Apparatus and method for establishing data communication in a time-synchronized mesh wireless network during time synchronization failures
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- experiencing circumstances adversely affecting time synchronization of data communications between wireless network nodes in a wireless mesh network, the circumstances causing a network node to lose time synchronization with other network nodes;
transitioning to an alert mode wherein a radio of a wireless network node is activated for a longer period of time relative to a normal low power mode, the transitioning to the alert mode being performed when a network node loses time synchronization with other network nodes;
setting the radio of the wireless network node to a pre-defined common radio channel while in the alert mode for communicating with other network nodes;
sending a message to at least one neighbor node;
listening for a response from the neighbor node; and
establishing data communications with the neighbor node upon receiving the response.
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Abstract
Various embodiments provide an apparatus and method for establishing data communication in a time-synchronized mesh wireless network during time synchronization failures. An example embodiment includes experiencing circumstances adversely affecting synchronization of data communications between wireless network nodes; transitioning to an alert mode wherein a radio of a wireless network node is activated for a longer period of time relative to a normal operating mode; sending a message to at least one neighbor node; listening for a response from the neighbor node; and establishing data communications with the neighbor node upon receiving the response.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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experiencing circumstances adversely affecting time synchronization of data communications between wireless network nodes in a wireless mesh network, the circumstances causing a network node to lose time synchronization with other network nodes; transitioning to an alert mode wherein a radio of a wireless network node is activated for a longer period of time relative to a normal low power mode, the transitioning to the alert mode being performed when a network node loses time synchronization with other network nodes; setting the radio of the wireless network node to a pre-defined common radio channel while in the alert mode for communicating with other network nodes; sending a message to at least one neighbor node; listening for a response from the neighbor node; and establishing data communications with the neighbor node upon receiving the response. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A wireless network node comprising:
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a processor; a wireless network interface, coupled to the processor, to communicate with other nodes of a wireless network; a radio for data communications via the wireless network interface; and processing logic, executable by the processor, to determine if circumstances have adversely affected synchronization of data communications between wireless network nodes, the circumstances causing a network node to lose time synchronization with other network nodes;
transition to an alert mode wherein the radio is activated for a longer period of time relative to a normal operating mode, the processing logic being configured to transition to the alert mode when a network node loses time synchronization with other network nodes;
set the radio of the wireless network node to a pre-defined common radio channel while in the alert mode for communicating with other network nodes;
send a message to at least one neighbor node;
listen for a response from the neighbor node; and
establish data communications with the neighbor node upon receiving the response. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A wireless network comprising:
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a gateway; a first wireless network node in data communication with the gateway; and a second wireless network node including processing logic to determine if circumstances have adversely affected synchronization of data communications between wireless network nodes, the circumstances causing a network node to lose time synchronization with other network nodes;
transition to an alert mode wherein a radio of the second wireless network node is activated for a longer period of time relative to a normal operating mode, the processing logic being configured to transition to the alert mode when a network node loses time synchronization with other network nodes;
set the radio of the second wireless network node to a pre-defined common radio channel while in the alert mode for communicating with other network nodes;
send a message to the first wireless network node;
listen for a response from the first wireless network node;
establish data communications with the first wireless network node upon receiving the response; and
send data to the gateway via the first wireless network node. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having machine executable instructions embedded thereon, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:
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determine if circumstances are adversely affecting synchronization of data communications between wireless network nodes, the circumstances causing a network node to lose time synchronization with other network nodes; transition to an alert mode wherein a radio of a wireless network node is activated for a longer period of time relative to a normal operating mode, the machine executable instructions being configured to transition to the alert mode when a network node loses time synchronization with other network nodes; set the radio of the wireless network node to a pre-defined common radio channel while in the alert mode for communicating with other network nodes; send a message to at least one neighbor node; listen for a response from the neighbor node; and establish data communications with the neighbor node upon receiving the response. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A method comprising:
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listening for a message from the neighbor node; transitioning to an alert mode wherein a radio of a wireless network node is activated far a longer period of time relative to a normal operating mode, the transitioning to the alert mode being performed when a network node loses time synchronization with other network nodes; setting the radio of the wireless network node to a pre-defined common radio channel while in the alert mode for communication with other network nodes; sending a message to at least one neighbor node; listening for a response from the neighbor node; and establishing data communications with the neighbor node upon receiving the response. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification