Mesh network control using common designation wake-up

• US 8,223,680 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2009
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Twitchell, Robert W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mered, Habte
• Application Number:
  US12/352,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20090122737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 370/235, 370/254, 370/310, 370/310.2, 370/311, 370/312, 370/315, 370/318, 370/328, 370/335, 370/338, 370/351, 370/400, 370/401, 370/402, 370/404, 370/405, 370/408, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/88, 455/343.1, 455/343.2, 455/343.3, 455/343.4, 455/343.5, 455/402, 455/422.1, 455/456.1, 455/500, 455/515, 455/517, 455/522, 455/574
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Each of a plurality of network nodes in an ad hoc mesh network utilizes a data communication device that includes a two-way communications component, comprising a first receiver and transmitter, and a second receiver. The second receiver activates the communications component from a dormant state when it receives a broadcast including a wake-up identifier of the communication device. A method of activating and deactivating a mesh network includes, first, transmitting a broadcast that includes a wake-up identifier such that each second receiver of each communication device identified by the wake-up identifier, upon receipt, activates the communications component of the communication device, which then engages in mesh networking communications, and, second, transmitting a second broadcast including a second identifier such that the communications component of each communication device identified by the second identifier, upon receipt, will cease its mesh networking communications and will return to the dormant state.

Claims

1. A method of activating and deactivating a mesh network for mesh network communications in ad hoc mesh networking utilizing a data communication device for each of a plurality of network nodes, each data communication device including both,

a two-way communications component comprising a first receiver and transmitter, and

a second receiver,

wherein the second receiver activates the two-way communications component from a dormant state upon receipt by the second receiver of a wake-up broadcast that includes a wake-up identifier of the data communication device, wherein the method comprises:

tracking, at each of the network nodes, one or more metrics related to communications with other network nodes;

transmitting a first wake-up broadcast that includes a first wake-up identifier such that each second receiver of each data communication device identified by the first wake-up identifier, upon receiving the first wake-up broadcast, will activate the two-way communications component of the data communication device, and thereafter the data communication device will engage in mesh networking communications;

propagating, by each data communication device that receives the first wake-up broadcast, the first wake-up broadcast;

periodically retransmitting the first wake-up broadcast that includes the first wake-up identifier such that each second receiver of each data communication device identified by the first wake-up identifier, upon receiving the first wake-up broadcast, will activate the two-way communications component of the data communication device, and thereafter the data communication device will engage in mesh networking communications;

transmitting a second broadcast that includes a second identifier such that the two-way communications component of each data communication device identified by the second identifier, upon receiving the second broadcast, will cease its mesh networking communications and will return to the dormant state;

wherein each data communication device is configured such that, after receiving and propagating the first wake-up broadcast, the data communication device will not propagate that first wake-up broadcast again even if the first wake-up broadcast is received again; and

wherein the first wake-up identifier represents a common designation corresponding to one or more of the tracked one or more metrics related to communications with other network nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second broadcast is transmitted by the first transmitter of the two-way communications component of one of the data communication devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second receiver of one of the data communication devices is part of a wake-up transceiver of that data communication device, and wherein the second broadcast is transmitted by a second transmitter of the wake-up transceiver.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second broadcast is received by the first receiver of the two-way communications component of one of the data communication devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second broadcast is received by the second receiver of one of the data communication devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second receiver of one of the data communication devices is part of a wake-up transceiver of that data communication device, and wherein the second broadcast is received by the second receiver of the wake-up transceiver.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the two-way communications component of each data communication device is off when in the dormant state.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second receiver of each data communication device draws substantially less current while listening for the first wake-up broadcast than the two-way communications component would draw while listening for the first wake-up broadcast.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second receiver of each data communication device draws less current while listening for the first wake-up broadcast than the two-way communications component would draw while listening for the first wake-up broadcast, the difference in current draw being at least an order of magnitude.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second receiver of one of the data communication devices utilizes a stepped wake-up sequence based on at least two criteria, and wherein the last criteria before awakening the two-way communications component comprises identifying the first wake-up identifier of that data communication device in the first wake-up broadcast.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second receiver of one of the data communication devices is part of a wake-up transceiver, the wake-up transceiver further comprising a second transmitter of that data communication device that is configured to transmit the first wake-up broadcast for receipt by another wake-up receiver of another data communication device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wake-up identifier represents a node performance characteristic.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the performance characteristic comprises one of the group of bit error rate, throughput of the node, strength of the radiofrequency communication link, and range, determined using values such as Received Signal Strength Indication, or “

