Method for enhancing mobility in a wireless mesh network

1. In a wireless communication system having a plurality of communication devices including mobile subscriber units within a single wireless network that may be in either static or mobile modes when operating within the single network and a plurality of fixed network devices located at cell sites for each communicating with both static and mobile subscriber units within the single network, a method for acquiring and managing a plurality of communication modes at each subscriber unit comprising:

first sensing whether the subscriber unit is static or mobile from the nature and quality of the communication links with nearby network devices; thereafter

enabling an acquisition protocol suited to static mode and mobile mode for said subscriber unit;

enabling an acquisition protocol suited to mobile mode for mobile subscriber units and static mode for fixed subscriber units; and

initiating procedures to determine if it is appropriate to change acquisition mode from static mode to mobile mode upon a failure of packets between the subscriber unit and other linked devices in the network.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the procedures are initiated to determine whether it is appropriate to change acquisition mode from static mode to mobile mode upon failure of the subscriber unit to sense a preselected number of consecutive scheduled polling packets sent by a linked device.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the polling packets are heartbeat packets broadcast at preselected intervals.

4. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the procedures are initiated to determine whether it is appropriate to change acquisition mode from static mode to mobile mode upon failure to transmit a preselected number of consecutive data packets.

5. The method according to claim 4 further comprising:

upon decision to change to mobile mode, foregoing best node qualification.

6. The method according to claim 4 further comprising:

upon decision to change to mobile mode, foregoing registration of location with a name service.

7. The method according to claim 4 further comprising:

upon decision to change to mobile mode, transmitting sync packets at a higher repetitivity.

8. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:

upon decision to change to mobile mode, foregoing best node qualification;

foregoing registration of location with a name service;

foregoing third party query processes; and

transmitting sync packets at a higher repetitivity.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

upon decision to change to mobile mode, foregoing third party query processes.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

upon a subscriber unit changing its BMC, causing said subscriber unit to send forwarding packets to its former bestnode, and

updating a new corresponding path to a gateway resource.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein communication devices store MCELL data corresponding to links to other devices, including a best link node.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the procedures are initiated to determine whether it is appropriate to change acquisition protocol from static mode to mobile mode upon the loss of any MCELL data.

13. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

changing the acquisition protocol from mobile mode to static mode if the best link node is present for more than a preselected period of time.

14. In a network communication system having subscriber units within the single network that may be either static or mobile when operating within the single network and a plurality of fixed network devices located at cell sites within the single network, with at least some of the network devices for communicating with both static and mobile subscriber units, a method for acquiring and managing a plurality of communication modes at each subscriber unit comprising:

first sensing whether the subscriber unit is static or mobile from the nature and quality of the communication links with nearby network devices; thereafter

enabling a first acquisition protocol suited to static mode and mobile mode for said subscriber unit;

enabling a second acquisition protocol suited to mobile mode for mobile subscriber units and static mode for fixed subscriber units; and

initiating procedures to change between static mode and mobile mode upon failure of packets between the subscriber unit and other linked devices.

15. In a wireless network communication system having subscriber units within a single wireless network that may be either static or mobile when operating within the single network and a plurality of fixed network devices located at cell sites, with the network devices in a single network and for each communicating with both static and mobile subscriber units, a method for acquiring and managing a plurality of communication modes at each subscriber unit comprising:

first sensing whether the subscriber unit is static or mobile from the nature and quality of the communication links with nearby network devices; and thereafter

enabling an acquisition protocol suited to mobile mode for mobile subscriber units and static mode for fixed subscriber units, with the mode based on the nature and quality of the communication links; and

determining whether it is appropriate to change communication mode upon failure of packets between the subscriber unit and other linked devices in the network.

16. In a wireless mesh network communication system for a single wireless network having subscriber units, some of which are at least at times mobile, and having a plurality of fixed network devices located at cell sites, with at least some of the network devices for communicating with both static and mobile subscriber units operating within the single network, an acquisition protocol for use in communicating between the subscriber units and the fixed network devices, comprising:

a static mode for use when a subscriber unit is fixed and not mobile; and

a mobile mode for use when a subscriber unit is mobile, the mobile mode being lower speed and trimmed downed from the static mode; and

determining if it is appropriate to change from static mode to mobile mode upon failure of packets between a subscriber unit and a network device.

17. The acquisition protocol of claim 16 , wherein procedures are initiated to determine whether it is appropriate to change the acquisition mode from static mode to mobile mode upon failure of the subscriber unit to sense a preselected number of consecutive scheduled polling packets sent by a linked device.

18. The acquisition protocol of claim 16 , wherein procedures are initiated to determine whether it is appropriate to change acquisition mode from static mode to mobile mode upon failure to transmit a preselected number of consecutive data packets.

19. The acquisition protocol of claim 18 , wherein upon determination to change to mobile mode, foregoing best node qualification.

20. The acquisition protocol of claim 18 , wherein upon determination to change to mobile mode, foregoing registration of location with a name service.

21. The acquisition protocol of claim 18 , wherein upon determination to change to mobile mode, transmitting sync packets at a higher repetitivity.

22. The acquisition protocol of claim 18 , wherein upon determination to change to mobile mode, foregoing third party query processes.

23. The acquisition protocol of claim 18 , wherein upon determination to change to mobile mode, foregoing best node qualification, foregoing registration of location with a name service, foregoing third party query processes, and transmitting sync packets at a higher repetitivity.

24. The acquisition protocol of claim 18 , wherein:

upon a subscriber unit changing its BMC, causing said subscriber unit to send forwarding packets to its former bestnode, and

updating a new corresponding path to a gateway resource.