CN112205033A

CN112205033A - System and method for managing and controlling dynamic tunneling protocol in a mesh network

Info

Publication number: CN112205033A
Application number: CN201980036050.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 什穆埃尔·西尔弗曼; 西蒙·库姆斯
Original assignee: Gooee Ltd
Current assignee: Gooee Ltd
Priority date: 2018-03-29
Filing date: 2019-03-29
Publication date: 2021-01-08
Also published as: ZA202006419B; EP3777327A1; WO2019186506A1

Abstract

In accordance with some embodiments, systems and methods for managing dynamic tunnels in a mesh network are disclosed. The method includes associating an application transmitting a high-density data packet with a first node of a plurality of nodes in a mesh network. A first node of the plurality of nodes serves as an initiator for transmitting high-density packets to a second node of the plurality of nodes in the mesh network as a destination. In the event that the application requires more bandwidth, an automatic trigger initiated by the application will be created. In response to the automatic trigger being activated, a message is generated across the plurality of nodes to activate the optimal path through the mesh network, wherein the message indicates a duration for which the application will require more bandwidth.

Description

System and method for managing and controlling dynamic tunneling protocol in a mesh network

Background

In a communication network, a node may comprise a redistribution point (e.g., a data communication device) or a communication endpoint (e.g., a data terminal device). Mesh networks (mesh networks) are local network topologies where infrastructure nodes (i.e., bridges, switches, and other infrastructure devices) are directly, dynamically, and hierarchically connected to as many other nodes as possible, and cooperate to efficiently route data to/from clients. In a fully connected mesh network (e.g., network 210 shown in fig. 2A), each node may be interconnected. The simplest fully connected network is a two-node network. In a partially connected network (e.g., network 220 shown in fig. 2B), some nodes may be connected to exactly one other node, while other nodes are connected to more than two other nodes via point-to-point links. This makes it possible to take advantage of some of the redundancy of a mesh topology that is physically fully connected, without incurring overhead and complexity for the connections between each node in the network. As industrial, lighting, smart home, and other Internet of Things (IoT) applications are utilizing mesh networks, the size of the mesh networks is growing with the use of a large number of sensors and other devices.

One such type of network is the bluetooth mesh network. These networks utilize a message called a heartbeat (heartbeat) that is periodically transmitted by a node. The heartbeat message may indicate to other nodes in the network that the node that is sending the heartbeat is still active. In addition, heartbeat messages may contain data that allows a receiving node to determine how far a sender is based on the number of hops (hops) needed to reach the sender. The use of heartbeat messages may be associated with a time-to-live (TTL) field within the network packet. The TTL may control the maximum number of hops the message will be forwarded. Setting the TTL may allow the node to control forwarding and save energy by ensuring that messages are not forwarded further than the required distance. In addition, each node may implement a cache that contains all recently seen messages and, if a message is found to exist in the cache, indicates that the node has seen and processed the message.

Deployment of a dense mesh network inevitably results in increased interference as sensor nodes and other nodes continually send messages across the network. In a dense mesh network, a packet may travel through and hop across many intermediate nodes. For example, data may have to hop more than 10 or more nodes to reach a destination. The transmission speed of a packet transmission may be significantly reduced for each hop in the mesh network. If the data packet is from a high bandwidth application or an originating station, the transmission time to the destination station may be severely compromised. For short periods, applications may require higher bandwidth, but occur at different frequencies. For example, when transmitting video data requiring a high frame rate, the nature of the mesh network may make it difficult to prioritize messages across the network due to competing messages being broadcast across the network. Furthermore, as mesh networks grow in size and are deployed in relatively tight spaces, the likelihood of interference or collisions causing message communication failures increases dramatically.

Therefore, to avoid the interference and collisions common in such prior art networks, there is a need for a system and method of implementing a protocol in a mesh network to facilitate high speed transmission of messages through the network.

Disclosure of Invention

In some embodiments, a system for managing dynamic tunnels in a mesh network is disclosed. The exemplary system includes: a first node of a plurality of nodes in a mesh network that serves as an initiator, wherein the first node of the plurality of nodes is associated with an application that transmits high-density data packets; a second node of the plurality of nodes in the mesh network that serves as a destination station and receives high-density data packets from the application; and a third node of the plurality of nodes in the mesh network that acts as a coordinating node and generates, via the processor, a message across the plurality of nodes to activate an optimal path through the mesh network when the application requires more bandwidth.

In one aspect, a method for managing dynamic tunnels in a mesh network is disclosed. The exemplary method includes: associating an application transmitting high-density data packets with a first node of a plurality of nodes in a mesh network serving as an initiator station for sending the high-density data packets to a second node of the plurality of nodes in the mesh network serving as a destination station; creating an automatic trigger initiated by the application in the event that the application requires more bandwidth; and generating, via the processor, a message across the plurality of nodes to activate the optimal path through the mesh network in response to the automatic trigger being activated.

In another aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is disclosed that includes computer-executable steps that, when executed by a processor, implement a method for managing dynamic tunnels in a mesh network. An exemplary method performed by the medium includes: associating an application transmitting high-density data packets with a first node of a plurality of nodes in a mesh network serving as an initiator station for sending the high-density data packets to a second node of the plurality of nodes in the mesh network serving as a destination station; creating an automatic trigger initiated by the application in the event that the application requires more bandwidth; and generating, via the processor, a message across the plurality of nodes to activate the optimal path through the mesh network in response to the automatic trigger being activated.

