ES2633456T3 - Apparatus and procedure for transmitting data over a wireless mesh network - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for transmitting a protocol data unit, PDU, over a wireless mesh network (100), comprising: generating a first mesh header (408), the first mesh header including a plurality of fields (421 ); characterized by extending the first mesh header by initially adding a second protocol header (404) to the first mesh header to generate a second mesh header (420), the second protocol header having the same format as a first header protocol (410) of the PDU (400); insert the second mesh header into the PDU before the first protocol header; and wherein each of the first protocol header and the second protocol header comprises a logical link control header, LLC, (360) and in which the second protocol header includes a sub-protocol access header -red, SNAP, (370) and a Protocol field (403), and in which the second protocol header indicates a presence of the SNAP header, the SNAP header indicates a presence of the Protocol field, and in which the Protocol field indicates a presence of the first mesh header.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Apparatus and procedure for transmitting data over a wireless mesh network

BACKGROUND 5

Countryside

The present application relates in general to mesh networks, and more specifically to the transmission of data over a wireless mesh network. 10

Background

A wireless mesh network can be defined as two or more nodes that are interconnected through wireless links that communicate through mesh services. Mesh networks allow routing of data, voice and instructions between nodes, allowing continuous connections and reconfigurations around broken or blocked paths "jumping" from node to node until the destination is reached. A mesh network whose nodes are all connected to each other is considered a fully connected mesh network.

Mesh networks differ from other networks in that the integral parts can be connected to each other through several jumps. Mesh networks are a type of ad hoc network. In addition, mesh networks regenerate themselves. More specifically, the mesh network can continue to function even if a node breaks down or a connection is broken. As a result, mesh networks can be very reliable.

In the interconnection of mesh networks, each node, or mesh point, has an access control address to the medium (MAC). The MAC address is unique for each device. A typical MAC protocol data unit (MPDU) that traverses multiple wireless nodes includes four address fields. These fields typically represent the receiver address, the transmitter address, the source address and the destination address. Four address fields is the maximum number of address fields that can be included in the current 802.11 MAC header. 30

When external data is transmitted through a mesh network, more than four address fields may be required to route a packet, because it is also necessary to include external source and destination addresses. It would be desirable to have a method of including additional address fields in the protocol data unit that carries data through a mesh network. It would also be desirable to have a method of signaling the presence of these additional address fields, or other specific mesh information, such as a specific sequence number of the mesh.

Attention is drawn to the publication "Draft STANDARD for Information Technology-Telecommunications and information exchange between systems-Local and metropolitan area networks-Specific requirements-Part 11: 40 Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) specifications" ("NORMA project for information technology-Telecommunications and information exchange between systems-Local and metropolitan area networks-Specific requirements-Part11: Specifications of Wireless Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) of Wireless LAN ") 20080301, No. P802.11s / D2.0, 1. March 2008 (2008-03-01), XP007909799. This document provides the unapproved draft and the IEEE standard related to the interconnection of 45 mesh networks.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present invention, a method and apparatus are provided, as set forth in the 50 independent claims, respectively. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

A simplified summary of one or more aspects is given below in order to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive overview of all aspects contemplated and is not intended to identify key or critical elements of all aspects or to delimit the scope of some, or all, aspects. Its sole objective is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified manner as a prelude to the more detailed description presented below.

According to some aspects, a method for transmitting data over a wireless mesh network 60 comprises generating a first mesh header, the first mesh header including a plurality of fields; the extension of the first mesh header by initially adding a second protocol header to generate a second mesh header, the second protocol header having the same format as a first protocol header of a protocol data unit (PDU); and the insertion of the second mesh header in the PDU before the first protocol header. 65

According to some aspects, an apparatus that can operate in a wireless communication system comprises a processor configured to generate a first mesh header that includes a plurality of fields, expand the first mesh header by initially adding a second protocol header that it has the same format as a first protocol header in a PDU to generate a second mesh header, and insert the second mesh header in the PDU before the first protocol header; and a memory 5 coupled to the processor to store data.

According to some aspects, a machine-readable medium has instructions that, when executed by means of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations that include the generation of a first mesh header, the first mesh header including a plurality of fields; the extension of the first 10 mesh header by initially adding a second protocol header to generate a second mesh header, the second protocol header having the same format as a first protocol header of a protocol data unit; and the insertion of the second mesh header in the PDU before the first protocol header.

 fifteen

According to some aspects, an apparatus that can operate in a wireless mesh network comprises means for generating a first mesh header, the first mesh header including a plurality of fields; means for extending the first mesh header by initially adding a second protocol header to generate a second mesh header, the second protocol header having the same format as a first protocol header of a protocol data unit; and means for inserting the second mesh header into the PDU before the first protocol header.

