WIRELESS MESH NETWORK CONFIGURATION

• US 20160150417A1
• Filed: 02/02/2016
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated), Worthen Industries, Inc. (WF Capital Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Srivastava, Praveen
• Granted Patent: US 10,306,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/26 Route discovery packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/06 based on characteristics of available antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/08 based on transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

A wireless mesh network employs an integrated interface between a plurality of access points for mitigating throughput degradation of multiple consecutive “daisy chain,” or mesh, links. The mesh network employs a plurality of access points, each linked back to a root access point by a series of “hops” through other access points. The wireless mesh network, therefore, employs a plurality of access points operable for wireless links to subscriber, or user, devices, including cellular phones, smart phones, tablet and laptop computing devices, or any suitable portable or handheld computing device. Access points establish an integrated interface with an adjacent access point for direct coupling of the access points for message traffic. The resulting integrated access point establishes a wireless link to a root access point connected to a backhaul network from which media services emanate.

Claims

1. A method for mesh network message transmission, comprising:

transmitting between a root access point and a first hop access point;

transmitting between the first hop access point and a coupled access point using an integrated interface, the integrated interface defined by a high speed transport medium; and

transmitting between the coupled access point and at least one of a plurality of successive access points, the successive access points having a wireless transport to the coupled access point;

the high speed transport medium being substantially faster than the wireless transport between the successive access points,

transmitting between the root access point includes a high gain direction antenna, the high gain direction antenna for a transmission between the first hop access point at a distance substantially greater than a mesh network hop between the successive access points.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmission includes a message for providing media service to an end user wirelessly connected to one of the plurality of successive access points.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising connecting a first hop access point with a successive access point.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each access point coupled by the integrated access point transmits wirelessly only in an upstream or downstream direction, but not both.

5. A network interface device, comprising

a first hop access point coupled to a wireless access point using a high speed transport medium;

an interface from the wireless access point to successive wireless access points, the successive wireless access points configured based on a maximum power usage, minimum throughput and a distance to the wireless access point,

the high speed transport medium being substantially faster than the a wireless transport between the successive access points; and

a high gain direction antenna interface to a root access point;

the high gain direction antenna for communications to the first hop access point substantially more distant than a mesh network hop between the successive access points.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein each access point coupled by the high speed transport medium transmits wirelessly only in an upstream or downstream direction, but not both.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the first hop access point transmits wirelessly only in an upstream direction and the coupled access point transmits wirelessly only in a downstream direction, the first hop access point and the coupled access point communicating via the integrated interface.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the integrated interface is a wired interface.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the transmission includes a message for providing media service to an end user wirelessly connected to one of the plurality of successive access points.

10. A method of wireless data transport in a wireless mesh network comprising:

identifying, in a wireless mesh network having access points wirelessly coupled by network links, an integrated interface to an access point, the integrated interface being a high speed transport medium further comprising directly connecting two of the access points using the integrated interface such that the message packet follows the high speed transport medium between the two directly connected access points including a first hop access point;

receiving, via the integrated interface, a message packet, the integrated interface coupling the two connected access points independently of the wireless mesh network links; and

transmitting the message via a single wireless hop between the first hop access point and a root access point, the root access point invoking a high-gain directional antenna, wherein the wireless links between successive access points are selected based on a distance to the root access point, maximum power usage and minimum throughput, the root access point establishing a link with a plurality of the first hop access points such that the first hop access point from the root is substantially more distant than a mesh network hop between the successive access points.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein each node of the directly connected access points transmits wirelessly only in an upstream or downstream direction, but not both,

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising daisy chaining a plurality of access points, the daisy chain terminating at the root access point.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the daisy chaining performs indirect relaying of the message packet between the user device and the root access point via the links between each of the access points.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein each daisy-chained link in the mesh network mitigates throughput by a cumulative factor.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising

connecting a backhaul network to the root access point for serving the mesh network,

establishing a backhaul network connection to the root access point;

and

establishing an access network connection via the integrated interface to the daisy chained access points.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the message traffic is defined by a series of message packets between the user device and remote recipients via the root access point and the backhaul network.