System and method for identifying nodes in a wireless network

• US 7,451,365 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CommWorks Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Misonimo Chi Acquisitions LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Nova, Michael, Wang, Weilin, Gillies, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Kerveros; James C
• Application Number:
  US11/425,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 714/726, 714/727, 714/729, 714/730, 714/733, 714/712, 714/748, 714/30
• US Class Current: 714/712
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318533 using scanning techniques, e.g. LSSD, Boundary Scan, JTAG
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/122 by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a boundary scan test of a wired or wireless network having a plurality of network nodes are presented. The system includes a test station communicatively coupled with the network. The test station creates a MAC layer scan test route sequence that includes each link in the network and is independent of the routing mechanism and protocol used for the network. The test station also creates a test agent that is configured to traverse each link in the scan test route sequence. The test agent is then deployed on the network and information about a link is reported back to the test station after the test agent examines the link. The scan test route sequence can be created by sending out a series of broadcast messages from one or more nodes in the network, sequentially applying a network tour to cover the entire network, or performing a depth first search on the entire network.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a plurality of nodes that are communicatively coupled to form a wireless network, comprising:

constructing a first data communication at a first node in a wireless network;

broadcasting the first data communication from the first node in the wireless network, wherein the first data communication is received by one or more second nodes in the wireless network;

receiving an acknowledgement message at the first node from the one or more second nodes, wherein each acknowledgement message provides an indication of the quality of the wireless network link between the first node and the particular second node that sent the respective acknowledgement message;

constructing a second data communication at each of the one or more second nodes in response to the first data communication;

broadcasting the second data communication from each of the one or more second nodes in the wireless network, wherein the second data communication is received by the first node and one or more third nodes;

disregarding each second data communication received by the first node;

receiving an acknowledgement message at a particular second node from one or more third nodes, wherein each acknowledgement message provides an indication of the quality of the wireless network link between the particular second node and the particular third node that sent the respective acknowledgement message; and

providing the first node with information about the identify of each of the one or more third nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording at the first node the quality of the wireless network link between the first node and a second node.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the quality of the wireless network link comprises signal strength.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the quality of the wireless network link comprises a link connectivity state.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording at a second node the quality of the wireless network link between said second node and a third node.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein an indication of the quality of the wireless network link comprises signal strength.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein an indication of the quality of the wireless network link comprises a link connectivity state.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording at the first node the information about a third node.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a route between the first node and a third node, said route including a first link between said first node and a second node and a second link between said second node and said third node.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network supports an IEEE 802.11 communication protocol.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network supports an IEEE 802.15 communication protocol.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network supports an IEEE 802.16 communication protocol.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network comprises an ultra wide band network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a cellular telephone network.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a WiMAX network.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a WiFi network.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a ZigBee network.

18. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a processor;

a data storage area;

a wireless communication means;

a test agent stored in the data storage area and configured to be executed by the processor to construct a first data communication and broadcast the first data communication over a wireless network using said wireless communication means, wherein the first data communication is received by one or more second wireless communication devices;

wherein the test agent is further configured to receive a first acknowledgement message from the one or more second wireless communication devices, said first acknowledgement message providing an indication of the quality of a wireless link between the first wireless communication device and the acknowledging second wireless communication device;

wherein the test agent is further configured to receive a second acknowledgement message from the one or more second wireless communication devices, said second acknowledgement message providing an indication of the quality of a wireless link between the acknowledging second wireless communication device and a third wireless communication device; and

wherein the test agent is further configured to identify a plurality of second and third wireless communication devices that are communicatively coupled with the wireless communication device to form a wireless mesh network.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein the test agent is further configured to store the quality of the wireless link between the wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device in the data storage area.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 19, wherein the stored quality of the wireless link comprises signal strength.

21. The wireless communication device of claim 19, wherein the stored quality of the wireless link comprises a link connectivity state.

22. The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein the wireless network supports an IEEE 802.11 communication protocol.

23. The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein the wireless communication network supports an IEEE 802.15 communication protocol.

24. The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein the wireless communication network supports an IEEE 802.16 communication protocol.

25. The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein the wireless communication network comprises an ultra wide band network.

26. The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a cellular telephone network.

27. The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a WiMAX network.

28. The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a WiFi network.

29. The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a ZigBee network.