Drawings

The above and still further features and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of embodiments thereof, particularly when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

fig. 1 illustrates a high-level system diagram of a lighting device internet of things (IoT) network, which may be implemented in any wired or wireless or optical communication mesh network system, in accordance with some embodiments;

fig. 2A and 2B illustrate logical topologies of fully-connected and partially-connected mesh networks, which may be implemented in any wired or wireless or optical communication network system, according to the prior art;

FIG. 3 illustrates a high-level system diagram of a mesh network that uses an interference suppression protocol, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of optimal path determination for communicating data packets between an initiating station and a destination station in a mesh network;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of enabling interference suppression for transmitting data packets between an initiator station to a target station in a mesh network;

fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating reactivation of a node after a data packet is transmitted between an origination station to a destination station in a mesh network, according to an embodiment; and

fig. 7A and 7B illustrate a method according to some embodiments.

Various features, aspects, and advantages of the exemplary embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description and drawings, in which like numerals represent like parts throughout the drawings and text. The various features described are not necessarily drawn to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon particular features of some embodiments.

The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. To facilitate understanding, reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate similar elements that are common to the figures.

Detailed Description

Embodiments described herein relate generally to an apparatus, system, and method for managing and controlling dynamic tunneling protocols in a mesh network. For purposes of this disclosure, the phrases "apparatus," "system," and "method" may be used alone or in any combination and are not limited to the disclosed components, groups, devices, steps, functions or processes. The disclosed example apparatus, systems, and methods may provide an interface to set an identification of an application that may require more bandwidth for high density packets. The setup information may store the location of a node (such as, but not limited to, an origin) associated with the application. In some embodiments, the setting identification may be related to auto-discovery and/or auto-triggering settings of the application. In addition, controlling the dynamic tunneling protocol may initiate the dynamic tunneling protocol based on sending a start message and sending an end message to stop the dynamic tunneling protocol and restart normal operation of the mesh network. The mesh network described herein may include any type of wired or wireless network or optical communication network system. More particularly, the present embodiments relate to systems and methods for implementing or initiating an interference suppression protocol in a mesh network. The exemplary embodiments described herein will be described below in connection with a mesh network included in a lighting fixture IoT network system. However, embodiments of the systems and methods may be implemented in any type of wired or wireless or optical communication (e.g., visible/dim light communication (VLC/DLC) network systems).

The term "module" as used herein may refer to any known or later developed hardware, software, firmware, artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic, or combination of hardware and software that is capable of performing the functionality associated with that element. Additionally, while the present disclosure may be described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that various aspects of the embodiments described herein may be separately claimed.

The term "computer-readable medium" as used herein refers to any tangible storage and/or transmission medium that participates in storing and/or providing instructions to a processor for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, NVRAM or magnetic or optical disks. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as main memory. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other non-transitory medium, magneto-optical medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, a solid state medium such as a memory card, any other chip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer can read. A digital file attachment to an email or other separate information archive or set of archives can be considered a distribution medium equivalent to a tangible storage medium. When the computer readable medium is configured as a database, it is understood that the database may be any type of database, such as a relational database, a hierarchical database, an object-oriented database, and the like. Further, while reference is made to various types of databases, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the functionality of all of the databases may be stored in some partitions of a single database, or in separate databases. In any event, this specification can be considered to include a tangible storage medium or distribution medium and prior art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which the software implementations of the present disclosure are stored.

Referring now to fig. 1, an example system 100 is shown, the system 100 may involve controlling the behavior of lighting drivers and/or LED drivers by using a single variable in an IoT system. In some embodiments, the system may include at least one of a plurality of luminaires 112 and/or a plurality of LEDs 111 configured to communicate with at least one gateway 102, at least one single variable for controlling luminaire driver and/or LED driver behavior, at least one sensor subsystem 108 configured to sense a plurality of color channels in real-time and monitor at least one change in the environment, at least one power meter 114 configured to measure power consumption of one or more luminaires 112 in real-time, at least one dimming control protocol or dimming controller device or driver or interface 110 installed in more than one luminaire (e.g., luminaire 112) for controlling a plurality of dimming levels and/or dimming protocols of the luminaire, and at least one server 106 (e.g., a cloud-based server). For purposes of this disclosure, "environment" generally refers to, but is not limited to, a space or area in which a lighting device or lighting system is installed. For purposes of this disclosure, "real-time" generally refers to substantial concurrency without any particular time framework or limitation.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 1, server 106 is a cloud server 106. In the same or other embodiments, one or more servers 106 may be local servers, dedicated servers, processors, or other units consistent with the present disclosure. Each of the plurality of lighting devices 112 and/or LEDs 111 may comprise at least one driver and/or LED driver. Further, each of the plurality of lighting devices 112 and/or LEDs 111 may comprise a built-in power source, wherein the power source may comprise at least one of a plurality of rechargeable batteries. At least one sensor subsystem 108 and at least one power meter 114 may be connected with at least one gateway 102 along with a plurality of lighting fixtures 112. The at least one sensor subsystem 108 may include at least two sensors. The first sensor may comprise an environmental sensor dedicated to environmental sensing and may be arranged such that it faces away from the lighting device and/or projects in a downward manner from the lighting device. The second sensor may comprise a color sensor, such as, but not limited to, a red-green-blue (RGB) or a yellow-red-green-blue (YRGB) sensor, which is arranged such that it directly faces the lighting device. According to certain disclosed example embodiments, the at least one server 106 is configured to calculate and predict the attenuation of the dimming level of the lighting fixtures 112 and/or LEDs 111. Sensor subsystem 108 may be configured to report and change display status information associated with lighting device 112. The at least one sensor subsystem 108 may also sense and capture environmental data in real time. In some embodiments, the at least one server 106 may be connected to the gateway 102 by at least one of a wired connection and a wireless or optical communication network connection.

