Low-power wireless mesh network

Abstract

A wireless MESH network includes multiple low-power nodes. When serving as a data receiving node or a data relay node, each low-power node is configured to listen to data transmission at intervals.

Claims

1. A wireless mesh network, comprising: a plurality of low-power nodes each configured to monitor data transmission at intervals when serving as a data receiving node or a data relay node, wherein: each low-power node is configured to receive signals during a receiving slot of a receiving period and stop receiving signals during an idle slot of the receiving period when serving as the data receiving node or the data relay node, and a length of the idle slot is larger than 0; and a first low-power node among the plurality of low-power nodes is further configured to transmit a termination signal whose length is larger than or equal to the length of the receiving period.

2. The wireless mesh network of claim 1, wherein each low-power node is configured to transmit signals during a transmitting period when serving as a data transmitting node, and a length of the transmitting period is larger than or equal to the length of the receiving period.

3. The wireless mesh network of claim 1, wherein a second low-power node among the plurality of low-power nodes is further configured to stop transmitting signals when receiving the termination signal.

4. A method of transmitting and receiving signals in a wireless mesh network, comprising: a first low-power node of the wireless mesh network transmitting a signal; and a second low-power node of the wireless mesh network receiving the signal transmitted by the first low-power node during a first receiving slot of a first receiving period and stopping to receive the signal during a first idle slot of the first receiving period, wherein a length of the first idle slot is larger than 0; and the first low-power node transmitting a termination signal whose length is larger than or equal to the length of the receiving period.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising: the first low-power node transmitting the signal during a first transmitting period, wherein a length of the first transmitting period is larger than or equal to a length of the first receiving period.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising: the second low-power node transmitting the signal during a second transmitting period; and a third low-power node of the wireless mesh network receiving the signal transmitted by the second low-power node during a second receiving slot of a second receiving period and stopping to receive the signal during a second idle slot of the second receiving period, wherein a length of the second idle slot is larger than 0 and a length of the second transmitting period is larger than or equal to a length of the second receiving period.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a prior art mesh network.

(2) FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a wireless mesh network according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the low-power nodes in a wireless mesh network when serving as a data receiving node or a data relay node according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the low-power nodes in a wireless mesh network when serving as a data transmitting node according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the low-power nodes in a wireless mesh network when serving as a data transmitting node according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a wireless mesh network 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The mesh network 200 includes a mesh portal 10 and a plurality of low-power nodes NL.sub.1˜NL.sub.M, wherein M is an integer larger than 1. For illustrative purpose, FIG. 2 depicts the embodiment when M=10. However, the amount of the low-power nodes in the wireless mesh network 200 does not limit the scope of the present invention.

(7) The mesh portal 10 is a gateway between an Internet 20 and the plurality of low-power mesh nodes NL.sub.1˜NL.sub.M, and configured to provide data routing from the wireless mesh network 200 to the Internet 20 or from the Internet 20 to the wireless mesh network 200. The plurality of low-power nodes NL.sub.1˜NL.sub.M may directly provide wireless Internet access to one or multiple mobile stations 30 using wireless access link.

(8) In the wireless mesh network 200 of the present invention, each of the low-power nodes NL.sub.1˜NL.sub.M may serve as a data transmitting node, a data receiving node, or a data relay node. When a first low-power node NL.sub.1 serving as a data transmitting node is located within the coverage range of a second low-power node NL.sub.2 serving as a data receiving node, a wireless mesh link may be established between these two low-power nodes for data communication. These low-power nodes NL.sub.1˜NL.sub.M and the mesh portal 10 form a mesh distribution system in which the first low-power node NL.sub.1 serving as a data transmitting node may transmit data to the second low-power node NL.sub.2 serving as a data relay node, and the second low-power node NL.sub.2 serving as a data transmitting node may transmit data to the third low-power node NL.sub.3 serving as a data receiving node. The process continues until data has reached its target low-power node.

(9) FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the low-power nodes NL.sub.1˜NL.sub.M in the wireless mesh network 200 when serving as a data receiving node or a data relay node according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are diagrams illustrating the operation of the low-power nodes NL.sub.1˜NL.sub.M in the wireless mesh network 200 when serving as a data transmitting node according to embodiments of the present invention.

(10) As depicted in FIG. 3, when serving as a data receiving node or a data relay node, the low-power nodes NL.sub.1˜NL.sub.M are configured to receive signals at intervals, wherein TR represents the length of a receiving period, Tr represents the length a receiving slot in the receiving period TR (0<Tr<TR), and Ts represents the length of an idle slot in the receiving period TR (Ts>0). Since the low-power nodes NL.sub.1˜NL.sub.M are only required to operate during the receiving slot Tr in each receiving period TR, the power consumption when monitoring data communication at intervals may be reduced to Tr/TR of the power consumption of a prior art mesh network which continuously monitors data transmission.

(11) As depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5, when serving as a data transmitting node, the low-power nodes NL.sub.1˜NL.sub.M are configured to transmit signals during each transmitting period TT whose length is larger than or equal to the receiving period TR (the embodiment of FIG. 4) or continuously transmit signals (the embodiment of FIG. 5) so as to ensure that data can be received by another data receiving node or data relay node.

(12) Meanwhile, data communication in the wireless mesh network 200 of the present invention may be terminated by any low-power node. In an embodiment, any low-power node may transmit a termination signal whose length is larger than or equal to the receiving period TR, and other low-power nodes may stop transmitting signals when receiving the termination signal.

(13) In conclusion, the present invention provides a wireless mesh network which includes a plurality of low-power nodes each configured to monitor data transmission at intervals when serving as a data receiving node or a data relay node, thereby reducing power consumption of the wireless mesh network.

(14) Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.