System and method for broadcasting messages to nodes within a wireless mesh network

• US 9,451,592 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2014
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silver Spring Networks, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Inventors: Greunen, Jana Van, San Filippo, William E. III, Hughes, Sterling, Hunt, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): MEW, KEVIN D
• Application Number:
  US14/525,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20150110084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A node within a wireless mesh network is configured to forward a high-priority message to adjacent nodes in the wireless mesh network by either (i) transmitting the message during successive timeslots to the largest subset of nodes capable of receiving transmissions during each timeslot, or (ii) transmitting the message on each different channel during the timeslot when the largest subset of nodes are capable of receiving transmissions on each of those channels.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for transmitting a message from a first node residing within a network to a group of other nodes within the network that reside adjacent to the first node, the method comprising:

receiving a message;

identifying a first subset of nodes included in the group of nodes that includes more nodes than any other subset of nodes also included in the group of nodes; and

transmitting the message to the nodes in the first subset of nodes on a first channel during a first time interval in a sequence of time intervals.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

excluding the first subset of nodes from the group of nodes;

identifying a second subset of nodes remaining in the group of nodes that includes more nodes than any other subset of nodes also remaining in the group of nodes, wherein the nodes in the second subset of nodes are capable of receiving transmissions on a second channel during a second time interval in the sequence of time intervals; and

transmitting the message to the nodes in the second subset of nodes on the second channel during the second time interval.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising determining that all subsets of nodes have been excluded from the group of nodes.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first subset of nodes comprises analyzing channel hopping sequences associated with the group of nodes residing adjacent to the first node.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a wireless mesh network configured to manage the operation of an electricity distribution infrastructure.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the message to each subset of nodes remaining in the group of nodes once the first subset of nodes has been excluded from the group of nodes during each different time interval in the sequence of time intervals excluding the first time interval.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a high-priority message instructing a plurality of nodes in the network to respond to an emergency.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to transmit a message from a first node residing within a network to a set of nodes residing adjacent to the first node by performing the steps of:

receiving a message;

identifying a first subset of nodes included in the group of nodes that includes more nodes than any other subset of nodes also included in the group of nodes; and

transmitting the message to the nodes in the first subset of nodes on a first channel during a first time interval in a sequence of time intervals.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

excluding the first subset of nodes from the group of nodes;

identifying a second subset of nodes remaining in the group of nodes that includes more nodes than any other subset of nodes also remaining in the group of nodes, wherein the nodes in the second subset of nodes are capable of receiving transmissions on a second channel during a second time interval in the sequence of time intervals; and

transmitting the message to the nodes in the second subset of nodes on the second channel during the second time interval.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising determining that all subsets of nodes have been excluded from the group of nodes.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein identifying the first subset of nodes comprises analyzing channel hopping sequences associated with the group of nodes residing adjacent to the first node.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the network comprises a wireless mesh network configured to manage the operation of an electricity distribution infrastructure.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising transmitting the message to each subset of nodes remaining in the group of nodes once the first subset of nodes has been excluded from the group of nodes during each different time interval in the sequence of time intervals excluding the first time interval.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the message comprises a high-priority message instructing a plurality of nodes in the network to respond to an emergency.

15. A computing device configured to transmit a message from a first node residing within a network to a set of nodes residing adjacent to the first node, including:

a processing unit configured to;

receive a message;

identify a first subset of nodes included in the group of nodes that includes more nodes than any other subset of nodes also included in the group of nodes; and

transmit the message to the nodes in the first subset of nodes on a first channel during a first time interval in a sequence of time intervals.

16. The computing device of claim 15, further comprising:

a memory unit coupled to the processing unit and storing program instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to;

receive the message;

identify a first subset of nodes; and

transmit the message to the nodes in the first subset of nodes.

17. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to:

exclude the first subset of nodes from the group of nodes;

identify a second subset of nodes remaining in the group of nodes that includes more nodes than any other subset of nodes also remaining in the group of nodes, wherein the nodes in the second subset of nodes are capable of receiving transmissions on a second channel during a second time interval in the sequence of time intervals; and

transmit the message to the nodes in the second subset of nodes on the second channel during the second time interval.

18. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to identify the first subset of nodes by analyzing channel hopping sequences associated with the group of nodes residing adjacent to the first node.

19. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the network comprises a wireless mesh network configured to manage the operation of an electricity distribution infrastructure.

20. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the message comprises a high-priority message instructing the nodes in the network to respond to an emergency.