In some embodiments, the gateway 102 is capable of discovering the dimming control protocol installed in the lighting fixture 112 and controlling at least one of the dimming level and the dimming control protocol of the lighting fixture 112. Further, the gateway 102 can control the power of the lighting device 112 and can dim the lighting device 112 to a minimum level or turn off the lighting device 112 completely. According to some embodiments, the at least one server 106 may be configured to calculate and predict the attenuation of the dimming level of the lighting device 112 and/or the LEDs 111. Each sensor and/or sensor subsystem 108 may be configured to report and change display status information associated with at least one lighting device 112. At least one sensor subsystem 108 and at least one power meter 114 may each be connected with at least one gateway 102. At least one of the plurality of lighting devices 112 and the plurality of LEDs 111 may be physically connected to the gateway 102 via the at least one dimming control interface 110.

In some embodiments, the lighting device 112 may comprise a system including a single lighting device or a plurality of lighting devices connected to a single common interface of the

power lines

120, 124. According to some embodiments, the power meter 114 may be electrically connected between the gateway 102 and the lighting device 112, and may be electrically connected to the lighting device 112 via

power lines

120, 124. The power meter 114 may be connected to the gateway 102 via a power meter interface 132.

The power meter 114 may be connected to an input line of the lighting device 112 in such a way that the power meter 114 measures the electrical power consumed by the lighting device 112 in real time at any given moment. According to some embodiments, a power meter 114 may be connected to gateway 102 to provide power 1: 1 relative real-time power measurement. The interface 132 between the gateway 102 and the power meter 114 may be a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART), or other communication interface ("power meter interface"). The

interfaces

120, 124 between the power meter device 114 and the lighting apparatus 112 may depend on the type of power meter 114 used. The power meter 114 and the power meter interface 132 may be any known power meter 114 and power meter interface 132 consistent with the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 1, at least one sensor subsystem 108 may detect information related to system 100 and lighting devices 112 by detecting a current condition of at least one of lighting devices 112. The current condition of the lighting device 112 may be detected, such as, but not limited to, a current color level or color/light intensity, a current temperature or voltage or humidity, etc., a current dimming level, etc. The current status information may be forwarded to gateway 102, and gateway 102 forwards the information to server 106 for storage, processing, etc. Thus, the sensor subsystem 108 can sense/detect multiple color channels and monitor at least one change in the environment in real time. The up looking color sensor of the sensor subsystem 108 may recognize fluctuating increases or flicker in the luminaire driver and/or the LED driver. The look-up color sensor may measure a change or interruption associated with the power supply or based on the power supply when the lighting device driver and/or the LED driver fluctuates. The information collected by the gateway 102 may include the current power level of the lighting device 112, as measured by the power meter 114, which power meter 114 may measure the current power level being used by the lighting device 112. Gateway 102 may be configured to receive information related to lighting devices 112, where the information includes, for example, color content, color/light intensity, and at least one environmental condition sensed by sensor subsystem 108. Sensor subsystem 108 may be arranged such that it is connected to lighting fixtures 112 via connections 130 on one side and to gateway 102 via sensor interfaces 128 on the other side. According to some embodiments, the connection 130 to the lighting device 112 may comprise a physical connection and may not be limited to a particular location. The location of sensor subsystem 108 may be different for the various types of sensors to be placed.

The gateway 102 is capable of communicating and processing multiple sensors and sensor protocols via its sensor interface 128. Exemplary embodiments according to the present disclosure do not limit the type of hardware/wire/bus interface between gateway 102 and sensor subsystem 108, such as the number of wires, the type of wire or bus connector. In some embodiments, these connections may be as simple as any type of analog interface connector and/or electrical/digital bus connector. In the same or other embodiments, the interface/connection may be wireless according to any wireless protocol consistent with the present disclosure.

By directly facing the illumination device, the sensor or combination of sensors can measure multiple color channels ("color sensor"), and can also include more than one low resolution imaging/image sensor, which can include an array of sensors incorporated into a low resolution imaging device, or a single Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) as an imaging sensor ("environmental sensor"). As used herein, a low resolution image sensor refers to a sensor that typically contains roughly less than 1200 pixels, such as, but not limited to, a 32 x 32 sensor. For example, but not limiting of, a sensor can detect and determine how many individuals or other objects are in the environment in which the sensor is installed, as well as the location and orientation of each individual/object. However, the sensors may not have sufficient resolution to identify or distinguish the person/object, particularly at a distance from the person/object. The color sensor and the environmental sensor may be separate devices or may be combined into a single ASIC. The color sensor may be used to measure, for example, but not limited to, the color content and color/light intensity of the light source. The color sensor may be based on a single color or multiple colors.

