Systems and methods for implementing network gateway in catastrophe context or the like

• US 8,934,497 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Prasad, Bharat, Billman, Bradly J., Oakes, Charles L. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhou, Yong
• Application Number:
  US13/723,402
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66

Abstract

A system has a plurality of communications devices within a geographic area. Each device is capable of communicating from within the geographic area with any other device proximate the device, and is also capable of communicating from within the geographic area with a communications service having access to an area external to the geographic area if such communications service is operational and available to the device. At least one of the devices is a gateway device that communicates from within the geographic area with the communications service, and at least some of the devices are non-gateway devices that communicate from within the geographic area with the gateway device. Each non-gateway device communicates from within the geographic area with the area external thereto by way of the gateway device and the communications service communicated with by the gateway device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising

instructions executable by a processor to:

allow each of a plurality of devices of a network to communicate within a geographic area with other devices within the geographic area, each device also being capable of communicating from within the geographic area to another geographic area, external to the geographic area, using an available communications service having access to the other geographic area, wherein each device includes network policing functionality allowing the device to communicate with another device responsive to an authentication of the other device as being within the network;

allow access to the other geographic area via a primary gateway device, wherein the primary gateway device is configured to periodically send a message associated with an availability of the primary gateway device to at least one of the plurality of the devices of the network;

allow at least one of the devices to become a secondary gateway device when a signal from the primary gateway communication has been lost, wherein the secondary gateway device communicates from within the geographic area to the other geographic area;

allow at least some of the devices to become non-gateway devices that communicate from within the geographic area with the secondary gateway device; and

allow the non-gateway devices to send data from the geographic area to the other geographic area via the secondary gateway device using the communications service.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein each of at least some of the devices within the geographic area is allowed to communicate from within the geographic area with the secondary gateway device, such communication being one of directly with the gateway device and indirectly with the secondary gateway device by way of at least one other device.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein each device includes the network policing functionality performs performing handshaking and registration between devices, such network policing functionality allowing and allows the device to communicate with another device only if such another the other device can be authenticated to the device.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein an entry of a device into the network includes the entering device:

measuring a signal strength of a number of other devices of the network; and

transmitting an available message via a transceiver associated with the entering device subsequent to the entry of the entering device.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions executable to allow the non-gateway devices to send data from the geographic area to the other geographic area via the second gateway device using the communications service include instructions to:

deliver the data from each device to a central server; and

deliver the data from the central server to the other geographic area, wherein the central server acts as a repository for all data awaiting delivery.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions executable to allow the non-gateway devices to send data from the geographic area to the other geographic area via the second gateway device using the communications service include instructions to:

deliver the data from each device to a central server; and

deliver the data from the central server to the other geographic area, wherein the central server is associated with one of a gateway device and a non-gateway device.

7. The medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions executable to allow the non-gateway devices to send data from the geographic area to the other geographic area via the second gateway device using the communications service include instructions to:

deliver the data from each device to a central server; and

deliver the data from the central server to the other geographic area, wherein the central server stores rules regarding formation of the network.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by a processor to:

allow each of a plurality of devices of a network to communicate within a first geographic area with other devices in the first geographic area, each device also being capable of communicating from within the first geographic area to a second geographic area, external to the first geographic area, using an available communications service, wherein each device includes network policing functionality allowing the device to communicate with another device responsive to an authentication of the other device as being within the network;

allow access to the second geographic area via a primary gateway device when communications are not disrupted;

allow at least one of the devices to become a secondary gateway device when a signal from the primary gateway communication has been lost, wherein the secondary gateway device communicates from within the first geographic area to the second geographic area;

allow at least some of the devices to become non-gateway devices that communicate from within the first geographic area with the secondary gateway device; and

allow each non-gateway device to send data from the first geographic area to the second geographic area via the secondary gateway device using the communications service.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein each of at least some of the devices within the first geographic area is allowed to communicate from within the first geographic area with the secondary gateway device, such communication being one of directly with the gateway device and indirectly with the secondary gateway device by way of at least one other device.

10. The medium of claim 8, wherein each device includes a direct communications transceiver by which the device can directly communicate with other devices, a gateway communications transceiver by which the device can communicatively couple to a communications service, and a bridge communicatively linking the first and second transceivers when the device is a gateway device.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein the bridge determines how to enter the network based on a number of rules.

12. The medium of claim 10, wherein the bridge determines that a plurality of devices are available for communication indirectly with the secondary gateway device, and wherein the bridge determines that entry into the network should be made with a device having communication from within the first geographic area with the secondary gateway device by way of fewer devices of the network.

13. The medium of claim 10, wherein the bridge determines that a plurality of devices are available for communication indirectly with the secondary gateway device, and wherein the bridge determines that entry into the network should be made with a device having a particular signal strength.

14. The medium of claim 10, wherein the bridge determines that a plurality of devices are available for communication indirectly with the secondary gateway device, and wherein the bridge determines that entry into the network should be made with a device having a highest signal strength.

15. The medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions executable to allow each non-gateway device to send data from the first geographic area to the second geographic area via the second gateway device using the communications service include instructions to:

deliver the data from each device to a central server; and

deliver the data from the central server to the second geographic area, wherein the central server stores rules regarding formation of the network.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by a processor to:

allow each of a plurality of devices of a network to communicate within a first geographic area, with other devices proximate the device, each device also being capable of communicating from within the first geographic area to a second geographic area, external to the first geographic area, using an available communications service having access to the external second geographic area, wherein each device includes network policing functionality allowing the device to communicate with another device responsive to an authentication of the other device as being within the network;

associate a central server with one of the devices;

allow access to the second geographic area via a primary gateway device when communications are not disrupted;

allow at least one of the devices to become a secondary gateway device when a signal from the primary gateway communication has been lost, wherein the secondary gateway device communicates from within the first geographic area to the second geographic area; and

allow each of a number of non-gateway devices to send from the first geographic area to the second geographic area via the secondary gateway device using the communications service, the sent data from each non-gateway device being delivered to the central server and stored thereat, and then being delivered from the central server to the second geographic area by way of the secondary gateway device and the communications service.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein each of at least some of the devices within the first geographic area is allowed to communicate from within the first geographic area with the secondary gateway device, such communication being one of directly with the gateway device and indirectly with the secondary gateway device by way of at least one other device.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein each device includes a first, direct communications transceiver by which the device can directly communicate with other devices, a second, gateway communications transceiver by which the device can communicatively couple to a communications service, and a bridge communicatively linking the first and second transceivers when the device is a gateway device.

19. The medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions executable to allow the central server to act as a repository for all data awaiting delivery.

20. The medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions to associate the central server with one of a gateway device and a non-gateway device.