INTEGRATED INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORTING MULTIPLE WIRELESS DEVICES

• US 20070030832A1
• Filed: 08/08/2005
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Gonia, Patrick, Budampati, Ramakrishna, Kolavennu, Soumitri, Chen, Yu-Gene
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Methods and devices for operating a wireless network including redundant communication. Methods involving redundantly connected nodes are discussed including addressing methods and/or methods of creating groups for such redundant communication. The use of primary and secondary redundant connections is discussed. The inclusion of a redundant network in association with a non-redundant network such as a Zigbee® protocol network is discussed. Also, devices for implementing such methods are described.

Claims

1. A method of communicating in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a data signal at an infrastructure node;

determining whether the data signal is configured for a first network, and, if so, routing data from the data signal to a destination node for the first network in accordance with rules for the first network;

if not;

determining whether the data signal is configured for a second network and, if so, routing data from the data signal to a destination node for the second network in accordance with rules for the second network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, if the data signal is configured for the first or second network, the method further comprises generating a signal acknowledging receipt of the data signal using rules for that network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the infrastructure node has a first transceiver and a second transceiver; and

the step of receiving a data signal includes operating the first transceiver on a first communication channel and operating the second transceiver on a second communication channel.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining whether the data signal is configured for the first network or the second network includes analyzing a portion of the data signal.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

following a first schedule for communication using the first network, the first schedule making use of at least one communication channel and at least one time slot; and

communicating on the second network using a communication channel and time slot that does not interfere with the first schedule'"'"'s use of the at least one communication channel and the at least one time slot.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the device has a first transceiver and first antenna and a second transceiver and second antenna, wherein at least one antenna is adapted for use as a directional antenna, wherein the method further comprises communicating with a first device in a network using a directional antenna, the first device having a fixed location.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network comprises a plurality of fixed location devices, and the second network comprises at least one mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

creating a first communications plan for the first network; and

creating a second communications plan for the second network;

wherein the first communications plan and the second communications plan do not interfere with one another.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first communications plan is a centrally generated communication plan and the second communications plan is created using a decentralized method.

10. A device configured for wireless communication, the device comprising:

a first transceiver; and

operational circuitry including a controller coupled to the first transceiver, the controller adapted for directing wireless communication by;

determining whether a first signal received by the device is directed to a first network and, if the first signal is directed to the first network, routing data from the first signal to a destination node for the first network; and

determining whether the first signal is directed to a second network and, if the first signal is directed to the second network, routing data from the first signal to a destination node for the second network.

11. The device of claim 10 further comprising a second transceiver, wherein the first transceiver is used to communicate with the first network and the second transceiver is used to communicate with the second network.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the first network comprises a number of fixed devices, wherein the first transceiver is coupled to a directional antenna, wherein communication with the first network is performed using directional signals from the directional antenna as controlled by the first transceiver.

13. A wireless communications system comprising:

at least one data relaying node;

wherein;

the system is adapted to communicate with a first communication device configured to operate as part of a first network and a second communication device configured to operate as part of a second network;

the data relaying node is configured to communicate with each of the first communication device and the second communication device;

the data relaying node includes a first transceiver adapted to receive and send communications;

the data relaying node receives a first communication from the first communication device, recognizes that the first communication is from the first network, and treats the first communication in accordance with rules for data movement in the first network; and

the data relaying node receives a second communication from the second communication device, recognizes that the second communication is from the second network, and treats the second communication in accordance with rules for data movement in the second network.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 13 wherein communications in the first network and the second network are time coordinated by the system.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 14 wherein:

the data relaying node includes a second transceiver; and

the data relaying node is adapted to communicate using both a first communication channel via the first transceiver for the first network and a second communication channel via the second transceiver for the second network at the same time.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 15 wherein at least some of the devices in the first network have fixed locations, and wherein the first antenna is capable of providing directional communications such that, when the data relaying node communicates with a device in the first network having a fixed location, a directional signal from the first antenna is used.

17. The wireless communication system of claim 13 wherein:

the data relaying node is adapted to use a plurality of communications channels;

the data relaying node uses a first subset of the plurality of communications channels for communications with the first network;

the data relaying node uses a second subset of the plurality of communications channels for communications with the second network; and

the first subset and the second subset are mutually exclusive of one another.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 13 wherein the first network comprises at least one node having a fixed or predictable location, and the second network comprises at least one mobile node.

19. The wireless communication system of claim 18 wherein a centralized communications plan used with the first network and a decentralized communications plan is used with the second network.

20. The wireless communication system of claim 13 wherein:

the system is further adapted to communicate with a third communication device configured to operate as part of a third network; and

the data relaying node is further configured to communicate with the third communication device.

21. The wireless communication system of claim 13 wherein the data relaying node is also adapted to communicate with a wired communication system.