According to certain exemplary disclosed embodiments, environmental sensors may be used to monitor information to be collected around an environment in which the light sensor is installed. The environmental sensor may include three or more different sensors, such as a low resolution image sensor, an ambient light sensor, and a temperature sensor. In the same or other embodiments according to the present disclosure, the environmental sensor may use other sensors and more types of sensors to characterize the environment. The present disclosure refers to one or more sensors included in the environmental sensor as "environmental sensors," without limitation. Further, the environmental sensors may include fewer or more sensors than described herein, without limitation. As described in this disclosure, an environmental sensor provided as part of a combination of sensors may include sufficient/sufficient information to measure the environment.

According to some embodiments, the combination of the environmental sensor and the color sensor may be provided in a single ASIC or one of a group of individual devices, all of which are also connected to the gateway 102. These sensors can be directed as follows: the color sensor is a look-up sensor directly facing the lighting device 112 and the environment sensor is configured to face away from the lighting device or in a direction downwards from the lighting device in such a way that the environment is monitored. Real-time measurements and assessments may be communicated to gateway 102 by sensors that make up sensor subsystem 108.

According to some embodiments, the environmental sensors and color sensors of sensor subsystem 108 may be placed or connected to the lighting device 112 and/or the accessories of the LEDs 111. The exact location of the sensor may not be fixed (e.g., two different lighting devices produced by the same type of fitting and the same manufacturer of LED specifications may be assembled together so that the location of the sensor is different relative to the surface and size of the fitting). Thus, there is no restriction on the location of the color and environmental sensors on the accessory.

According to some embodiments, in a luminaire that allows color temperature control, the gateway 102 may control the dimming control 110 and change at least one of the dimming level, the dimming protocol, and the color temperature of the lighting device 112. In certain exemplary disclosed embodiments, gateway 102 may receive a set of instructions or instructions for performing dimming settings and sensor measurements on a particular date and time and/or on a particular schedule of repetitions. According to some embodiments, the sensors of sensor subsystem 108 may be programmed via gateway 102 such that they provide data only if a parameter, such as color intensity, is outside a predetermined range. The gateway 102 may be controlled such that it only performs measurements when the ambient measurement value is within a certain range and when the dimming level is within a certain range. As described below, according to one aspect, dimming parameters, environmental reading parameters, and sensor parameters and reading settings may all be controlled from outside the gateway 102 via the cloud server 106, the cloud server 106 in data communication with the gateway 102 via the backhaul interface 118. The control described with respect to the exemplary embodiment may allow the system to establish a miniature controlled environment in which, for example and without limitation, at least one of the color content and the color/light intensity of the lighting device 112 may be measured.

System 100 may continuously receive real-time performance measurements from sensor devices of sensor subsystem 108 via sensor interface 128 and power measurements from power meter 114 via power meter interface 132. According to certain example embodiments, gateway 102 sends these readings to cloud server 106 in a compressed format. According to one aspect, gateway 102 is configured to forward information collected by the system to at least one server 106 for processing, storage, computation, compilation, comparison, and the like. In the disclosed exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 1, server 106 includes a processor configured to receive and use information from gateway 102 to calculate and predict the expected life of lighting devices 112 and/or LEDs 111, and to generate and report the expected life to a user. The compressed format may include two types of messages, a baseline message set and an update message set. In general, a message set may include a baseline message and/or any one of a set of messages and an update message set. According to one aspect, the baseline message set may include the complete sensor reading, power level reading, and current dimming state. According to another aspect, the updated message set may include changes or differences from the previous message set. The baseline message set may be sent at a major change (e.g., a change in dimming level), while the update message set may be sent periodically. In some embodiments, the updated message set includes readings that are significantly different from the previous message set. In some embodiments, the sensor readings may be averaged over the time interval between the subsequent two sets of update messages.

The system 100 may include a backhaul interface 118 for connecting the gateway 102 and the network gateway 104. In some embodiments, backhaul interface 118 comprises a mesh network. In some embodiments, the backhaul interface 118 may include a wired or wireless Local Area Network (LAN) including one or more of a Mesh bluetooth low energy (Mesh BLE), smart Mesh network, bluetooth Mesh network, WLAN, ZigBee, and/or ethernet LAN. Backhaul interface 118 may communicate via a communication protocol, such as, but not limited to, Mesh BLE. Gateway 102 may be connected to backend network 104 via a LAN, WLAN, WAN, Mesh BLE broadcast network, or other device. Such a connection may allow another device on the network (connected locally to the gateway or via the WAN in the cloud) to handle the lumen prediction process. Thus, the entire lighting fixture half-life prediction process may be distributed among physical machines that are local or remote with respect to gateway 102 or on a single machine.

A system 100 is provided according to an example embodiment disclosed in this disclosure that includes a gateway 102, the gateway 102 may be connected with other control systems or devices via a wired connection, an ethernet connection, a wireless connection, or any combination thereof, and may receive a control message via a dimming interface/control/driver 110 of the system 100 instructing the gateway 102 to change at least one of a dimming level and a dimming control protocol. The interface or interfaces include a backhaul interface 118 of the gateway. In certain example embodiments, the backhaul protocol is associated with a mesh network and is capable of communicating dimming indications to the gateway 102 and receiving sensor and power level readings from the gateway 102 via the sensor subsystem 108 and the power meter 114, which are associated with the luminaires 112 managed by the gateway 102.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 1, gateway 102 may be connected to network gateway 104, and network gateway 104 may reside between a local network and a Wide Area Network (WAN) 116. In some embodiments, WAN 116 may connect gateway 102 to cloud server 106 for operation and management interfaces. According to some embodiments, the gateway 102 may be configured to control multiple dimming levels of the lighting device 112, and may be capable of communicating the sensor readings and dimming levels, as well as power readings of the lighting device 112, over one or more wired/wireless networks 118, and to the server 106 via a wide area network ("WAN") 116 for processing.