According to some aspects, at least one processor configured to include a mesh header in a media access control protocol (MAC) data unit (MPDU) in a wireless communication system comprises a first module for generating a first mesh header, the first 25 mesh header including a plurality of fields; a second module to extend the first mesh header by initially adding a second protocol header to generate a second mesh header, the second protocol header having the same format as a first protocol header of a protocol data unit; and a third module to insert the second mesh header into the PDU before the first protocol header. 30

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 represents a wireless mesh network, according to some aspects.

 35

FIG. 2 represents a wireless device that implements various aspects disclosed.

FIG. 3A represents a typical MAC frame.

FIG. 3B represents a typical MAC frame that has an LLC / SNAP frame added to it. 40

FIG. 4 represents a mesh header added in a MAC frame, according to some aspects.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart representing a procedure of adding mesh fields in a MAC frame and routing of said frames, according to some aspects. Four. Five

FIG. 6 represents an example of a mesh network and MPDUs routed through the network by way of example, according to some aspects.

FIG. 7 represents a wireless network environment that can be used in conjunction with the various systems and procedures described herein.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of an apparatus that facilitates the realization of a multi-hop wireless mesh network access control (MAC) protocol, in accordance with one or more aspects described herein. 55

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 represents an exemplary network environment in which several aspects can be implemented. As depicted in Figure 1, a wireless mesh network 100 includes a mesh portal (MPP) 110, a plurality of mesh points (MP) 120, and a plurality of mesh access points (MAP) 130 An MPP is a mesh point that has a connection to a wired source, such as the Internet, and serves as an entry / exit point for MAC service data units (MSDUs) that enter or leave the mesh network. As shown in Figure 1, the MPP 110 is connected to the external network 140. The external network 140 may have one or more stations (STA) 142 connected thereto. Although a wired link is represented between the external network 65 140 and the station 142, a wireless link can also be provided.

The MP 120 form mesh links to each other, on which mesh paths can be established using a routing protocol. Examples of mesh routing protocols include, for example, the hybrid wireless mesh protocol (HWMP), the ad hoc protocol on demand vector distance (AODV), the optimized link state routing (OLSR), and / or Other routing protocols. A 5 mesh link can be shared by two nodes that can communicate directly with each other through a wireless medium. MAP 130s are mesh nodes that also serve as access points. MAP 130 provides mesh service to stations 132, which are not members of the mesh network. An MPP 110 and a MAP 130 may be co-assembled in the same device. MPs that are not yet members of a mesh can first perform contiguous detection to connect to the network. For example, a node can scan contiguous nodes 10 for signals that contain a match profile, the profile comprising a mesh ID, a path selection protocol identifier, a link metric identifier, etc.

Figure 2 depicts a wireless device 200 that can serve as an MP in a mesh network. The device 200 may comprise a receiver 202, a demodulator 204, a processor 206, a transmitter 208, a modulator 210, and a memory 212. The receiver 202 can receive a signal and perform typical actions therein, such as filtering, amplification, down conversion, etc. Receiver 202 can provide digitized samples to demodulator 204 that demodulates the received signals and delivers them to processor 206 for channel estimation. The processor 206 can be configured to analyze the information received by the receiver 202 and generate information for transmission by the transmitter 708. The processor 206 can also be configured 20 to control one or more components of the device 200. The memory 212 can store information necessary for other components of the device 200.

The device 200 may further comprise a mesh encapsulation module 214, which allows the mesh headers to be extended and inserted into another protocol data unit for transmission through a 25 mesh network. For example, mesh headers can be inserted into an 802.11 wireless frame. Other protocols in which a mesh header can be inserted include, but are not limited to: an application layer protocol, a presentation layer protocol, a session layer protocol, a layer layer protocol transport, a network layer protocol, a data link layer protocol or a physical layer protocol. While many aspects are described herein using 802.11 communications, these descriptions are simply by way of example. Any other protocol and its associated protocol data unit may be used. The addition of mesh headers may include the insertion of additional addresses in a data frame. Additionally, marks can be inserted in the frame to indicate that the mesh header is present in the frame. The marks may include, for example, an EtherType value (type of Ethernet protocol) associated with the mesh data, a bit in the PDU header, and / or other marks. 35

As data is transmitted, several headers and / or other fields may be included in several layers of the technology, depending on the communications protocol in use. For example, an 802.11 wireless protocol stack comprises a physical layer, a data link layer and a network layer. The data link layer can be subdivided into a MAC sub-layer and an LLC sub-layer. The 802.11 MAC header is followed by an LLC header, in accordance with the convention.

Figure 3A represents a conventional 802.11 MAC frame or PDU 301, also called an MPDU. The frame 301 comprises the header 310, the payload 340 and the frame verification sequence (FCS) 350. The frame header includes a plurality of fields, including a frame control field 312, a duration field / ID 314, a first address field 316, a second address field 318, a third address field 320, a sequence control field 322, and a fourth address field 324. The first address field 316 identifies the address of the receiver and the second address field 318 identifies the address of the transmitter. The third address field 320 refers to the destination address for transmission from a non-mesh station to its associated AP, and represents the source address for transmission from an AP 50 to an associated station or to another AP. The fourth address field 320 is typically present only when data is transmitted between two APs, and represents the destination address. Other fields 326 may be present in the MAC header 310, for example, fields related to the provision of quality of service or encryption.

