Distributed routing in wireless networks

A network node in a wireless network enabled to provide distributed multi-hop route determination, comprising:

• a wireless transceiver;
• at least one processor;
• and
• memory containing software executable by the at least one processor whereby the network node is operative to:
• identify a subset of a plurality of neighbors of the network node in the wireless network based on:
• (a) link weights for links from the network node to at least some of the plurality of neighbors of the network node with respect to one or more route metrics for a multi-hop route through the wireless network and (b) one or more defined limits for the one or more route metrics;
• obtain second link weights for the links from the network node to at least the subset of the plurality of neighbors with respect to a second route metric for a multi-hop route through the wireless network;
• and
• identify, from the subset of the plurality of neighbors, an optimal next hop neighbor for the network node in a multi-hop route through the wireless network based on the second link weights for the links from the network node to at least the subset of the plurality of neighbors with respect to the second route metric.

A method of operation of a wireless network to provide distributed multi-hop route determination, comprising:

• finding, by the wireless network in a distributed manner, a route from a source node to a destination node through the wireless network according to a first route metric, μA;
• establishing, by the source node, a limit on the first route metric, μA, for the route based on a weight assigned to the route from the source node to the destination node for the first route metric, μA;
• providing the limit on the first route metric, μA, from the source node to at least some of a plurality of network nodes in the wireless network;
• trimming, by each network node in at least some of the plurality of network nodes, links with neighbor nodes for which the limit on the first route metric, μA, is not satisfied from consideration for an optimal route from the source node to the destination node according to a second route metric, μB, to thereby provide a trimmed network;
• and
• finding, by the wireless network in a distributed manner, an optimal route from the source node to the destination node through the trimmed network according to the second route metric, μB.