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

• US 9,942,279 B1
• Filed: 01/09/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• 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, III, Charles L.
• Primary Examiner(s): YOUNG, STEVE R
• Application Number:
  US14/593,289
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• 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 computer-implemented method comprising:

providing, by a gateway communication device to a plurality of primary communication devices in a network within a geographic area, access to communicate with each of the plurality of primary communication devices, wherein at least one primary communication device in communication with the gateway communication device receives a request from a first primary communication device and a second primary communication device to join the network and transmits the request to join the network to the gateway communication device along with information corresponding to a number of intermediary devices linked between each of the first primary communication device and the second primary communication device and the gateway communication device, and wherein the gateway communication device grants each respective primary communication device the access to communicate based on;

a signal strength associated with the respective primary communication devices relative to each of the plurality of primary communication devices, and

a number of intermediary primary communication devices linked between the respective primary communication device and the gateway communication device, wherein when the gateway communication device has an option to grant access to the first primary communication device or the second primary communication device, the gateway communication device selects the first primary communication device because the first primary communication device has fewer intermediary devices linked between the first communication device and the gateway communication device than the second primary communication device determined based on the information received corresponding to the number of intermediary devices linked between each of the first primary communication device and the second primary communication device and the gateway communication device;

periodically transmitting, by the gateway communication device, a message associated with an availability of the gateway communication device to a secondary communication device outside the geographic area; and

upon authenticating, by the gateway communication device, the secondary communication device outside the geographic area, transmitting a network policy to the secondary communication device, the network policy comprising a set of one or more data security functions configuring the secondary communication device to communicate data with the plurality of primary communication devices within the geographic area in accordance with the set of data security functions, wherein the gateway communication device comprises two or more transceivers and each of the plurality of primary communication devices comprises two or more transceivers, and wherein each primary communication device is configured to be assigned as the gateway communication device for the plurality of primary communication devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the secondary communication device, an absence of communication from the gateway communication device; and

upon detecting the absence of communication, converting, by the secondary communication device, the secondary communication device into a second gateway communication device for a second network outside the geographic area.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

upon the secondary communication device converting into the secondary gateway device;

providing, by the second gateway communication device to the plurality of primary communication devices in the network within the geographic area, access to communicate with each of the plurality of primary communication devices.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

periodically transmitting, by the second gateway communication device, a message associated with an availability of the second gateway communication device to at least one secondary communication device outside the geographic area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each primary communication device includes the network policing functionality performing handshaking and registration between the plurality of primary communication devices, such network policing functionality allowing the primary communication device to communicate with another primary communication device only when such another device can be authenticated to the gateway communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein an admission of an entry primary communication device into the network includes the entry primary communication device:

measuring a signal strength of a number of the plurality of primary communication devices in the network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein an admission of an entry primary communication device into the network includes the entry primary communication device:

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

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one transceiver is configured for communication with the other primary communication devices and the other transceiver is configured for communication with the secondary communication device outside the geographic area.

9. A host server comprising:

a processor configured to;

provide to a plurality of internal communication devices in a network within a geographic area access to communicate with each of the plurality of internal communication devices, wherein at least one primary communication device in communication with the gateway communication device receives a request from a first primary communication device and a second primary communication device to join the network and transmits the request to join the network to the gateway communication device along with information corresponding to a number of intermediary devices linked between each of the first primary communication device and the second primary communication device and the gateway communication device, and,

wherein the access to communicate is granted each respective internal communication device based on;

a signal strength associated with the internal communication devices relative to each of the plurality of internal communication devices, and

a number of intermediary internal communication devices linked between the respective internal communication device and the gateway communication device, wherein when the getaway communication device has an option to grant access to the first primary communication device or the second primary communication device, the gateway communication device selects the first primary communication device because the first primary communication device has fewer intermediary devices linked between the first communication device and the gateway communication device than the second primary communication device determined based on the information received corresponding to the number of intermediary devices linked between each of the first primary communication device and the second primary communication device and the gateway communication device;

authenticate an external communication device outside the geographic area; and

upon authenticating the external communication device;

transmit a network policy to the external communication device, the network policy comprising a set of one or more security functions configuring the external communication device to communicate data with the plurality of internal communication devices, wherein the each of the plurality of internal communication devices comprises two transceivers, and wherein each internal communication device is configured to be assigned as the gateway communication device to the plurality of internal communication devices, including being configured to provide access to communicate with each of the other internal communication devices.

10. The system of claim 9, the processor further configured to:

periodically transmit, a message associated with an availability of a gateway communication device to an external communication device outside the geographic area.

11. The system of claim 10, the processor further configured to:

detect an absence of communication from the gateway communication device; and

upon detecting the absence of communication, convert, the first internal communication device into a second gateway communication device.

12. The system of claim 11, the processor further configured to:

provide access to communicate with each of the plurality of internal communication devices.

13. The system of claim 12, the processor further configured to:

periodically transmit, a message associated with an availability of the second gateway communication device to at least one external communication device outside the geographic area.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein each internal communication device includes the network policing functionality performing handshaking and registration between the plurality of internal communication devices, such network policing functionality allowing the internal communication device to communicate with another internal communication device only when such another device can be authenticated to the gateway communication device.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein an admission of an entry internal communication device into the network includes the entry internal communication device:

measuring a signal strength of a number of the plurality of internal communication devices in the network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein an admission of an entry internal communication device into the network includes the entry internal communication device:

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

17. The system of claim 9, wherein one transceiver is configured to communicate with the other primary communication devices and the other transceiver is configured to communicate with the external communication device.

18. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a first internal communication device of a plurality of internal communication devices, a communication from a gateway communication device providing access to communicate with other internal communication devices of the plurality of internal communication devices within a geographic area, wherein at least one primary communication device in communication with the gateway communication device receives a request from a first primary communication device and a second primary communication device to join the network and transmits the request to join the network to the gateway communication device along with information corresponding to a number of intermediary devices linked between each of the first primary communication device and the second primary communication device and the gateway communication device, and wherein the access to communicate is granted to each respective internal communication device based on;

a signal strength associated with the respective internal communication device of the second subset relative to each of the plurality of internal communication devices, and

a number of intermediary internal communication devices linked between the respective internal communication device and the gateway communication device, wherein when the getaway communication device has an option to grant access to the first primary communication device or the second primary communication device, the gateway communication device selects the first primary communication device because the first primary communication device has fewer intermediary devices linked between the first communication device and the gateway communication device than the second primary communication device determined based on the information received corresponding to the number of intermediary devices linked between each of the first primary communication device and the second primary communication device and the gateway communication device;

detecting, by the first internal communication device, an absence of communication from the gateway communication device;

upon detecting the absence of communication, converting, by the first internal communication device, the first internal communication device into a second gateway communication device;

providing, by the second gateway communication device to the plurality of internal communication devices in the network within a geographic area, access to communicate with each of the plurality of internal communication devices;

periodically transmitting, by the second gateway communication device, a message associated with an availability of the second gateway communication device to at least one external communication device outside the geographic area; and

upon authenticating, by the second gateway communication device, the at least one external communication device outside the geographic area;

transmitting, by the second gateway communication device, a network policy to the external communication device, the network policy comprising one or more security functions configuring the external communication device to communicate data with the plurality of internal communication devices in accordance with the set of security functions, wherein the second gateway communication device and each of the plurality of internal communication devices have two transceivers and are configured to be assigned as a gateway communication device for each of the plurality of internal communication devices.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein an admission of an entry internal communication device into the network includes the entry internal communication device:

measuring a signal strength of a number of the plurality of internal communication devices in the network; and

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