The LLC sub-layer allows several network protocols to be transmitted over the same network media, such as the sub-network access protocol (SNAP). SNAP can be used to encapsulate Ethernet II frames in an 802.11 data frame. Figure 3B depicts an 802.11303 MAC frame that has an LLC / SNAP 305 frame added thereto. The LLC / SNAP header is sometimes referred to as a single header. The MAC 310 header is followed by an LLC 360 header and an SNAP 370 header. The LLC 360 header comprises three fields, which are called the Destination Service Access Point (DSAP) 361, the Source Service Access Point (SSAP). 363 and Control 365. 60 The DSAP-SSAP-Control fields are set to a value 367, such as "AA-AA-03", to indicate the presence of a following protocol header, such as SNAP header 370. The header SNAP 370 includes a plurality of fields, including a Unique Organization Identifier (OUI) 371 field and a Protocol Identifier (PID) 372 field. In the illustrated aspect, the OUI 371 field is set to have a value of "00-00 -00 "indicating that the PID 372 field is interpreted as an EtherType field. An EtherType value indicates a type of protocol encapsulated in the frame data. For example, an EtherType value of "08-00" indicates that it is included

an Internet Protocol (IP) package. However, a different value can be used to signal the presence of a mesh header.

According to exemplary aspects, marks may be provided to signal the presence of a mesh header in a protocol data unit. According to some aspects, the marks may include a bit set in the MAC header (or other protocol). In other aspects, a custom EtherType can be created to signal or indicate the presence of a mesh header. In other additional aspects, a custom EtherType can be created to signal the presence of a protocol field, in which the protocol field can be created to signal or indicate the presence of a mesh header. In other additional aspects, a custom DSAP / SSAP combination can be created to signal or indicate the presence of a mesh header. Other brands may also be provided.

Figure 4 depicts an exemplary PDU 400 with a mesh header added thereto. The PDU 400 may include the MAC header 402, the second protocol header 404, the header fields 406, the first mesh header 408, the first protocol header 410, the payload 412 and the FCS 414. The first header 15 mesh 408 combined with the second protocol header 404 and / or the header fields 406 may form a second mesh header 420. According to some aspects, the first protocol header 410 may be an LLC 360 header. include an SNAP header 370 as part of the first protocol header 410.

 twenty

The second protocol header 404 may indicate the presence of the first mesh header 408. According to some aspects, the second protocol header 404 may have the same format as the first protocol header 410. Thus, the second header of Protocol 404 may be, for example, an LLC 360 header. According to some aspects, header fields 406 may be used to indicate the presence of the first mesh header 408. For example, header fields 406 may include a header SNAP 370 25 having a PID 372, such as a predefined EtherType, indicating that the first mesh header 408 is present, and / or other protocol fields 403, which can also indicate the presence of the first mesh header 408 based in a value or other indicator present in the other protocol fields 403.

In some aspects, the presence of a mesh header can be indicated through the DSAP-SSAP-30 Control 361, 363 and 365 fields of the LLC 360 header, in which case the mesh header follows after the LLC header without header SNAP In other aspects, the presence of the mesh header can be indicated through the PID field 372 of a company-specific OUI. A company-specific OUI is an OUI that is not equal to the value "00-00-00". In other additional aspects, the presence of the mesh header can be indicated through a protocol field 403, whose presence is indicated by a given value, such as a predefined EtherType, 35 which is included in the LLC / SNAP header 410, as in PID field 372.

The first mesh header 408 may include a plurality of fields 421, including one or more of a mesh indicator field 422, a TTL field 424, a sequence number field 426, a fifth address field 428, and a sixth address field 430. Including one or more of the additional address fields 40 421, the use of a mesh network as a transport network is suitable. When the mesh header is present, the first address field 316 indicates the immediate address of the receiver, the second address field 318 indicates the immediate address of the transmitter, the third address field 320 indicates the destination address of the mesh, the fourth address field 324 indicates the origin address of the mesh, the fifth address field 428 indicates the final destination address (outside the mesh network) and the sixth field 430 indicates the final origin address 45 (also outside the mesh network). The origin of the mesh and the destination of the mesh represent the entry and exit points, respectively, for the mesh network. A mesh header can also be included for other purposes.