RSSI”

.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the mesh network that is activated comprises a subset of nodes out of a plurality of available nodes, the selection of nodes being determined based on the first wake-up identifier included in the first wake-up broadcast that is transmitted.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of a time interval T of the mesh network during which mesh networking communications are performed is measured beginning with a time of the first wake-up broadcast, whereby all nodes participating in the mesh network are synchronized for mesh communications.

16. A method of activating two mesh networks for independent and separate mesh network communications in ad hoc mesh networking utilizing a data communication device for each of a plurality of network nodes, each data communication device including both, a two-way communications component comprising a first receiver and transmitter, and

a second receiver,

wherein the second receiver activates the two-way communications component from a dormant state upon receipt by the second receiver of a wake-up broadcast that includes a wake-up identifier of the data communication device, wherein the method comprises:

tracking, at each of the network nodes, one or more metrics related to communications with other network nodes;

transmitting a first wake-up broadcast that includes a first wake-up identifier such that each second receiver of each data communication device identified by the first wake-up identifier, upon receiving the first wake-up broadcast, will activate the two-way communications component of the data communication device, and thereafter the data communication device will engage in mesh networking communications via a first mesh network;

propagating, by each data communication device that receives the first wake-up broadcast, the first wake-up broadcast;

periodically retransmitting the first wake-up broadcast that includes the first wake-up identifier such that each second receiver of each data communication device identified by the first wake-up identifier, upon receiving the first wake-up broadcast, will activate the two-way communications component of the data communication device, and thereafter the data communication device will engage in mesh networking communications via the first mesh network;

transmitting a second wake-up broadcast that includes a second wake-up identifier such that each second receiver of each data communication device identified by the second wake-up identifier, upon receiving the second wake-up broadcast, will activate the two-way communications component of the data communication device, and thereafter the data communication device will engage in mesh networking communications via a second mesh network;

wherein each data communication device is configured such that, after receiving and propagating the first wake-up broadcast, the data communication device will not propagate the first wake-up broadcast again even if the first wake-up broadcast is received again;

wherein the first wake-up identifier represents a common designation corresponding to a first set of one or more of the tracked one or more metrics related to communications with other network nodes; and

wherein the second wake-up identifier represents a common designation corresponding to a second set of one or more of the tracked one or more metrics related to communications with other network nodes.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second wake-up broadcast is transmitted after transmitting the first wake-up broadcast such that a portion of a first time interval T₁ of the first mesh network, during which mesh networking communications are performed, does not overlap with a portion of a second time interval T₂ of the second mesh network, during which mesh networking communications are performed.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting a third broadcast that includes a third identifier such that the two-way communications component of each data communication device identified by the first wake-up identifier, upon receiving the third broadcast, will cease its mesh networking communications and will return to the dormant state.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting a fourth broadcast that includes a fourth identifier such that the two-way communications component of each data communication device identified by the second wake-up identifier, upon receiving the fourth broadcast, will cease its mesh networking communications and will return to the dormant state.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting a third broadcast that includes a third identifier such that the two-way communications component of each data communication device identified by either of the first wake-up identifier or the second wake-up identifier, upon receiving the third broadcast, will cease its mesh networking communications and will return to the dormant state.