In one aspect, cloud server 106 may continuously receive performance measurements from more than one gateway 102. In another aspect, the cloud server 106 provides a reading indication table to each gateway 102 that includes the correct sensor reading threshold for a particular dimming level associated with a particular lighting fixture 112. Thus, gateway 102 may only need to report changes or deviations from the internal table to cloud server 106. Using this approach, the system 100 may further reduce the amount of information that needs to be transmitted through the gateway 102 to the backhaul interface 118. In this way, the cloud server application can control the rate of information emitted by the gateway 102 and more accurately predict the behavior of the LEDs 111.

The system 100 may issue sensor readings and other information to the cloud server 106 at random times through the backhaul interface 118. This may allow better utilization of the backhaul interface 118. In some embodiments, messages sent at random time periods during a day may include correct timestamps for measurements or readings as well as sensor readings (e.g., dimming levels). Due to transmission delays, the message reception time at cloud server 106 may not be correlated to the actual time at which the measurement is made. Thus, in one aspect, the measured value is tagged with the time of the measurement. In general, the use of a mesh network, such as the backhaul interface 118 and possibly many gateways 102, luminaires 112, and sensors of each gateway 102, may provide an opportunity to implement interference mitigation protocols to ensure more timely and successful delivery of messages and data packets for managing the lighting internet of things (IoT) system.

Fig. 3 is a high-level system diagram of a mesh network 300 implemented in any wired or wireless network system, according to certain disclosed example embodiments. The disclosed example embodiments may relate to a system for managing a dynamic tunneling protocol in a mesh network and determining a best path through the mesh network for implementing the dynamic tunneling protocol. In some embodiments, mesh network 300 includes at least one network server 340 connected to a gateway 350, and at least one tunneling network routing protocol. In some embodiments, the system may be configured to determine a particular or optimal path to send a data packet from the origination station 310 to the destination station 320 via a tunneling network protocol. The system may also be configured to identify and collect path information from all nodes in the mesh network 300 during normal operation of the mesh network 300. For example, the collected path information may include a rate at which packets are received in an ordered sequence based on measuring more than one factor, or a combination of factors, such as the arrival time of the packet, the start time of the packet, and/or the distance of the path from the origin station 310 to the destination station 320. In some embodiments, the system may be configured to identify more than one high density packet originating at the origination station 310. In some embodiments, during normal operation of the mesh network 300, information (e.g., arrival times) is collected while path information for messages is collected from each node. The collected information may also include a start time, and the arrival time may be measured as well as the measurement path. The mesh network 300 may also be configured to assign and/or store specific or optimal paths through more than one node for the transmission of more than one high density data packet from the origination station 310 to the destination station 320 based on the collected path information. The optimal path information may be stored at the coordinating node 330, which may not only store information about the optimal path through the mesh network 300, but may also issue a start message to start the dynamic tunneling protocol and may issue a shut down message to stop the dynamic tunneling protocol and restart normal operation of the mesh network 300.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 3, the best path may include exiting and re-entering the mesh network 300 via the internet.

The mesh network 300 may be configured to manage a plurality of applications and profiles to implement dynamic tunneling operations in the mesh network 300. Referring now to fig. 4, an exemplary diagram of an assigned node for communicating data packets (e.g., data associated with a high bandwidth application) between an originating station 410 to a destination station 420 in a mesh network 400 is shown.

In some embodiments, multiple applications may be used to manage dynamic tunneling operations. To manage dynamic tunneling operations, a management module (e.g., such as coordinating node 330 of fig. 3) may provide an interface to set identifications for more than one high-bandwidth application and associate them with particular nodes (e.g., node locations within a mesh network). In some embodiments, the auto-discovery mechanism may automatically discover the application and the node associated with the application (e.g., the location where the application is installed or the node through which the application communicates). For example, where a high-definition camera is connected to a mesh network, the system may identify the device as being associated with a high-bandwidth application that transmits high-density packets (e.g., high-definition video).

In some embodiments, high bandwidth applications may utilize a trigger that indicates to the mesh network that the application requires more bandwidth. In some embodiments, the trigger may be implemented by sending a message that the application requires more bandwidth, where the message may further indicate the duration (e.g., how long the application will require more bandwidth). The message may be received at a node (e.g., a coordinating node), and the node may initiate a dynamic tunneling operation. For example, a node may send out a tunnel start message with a timeout (time-out) to all nodes in the mesh network. The tunnel start message may include the best path for the data to be transmitted.

The tunnel start message (also referred to as a setup message) may be sent out from the coordinating node, or in some embodiments, may be sent out directly from the originating station or an application residing in more than one node that requires high bandwidth. In some embodiments, the tunnel start message may be received at the node assigned to the best path, allowing the tunnel to start and for the message to be transmitted along the best path with higher bandwidth. Once the high-density data packet reaches its destination (e.g., a target node or gateway), the system may terminate the dynamic tunneling protocol based on the tunnel shutdown message. In some embodiments, the tunnel start message may be received at a node unrelated to the best path, and in response to receiving the tunnel start message, the node unrelated to the best path may remain silent and may not transmit or send the message. Messages received at nodes not associated with the best path may be stored in a cache for later transmission or may simply be discarded.

