System and method for performing multiple network routing and provisioning in overlapping wireless deployments

1. A node, adapted for communicating with other nodes, some of which being in its own wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication network and others of which being in at least one other wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication network, said node comprising:

a transceiver adapted to transmit a signal to at least one of the other nodes;

a memory adapted to store routing information comprising data including a plurality of system weights, each of the other nodes having a respective system weight assigned thereto identifying a respective one of the networks in which that other node is operating;

a controller adapted to control said transceiver to transmit said signal to one of said other nodes whose system weight meets a desired criteria; and

wherein said system weight is determined based on service level cooperation agreement between said node's own wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer network and with said at least one other wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication network.

2. The node as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of said communication networks comprises an IEEE 802.11 network.

3. The node as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said controller is further adapted to control said transceiver to transmit said signal to one of said other nodes based further on at least one of a plurality of factors selected from the group consisting of transmit power level, received signal strength indication, link quality, and quality of service requirements.

4. The node as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said controller is adapted to assess a financial cost assigned to each of said plurality of other nodes based on said system weights.

5. The node as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said controller is adapted to select one of said plurality of other nodes based on said financial cost assigned to each node.

6. The node as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said controller is adapted to select one of said plurality of other nodes on a per packet basis.

7. The node as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said controller is adapted to assess said financial cost assigned to each of said plurality of other nodes on a per packet basis.

8. The node as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said controller selects at least one of said other nodes associated with the lowest financial cost.

9. The node as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said routing information includes a routing table, and said controller is further adapted to control said transceiver to transmit said signal to one of said other nodes based on said system weight and said routing table.

10. A node as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

said controller is adapted to control said transceiver to transmit said signal to one of said other nodes whose system weight meets said desired criteria upon determining that said node is unable to communicate with any of said other nodes operating within its own network.

11. A method for controlling a node in a wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communications network, said node being adapted to communicate with other nodes, some of which being in its own wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication network and others of which being in at least one other wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communications network, the method comprising the steps of:

determining available nodes to receive a transmission from said node;

determining a network identification assigned to each available node, each network identification identifying the network in which the node that network identification is assigned is operating;

determining a respective system weight corresponding to each network identification;

selecting one of said available nodes whose system weight corresponding to its assigned network identification meets a desired criteria;

transmitting data from said node to said selected node; and

wherein said system weight is determined based on service level cooperation agreement between said node's own wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer network and with said at least one other wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication network.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of determining a set of available nodes comprises reviewing a routing table.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the steps of receiving route advertisements and updating the routing table.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein at least one of said communication networks includes an IEEE 802.11 network.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein said selecting and transmitting steps are performed on a per packet basis.

16. A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein:

said selecting step selects said one of said available nodes whose system weight meets said desired criteria upon determining that said node is unable to communicate with any of said other nodes operating within its own network.

17. A method for controlling a node in a wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communications network, said node being adapted to communicate with other nodes, some of which being in its own wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication network and others of which being in at least one other wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communications network, the method comprising the steps of:

determining available nodes to receive a transmission from said node;

determining a network identification assigned to each available node, each network identification identifying the network in which the node that network identification is assigned is operating;

determining a respective system weight corresponding to each network identification;

selecting one of said available nodes whose system weight corresponding to its assigned network identification meets a desired criteria;

transmitting data from said node to said selected node;

calculating an overhead cost based on at least one of a plurality of factors selected from the group consisting of transmit power level, received signal strength indication, link quality, and quality of service requirements;

calculating a financial cost associated with transmitting to each available node based on said system weights; and

said selecting step selects said one of said available nodes based on said overhead cost and said financial cost.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said selecting step further comprises selecting the available node associated with the lowest financial cost.