According to some aspects, a mesh header can be extended by initially adding an LLC / SNAP 305 header to the mesh header. According to these aspects, the mesh frames can be transmitted to 50 through a mesh network by inserting the enlarged mesh header into a data frame, such as an MPDU, between the MPDU header, for example MAC, and the original LLC header. According to other aspects, a mesh header can be extended by initially adding a protocol field 403 and an LLC / SNAP header 305 to the mesh header. According to these aspects, the mesh frames can be transmitted through a mesh network by inserting the enlarged mesh header into a data frame, such as an MPDU, between the MPDU header, for example MAC, and the original LLC header.

As described above, the procedures described herein are not limited to MAC frames. According to some aspects, an enlarged mesh header can be added to any type of PDU. The PDU may have associated a first protocol header. The first protocol header may signal the presence of a following protocol header after the first protocol header. For example, the first protocol header may be an LLC header. The mesh header can be extended by initially adding a second protocol header to the mesh header. The second protocol header can use the same format as the first protocol header, and can be used to signal the presence of the mesh header in a data frame. For example, the second protocol header may be an LLC header. The expanded mesh header can be inserted into a PDU between the header of the PDU and the

First protocol header before transmission.

Figure 5 is a flow chart depicting a procedure for inserting mesh headers, according to several aspects. As depicted in 502, the process begins when a frame is received in a MAP or MPP from a non-mesh station connected on the way to its non-mesh destination. After receiving the packet, the MAP or MPP examines the frame and determines that it can be routed through the mesh network, as depicted in 504.

As depicted in 506, the MAP or MPP inserts a mesh header in the received frame before transmitting the frame to the next hop station. For example, the MAP or MPP can set a type field, such as the EtherType field in the SNAP header, to indicate the presence of the mesh header. The MAP or MPP inserts the address of the non-mesh source station and the address of the non-mesh destination station in the address fields of the mesh header. The MAP or MPP prepares the package to include six addresses, including the non-mesh final source and non-mesh final destination fields, which are included in the mesh header, and the immediate receiver fields of the mesh, immediate transmitter of the mesh, final origin of the mesh, and final destination of the mesh, which are included in the MAC header. The original payload is added after the mesh header, starting with the original LLC header. The MAP or MPP then sends the frame to the next hop station (the mesh receiver), as depicted in 508.

As depicted in 510, the next hop station may be an MP, a MAP, or an MPP. Both MAP 20 and MPP provide access to non-mesh devices. If the next hop device is an MP, then the MP updates the mesh fields, as depicted in 512. This includes updating a mesh life time field to represent the current transmission. The frame is then sent to the next hop device, as depicted in 514.

 25

If, in 510, a MAP or MPP determines that the next hop station is the non-mesh target device, the MAP or MPP removes the mesh header, as depicted in 516. The device can remove LLC identifiers. / SNAP indicating the presence of the mesh header, and reformatting the MAC address fields so that the packet can be transmitted to the non-mesh destination, as represented in 518. 30

Figure 6 is a simplified example of a process to insert mesh headers, according to some aspects disclosed. A mesh network 610 comprises a first MAP 612, a first MP 614, a second MP 616, and a second MAP 618. The first MAP 612 provides connectivity with a first station 620, which is not part of the mesh. The second MAP 618 provides connectivity with a second 630 station, also outside the 35 mesh.

A frame or PDU that is transmitted by the first station 620 is represented in 640. Since the station is not a member of the mesh network, the frame can be a typical 802.11 data frame. The receiver address is indicated as MAP1 and the transmitter address is indicated as STA1. The destination address is indicated as STA2. 40 The data frame may include an LLC frame indicating the presence of an SNAP header. The SNAP header includes the OUI 00-00-00 and EtherType 08-00, indicating that the payload data is an IP packet. It is noted that these OUI and EtherType values are simply by way of example. Other values may be used depending on the type of protocol data unit.

 Four. Five

When the frame is received by the first MAP 612, MAP 612 can determine that the frame can be sent through the mesh. Thus, the first MAP 612 inserts a mesh header in the received frame, as depicted in 642. The EtherType field of the first SNAP header is set to indicate the presence of the mesh header. This is represented in Figure 6 by the value "xx-xx". The first address field reflects that the immediate receiver is MP1, the immediate transmitter is MAP1, the origin of the mesh is MAP1 and the destination of the 50 mesh is MAP2. The mesh header, which is added by the first MAP 712, indicates that the final destination is STA2 and the final origin is STA1. The original LLC / SNAP header (AA-AA-03 / 00-00-00-08-00) is added after the mesh header, followed by the original IP packet.

