Wireless Mesh Network Link Verification and Prioritization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless mesh networks are susceptible to environmental conditions such as signal interference and attenuation, making it challenging to determine optimal routing paths that minimize poor quality links, and existing methods lack a straightforward way to identify and address problem links, impacting network reliability and performance.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for verifying mesh network reliability by identifying wireless links with quality below a predetermined threshold, providing a prioritized list to network managers, which allows for the identification of impact on network performance and suggests corrective actions like adding nodes or changing transmission channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wireless mesh networks include more wireless links to improve network coverage and connectivity, then the network becomes more susceptible to environmental conditions and poor quality links, but removing links reduces network coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the mesh network into individual link components and evaluates each link's quality independently. By dividing the network into manageable link segments, the system can identify and address poor quality links without affecting the entire network, thus maintaining reliability while managing environmental susceptibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary verification of link quality before routing decisions are made. By proactively identifying poor quality links through verification processes and providing advance notice to network operators, the system prevents routing traffic through problematic links, thereby maintaining network reliability.
2Reliability
If the network routes packets through more intermediate nodes to improve connectivity, then the number of potential poor quality links increases, but direct routing reduces network coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where link quality verification results are provided back to the routing system. This feedback enables the routing protocol to make informed decisions about which paths to use, selecting routes that avoid poor quality links while maintaining connectivity, thus improving routing reliability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary link quality assessment before routing decisions are made. By verifying link quality in advance and providing this information to the routing protocol, the system enables reliable routing decisions without requiring complex real-time analysis during packet forwarding.
3Measurement precision
If link quality verification is performed on all wireless links, then complete network reliability assessment is achieved, but the complexity and time required for verification increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial verification by focusing link quality assessment on specific links that are candidates for routing or have been identified as potentially problematic. Rather than verifying every single link in the network, the system performs verification on a selective basis, reducing the time and computational resources required while still achieving sufficient measurement precision for routing decisions.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of verifying a mesh network is disclosed. The method includes identifying wireless links from a set of selected mesh network routing links, that have a link quality below a predetermined quality threshold, and providing a network manager with a link list that lists and prioritizes the identified wireless links according to a degree of impact each identified wireless link has on performance of the mesh network. Determining the degree of impact of each identified wireless link can include determining an amount the mesh network relies upon identified wireless link. Mesh network reliance can be dependent on how many routes through the mesh network include the identified wireless link. Determining the degree of impact of each identified wireless link can include determining a link quality of the identified wireless link.