Fig. 5 shows an exemplary diagram associated with a dynamic tunneling protocol initiated by means of a message generated for transmitting a data packet from an origination station 510 to a destination station 520 in a mesh network 500. In some embodiments, the generated message may be configured to activate a particular node in the best path and stop nodes other than the particular node until the destination station 520 receives the high density data packet. Fig. 6 illustrates an exemplary diagram associated with a node that reactivates after transmitting a data packet from an origination station 610 to a destination station 620 in a mesh network 600. In some embodiments, the system may also be configured to reactivate all nodes in the mesh network 600 once the high density data packet is received by the destination station 620. In addition, the system may maintain a predetermined optimal path through a particular node to receive high density packets from more than one origination station 610 to more than one destination station 620 at any time.

The exemplary mesh network 600 shown in fig. 6 may include, but is not limited to, a wired or wireless mesh network, a wired switch set, a wireless mesh network, or any optical (e.g., VLC/DLC) communication network. In some embodiments, after determining the best path through the mesh network 600, a dynamic tunneling protocol may be initiated. However, in some embodiments, the dynamic tunneling protocol may be initiated in conjunction with determining the best path through the mesh network 600, and the best path may be determined dynamically. To determine the best path, the system may be configured to identify and collect path information from all nodes during normal operation of the mesh network 600. For example, the system may collect data rates associated with an ordered sequence of packets received by measuring one or more factors associated with the packets. In some embodiments, the factors may include information such as, but not limited to, the arrival time of the data packet, the start time of the data packet, and the distance of the path from the originating station to the destination station. The system may be configured to allocate an optimal path for transmitting high-density bandwidth information based on the collected path information. In some embodiments, the system also constantly measures the arrival times associated with the data packets during transmission of high density data packets, so that the optimal path can be dynamically changed during packet transmission when it is determined that a slowdown associated with a particular node has occurred. In the case of a slowdown, the system may generate a second setup message indicating an alternate path (e.g., an alternate best path). These nodes may include, but are not limited to, any gateway, router, or initiator/application that transmits high-density memory packets (e.g., images, video streams, or HD video, etc.).

In some embodiments, the system may be configured to generate setup messages across nodes in the mesh network to enable an optimal path for transporting high density data packets using a dynamic tunneling protocol. The setup message may include a transmission Identification (ID) of a group of specific nodes that use the normal protocol interface to transmit the packet/high density packet. In some embodiments, the setup message may include a hop by hop (hop) ID to communicate data packets between particular nodes (e.g., an instruction to send a message from node a to node B and then to node C). Optionally, the system may be configured to transmit a separate control message to suspend all activities, which is particularly applicable to wireless and/or light-based mesh network systems. In some embodiments, after each hop in the implemented mesh network, the best path indicating the message in the header of the packet may be truncated. For example, after a message is sent from node a to node B, the header may be truncated to remove node B before the message is sent to node C.

In some embodiments, when a setup message reaches a node associated with a high bandwidth application, the issuance of the message is initiated at the high bandwidth where the data packet will be sent through the node associated with the best path. In one embodiment, the system is further configured to reactivate all nodes in the mesh network after the high density data packet is received by the destination station. In addition, the system may maintain a predetermined optimal path through a particular node to receive high density packets from more than one origination station to more than one destination station at any time. In some embodiments, the remaining nodes of the mesh network may stop issuing or sending messages after an allowed time with some delta constant, in addition to the identified node associated with the best path.

Fig. 7A and 7B illustrate an example method 700 for managing and controlling a dynamic tunneling protocol associated with a network hardware device in a mesh network. At 710, a variety of applications for managing dynamic tunneling operations and their associated profiles may be managed in a mesh network. At 720, an interface may be provided to identify an application (and a location of the application) in the mesh network. The interface may provide a means for a user to enter information (e.g., name, executable, etc.) associated with an application, as well as a node (or nodes) associated with the application, to register the application with a coordinating node or controller. The system may also allow for automatic discovery of applications based on, for example, the application name, file type, or identification of the type of device installed at the node (e.g., a high-definition camera), at 730. The system may then associate the discovered application with one or more nodes (e.g., nodes connected to the application). In 740, each incoming (or discovered) application can use an automatic trigger driven by the application in case the application requires more bandwidth. In the event that the application requires more bandwidth, the application may generate and transmit a message to indicate that the application requires higher bandwidth and duration for that requirement, 750. At 760, the trigger message may initiate a tunnel start message that includes a timeout to the node associated with the best path. In some embodiments, a trigger message may be transmitted across the mesh network to initiate the dynamic tunneling protocol. In some embodiments, a trigger message may be received at the coordinating node, and in response to receiving the trigger message, the coordinating node may initiate a tunnel start message to enable the dynamic tunneling protocol.

The tunnel start message transmitted across nodes may enable the best path by using a specific set of nodes, which may include the sending ID (hop-by-hop route ID) of the specific set of nodes in the header of the tunnel start message. In some embodiments, the tunnel start message may be truncated after each hop. For example, after a node receives a message, the hop-by-hop route ID is changed to remove the respective node from the hop-by-hop route ID. In some embodiments, identifying or determining the best path to implement the dynamic tunneling protocol in the mesh network may be based on historical and/or current data associated with actual usage of the mesh network, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, each path between an initiator and a destination may be analyzed using current data (e.g., data rate, time, number of collisions, etc.) as well as historical data associated with each node and the link between nodes (e.g., known periodic outages associated with a particular node, times of day at which the data rate associated with a particular node slows due to external interference). Current and historical data may be collected during normal (e.g., actual) operation of the mesh network, which may include, but is not limited to, arrival times of packets, start times of packets, data rates, and distances between the originating and destination stations along one or more paths. The current data and the historical data may be stored at the coordinating node. In some embodiments, the system may automatically indicate a particular node as being associated with a high bandwidth application. For example, a node that is indicated as including a high resolution camera may automatically be indicated as having a high bandwidth application. At 770, the high density data packet may be received via a particular node. At 780, after the high density data packets have been transmitted, the system may issue a close message to stop the dynamic tunneling protocol. In response to the shutdown message, the nodes of the mesh network may revert back to their normal operation.

