Wireless home mesh network bridging adaptor

• US 9,154,935 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2014
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Jing, Xiangpeng, Patil, Abhishek P., Liu, Aixin, Nguyen, Djung N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOPATA, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US14/507,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20150023212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/328, 370/329, 370/331, 370/338, 370/351, 370/389, 370/400, 370/401, 709/227
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• 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: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A network bridging adaptor and method for enabling nodes to access a multi-tier wireless home mesh network is described. The network bridging adaptor is adapted to operate in an ad hoc network having access restricted to only wireless nodes that are provided from a common entity. According to one embodiment of the invention, the network bridging adaptor comprises a housing; one or more ports positioned along a side of the housing to receive data from an electronic device; a first radio logic unit contained within the housing and adapted to transmit and receive messages in order to detect a presence of the ad hoc network; and a second radio logic unit contained within the housing and adapted to operate as an access point by establishing communications with nodes that are provided by an entity different than the common entity. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A network bridging adaptor adapted to operate in an ad hoc network having access restricted to only wireless nodes that are provided by a common entity, the network bridging adaptor comprising;

at least one input configured to receive data from an electronic device;

a first logic unit to transmit and receive messages to detect a presence of the ad hoc network, communication in the ad hoc network being encrypted at least in part using an original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-specific secret value of the common entity; and

a second logic unit to operate as an access point to the ad hoc network by establishing communications with nodes that are provided by an entity different than the common entity,

wherein nodes that are provided by the common entity comprise at least one of nodes that are manufactured by the common entity, nodes that are sold by the common entity.

2. The network bridging adaptor of claim 1, wherein both the first logic unit and the second logic unit include dual-band WiFi radios that operate on different channels from each other to avoid interference.

3. The network bridging adaptor of claim 1, wherein the first logic unit to transmit and receive messages via a first antenna and the second logic unit to transmit and receive messages via a second antenna.

4. The network bridging adaptor of claim 1, wherein the first logic unit includes a dual-band WiFi radio that operates on a different channels than the second logic unit to avoid interference.

5. The network bridging adaptor of claim 1, wherein both the first logic unit and the second logic unit include single-band WiFi radios that operate on different channels from each other to avoid interference.

6. The network bridging adaptor of claim 1, wherein the at least one input being is plurality of Ethernet ports.

11. The network bridging adaptor of claim 1, wherein the adaptor has a dual mode in which the logic units operate simultaneously with each other such that the adaptor communicates with both the ad hoc network and node not in the ad hoc network substantially simultaneously.

12. The adaptor of claim 11, wherein in the dual mode the adaptor operates as a wireless mesh node to wirelessly communicate with other mesh nodes using an appropriate mesh protocol, and also operates as a non-mesh node to communicate with wireless non-mesh nodes with communication interfaces that are produced by an entity different from the common entity such that a non-mesh node can access information on the ad hoc network without knowing the secret value of the common entity.

13. The adaptor of claim 11, wherein the adaptor has a “

mesh”

mode in which only the first logic unit is in operation, such that the adaptor appears to be a wireless mesh node operating in an ad hoc mode that can join the ad hoe network or start a new mesh network.

14. The adaptor of claim 11, wherein in the adaptor has a third mode in which the first logic unit is not in operation and wireless non-mesh nodes have access to resources available to the wired non-mesh nodes coupled to the adaptor, but do not have access to the ad hoc network.

7. A system comprising:

a one or more wireless nodes that are provided by a common entity and form an ad hoc network having restricted access to nodes provided by the common entity, wherein nodes that are provided by the common entity comprise at least one of nodes that are manufactured by the common entity, and nodes that are sold by the common entity; and

a network bridging adaptor including;

at least one port configured to receive data from an electronic device,

a first logic unit to transmit and receive messages in order to detect a presence of the ad hoc network, and

a second logic unit to operate as an access point to the ad hoc network by establishing communications with nodes that are provided by an entity different than the common entity, the network bridging adaptor configured to employ a communication protocol in which a wireless home mesh network (“

WHMN”

) layer is placed between a media access code (MAC) layer and a network (IP) layer to provide a protocol that is independent of higher open systems interconnection (OSI) in the protocol.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein both the first logic and and the second logic unit of the network bridging adaptor are dual-band WiFi radios that concurrently Operate on different channels from each other to avoid interference.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first logic unit of the network bridging adaptor is configured to transmit and receive messages via a first antenna and the second logic unit is configured to transmit and receive messages via a second antenna.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one input of the network bridging adaptor is a plurality of Ethernet ports.