Technique for establishing a mesh network
In order to establish a mesh network, an electronic device may iteratively identify one or more mesh-network nodes and may determine associated duty-cycle ratios based on communication with the one or more mesh-network nodes. In particular, the electronic device may select candidate mesh-network nodes based on estimated throughput metrics of their communication with a root device in the mesh network. Then, for each of the candidate mesh-network nodes, the electronic device may associate with a given candidate mesh-network node, and may measure the throughput of the given candidate mesh-network node during a time interval by communicating packets. Based on comparisons of the measured throughputs, the electronic device may identify the one or more mesh-network nodes in the candidate mesh-network nodes and may determine the associated duty-cycle ratios. Subsequently, the electronic device communicates information with the root device via the one or more mesh-network nodes based on the duty-cycle ratios.
1. An electronic device, comprising:
an interface circuit configured to communicate with second electronic devices, wherein the electronic device is configured to:
select candidate mesh-network nodes to a root device in a mesh network;
compute, via the interface circuit, communication performance metrics of the candidate mesh-network nodes in the second electronic devices, wherein a communication performance metric of a given candidate mesh-network node in the candidate mesh-network nodes corresponds to at least a measured or estimated data rate for successful communication;
identify one or more mesh-network nodes in the candidate mesh-network nodes and determine associated communication duty-cycle ratios based at least in part on the computed communication performance metrics, wherein a communication duty-cycle ratio of a given mesh-network node in the one or more mesh-network nodes specifies a relative amount of communication that occurs via the given mesh-network node in the mesh network relative to an amount of communication that occurs via a remainder of the one or more mesh-network nodes in the mesh network; and
provide, from the interface circuit, information addressed to the root device via the one or more mesh-network nodes based at least in part on the communication duty-cycle ratios.
2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the computing comprises:
providing, from the interface circuit, packets addressed to the candidate mesh-network nodes; and
receiving, at the interface circuit, acknowledgments associated with the candidate mesh-network nodes.
3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more mesh-network nodes comprise a dynamically determined communication path in the mesh network.
4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the candidate mesh-network nodes are selected based at least in part on estimated data rates for successful communication; and
wherein the estimated data rate for successful communication of the given candidate mesh-network node in the candidate mesh-network nodes is based at least in part on one of: a received signal strength indication, airtime usage by the given candidate mesh-network node, and an advertised throughput associated with the given candidate mesh-network node.
5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the airtime usage and the advertised throughput are included in beacons communicated in the mesh network.
6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the candidate mesh-network nodes are selected based at least in part on estimated data rates for successful communication; and
wherein the estimated data rate for successful communication of the given candidate mesh-network node in the candidate mesh-network nodes corresponds to a throughput between the given candidate mesh-network node and the root device in the mesh network and a throughput metric corresponding to a throughput between the given candidate mesh-network node and the electronic device.
7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the computed communication performance metrics comprise an uplink throughput.
8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the computed communication performance metrics correspond to one hop in the mesh network.
9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the communication performance metrics of the candidate mesh-network nodes are computed in a round-robin fashion.
10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, when a computed communication performance metric of the given candidate mesh-network node exceeds other computed communication performance metrics by a predefined value, the one or more mesh-network nodes comprise the candidate mesh-network node and the associated communication duty-cycle ratio is one hundred percent; and
wherein, when maximum computed communication performance metrics, which are associated with at least two candidate mesh-network nodes, are within a second predefined value of each other, the one or more mesh-network nodes comprise at least the two candidate mesh-network nodes and the associated communication duty-cycle ratios are based at least in part on ratios of the computed communication performance metrics of at least the two candidate mesh-network nodes.
11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the operations of computing, identifying, determining and providing are repeated until a convergence criterion is achieved.
12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more mesh-network nodes are identified and the communication duty-cycle ratios are determined using Bayesian analysis.
13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use in conjunction with an electronic device, the computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions that, when executed by the electronic device, causes the electronic device to perform operations comprising:
selecting candidate mesh-network nodes to a root device in a mesh network;
computing communication performance metrics of the candidate mesh-network nodes, wherein a communication performance metric of a given candidate mesh-network node in the candidate mesh-network nodes corresponds to at least a measured or estimated data rate for successful communication;
identifying one or more mesh-network nodes in the candidate mesh-network nodes and determine associated communication duty-cycle ratios based at least in part on the computed communication performance metrics, wherein a communication duty-cycle ratio of a given mesh-network node in the one or more mesh-network nodes specifies a relative amount of communication that occurs via the given mesh-network node in the mesh network relative to an amount of communication that occurs via a remainder of the one or more mesh-network nodes in the mesh network; and
providing information addressed to the root device via the one or more mesh-network nodes based at least in part on the communication duty-cycle ratios.
14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the computing comprises:
providing, from the interface circuit, packets addressed to the candidate mesh-network nodes; and
receiving, at the interface circuit, acknowledgments associated with the candidate mesh-network nodes.
15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the candidate mesh-network nodes are selected based at least in part on estimated data rates for successful communication; and
wherein the estimated data rate for successful communication of the given candidate mesh-network node in the candidate mesh-network nodes is based at least in part on one of: a received signal strength indication, airtime usage by the given candidate mesh-network node, and an advertised throughput associated with the given candidate mesh-network node.
16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein, when a computed communication performance metric of the given candidate mesh-network node exceeds other computed communication performance metrics by a predefined value, the one or more mesh-network nodes comprise the candidate mesh-network node and the associated communication duty-cycle ratio is one hundred percent; and
wherein, when maximum computed communication performance metrics, which are associated with at least two candidate mesh-network nodes, are within a second predefined value of each other, the one or more mesh-network nodes comprise at least the two candidate mesh-network nodes and the associated communication duty-cycle ratios are based at least in part on ratios of the computed communication performance metrics of at least the two candidate mesh-network nodes.
17. A method for establishing a mesh network, comprising:
by an electronic device:
selecting candidate mesh-network nodes to a root device in the mesh network;
computing communication performance metrics of the candidate mesh-network nodes, wherein a communication performance metric of a given candidate mesh-network node in the candidate mesh-network nodes corresponds to at least a measured or estimated data rate for successful communication;
identifying one or more mesh-network nodes in the candidate mesh-network nodes and determine associated communication duty-cycle ratios based at least in part on the computed communication performance metrics, wherein a communication duty-cycle ratio of a given mesh-network node in the one or more mesh-network nodes specifies a relative amount of communication that occurs via the given mesh-network node in the mesh network relative to an amount of communication that occurs via a remainder of the one or more mesh-network nodes in the mesh network; and
providing information addressed to the root device via the one or more mesh-network nodes based at least in part on the communication duty-cycle ratios.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the computing comprises:
providing, from the interface circuit, packets addressed to the candidate mesh-network nodes; and
receiving, at the interface circuit, acknowledgments associated with the candidate mesh-network nodes.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the candidate mesh-network nodes are selected based at least in part on estimated data rates for successful communication; and
wherein the estimated data rate for successful communication of the given candidate mesh-network node in the candidate mesh-network nodes is based at least in part on one of: a received signal strength indication, airtime usage by the given candidate mesh-network node, and an advertised throughput associated with the given candidate mesh-network node.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the computed communication performance metrics correspond to one hop in the mesh network.