19. A computer readable medium of instructions adapted to control a node in a wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communications network, said node being adapted to communicate with other nodes in its own wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication network and with other nodes in at least one other wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communications network, the computer readable medium of instructions comprising:

a first set of instruction adapted to control said node to determine available nodes to receive a transmission from said node,

a second set of instructions adapted to control said node to determine a network identification assigned to each available node, each network identification identifying the network in which the node that network identification is assigned is operating,

a third set of instructions adapted to control said node to assess a respective system weight corresponding to each network identification,

a fourth set of instructions adapted to control said node to select one of said available nodes whose system weight corresponding to its assigned network identification meets a desired criteria,

a fifth set of instructions adapted to control said node to transmit data to said selected node; and

wherein said system weight is determined based on service level cooperation agreement between said node's own wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer network and with said at least one other wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication network.

20. The computer readable medium of instructions of claim 19 , wherein the first set of instructions is further adapted to review a routing table to determine said available nodes.

21. The computer readable medium of instructions of claim 20 , further comprising a sixth set of instructions adapted to control said node to receive route advertisements and update said routing table.

22. The computer readable medium of instructions of claim 19 , wherein at least one of said networks includes an IEEE 802.11 network.

23. The computer readable medium of instructions of claim 19 , wherein said fourth and fifth sets of instructions are executed on a per packet basis.

24. A computer readable medium of instructions as claimed in claim 19 , wherein:

said fourth set of instructions is further adapted to control said node to select said one of said available nodes whose system weight meets said desired criteria upon determining that said node is unable to communicate with any of said other nodes operating within its own network.

25. A computer readable medium of instructions adapted to control a node in a wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communications network, said node being adapted to communicate with other nodes in its own wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication network and with other nodes in at least one other wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communications network, the computer readable medium of instructions comprising:

a first set of instruction adapted to control said node to determine available nodes to receive a transmission from said node,

a second set of instructions adapted to control said node to determine a network identification assigned to each available node, each network identification identifying the network in which the node that network identification is assigned is operating,

a third set of instructions adapted to control said node to assess a respective system weight corresponding to each network identification,

a fourth set of instructions adapted to control said node to select one of said available nodes whose system weight corresponding to its assigned network identification meets a desired criteria,

a fifth set of instructions adapted to control said node to transmit data to said selected node;

a sixth set of instructions adapted to control said node to calculate a financial cost associated with transmitting to each available node based on said system weights; and

a seventh set of instructions adapted to control said node to calculate an overhead cost based on at least one of a plurality of factors selected from the group consisting of transmit power level, received signal strength indication, link quality, and quality of service requirements, and said fourth set of instructions is further adapted to control said node to select said selected node based on said overhead cost and said financial cost.

26. The computer readable medium of instructions of claim 25 , wherein said fourth set of instructions are further adapted to select the available node associated with the lowest financial cost.

27. A method for controlling a node in a wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communications network, said node being adapted to communicate with other nodes in its own wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication network and with other nodes in at least one other wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communications network, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether said node is able to communicate with any other nodes operating within its own network;

if said node is able to communicate with at least one of said other nodes operating within its own network, then selecting one of said other nodes as a selected node for communication;

if said node is unable to communicate with any of said other nodes operating within its own network, then determining whether said node is able to communicate with any other nodes operating in at least one network other than its own network, each of said other nodes being assigned a respective system weight identifying the network in which that node is operating;

if said node is able to communicate with a plurality of other nodes operating in at least one other network, selecting as said selected node for communication one of those other nodes whose assigned system weight meets a desired criteria; and

wherein said system weight is determined based on service level cooperation agreement between said node's own wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer network and with said at least one other wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication network.

28. The method of claim 27 , further comprising:

transmitting a data packet from said node to said selected node.

29. The method of claim 27 , wherein each of the determining steps comprises reviewing a routing table to determine available nodes with which said node is able to communicate.

30. The method of claim 27 , wherein at least one of said communication networks includes an IEEE 802.11 network.

31. The method of claim 27 , wherein each of said steps are performed on a per packet basis.

32. The method of claim 27 , wherein:

each of said system weights represents a financial cost for transmitting a packet from said node to one of the nodes in that network.