Topographical display generator for ad hoc network

• US 9,319,279 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intech 21, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intech 21, Inc.
• Inventors: Kats, Marat, Tchibirev, Igor, Zelmanovich, Victor, Bilenko, George, Zelmanovich, Helena
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Linh K
• Application Number:
  US14/065,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20140119236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2257 using expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools

Abstract

The present invention comprises a computer apparatus for displaying the topology of a timely organized ad hoc network, the apparatus including a processor, a memory, a computer-readable medium, an input device coupled to the processor, a radio frequency transceiver coupled to the processor; a communications interface coupled to the memory, a display coupled to the processor, and software copied from the computer-readable medium into the memory by the processor that, when executed, causes the processor to obtain a diagram of the network location from the input device or computer readable medium, obtain the identities of the devices comprising the network from the input device or computer readable medium, determine the communication links between the network devices, and graphically represent on the display the devices and the connection links on the diagram.

Claims

1. A computer system configured to display a dynamic self-routing topology of an ad hoc network, the computer system comprising:

a computer having a memory and a processor;

a radio transceiver configured to receive data from a plurality of devices in the ad hoc network;

a display unit coupled to said processor; and

a computer-readable medium configured to store software code, which, when said code is loaded into the memory and executed by said processor, causes said processor to;

obtain said data from the radio transceiver,

determine each communication link between the plurality of devices in the ad hoc network, and

graphically display the dynamic self-routing topology of the ad hoc network on the display unit displaying unit information relating to the following characteristics of a device;

a) signal strength;

b) a hierarchal level within the ad hoc network;

c) whether the access point or node is properly connected to the ad hoc network; and

d) a frequency indicating how often a data transmission by the access point or node is lost;

wherein said code further causes said processor to display the dynamic self-routing topology as a plurality of arrowed poly lines representing communication routing links between devices on the display unit; and

wherein said plurality of arrowed poly lines are updated as data reflecting changes in the routing topology are received from devices in the ad hoc network.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said code further causes said processor to determine whether a device in the plurality of devices is an access point or a node.

3. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein said code further causes said processor to display symbols on the display unit that represent access points and nodes in the ad hoc network.

4. The computer system according to claim 3, wherein said code further causes said processor to display a first level in the ad hoc network, wherein said first level comprises one or more symbols that represent access points.

5. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein said code further causes said processor to display a second level in the ad hoc network, wherein said second level comprises one or more symbols that represent nodes connected to the access points in the first level.

6. The computer system according to claim 5, wherein said code further causes said processor to display the dynamic self-routing topology having a plurality of subsequent levels in the ad hoc network, wherein each subsequent level consists of one or more symbols that represent nodes and are connected to the one or more nodes in a previous level.

7. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein said code further causes said processor to display each of the plurality of lines such that each line originates at a symbol that represents a first node and ends at a symbol that represents a second node or an access point.

8. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein said code further causes said processor to predict and display the location of a node based on the known location of other nodes in the ad hoc network.

9. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said code further causes said processor to monitor data passing over the ad hoc network between devices.

10. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said code further causes said processor to store in said memory a history of data relating to the communication links.