Reliable neighbor node discovery
View Patent ↗Methods and systems for reliable neighbor discovery in wireless ad hoc networks are provided herein. In one aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for analyzing the quality of a communication link. In embodiments, several factors affecting link quality may be incorporated in the analysis, and basic and/or complex statistical and/or probabilistic analysis may be used. In another aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for neighbor node discovery that adapt to network and/or node operating conditions and that dynamically maintain a neighbor node set at a given node according to these conditions. In a further aspect, embodiments of the present invention extend the utility of neighbor node discovery beyond the customary role of data routing support into the problem of deploying an ad hoc network by providing a display module for displaying node connectivity information.
1. A wireless device for use in a wireless ad hoc network, comprising:
a wireless network interface that connects said wireless device to said wireless ad hoc network;
a neighbor node discovery module that generates a neighbor node set of said wireless device; and
a display module that displays network connectivity information of said wireless device;
wherein said neighbor node discovery module comprises:
a transmitter configured to generate and forward a plurality of HELLO messages to said wireless network interface according to a specified messaging rate, wherein said plurality of HELLO messages are characterized by one or more of variable HELLO message packet sizes and variable transmission data rates;
a receiver configured to receive at least one REPLY message from said wireless network interface in response to each of said plurality of HELLO messages;
a memory configured to store cumulative HELLO/REPLY message data generated based on said plurality of HELLO messages and REPLY messages received in response thereto; and
a statistical analyzer module configured to analyze said cumulative HELLO/REPLY message data stored in said memory to generate said neighbor node set of said wireless device.
2. The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein said neighbor node discovery module further comprises:
a network traffic monitor configured to monitor traffic through said wireless network interface and to generate information regarding network conditions based on the monitored traffic.
3. The wireless device of claim 2 , wherein said network traffic monitor communicates the generated information regarding network conditions to said transmitter, wherein said transmitter adjusts characteristics of said HELLO message based on said generated information.
4. The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein said transmitter is configured to generate said HELLO message according to an inter-hello message period.
5. The wireless device of claim 4 , wherein said inter-hello message period is set according to network conditions.
6. The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein said transmitter is configured, upon forwarding said HELLO message to said wireless network interface, to store information regarding said HELLO message in said memory.
7. The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein said receiver is configured to extract information from said REPLY message and to store said extracted information in said memory.
8. The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein said statistical analyzer module is configured to analyze said information stored in said memory to generate HELLO/REPLY statistics.
9. The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein said neighbor node discovery module controls said display module based on the generated neighbor node set.
10. The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein the display module comprises one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), wherein one of said LEDs is on when said neighbor node set is non-empty and is off when said neighbor node set is empty.
11. The wireless device of claim 10 , wherein another one of said LEDs is on when said neighbor node set includes a command node of said wireless ad hoc network and is off when said neighbor node set does not include said command node.