The address fields that represent the final non-STA1 mesh origin, the non-STA2 mesh final destination, the MAP1 mesh origin, and the MAP2 mesh destination remain constant as long as the frames pass through mesh points. . The original LLC / SNAP header also follows the mesh header in each of these frames. The frame transmitted by the first MP 614, represented in 644, indicates that the immediate receiver is MP2 and that the immediate transmitter is MP1, while the second MP 616 indicates, as depicted in 646, that the immediate receiver is MAP2 and the Immediate transmitter is MP2. 60

The second MAP 618 is the starting point for the mesh. Thus, after receiving the frame, MAP 618 removes the expanded mesh header that includes the fifth and sixth address fields and the specific LLC / SNAP header of the mesh, and reformats the MAC address to indicate that the receiver is STA2, the transmitter is MAP2, and the origin is STA1, as represented in 648. 65

According to some aspects, the EtherType in the first SNAP field of the frame containing a mesh header can be equal to 89-0d. The 89-0d protocol is specified in Annex U of draft 4.0 of IEEE 802.11z. The mesh header may be preceded by a Protocol field in this case, as specified in Annex U of draft 802.11z 4.0. The Protocol field can contain a value that indicates the presence of a mesh header. The value indicating the presence of a mesh header may be a new Protocol 5 number assigned by the IEEE 802.11 Assigned Numbers Association (ANA). The mesh package is said to be encapsulated as a plot of Annex U in this case.

The example described above represents an exemplary case in which a frame originates outside a mesh network and is transmitted to a destination outside the mesh network. However, the techniques described in this document are equally applicable to a scenario in which a transmission originates outside the mesh destined for a node within the mesh, or when a transmission originates within the mesh destined to a node outside the mesh.

Figure 7 represents a wireless communication system 700 by way of example. The wireless communication system 700 represents a base station and a terminal for the sake of brevity. However, it should be appreciated that the system may include more than one base station and / or more than one terminal, in which the base stations and / or additional terminals may be very similar or different from the base station and terminal described below. as an example. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the base station and / or the terminal may employ the procedures and / or systems described herein to facilitate wireless communication between them.

Referring now to Figure 7, on a downlink, at access point 705, a transmission data processor (TX) 710 receives, formats, encoded, interlaces and modulates (or assigns symbols to) traffic data and provides modulation symbols ("data symbols"). A symbol modulator 715 receives 25 and processes the data symbols and pilot symbols, and delivers them to a transmission unit (TMTR) 720. Each transmission symbol can be a data symbol, a pilot symbol or a signal value of zero. Pilot symbols can be sent continuously in each symbol period. Pilot symbols can be frequency division multiplex (FDM), orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM), time division multiplex (TDM), or code division multiplex (CDM). 30

The TMTR 720 receives and converts the symbol stream into one or more analog signals and additionally conditions (for example, amplifies, filters and increases in frequency) the analog signals to generate a downlink signal suitable for transmission over the wireless channel. Next, the downlink signal is transmitted through an antenna 725 to the terminals. At terminal 730, an antenna 730 receives the downlink signal and delivers a received signal to a receiving unit (RCVR) 740. The receiving unit 740 conditions (for example, filters, amplifies and decreases in frequency) the signal received and digitizes the conditioned signal to obtain samples. A symbol demodulator 745 demodulates and provides pilot symbols received to a processor 750 for channel estimation. The symbol demodulator 745 also receives an estimate of the frequency response for the downlink from the processor 750, performs a demodulation of data on the received data symbols to obtain estimates of data symbols (which are estimates of the transmitted data symbols), and delivers the data symbol estimates to an RX 755 data processor, which demodulates (i.e., deallocates symbols), deinterlaces and decodes the data symbol estimates to retrieve the transmitted traffic data. The processing of the symbol demodulator 745 and the RX 755 data processor is complementary to that performed by the symbol modulator 715 and the TX 710 data processor, respectively, at the access point 705.

On the uplink, a TX 760 data processor processes traffic data and provides data symbols. A symbol modulator 765 receives and multiplexes the data symbols with pilot symbols, performs a modulation and provides a flow of symbols. Next, a transmission unit 770 receives and processes the symbol flow 50 to generate an uplink signal, which is transmitted by the antenna 735 to the access point 705.

At the access point 705, the uplink signal of the terminal 730 is received by the antenna 725 and is processed by a receiving unit 775 to obtain samples. Next, a 55 symbol 780 demodulator processes the samples and provides received pilot symbols and data symbol estimates for the uplink. An RX 785 data processor processes the data symbol estimates to retrieve traffic data transmitted by terminal 730. A 790 processor performs a channel estimate for each active terminal that transmits on the uplink. Multiple terminals may transmit pilot signals concurrently on the uplink in their respective assigned sets of sub-60 pilot bands, where the sets of pilot sub-bands may be interlaced.

Processors 790 and 750 direct (for example, control, coordinate, manage, etc.) the operation of access point 705 and terminal 730, respectively. The respective 790 and 750 processors may be associated with memory units (not shown) that store program codes and data. The 65 790 and 750 processors can also perform calculations to obtain estimates of frequency response and

impulse for uplink and downlink, respectively.

