Solar-powered access point for load balancing network traffic across backhaul networks
AssigneeItron, Inc.
InventorsBruce Edwards, Kunal Shah
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solar-powered device (SPD) node operates as an access point for leaf nodes. The SPD node load balances network traffic received from leaf nodes across different backhaul networks. The SPD node determines a specific backhaul network across which to route the network traffic based on several different factors associated with the SPD node. Those factors include a current battery level, a current solar generation rate, and a current communication link status. The SPD access point also determines the specific backhaul network across which to route the network traffic based on characteristics of the different backhaul networks, including a network latency, among other characteristics.
Claims21
A system, comprising:
- a power subsystem that includes:
- a secondary power cell that stores a first portion of power that is consumed during a first time interval when performing network communications with one or more nodes included in a wireless network, and
- a solar panel that, when exposed to a first level of irradiance during a second time interval, generates the first portion of power for storage in the secondary power cell, wherein the first time interval comprises an interval of continuous darkness and the second time interval comprises an interval of continuous daylight;
- and
- a network subsystem that:
- determines a first operational status associated with at least one of a power storage level of the power subsystem or a solar power generation status of the power subsystem,
- determines a second operational status associated with a first set of backhaul networks,
- generates a first set of routing metrics corresponding to the first set of backhaul networks based on the first operational status associated with the at least one of the power storage level of the power subsystem or the solar power generation status of the power subsystem and the second operational status, and
- performs one or more operations to load balance network traffic received from a leaf node included in the wireless network across the first set of backhaul networks based on the first set of routing metrics.
A computer-implemented method for routing network traffic associated with a wireless network, the method comprising:
- storing a first portion of power in a secondary power cell, wherein the first portion of power is consumed during a first time interval when performing network communications with one or more nodes included in the wireless network;
- generating the first portion of power in response to a first level of irradiance during a second time interval, wherein the first time interval comprises an interval of continuous darkness and the second time interval comprises an interval of continuous daylight;
- determining a first operational status associated with at least one of a power storage level of a power subsystem of a first node that includes the secondary power cell or a solar power generation status of the power subsystem;
- determining a second operational status associated with a first set of backhaul networks;
- generating a first set of routing metrics corresponding to the first set of backhaul networks based on the first operational status associated with the at least one of the power storage level of the power subsystem or the solar power generation status of the power subsystem and the second operational status;
- and
- performing one or more operations to load balance network traffic received from a leaf node included in the wireless network across the first set of backhaul networks based on the first set of routing metrics.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.