Systems and methods to deploy and control a node in a network of moving things

1. A method of deploying and controlling elements of a wireless network comprising a plurality of such network elements, each network element having a respective current operational state of a plurality of operational states, the method comprising:

sharing, by a first network element with one or more other network elements of the plurality of network elements, information representative of the current operational state of the first network element;

attempting to perform, by the first network element, a change to a new operational state of the first network element;

sharing, by the first network element with the one or more other network elements, information representative of whether the attempt to change to the new operational state was successful;

maintaining a collection of information representative of the respective current operational state of each of the one or more other network elements, received by the first network element;

selecting a third network element from the one or more other network elements, to which to communicate a request, by the first network element, to provide particular data or a particular service to the first network element, based on the collection of information representative of the respective current operational state of each of the one or more other network elements and the particular data or the particular service; and

communicating the request to provide the particular data or the particular service, to the selected third network element;

wherein the plurality of operational states comprises:

a first operational state representing a network element that is awaiting an update to software of the network element;

a second operational state representing a network element that is available only for use by members of a specific group of users of the wireless network, but that is unavailable to those users of the wireless network not in the specific group; and

a third operational state representing a network element that is deployed within the service area of the wireless network and that is available to serve any users of the wireless network.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the information representative of a current operational state of the first network element comprises information identifying at least one operational problem at the first network element.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of network elements comprises one or more fixed access points at respective fixed geographic positions and one or more mobile access points that are movable about a geographic area served by the wireless network.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the one or more fixed access points and the one or more mobile access points wirelessly share respective current geographic positions with other network elements of the wireless network.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the attempt to perform the change to the new operational state of the first network element is autonomously initiated by the first network element.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the attempt to perform the change to the new operational state of the first network element is initiated by a second network element.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein selecting comprises:

determining the ability of each network element of the one or more other network elements to provide the particular data or the particular service according to requirements of the first network element, based on the collection of information representative of the current operational state of each of the one or more other network elements; and

choosing the third network element from those network elements that are determined to be able to provide the particular data or the particular service.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the particular data comprises information identifying one or more running software applications, and the particular service comprises a service providing access to the Internet.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of code sections, each code section comprising a plurality of instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform a method of deploying and controlling elements of a wireless network comprising a plurality of such network elements, each network element having a respective current operational state of a plurality of operational states, the method comprising:

sharing, by a first network element with one or more other network elements of the plurality of network elements, information representative of the current operational state of the first network element;

attempting to perform, by the first network element, a change to a new operational state of the first network element;

sharing, by the first network element with the one or more other network elements, information representative of whether the attempt to change to the new operational state was successful;

maintaining a collection of information representative of the respective current operational state of each of the one or more other network elements, received by the first network element;

selecting a third network element from the one or more other network elements, to which to communicate a request, by the first network element, to provide particular data or a particular service to the first network element, based on the collection of information representative of the respective current operational state of each of the one or more other network elements and the particular data or the particular service; and

communicating the request to provide the particular data or the particular service, to the selected third network element;

wherein the plurality of operational states comprises:

a first operational state representing a network element that is awaiting an update to software of the network element;

a second operational state representing a network element that is available only for use by members of a specific group of users of the wireless network, but that is unavailable to those users of the wireless network not in the specific group; and

a third operational state representing a network element that is deployed within the service area of the wireless network and that is available to serve any users of the wireless network.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the information representative of a current operational state of the first network element comprises information identifying at least one operational problem at the first network element.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of network elements comprises one or more fixed access points at respective fixed geographic positions and one or more mobile access points that are movable about a geographic area served by the wireless network.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more fixed access points and the one or more mobile access points wirelessly share respective current geographic positions with other network elements of the wireless network.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the attempt to perform the change to the new operational state of the first network element is autonomously initiated by the first network element.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the attempt to perform the change to the new operational state of the first network element is initiated by a second network element.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein selecting comprises:

determining the ability of each network element of the one or more other network elements to provide the particular data or the particular service according to requirements of the first network element, based on the collection of information representative of the current operational state of each of the one or more other network elements; and

choosing the third network element from those network elements that are determined to be able to provide the particular data or the particular service.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the particular data comprises information identifying one or more running software applications, and the particular service comprises a service providing access to the Internet.

17. A system for deploying and controlling elements of a wireless network comprising a plurality of such network elements, each network element having a respective current operational state of a plurality of operational states, the system comprising

one or more processors operably coupled to storage for storing instructions executable by the one or more processors and operably coupled to at least one wireless interface for communicating with other network elements, the one or more processors operable to, at least:

share, by a first network element with one or more other network elements of the plurality of network elements, information representative of the current operational state of the first network element;

attempt to perform, by the first network element, a change to a new operational state of the first network element;

share, by the first network element with the one or more other network elements, information representative of whether the attempt to change to the new operational state was successful;

maintain a collection of information representative of the respective current operational state of each of the one or more other network elements, received by the first network element;

select a third network element from the one or more other network elements, to which to communicate a request, by the first network element, to provide particular data or a particular service to the first network element, based on the collection of information representative of the respective current operational state of each of the one or more other network elements and the particular data or the particular service; and

communicate the request to provide the particular data or the particular service, to the selected third network element;

wherein the plurality of operational states comprises:

a first operational state representing a network element that is awaiting an update to software of the network element;

a second operational state representing a network element that is available only for use by members of a specific group of users of the wireless network, but that is unavailable to those users of the wireless network not in the specific group; and

a third operational state representing a network element that is deployed within the service area of the wireless network and that is available to serve any users of the wireless network.

18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the information representative of a current operational state of the first network element comprises information identifying at least one operational problem at the first network element.

19. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the plurality of network elements comprises one or more fixed access points at respective fixed geographic positions and one or more mobile access points that are movable about a geographic area served by the wireless network.

20. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the one or more fixed access points and the one or more mobile access points wirelessly share respective current geographic positions with other network elements of the wireless network.

21. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the attempt to perform the change to the new operational state of the first network element is autonomously initiated by the first network element.

22. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the attempt to perform the change to the new operational state of the first network element is initiated by a second network element.

23. The system according to claim 17 , wherein selecting comprises:

determining the ability of each network element of the one or more other network elements to provide the particular data or the particular service according to requirements of the first network element, based on the collection of information representative of the current operational state of each of the one or more other network elements; and

choosing the third network element from those network elements that are determined to be able to provide the particular data or the particular service.

24. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the particular data comprises information identifying one or more running software applications, and the particular service comprises a service providing access to the Internet.