In a multiple access system (for example, FDMA, OFDMA, CDMA, TDMA, etc.), multiple terminals can transmit concurrently on the uplink. In such a system, the pilot subbands can be shared between different terminals. Channel estimation techniques can be used in cases where the 5 pilot subbands for each terminal cover the entire operating band (except possibly band limits). A structure of pilot subbands of this type is desirable to obtain frequency diversity for each terminal. The techniques described in this document can be implemented by various means. For example, these techniques can be implemented in hardware, software or a combination of both. For a hardware implementation, the processing units used for channel estimation can be implemented within one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSP), digital signal processing devices (DSPD) , programmable logic devices (PLD), field programmable door arrays (FPGA), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described in this document, or a combination thereof. With software, the implementation can be done through modules 15 (for example, procedures, functions, etc.) that carry out the functions described in this document. Software codes can be stored in memory units and executed using 790 and 750 processors.

Referring to Figure 8, a system 800 that receives and processes messages received over a wireless mesh network is illustrated. For example, system 800 may reside, at least partially, in a receiver, transmitter, mobile device, etc. It should be appreciated that the system 800 is represented including functional blocks, which may be functional blocks that represent functions implemented by a processor, software or a combination thereof (eg, firmware). System 800 includes a logical grouping 802 of electrical components that can act together. For example, the logical grouping 802 may include a module for generating a first mesh header, the first mesh header including a plurality of fields 804. The logical grouping 802 may also comprise a module for extending the first mesh header by adding to the In principle, a second protocol header for generating a second mesh header 806. The logical grouping 802 may further comprise a module for inserting the second mesh header into the PDU before a first protocol header. 30

The various logic, logic blocks, modules and illustrative circuits, described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein, can be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a specific integrated circuit of the application (ASIC), an array of field programmable doors (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, transistor logic or discrete door 35, discrete hardware components or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described in the present document A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor but, alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller or state machine. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors together with a DSP core or any other such configuration. In addition, at least one processor may comprise one or more modules that can be operated to perform one or more of the steps and / or actions described above.

In addition, the steps and / or actions of a procedure or algorithm described in connection with the aspects disclosed in this document can be performed directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor or in a combination of the two. A software module may reside in RAM, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium may be coupled to the processor, such that the processor can read information from, and write information on, the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integrated in the processor. In addition, in some aspects, the processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC may reside in a user terminal. Alternatively, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in a user terminal. Additionally, in some aspects, the steps and / or actions of a procedure or algorithm may reside as one or as any combination or set of codes and / or instructions in a machine-readable medium and / or in a computer-readable medium, which may be incorporated into a computer program product.

In one or more aspects, the described functions can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions can be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or as code in a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media, including any media that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A storage medium can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, said computer-readable media may comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other media.

optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other means that can be used to transport or store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a computer. In addition, any connection can be called a computer readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, a digital subscriber line (DSL) or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio and microwave, then coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio and microwave are included in the definition of medium. The term disc, as used herein, includes a compact disc (CD), a laser disc, an optical disc, a digital versatile disc (DVD), a flexible disc and a Blu-ray disc, of which the floppy disk usually reproduces data magnetically, while the 10 discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer readable media.

Although the above disclosure discusses illustrative aspects and / or embodiments, it should be noted that several changes and modifications could be made in this document without departing from the scope of the 15 aspects and / or embodiments described, as defined by the appended claims. . Furthermore, although the elements of the aspects and / or the described embodiments may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated unless the limitation to the singular is explicitly indicated. In addition, all or a portion of any aspect and / or embodiment may be used with all or a portion of any other aspect and / or embodiment, unless otherwise indicated. twenty

ADDITIONAL EMBODIMENTS

1. A method for transmitting data over a wireless mesh network, comprising:

 25

the generation of a first mesh header, the first mesh header including a plurality of fields;

the extension of the first mesh header by initially adding a second protocol header to generate a second mesh header, the second protocol header having the same format 30 as a first protocol header of a protocol data unit (PDU) ; Y

the insertion of the second mesh header in the PDU before the first protocol header.

2. The method according to 1, wherein the extension of the first mesh header to generate the second mesh header further comprises the addition at the beginning of one or more header fields to the first mesh header.

3. The procedure according to 1, in which the second protocol header indicates a presence of the first mesh header. 40

4. The method according to 2, in which at least one of the one or more header fields indicates a presence of the first mesh header.

5. The method according to 2, wherein the second protocol header and the one or more header fields 45 indicate a presence of the first mesh header.

6. The method according to 1, wherein the first protocol header comprises an indication of a following protocol header.

 fifty

7. The method according to 1, wherein the first protocol header and the second protocol header comprise an LLC header.

8. The method according to 2, wherein the first protocol header and the second protocol header comprise an LLC header, and the one or more header fields include an SNAP header. 55

9. The method according to 2, wherein the first protocol header and the second protocol header comprise an LLC header, and the one or more header fields include an SNAP header and a Protocol field.

 60

10. The method according to 9, wherein the second protocol header indicates a presence of the SNAP header, the SNAP header indicates a presence of the Protocol field, and in which the Protocol field indicates a presence of the first mesh header.

