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US 8,570,859 B1Granted
Hybrid mesh network
AssigneeSprint Spectrum L.P.
InventorsDurga Prasad Satapathy, Bruce E. Hoffman, Harold Wayne Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for interconnecting multiple mesh transport medium technologies is disclosed. Two nodes are part of a mesh sub-network using a first access technology. The two nodes have at least two paths using the first access technology that couple the two nodes together. A third path using a second access technology also couples the two nodes together.
Claims22
A method for operating a hybrid mesh network comprising a plurality of links and a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:
- monitoring a performance level of the plurality of links coupling together the plurality of nodes with a performance and fault management system, wherein a first subset of the plurality of links operates using a first access technology, and a second subset of the plurality of links operates using a second access technology;
- detecting a failing link in the first subset of the plurality of links when a link event occurs, wherein a link event occurs when a performance level of the failing link drops below a threshold;
- identifying traffic of a first service type and traffic of a second service type being sent over the failing link;
- determining a minimum set of performance characteristics for the failing link based on a predetermined criterion for the failing link with a hybrid mesh management system, wherein the predetermined criterion comprises performance characteristics inherent to the second access technology, wherein the performance characteristics inherent to the second access technology do not satisfy performance characteristics for sending the traffic of the first service type;
- selecting a first replacement path for the traffic of the first service type and a second replacement path for the traffic of the second service type with the hybrid mesh management system, wherein the first and second replacement paths comprise one or more links of the plurality of links having a set of performance characteristics that are at least equal to the minimum set of performance characteristics of the failing link and wherein the first replacement path does not include a link of the second subset of the plurality of links.
2 more elements
A hybrid mesh network, comprising:
- a plurality of nodes coupled together with a plurality of links, wherein a first set of the plurality of links uses a first access technology, and a second set of the plurality of links uses a second access technology;
- and
- a performance and fault management system configured to monitor the plurality of links to detect a failing link on the occurrence of a link event, wherein a link event occurs when a performance level of the failing link drops below a threshold, wherein the performance and fault management system notifies a hybrid mesh management system of the failing link;
- wherein the hybrid mesh management system is configured to identify traffic of a first service type and traffic of a second service type being sent over the failing link replace the failing link with at least one alternate link selected from the plurality of links each for the traffic of the first service type and the traffic of the second service type, wherein the at least one alternate link for the traffic of the first service type does not include a link of the second set of the plurality of links;
- and
- wherein the alternate link is selected based on a predetermined criterion of the failing link, wherein the predetermined criterion comprises performance characteristics inherent to the second access technology, wherein the performance characteristics inherent to the second access technology do not satisfy performance characteristics for sending the traffic of the first service type.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.