FR2939271A1 - Communication routing management method for home theatre type communication network, involves adapting routing of communication in wireless communication network based on estimated capacity level - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves determining, for a receiving device, a critical zone in which presence of an obstacle is to be disruptive for communications involving a receiving device. Capacity level to be received by the receiving device is estimated by analyzing variations of quality of communications traversing the critical zone. Routing of communication in a wireless communication network is adapted based on the estimated capacity level. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a computer program comprising a set of instructions for implementing steps of a method for management of routing of communication in a wireless communication network (2) a storage unit for storing the computer program (3) a device for management of routing of communication in a wireless communication network.

Description

A method of managing communications in a wireless communication network, computer program product, storage means and corresponding device. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The field of the invention is that of communication networks, and more particularly of wireless communication networks with directional antennas. More specifically, the invention relates to a communications management technique of a wireless network. The invention applies in particular, but not exclusively, in radio communication networks which may be subject to fading and / or radio communication masking caused by disturbing obstacles. Throughout the present description, an obstacle is understood to mean any physical element, distinct from the transmitting and receiving devices of the network, included in the overall coverage area of the network and capable of disturbing wireless communications. 2. BACKGROUND Traditionally, home wireless networks or PANs (for "Personal Area Networks") are intended to interconnect communication devices, such as, for example, digital devices, telephones, PDAs, speakers, television set, media player, located near the user. The range of such a communication network is of the order of a few meters. Such a network can also be used to communicate the different personal devices between them (what is more commonly called intra-personal communication), or to connect to applications supported by the Internet for example. Home networks can be wired (as is the case for networks such as USB, Ethernet, or according to IEEE 1394 standards) but can also be based on the use of a wireless medium. This is called home wireless network (or WPAN network for "Wireless Personal Area Networks" in English). The IEEE 802.15.1, UWB, ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4), IEEE 802.11e or IEEE 802.15.3 Bluetooth standards are among the most used protocols for this type of network. Such protocols generally provide for two types of access to the shared wireless medium.

A first type of access is the collision detection mode (also called CSMA / CD for Carrier Sense Multiple Access / Collision Detection). This allows each device of the communication network to manage its emissions according to its needs and the availability of the medium. In the absence of information to be transmitted, the device receives data packets that circulate on the medium.

When this device needs to transmit one or more data packets, it verifies that no frame is transmitted on the medium. If so, he can issue his data packet. If it does not, it waits for the end of the current transmission. Since the access method is collision detection, when it is transmitted, a device can detect a contention problem, and stop to send back its data packet later, that is to say when it will have again the problem. word. In order to minimize the risk of encountering a second collision with the same device, each network device waits for a certain period (which may be random) before attempting a new transmission. However, in order not to saturate a network that would already be very busy in terms of communications, a network device does not attempt indefinitely to retransmit a packet of data if, at each attempt, it is in conflict with another network device. Thus, after a certain number of unsuccessful attempts, the data packet is deleted, thus avoiding the collapse of the network. The upper layers are then warned of the failure of the transmission of the message. A second type of access is a time division multiple access mode (also called TDMA mode, for Time Division Multiple Access). This second access mode is a multiplexing mode allowing the transmission of several signals on a single communication channel. This is the time multiplexing, the principle of which is to cut the available time in several time slots (also called time slots in English) or speech times which are assigned successively to the different devices of the network.

Such networks are conventionally based on the presence of a master device which is responsible for establishing network connections, synchronizing speech times of each of the network devices and arbitration of the network. access to the shared wireless medium.

Radio transmission systems currently use a wide range of transmission frequencies, typically between 2.5 GHz and 60 GHz. These frequencies are particularly well suited for very high speed data transmission in a limited radius, for example as a means of connectivity between the different elements of a home cinema type communication network. Indeed, for this use case, the range is limited to ten meters. On the other hand, the speeds involved are very high (beyond gigabit per second (Gbps or Gbit / s)) due to the nature (audio, video) and the very high resolution of the information transmitted. The use of transmit and receive antennas can also play a crucial role in the quality of communication for such home wireless networks.

