Wireless Mesh Network Routing Metric for Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless mesh networks face suboptimal routing due to the airtime-based path selection metric's failure to account for radio interference and other factors, leading to poor data transmission performance, especially in distributed audio or video streaming applications where low latency and high data rate are critical.
Innovation Solution
A path selection metric that represents 'path time' is introduced, maximizing throughput while maintaining low latency by considering transmission error rate, radio channel contention, data queuing, and other parameters to optimize routing performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If airtime-based path selection metric is used, then routing simplicity is maintained, but data transmission performance deteriorates due to radio interference and other factors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the path selection metric from airtime-based to a composite metric that incorporates multiple parameters including transmission success rate, queue depth, and airtime. This allows the system to maintain routing simplicity while significantly improving data transmission performance by accounting for radio interference and network conditions.
2Device complexity
If airtime-based metric is used, then calculation overhead is reduced, but transmission reliability deteriorates due to unaccounted radio interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a composite path selection metric that includes transmission success rate as a key parameter. This parameter directly reflects radio interference conditions and transmission reliability, allowing the system to make more reliable routing decisions without excessive calculation overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where nodes report transmission success rates and queue depths back to the routing algorithm. This feedback loop enables the system to adapt to changing radio conditions and maintain high transmission reliability while keeping the metric calculation efficient.
3Speed
If simple airtime metric is used, then routing decision speed is maintained, but end-to-end throughput deteriorates due to suboptimal path selection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the path selection metric to include transmission success rate and queue depth parameters. These parameters enable faster identification of optimal paths by providing direct indicators of link quality and network congestion, thus maintaining routing decision speed while improving end-to-end throughput.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of route discovery in wireless mesh networks comprises: receiving, by a first mesh network device of a wireless mesh network, from a second mesh network device of the wireless mesh network, a first route request identifying a destination mesh network device of the wireless mesh network and a first path selection metric value; determining a path selection metric increment, wherein the path selection metric increment reflects a radio channel contention by the first mesh network device and the second mesh network device; generating a second path selection metric value by adding the path selection metric increment to the first path selection metric value; and broadcasting a second route request identifying the destination mesh network device and the second path selection metric value.