US 2006/0133328 A1 · Internet-oriented ad-hoc network

Abstract

A hierarchical directional internet-oriented ad-hoc network, defined by a software infrastructure, is composed of fixed gateway nodes and a plurality of wireless nodes, which may be fixed or mobile, and which may act as subscribers, routers, or both. The infrastructure hierarchy is defined by the hop count of each node (distance of that node to a fixed gateway node). The software infrastructure includes two tables associated with each node in the network: the upstream routing table which provides shortest routes to fixed gateway nodes through upstream neighbors, and the downstream routing table which provides shortest routes to subscribers through downstream neighbors. These two tables are used by routing algorithms. A peer table can also be used for alternate routes. The maintenance of the aforementioned tables is performed by autonomous algorithms operating locally on each node by receiving and processing signals from their neighbors.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A network comprising:

at least one fixed gateway node, the fixed gateway node being in communication with the Internet;
and
a plurality of wireless nodes, each of the wireless nodes including wireless transceivers, each of the wireless nodes includes an upstream routing table and a downstream routing table, each of the wireless nodes being configured to use its upstream and downstream routing tables to make routing decisions, some of the wireless nodes being mobile wireless nodes, some of the mobile wireless nodes being configured to act as a relay for other wireless nodes that cannot directly access the at least one fixed gateway node;
wherein at least one first wireless node has an upstream routing table listing a second node and a corresponding hop count relative to the at least one fixed gateway node for the second node, the corresponding hop count for the second node being lower than a hop count for the first wireless node, and wherein at least one third wireless node has a downstream routing table listing at least one fourth wireless node with a corresponding hop count relative to the at least one fixed gateway node, the corresponding hop count for the fourth wireless node being higher than the hop count for the third wireless node.

1 more element

A method comprising the steps of:

receiving a periodically broadcast message sent by an other node in an ad-hoc network at a wireless node, the network including at least one fixed gateway node, the message including a node identification associated with the other node and a hop count associated with the other node, the hop count representing a number of hops in a shortest path to the fixed gateway node;
and
updating upstream routing tables, downstream routing tables and peer tables as necessary depending on the node identification and hop count received in the periodically broadcast message.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Internet-oriented ad-hoc network

Life of this patent

Internet-oriented ad-hoc network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31