An isotropic antenna, that is to say a radiating antenna with the same physical characteristics in all directions of space, is a theoretical model unachievable in practice. Indeed, the energy radiated by an antenna is actually distributed unequally in space, some directions being preferred. We then speak of radiation lobes. A radiation pattern of an antenna makes it possible to visualize these lobes of radiation in the three directions of space, that is to say in the horizontal plane or in the vertical plane including the most important lobe. The proximity and conductivity of the ground or conductive masses surrounding the antenna may further have a significant influence on the radiation pattern. The directivity of an antenna in the horizontal plane is an important feature in the choice of an antenna. In fact, an omnidirectional antenna radiates in the same way in all directions of the horizontal plane, whereas a directional antenna, for its part, has one or two lobes much larger than the others; we then speak of main lobes. It should be noted that an antenna is all the more directive as the largest lobe is narrow. The directivity is the width of the main lobe, between the 3 dB attenuation angles. The gain of an antenna is then defined as the increase of power emitted or received in the main lobe with respect to an omnidirectional antenna. A signal processing based on antenna directivity (called beamforming in English) is a technique based on the use of transmission boards or reception sensors that control the orientation and / or sensitivity of an antenna as a function of the antenna. a radiation pattern. When receiving a radio signal, this technique increases the sensitivity of the receiver device in a desired direction and thus reduce the sensitivity of the antenna for interference or highly noisy areas. When transmitting a radio signal, the antenna directivity technique makes it possible to increase the power of the radio signal in a desired direction. Such communication systems, although advantageous from the point of view of their installation and particularly high application rates (authorized for high frequencies such as the 60 GHz frequency band for example), however, have a high sensitivity to the phenomena of interference and masking of radio links caused by obstacles. Thus, the relevance as regards the use of the communication links (also called communication links) between the different devices of the network is strongly correlated with the positioning and the removal of obstacles in the network, which are as many sources of masking phenomena. dynamic for the network. A known technique, described in the European patent application EP1406466, presents a technique for tracking a mobile device in a communication network. More particularly, it consists in tracking the mobile device by detecting successive positions in different sub-areas of the network.

However, such a method supposes the transmission, by the mobile device (whose position is to be determined), of information to the detector devices of the network, so that they determine its position in the network. Such a technique, moreover, does not answer the problem of locating a disturbing obstacle that is distinct from the devices of the network. OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is notably to overcome these various disadvantages of the state of the art. More specifically, in at least one embodiment of the invention, one objective is to provide a technique for managing communication links in a wireless communication network. At least one embodiment of the invention also aims to provide such a technique for adapting the policy of routing communications as a function of disruption of communications caused by disturbing obstacles.

Another objective of at least one embodiment of the invention is to provide such a technique making it possible to identify an obstacle leading to disturbances for the communications of the devices of the network, and to adapt the setting up of the communications of the network. , without interactions (or communications) between the obstacle (disturbing) and the devices of the network.

Another objective of at least one embodiment of the invention is to provide such a technique for quantifying the impact of disruptive obstacles in the quality of service of the network. Yet another objective of at least one embodiment of the invention is to provide such a technique for judging the relevance of an adaptation of the routing, depending on the duration of a disturbance caused by at least one obstacle. disturbing mobile. A complementary objective of at least one embodiment of the invention is to provide such a technique which relies solely on means conventionally used for the transmission of data in a wireless communication network, that is to say a technique that is simple to implement and inexpensive. 4. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION There is provided a wireless network communications routing management method comprising a set of at least two pairs comprising a transmitting device and a receiving device. Such a method comprises the steps of: - determining, for a receiving device, a critical zone for which the presence of at least one obstacle is likely to be disruptive for at least one communication involving said receiving device; estimating a level of capacity to be received by the receiver device, by analyzing quality variations of communications crossing said critical zone; and - adapt the network communication routing according to the estimated capacity to receive level. The general principle of the invention consists in determining, within a wireless communication network, a geographical zone of the network, judged critical for at least one receiving device, in which one or more obstacles, by their presence, are likely to cause damaging disturbances for ongoing communications with the receiving device concerned. Having thus identified a geographical area of the network, for which the impact of disturbing obstacles on the ability of receiving devices to communicate with other devices in the network is estimated, a routing policy can be undertaken so that the communications bypass (c). that is, do not cross) previously identified potential disturbance zones. The ability to receive, for a receiver device, its ability to communicate in an acceptable manner with other devices of the network. This characteristic is determined by estimating the evolution of the quality level of communications crossing the critical zone, according to the impact of disturbing obstacles on these communications. Advantageously, each of the devices having a determined communication coverage area, the two coverage areas of each pair having a mutual intersection zone, the critical zone is determined by a union of overlapping zones, each recovery zone being determined by mutual overlap of at least two of said intersection areas. Thus, it is transmission characteristics related to other communications that make it possible to synthesize these one-off results to arrive at a consolidated estimate of the level of capacity to be received by the communication in question.