11. The method according to 10, in which the SNAP header includes an EtherType field having a predefined value of 65.

12. The method according to 1, wherein the PDU comprises a frame of a media access control (MAC) PDU (MPDU), and wherein the insertion of the second mesh header comprises:

the insertion of an immediate address of the receiver, an immediate address of the transmitter, a destination address of the mesh and an address of origin of the mesh in address fields of a MAC header that is part of the MPDU; Y

the insertion of a final source address and a final destination address in address fields of the first mesh header or the second mesh header. 10

13. The procedure according to 12, further comprising:

After receiving the MPDU through a mesh destination, remove the second mesh header; and reformat the MAC header to send the frame to a final destination. fifteen

14. The method according to 1, in which the PDU is selected from a group consisting of an MPDU, a data link layer protocol, an application layer protocol, a presentation layer protocol, a session layer protocol, a transport layer protocol, a network layer protocol and a physical layer protocol. twenty

15. The method according to 1, wherein the wireless mesh network comprises an 802.11 wireless mesh network.

16. The method according to 1, wherein the first mesh header includes a final origin address 25 associated with a final origin of the PDU and an end destination address associated with a final destination of the PDU; Y

wherein the final origin comprises a non-mesh station, the final destination comprises a non-mesh station, or the final origin and final destination comprise non-mesh stations.

17. The procedure according to 1, wherein a first mesh access point inserts the second 30 mesh header.

18. The procedure according to 1, in which the PDU is encapsulated as a frame of Annex U.

19. An apparatus that can operate in a wireless mesh network, the apparatus comprising: 35

a processor, configured to generate a first mesh header that includes a plurality of fields, expand the first mesh header by initially adding a second protocol header that has the same format as a first protocol header in a PDU to generate a second mesh header, and insert the second mesh header in the PDU before the first 40 protocol header; Y

a memory coupled to the processor to store data.

20. The apparatus according to 19, wherein the processor is further configured to extend the first 45 mesh header to generate the second mesh header by initially adding one or more header fields to the first mesh header.

21. The apparatus according to 19, wherein the second protocol header indicates a presence of the first mesh header. fifty

22. The apparatus according to 20, wherein at least one of the one or more header fields indicates a presence of the first mesh header.

23. The apparatus according to 22, wherein the second protocol header indicates a presence of at least one of the one or more header fields.

24. The apparatus according to 20, wherein the second protocol header and at least one of the one or more header fields indicate a presence of the first mesh header.

 60

25. The apparatus according to 19, wherein the first protocol header comprises an indicator of a following protocol header.

26. The apparatus according to 19, wherein the first protocol header and the second protocol header comprise an LLC header. 65

27. The apparatus according to 20, wherein the first protocol header and the second protocol header comprise an LLC header, and the one or more header fields include an SNAP header.

28. The apparatus according to 20, wherein the first protocol header and the second protocol header comprise an LLC header, and the one or more header fields include an SNAP header and a Protocol field.

29. The apparatus according to 28, wherein the first protocol header indicates a presence of the SNAP header, the SNAP header indicates a presence of the Protocol field, and in which the Protocol field indicates a presence of the first mesh header. 10

30. The apparatus according to 28, in which the SNAP header includes an EtherType field that has a predefined value.

31. The apparatus according to 20, in which the PDU comprises an MPDU frame, and in which after inserting the second mesh header, the MPDU includes an immediate address of the receiver, an immediate address of the transmitter, a destination address of the mesh and an address of origin of the mesh in a MAC header that is part of the MPDU, and which further comprises a final source address and a final destination address in the second mesh header.

 twenty

32. The apparatus according to 31, in which the processor is further configured to remove the second mesh header and reformat the MAC header before sending the frame to the final destination.

33. The apparatus according to 19, in which the PDU is selected from a group consisting of an MPDU, a data link layer protocol, an application layer protocol, a presentation layer protocol , a session layer protocol, a transport layer protocol, a network layer protocol and a physical layer protocol.

34. The apparatus according to 19, wherein the wireless mesh network comprises an 802.11 wireless mesh network.

 30

35. The apparatus according to 19, wherein the first mesh header includes an end source address associated with a final origin of the PDU and an end destination address associated with a final destination of the PDU; Y

wherein the final origin comprises a non-mesh station, the final destination comprises a non-mesh station, or the final origin and final destination comprise non-mesh stations.

 35

36. The apparatus according to 19, in which the PDU is encapsulated as a frame of Annex U.

37. A machine-readable medium that has instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to carry out operations that include:

 40

generate a first mesh header, the first mesh header including a plurality of fields;

expand the first mesh header by initially adding a second protocol header to generate a second mesh header, the second protocol header having the same format as a first protocol header of a protocol data unit (PDU); and 45

Insert the second mesh header into the PDU before the first protocol header.

