# US 2020/0288373 A1 · Battery efficient routing in mesh networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0288373 A1 - Document ID: US20200288373A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/294,260 - Filed: 2019-03-06 - Published: 2020-09-10 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-06 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Inventors: Chirag Manojkumar Kharvar; Sourabh Jana; Skanda Kumar Kaipu Narahari - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200288373A1 ## CPC - H04W 40/10: based on available power or energy - H04B 17/318: Received signal strength - H04W 40/02: Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing - H04W 40/12: based on transmission quality or channel quality - H04W 40/22: using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point - H04W 40/248: {Connectivity information update} - H04W 40/28: for reactive routing - H04W 40/30: for proactive routing - H04W 52/0216: {using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame} - H04W 52/0219: {where the power saving management affects multiple terminals} - H04W 52/0251: {using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity} - H04W 52/0277: {according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected} - H04W 84/18: Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract A device in a mesh network may select a relay path for use based on the power resources available to the devices forming the relay path. For example, if there are multiple relay paths available for selection, the device may choose a relay path that has the lowest quantity of devices that are operating on battery power. The device may determine the quantity of battery-powered devices associated with a path based on power information included in one or more messages received from one of the devices forming the path. After selecting the relay path, the device may transmit a response message to an intermediary device forming the relay path. The intermediary device may, in some examples, be a device that transmitted a message including the power information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for wireless communication at a first wireless device in a wireless mesh network, comprising: receiving messages from wireless devices within the wireless mesh network, each of the messages comprising a value indicating a quantity of wireless devices that relayed the message while operating using a respective battery source; determining, based at least in part on the messages, that a second wireless device transmitted a first message with a value that corresponds to the lowest quantity of wireless devices that relayed that message while operating using the respective battery source; and transmitting a second message over a path that includes the second wireless device based at least in part on the determination. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, based at least in part on the first message, a quantity of wireless devices that are part of the path, wherein the second message is transmitted over the path based at least in part on the quantity of devices that are part of the path. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, based at least in part on the first message, a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) associated with the path, wherein the second message is transmitted over the path based at least in part on the RSSI. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, based at least in part on the first message, a level of battery power for a quantity of wireless devices that are part of the path, wherein the second message is transmitted over the path based at least in part on the level. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that a third message from a third wireless device of the wireless devices comprises the value that corresponds to the lowest quantity of wireless devices that relayed the third message while operating using the respective battery source; comparing a second metric of the first and third messages, the second metric indicative of a total quantity of wireless devices, a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), or a level of battery power, or any combination thereof; and selecting the path for transmission of the second message based at least in pa on the comparison. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is a path request (PREQ) message, the method further comprising: incrementing the value of the first message; forwarding the PREQ message with the incremented value to a third wireless device; and receiving a first path reply (PREP) message from the third wireless device, wherein transmitting the second message comprises transmitting a second PREP message by forwarding the first PREP message. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the messages comprise path request (PREQ) messages and wherein the second message comprises a path reply (PREP) message. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: receiving data from the second wireless device based at least in part on sending the PREP message to the second wireless device, wherein the data originates from a wireless device other than the second wireless device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that the value of the first message indicates the quantity of wireless devices using the respective battery source based at least in part on an indication in the first message. ### Claim 10 A first wireless device for wireless communication in a wireless mesh network, comprising: a processor; memory in electronic communication with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the first wireless device to: receive messages from wireless devices within the wireless mesh network, each of the messages comprising a value indicating a quantity of wireless devices that relayed the message while operating using a respective battery source; determine, based at least in part on the messages, that a second wireless device transmitted a first message with a value that corresponds to the lowest quantity of wireless devices that relayed that message while operating using the respective battery source; and transmit a second message over a path that includes the second wireless device based at leak in part on the determination. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The first wireless device of claim 10, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to cause the first wireless device to: determin, based at least in part on the first message, a quantity of wireless devices that are part of the path, wherein the second message is transmitted over the path based at least in part on the quantity of devices that are part of the path. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The first wireless device of claim 10, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to cause the first wireless device to: determine, based at least in part on the first message, a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) associated with the path, wherein the second message is transmitted over the path based at least in part on the RSSI. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The first wireless device of claim 10, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to cause the first wireless device to: determine, based at least in part on the first message, a level of battery power for a quantity of wireless devices that are part of the path, wherein the second message is transmitted over the path based at least in part on the level. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The first wireless device of claim 10, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to cause the first wireless device to: determine that a third message from a third wireless device of the wireless devices comprises the value that corresponds to the lowest quantity of wireless devices that relayed the third message while operating using the respective battery source; compare a second metric of the first and third messages, the second metric indicative of a total quantity of wireless devices, a received signal strength indicator (RSS or a level of battery power, or any combination thereof; and select the path for transmission of the second message based at least in part on the comparison. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The first wireless device of claim 10, wherein the first message is a path request (PREQ) message, and wherein the first wireless device further comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the first wireless device to: increment the value of the first message; forward the PREQ message with the incremented value to a third wireless device; and receive a first path reply (PREP) message from the third wireless device, wherein transmitting the second message comprises transmitting a second PREP message by forwarding the first PREP message. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The first wireless device of claim 10, wherein the messages comprise path request (PREQ) messages and wherein the second message comprises a path reply (PREP) message. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The first wireless device of claim 16, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to cause the first wireless device to: receive data from the second wireless device based at least in part on sending the PREP message to the second wireless device, wherein the data originates from a wireless device other than the second wireless device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The first wireless device of claim 10, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to cause the first wireless device to: determine that the value of the first message indicates the quantity of wireless devices using the respective battery source based at least in part on an indication in the first message. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing code comprising instructions executable by a processor to cause a first wireless device in a wireless mesh network to: receive messages from wireless devices within the wireless mesh network, each of the messages comprising a value indicating a quantity of wireless devices that relayed the message while operating using a respective battery source; determine, based at least in part on the messages, that a second wireless device transmitted a first message with a value that corresponds to the lowest quantity of wireless devices that relayed that message while operating using the respective battery source; and transmit a second message over a path that includes the second wireless device based at least in part on the determination. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to cause the first wireless device to: determine, based at least in part on the first message, a quantity of wireless devices that are part of the path, wherein the second message is transmitted over the path based at least in part on the quantity of devices that are part of the path.