21. A method of activating a mesh network for mesh network communications in ad hoc mesh networking utilizing a data communication device for each of a plurality of network nodes, each data communication device including both,

a two-way communications component comprising a first receiver and transmitter, and

a second receiver,

wherein the second receiver activates the two-way communications component from a dormant state upon receipt by the second receiver of a wake-up broadcast that includes a wake-up identifier of the data communication device, wherein the method comprises:

tracking, at each of the network nodes, one or more metrics related to communications with other network nodes;

transmitting a particular wake-up broadcast that includes a particular wake-up identifier such that each second receiver of each data communication device identified by the particular wake-up identifier, upon receiving the particular wake-up broadcast, will activate the two-way communications component of the data communication device, and thereafter the data communication device will engage in mesh networking communications;

propagating, by each data communication device that receives the particular wake-up broadcast, the particular wake-up broadcast;

periodically retransmitting the particular wake-up broadcast that includes the particular wake-up identifier such that each second receiver of each data communication device identified by the particular wake-up identifier, upon receiving the particular wake-up broadcast, will activate the two-way communications component of the data communication device, and thereafter the data communication device will engage in mesh networking communications;

wherein each data communication device is configured such that, after receiving and propagating the particular wake-up broadcast, the data communication device will not propagate that particular wake-up broadcast again even if the particular wake-up broadcast is received again; and

wherein the particular wake-up identifier represents a common designation corresponding to one or more of the tracked one or more metrics related to communications with other network nodes.

22. An ad hoc mesh networking system, comprising:

an ad hoc mesh network utilizing a plurality of data communication devices as nodes of the network;

wherein each data communication device includes both,

a two-way communications component comprising a first receiver and transmitter, and

a second receiver, wherein the second receiver activates the two-way communications component from a dormant state upon receipt by the second receiver of a wake-up broadcast that includes a wake-up identifier of the data communication device; and

wherein each data communication device is configured to track one or more metrics related to communications with other network nodes;

wherein a mesh network is activated for mesh network communications by transmitting a first wake-up broadcast that includes a first wake-up identifier such that each second receiver of each data communication device identified by the first wake-up identifier, upon receiving the first wake-up broadcast, will activate the two-way communications component of the data communication device, and thereafter the data communication device will engage in mesh networking communications;

wherein each data communication device is configured to propagate the received first wake-up broadcast, but is configured such that, after receiving and propagating the received first wake-up broadcast, the data communication device will not propagate the received first wake-up broadcast again even if the received first wake-up broadcast is received again;

wherein the first wake-up identifier represents a common designation corresponding to one or more of the tracked one or more metrics related to communications with other network nodes.

23. A data communication device for utilization as a node in an ad hoc mesh network utilizing a plurality of data communication devices as nodes, wherein the data communication device comprising:

a two-way communications component comprising a first receiver and transmitter; and

a second receiver, wherein the second receiver activates the two-way communications component from a dormant state upon receipt by the second receiver of a wake-up broadcast that includes a wake-up identifier of the data communication device;

wherein the data communication device is configured to track one or more metrics related to communications with other network nodes;

wherein the ad hoc mesh network is activated for mesh network communications by transmitting a first wake-up broadcast that includes a first wake-up identifier such that each second receiver of each data communication device in the ad hoc mesh network identified by the first wake-up identifier, upon receiving the first wake-up broadcast, will activate the two-way communications component of each data communication device in the ad hoc mesh network identified by the first wake-up identifier, and thereafter each data communication device that has activated the corresponding two way communication component will engage in mesh networking communications;

wherein the data communication device is configured to propagate the received first wake-up broadcast, but is configured such that, after receiving and propagating the received first wake-up broadcast, the data communication device will not propagate the received first wake-up broadcast again even if the received first wake-up broadcast is received again; and

wherein the first wake-up identifier represents a common designation corresponding to one or more of the tracked one or more metrics related to communications with other network nodes.