38. An apparatus that can operate in a wireless mesh network, the apparatus comprising:

 fifty

means for generating a first mesh header, the first mesh header including a plurality of fields;

means for extending the first mesh header by initially adding a second protocol header to generate a second mesh header, the second protocol header having the same format 55 as a first protocol header of a protocol data unit (PDU) ; Y

means for inserting the second mesh header into the PDU before the first protocol header.

Claims (15)

1. A method for transmitting a protocol data unit, PDU, over a wireless mesh network (100), comprising:  5 the generation of a first mesh header (408), the first mesh header including a plurality of fields (421); characterized by, expand the first mesh header by initially adding a second protocol header (404) to the first mesh header to generate a second mesh header (420), the second protocol header having the same format as a first protocol header (410) of the PDU (400); insert the second mesh header into the PDU before the first protocol header; Y  fifteen in which each of the first protocol header and the second protocol header comprises a logical link control header, LLC, (360) and in which the second protocol header includes a sub-protocol access header network, SNAP, (370) and a Protocol field (403), and wherein the second protocol header indicates a presence of the SNAP header, the SNAP header 20 indicates a presence of the Protocol field, and in which the Protocol field indicates a presence of the first mesh header. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extension of the first mesh header to generate the second mesh header further comprises the addition at the beginning of a plurality of 25 headers (404, 360, 406, 370, 403) to the first mesh header. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first protocol header comprises an indication of a following protocol header; I  30 wherein the PDU comprises a frame of a media access control (MAC) PDU (MPDU), and in which the insertion of the second mesh header comprises: the insertion of an immediate address of the receiver, an immediate address of the transmitter, a destination address of the mesh and a source address of the mesh in address fields of a MAC header that is part of the MPDU; Y inserting a final source address and a final destination address in address fields of the first mesh header or the second mesh header; and preferably It also includes: 40 After receiving the MPDU through a mesh destination, remove the second mesh header; Y reformat the MAC header to send the frame to a final destination. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first mesh access point inserts the second mesh header. 5. An apparatus (200) that can operate in a wireless mesh network (100), the apparatus comprising: means (804) for generating a first mesh header (408), the first mesh header 50 including a plurality of fields (421); characterized in that the apparatus further comprises, means (806) for extending the first mesh header by initially adding a second protocol header (404) to the first mesh header to generate a second mesh header (420), the second protocol header having the same format as a first protocol header 55 (410) of a protocol data unit, PDU (400); means (808) for inserting the second mesh header into the PDU before the first protocol header; Y  60 in which each of the first protocol header and the second protocol header comprises a logical link control header, LLC, (360) and in which the second protocol header includes a sub-protocol access header network, SNAP, (370) and a Protocol field (403), and wherein the second protocol header indicates a presence of the SNAP header, the 65 SNAP header indicates a presence of the Protocol field, and in which the Protocol field indicates a presence of The first mesh header. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the means for generating, the means for expanding and the means for inserting are incorporated in a processor (206), configured to generate said first mesh header which includes said plurality of fields, expand the first mesh header by adding 5 at the beginning said second protocol header having the same format as a first protocol header at said PDU to generate said second mesh header, and insert the second mesh header into the PDU before of the first protocol header; and also comprising the apparatus: a memory coupled to the processor to store data. 10 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to extend the first mesh header to generate the second mesh header by initially adding a plurality of headers (404, 360, 406, 370, 403 ) to the first mesh header.  fifteen 8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second protocol header indicates a presence of at least one of the one or more header fields. 9. The method according to claim 1, or the apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the SNAP header includes an EtherType field having a predefined value. twenty 10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the PDU comprises an MPDU frame, and wherein after inserting the second mesh header, the MPDU includes an immediate address of the receiver, an immediate address of the transmitter, a destination address of the mesh and a source address of the mesh in a MAC header that is part of the MPDU, and further comprising a final source address 25 and a final destination address in the second mesh header; and preferably in which the processor is further configured to remove the second mesh header and reformat the MAC header before sending the frame to the final destination. 11. The method according to claim 1, or the apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the PDU is selected from a group consisting of an MPDU, a data link layer protocol, a application layer protocol, a presentation layer protocol, a session layer protocol, a transport layer protocol, a network layer protocol and a physical layer protocol.  35 12. The method according to claim 1, or the apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the wireless mesh network comprises an 802.11 wireless mesh network. 13. The method according to claim 1, or the apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first mesh header includes an end source address associated with a final origin of the PDU and an end destination address. associated with a final destination of the PDU; and in which the final origin comprises a non-mesh station, the final destination comprises a non-mesh station, or the final origin and the final destination comprise non-mesh stations. 14. The method according to claim 1, or the apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the PDU is encapsulated as a frame of Annex U. 15. A machine-readable medium that has instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations to carry out the process according to any of claims 1 to 4. 50