In one embodiment, the system and method further includes a transmitting device for altering transmission of the data packets along different paths and/or at different times based on current and historical data associated with the current path such that the data packets are received in an ordered sequence at a destination station in the mesh network. In some embodiments, the system further includes a storage device for storing current (e.g., real-time or near real-time) and historical data in a data store (e.g., a database, a table, etc.). In one embodiment, the system further includes a computing device (e.g., a processor) for determining factors such as, but not limited to, arrival times, start times of data packets along a plurality of different paths between an origination station and a destination station in the mesh network. In some embodiments, the system further includes a computing device (e.g., a processor) for measuring a time of transmission of the data packets in an ordered sequence along a plurality of different paths between the origination station and the destination station in the mesh network. In some embodiments, the system further includes a selection device (e.g., a processor) for selecting an optimal path through the mesh network for transmitting one or more high density packets between the origination station and the destination station.

In some embodiments, the system includes a plurality of nodes, wherein at least one of the plurality of nodes includes a coordinating node for activating specific path/routing information to other nodes upon request. Further, in some embodiments, a system comprising multiple nodes may use a coordinating node to deactivate the best path and/or its associated information upon request.

In some embodiments, the system may be configured to reduce the number of hops through the mesh network by initiating a dynamic tunneling network protocol along a particular optimal path. In some embodiments, a particular best path may be associated with more than one source node and/or more than one destination node in the mesh network. The particular best path may be allocated by a coordinating node, more than one destination station in the mesh network, or more than one initiator station in the mesh network.

The best path may be selected in consideration of distance information between the origination station and the destination station in the mesh network. In another embodiment, the various paths through the mesh network may be selected taking into account information of the number of nodes between the initiating station and the destination station in the mesh network. In some embodiments, the mesh network includes a coordinating node, wherein the coordinating node is configured to store path information according to a distance between an originating station and a destination station in the mesh network. In some embodiments, the coordinating node may be configured to store routing information associated with a number of nodes between the initiating station and the destination station in the mesh network. In some embodiments, the stored path/routing information may be changed in response to a message generated by the coordinating node.

In some embodiments, the originator may not be a coordinating node, and the originator may request path information from the target node via more than one coordinating node. In this way, the coordinating node may send path information to the initiating station. In some embodiments, the coordinating node may send out the best path information after initiating the dynamic tunneling protocol to receive the high density data, and during mesh network deployment, the coordinating node may comprise any of the assigned nodes. In various embodiments, the coordinating node may include more than one gateway, more than one router, or any network hardware device.

In some embodiments, the origin/source node may not be a coordinating node, and the origin/source node may request path/routing information from the destination/destination node via more than one coordinating node. Thus, the coordinating node may send path information to the originator/source node. In some embodiments, the coordinating node may issue specific path information by initiating a dynamic interference mitigation protocol to receive high density data packets (such as video/image data) from an application to the originating station/source node. In some embodiments, during mesh network deployment, the coordinating node may comprise any of the assigned nodes. In some embodiments, the coordinating node may include more than one gateway, more than one router, or any network hardware device.

The coordinating node may include a processor, such as one or more commercially available Central Processing Units (CPUs) in the form of a single-chip microprocessor, coupled to a communication device configured to communicate via a communication network. The processor may be in communication with a memory/storage device that stores data. The storage device may comprise any suitable information storage device, including a combination of magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disk drives), optical storage devices, and/or semiconductor storage devices. The storage device may store programs and/or processing logic for controlling the processor. The processor executes instructions of the program to operate in accordance with any of the embodiments described herein. The program may be stored in a compiled, compressed, uncompiled, and/or encrypted format, or a combination thereof. Programs may also include other program elements, such as an operating system, a database management system, and/or device drivers used by the processor to interface with peripheral devices.

In various embodiments, configurations, and aspects, the present disclosure includes developed components, methods, processes, systems, and/or apparatus substantially as depicted and described herein, including various embodiments, subcombinations, and subsets thereof. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand how to make and use the present disclosure after understanding the present disclosure. The present disclosure includes providing items not depicted and/or described herein, in various embodiments, configurations, and aspects, or that do not include such items as have been used in previous devices or processes, e.g., for improving performance, achieving ease of use, and/or reducing cost of implementation.

The phrases "at least one," "more than one," and/or "are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in utility. For example, each of the expressions "at least one of A, B and C", "at least one of A, B or C", "one or more of A, B and C", "one or more of A, B or C", and "A, B and/or C" includes the following meanings: a alone, B alone, C, A alone and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together.

