Mesh network operations

摘要

Various embodiments provide improved mesh networks with properties that address various shortcomings of current mesh network implementations. At least some embodiments are directed to improving operations of mesh networks in connection with battery powered devices and address concerns associated with latency issues due to power save nodes as well as load balancing. Yet other embodiments address route cache timeouts, reduce route discovery overhead, perform proactive route maintenance based on a node's battery, and provide a straightforward battery-aware process based sleep protocol.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
defining, at a node device of a mesh network, a battery threshold level for route maintenance actions; comparing the node device's battery level with the battery threshold level; determining that the node device is in a low battery condition in response to the node device's battery level being less than the battery threshold level; initiating, in response to the node device being in the low battery condition, a timer for receiving a data packet with which a route error message (RERR) is transmittable; if the data packet with which the RERR is transmittable is received, prior to the timer expiring, transmitting the packet and the RERR to another node device of the mesh network effective to cancel the timer; and transmitting, if the timer expires before receiving the data packet, an explicit RERR to the other node devices of the mesh network in a precursor list associated with the mesh network, the explicit RERR indicating that the node device's address in the mesh network is unreachable, the precursor list indicating which of the other node devices use the node device to forward data packets within the mesh network.