System and method for self-configuring adaptive wireless router network

• US 20070195729A1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Hongbing, Chen, Shiwen, Yoshiba, Harumine, Huang, King
• Application Number:
  US11/357,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20070195729A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

An automated and distributed method is provided for configuring addressing of nodes in a wireless network, where the nodes includes at least one wireless interface and a network interface which connects to an external network. Briefly, the method includes: assigning a wireless network address to the wireless interface associated with the node; assigning another external network address to the external network interface associated with the node in a manner where a subnet identifier of the network address for the external interface correlates to a host identifier of the network address for the wireless network. The method may further include assigning further network addresses to one or more network devices which share the same subnetwork as the external network interface of the node.

Claims

1. An automated method for configuring a node in a wireless network to interface with an external network, comprising:

randomly determining a host identifier for the node;

constructing a network address for a wireless interface associated with the node using the host identifier;

assigning the network address to the wireless interface when the network address is not currently assigned to another node in the wireless network; and

assigning another network address to an external interface associated with the node, where a subnet identifier of the network address for the external interface correlates to a host identifier of the network address for the wireless interface.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises assigning further network addresses to one or more network devices which share a subnetwork with the external interface of the node, where the further network addresses are coordinated with the network address for the wireless interface.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein assigning further network addresses in a manner where a subnet identifier of the further network addresses correlates to a host identifier of the network address for the wireless interface.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the network address for the wireless interface and the network address for the external interface are further defined as IP addresses.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the external interface is further defined as an Ethernet port associated with the node.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein assigning further network addresses employs a dynamic host configuration protocol residing on the node.

2. The method of claim 2 further comprises generating a different network address for the wireless interface when the network address is currently assigned to another node in the wireless network.

8. An automated method for configuring a node in a wireless network to interface with an external network, comprising:

assigning a network address to a wireless interface associated with the node;

assigning another network address to an external interface associated with the node; and

assigning further network addresses to one or more network devices which share a subnetwork with the external interface of the node, where the further network addresses are coordinated with the network address for the wireless interface.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein assigning a network address further comprises

generating a random number;

generating the network address using the random number;

probing other nodes in the wireless network for a matching network address; and

assigning the network address to the wireless interface when the network address is not currently assigned to another node in the wireless network.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprises generating a different network address when the network address is currently assigned to another node in the wireless network.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein assigning another network address to an external interface in a manner where a subnet identifier of the network address for the external interface correlates to a host identifier of the network address for the wireless interface.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein assigning further network addresses in a manner where a subnet identifier of the further network addresses correlates to a host identifier of the network address for the wireless interface.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the network address for the wireless interface, the network address for the external interface and the further network addresses are further defined as IP addresses.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the external interface is further defined as an Ethernet port associated with the node.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein assigning further network addresses employs a dynamic host configuration protocol residing on the node.

16. A method for interfacing devices in an ad hoc network environment, comprising:

positioning a first wireless node of a wireless network proximate to a first isolated device;

connecting the isolated device to an external interface of the first wireless node; and

assigning a network address to the first isolated device, where the network address is assigned by the wireless node and is coordinated with a network address assigned to a wireless interface of the first wireless node.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprises routing data packets from the first isolated device via the first wireless node to other wireless node in the wireless network.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprises routing data packets from other wireless nodes in the wireless network via the first wireless node to the first isolated device.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the first isolated device is further defined as either a standalone computing device or a network routing device of a local area network.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprises positioning a second wireless node proximate to a second isolated device;

connecting the second isolated device to an external interface of the second wireless node; and

assigning a network address to the second isolated device, where the network address is assigned by the second wireless node and is coordinated with a network address assigned to a wireless interface of the second wireless node.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprises routing data packets from the first isolated device via the wireless network to the second isolated device.

22. The method of claim 16 further comprises routing data packets amongst wireless nodes in the wireless network using an ad hoc routing protocol resident on each of the wireless nodes.

23. The method of claim 16 further comprises

randomly determining a host identifier for the first wireless node;

constructing a network address for the wireless interface associated with the first wireless node using the host identifier;

assigning the network address to the wireless interface when the network address is not currently assigned to another node in the wireless network.

24. The method of claim 16 further comprises assigning another network address to the external interface associated with the first wireless node, where a subnet identifier of the network address for the external interface correlates to a host identifier of the network address for the wireless interface.