In this specification and the claims which follow, reference will be made to a number of terms which shall be defined to have the following meanings. The terms "a" and "an" refer to more than one of the entity and thus include the plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, the terms "a", "an", "more than one" and "at least one" may be used interchangeably herein. Furthermore, references to "one embodiment," "some embodiments," etc., are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as "about," is not to be limited to the precise value specified. In some cases, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value. Terms such as "first," "second," "upper," "lower," and the like are used to distinguish one element from another and are not intended to refer to a particular order or quantity of elements unless otherwise specified.

As used in the claims, the word "comprising" and grammatical variations thereof, such as "includes" and "having," also logically includes phrases of varying and varying degrees, such as, but not limited to, "consisting essentially of … …" and "consisting of … …. Where necessary, ranges are provided, but these ranges include all subranges. It is expected that variations within these ranges will suggest themselves to practitioners of ordinary skill in the art having no public disclosure and are intended to be covered by the following claims.

As used herein, the terms "determine," "calculate," and "estimate," and variations thereof, are used interchangeably and include any type of method, process, mathematical operation or technique.

The foregoing discussion of the disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing detailed description, for example, various features of the disclosure are grouped together in one or more embodiments, configurations, or aspects for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. Features of embodiments, configurations, or aspects of the disclosure may be combined in alternative embodiments, configurations, or aspects, and not just those discussed above. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, exemplary aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment, configuration, or aspect. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure.

Furthermore, the description of the present disclosure includes the description of one or more embodiments, configurations, or aspects and the description of certain variations and modifications, other variations, combinations, and modifications that are within the scope of the disclosure, as determined by the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. Further, the disclosure is intended to obtain rights which include alternative embodiments, configurations, or aspects to the extent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps to those claimed, whether or not such alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions are disclosed herein, and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter.

Claims

1. A system for managing dynamic tunnels in a mesh network, the system comprising:

a first node of a plurality of nodes in a mesh network that serves as an initiator, wherein the first node of the plurality of nodes is associated with an application that transmits high-density data packets;

a second node of the plurality of nodes in the mesh network that serves as a destination station and receives the high-density data packet from the application; and

a third node of the plurality of nodes in the mesh network that functions as a coordinating node and generates, via a processor, a message across the plurality of nodes to activate a best path through the mesh network when the application requires more bandwidth, wherein the message indicates a duration for which the application will require more bandwidth and each of the plurality of nodes not related to the best path through the mesh network will cease transmitting during the duration for which the application will require more bandwidth.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the coordinating node is configured to associate the application with the originating station and create an automatic trigger for the application to start when the application requires more bandwidth, and wherein the message is generated in response to the automatic trigger being activated.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the optimal path comprises exiting and re-entering the mesh network via the internet.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein associating the application with the originating station is based on at least one of an auto discovery process and a registration process over an interface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein nodes not associated with the best path will resume transmission after a duration that the application will require more bandwidth.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated message is transmitted via the coordinating node.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated message comprises a list of sending nodes in the mesh network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the optimal path is based on one or both of historical data associated with actual usage of the mesh network and current data associated with actual usage of the mesh network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein one or both of the historical data associated with actual usage of the mesh network and the current data associated with actual usage of the mesh network comprises a combination of a data rate, a number of collisions, a time of arrival of a packet, a start time of a packet, or a path distance from the originating station to the destination station.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein one or both of the historical data associated with actual usage of the mesh network and the current data associated with actual usage of the mesh network are collected during normal operation of the mesh network.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the coordinating node generates a second message across a plurality of nodes to activate the alternate path through the mesh network if the current data indicates that an alternate path will be faster than the best path.

12. A method for managing dynamic tunnels in a mesh network, the method comprising:

associating an application transmitting high-density data packets with a first node of a plurality of nodes in a mesh network serving as an initiator station for sending the high-density data packets to a second node of the plurality of nodes in the mesh network serving as a destination station;

creating an automatic trigger initiated by the application in the event that the application requires more bandwidth;

generating, via a processor, a message across the plurality of nodes to activate an optimal path through the mesh network in response to the automatic trigger being activated, wherein the message indicates a duration that the application will require more bandwidth; and

ceasing transmission by each of the plurality of nodes not associated with the best path through the mesh network for a duration that the application will require more bandwidth.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of associating the application transmitting the high density data packet is based on an auto discovery process or a registration process over an interface.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising reactivating each node of the plurality of nodes that stopped transmission independent of the best path through the mesh network after a duration that the application would require more bandwidth.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: generating, via the processor, a second message across the plurality of nodes to deactivate the best path through the mesh network after a duration that the application will require more bandwidth.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the header of the message comprises a hop-by-hop route for a particular set of nodes associated with the best path, and wherein the hop-by-hop route is truncated after each hop.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable steps which, when executed by a processor, implement a method for managing dynamic tunnels in a mesh network, the method comprising:

generating, via a processor, a message across the plurality of nodes to activate an optimal path through the mesh network in response to the automatic trigger being activated, wherein the message indicates a duration that the application will require more bandwidth;

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the step of associating an application for transmitting high density data packets is based on an auto discovery process or a registration process over an interface.

19. The medium of claim 17, further comprising: reactivating each node of the plurality of nodes that ceases transmission regardless of the best path shown through the mesh network after a duration that the application will require more bandwidth.

20. The media of claim 17, wherein the best path is based on one or both of historical data associated with actual usage of the mesh network and current data associated with actual usage of the mesh network, wherein the coordinating node generates a second message indicating an alternate path in response to the application requiring more bandwidth if the current data indicates the alternate path will be faster than the best path.