or more of multiple nodes in a mesh network, the multiple nodes including a plurality of star nodes and a plurality of routing nodes, each star node configured to transmit and receive wireless signals, each routing node configured to transmit and receive wireless signals for communication with at least one of the star nodes;

receiving from at least one of the multiple nodes information regarding a connectivity assessment, the connectivity assessment indicating a measure of a quality of wireless communication between the at least one node and at least one other device in the mesh network; and

defining a communication relationship between the at least one node and the at least one other device using the information regarding the connectivity assessment, the communication relationship indicating that data is to be transmitted wirelessly between the at least one node and the at least one other device.