Advantageously, said step consisting in determining at least one critical zone comprises at least one of the steps of: - excluding, from said union of overlapping zones, at least one overlapping zone in which the presence of a disturbing obstacle is detected during a predetermined duration, while said receiver device detects a reception quality level remaining above a predetermined threshold during said predetermined time; in said overlapping zone union, including at least one overlapping zone in which the presence of a disturbing obstacle is detected for a predetermined duration, whereas said receiving device detects a reception quality level remaining below a threshold predetermined during said predetermined time. It is therefore possible, depending on the level of instantaneous reception quality measured by the receiving device considered, to dynamically refine the constitution of critical areas for each of which the construction is not optimal. Furthermore, it is possible that a change in the routing of communications has just been made or that the critical zone is determined in such a way as to prevent communication difficulties (that is, the critical zone has a part that is not on the path of communication to which the critical zone is associated and which serves to prevent the intrusion of an obstacle in the vicinity of the communication considered). In this case, it may also be necessary to refine the constitution of the critical zone. According to an advantageous characteristic, the level of capacity to be received by said receiver device is estimated as a function of at least one of the two levels belonging to the group comprising: a level of instability of the critical zone, representative of an evolution of disturbances detected in the critical zone; a criticality level of the critical zone, representative of an estimated impact of disturbances detected in the critical zone. In fact, a critical area of unstable nature presents a high risk of variations in communication disturbances; thus ongoing communications with the receiving device with which the critical area is associated can be greatly impacted by such variations. Advantageously, it comprises the following steps: detecting, in the critical zone, the presence of at least one disturbing moving obstacle; estimating the level of capacity to be received by said receiver device as a function of each disturbing mobile obstacle detected in the critical zone. Due to the dynamic nature of the disruption it causes, a mobile disruptive obstacle is considered critical for a communication network. This is why it seems necessary to evaluate the mobile nature of an obstacle in order to estimate more precisely the impact of the disturbances caused on the capacity to receive the receiving device or devices considered. Preferably, said step of determining a critical zone in which the presence of a disturbing obstacle is detected comprises a step of detecting whether the disturbing obstacle is fixed or mobile by analyzing variations of disturbances of overlap zones, detected as being disturbed according to a criterion of link quality, for a predetermined duration. The impact of disturbances caused by one or more disturbing obstacles, present in a critical area of the network, can therefore be estimated according to the fixed or mobile nature of these obstacles. For example: - if no disturbing obstacle is detected, the state of instability of the zone can be considered stable and the criticality low; if a disturbing fixed obstacle is detected in a critical zone, the state of instability of the zone can be considered stable and the criticality high; and if a disturbing moving obstacle is detected in the critical zone, the state of instability of the zone may be considered unstable and the criticality very high. Preferably, the method comprises a step of performing a verification that, for a predetermined duration, the level of capacity to be received from said receiving device is greater than a predetermined threshold, and that the step of adapting the routing of the communications is carried out only in the case of negative verification.

The invention advantageously provides an estimate of the duration of a disturbance caused by an obstacle, in order to avoid a reconfiguration of the communications which, in the end, would not be necessary, in the case where the disturbance in the critical zone is not necessary. punctual or in the case where it operates only at the edge of the critical zone for example. Therefore, it also avoids inadvertent reconfiguration of communications that could cause instability of the communication network. Advantageously, the step of adapting the routing comprises a step consisting, in a routing scheme for which said receiver device is a relay device for at least one communication, to replace said receiver device with at least one alternative relay device for said one or more communications, said one or more alternative relays having a level of capacity to receive greater than that of said receiving device. In a routing scheme in which a receiving device, considered critical (due to an insufficient capacity to receive), is a relay device, the invention provides for adapting the routing of the communications by replacing the receiver device with a relay device alternative that may be able to supply the receiving device. A relay device, for which an alternative relay device has been determined, then ceases to be a relay device (at least for a given data stream). It should be noted that a relay device (in a critical situation) may have to be replaced by a set of several relay devices, in order to allow an efficient relay in a spatial and temporal manner within the communication network. Thus, by using another or other communication paths, it avoids a loss of data, following disturbances caused by the presence of disturbing obstacles (and their fixed or mobile character). In an alternative embodiment , the step of adapting the routing comprises a step of increasing a number of copies of the same set of data sent to said receiving device. The invention therefore provides, in order to reinforce at least one communication towards a receiving device considered in a critical situation (due to an insufficient capacity to receive), to increase the redundancy of data transmissions (for the data flow in question) to the receiving device. Other paths of communication come in addition to already established paths. It is noted that the reinforcement of the transmission redundancy can be applied in a routing scheme for which the receiver device is a final recipient device (of a given data stream). Reinforcement of the transmission redundancy can also be applied in a routing scheme for which the receiving device is a relay device (of a considered data stream) for a final recipient device (or another relay device of the data stream) considered). The adaptation of the routing of the communications can therefore differ according to the type of device to which the critical zone is associated for a given routing scheme. It can be a receiving device, the final recipient for a given data stream, and in this case the adaptation of the routing is carried out by using another communication path or by reinforcing the redundancy of data transmission to that data stream. device. Or, it may be a relay device, and in this case the adaptation of the routing is performed by using an alternative relay device (the latter being able to accept the data flow in an acceptable manner, it is ie being able to perform the relay function in place of the relay device considered) or by redundancy of data transmissions (for the data flow considered). In another embodiment, the invention relates to a computer program product downloadable from a communication network and / or recorded on a computer readable medium and / or executable by a processor. This computer program product includes program code instructions for carrying out the aforesaid method (in any one of its various embodiments), when said program is run on a computer.

In another embodiment, the invention relates to a computer readable storage means, possibly totally or partially removable, storing a computer program comprising a set of instructions executable by a computer to implement the aforementioned method (in any of its different embodiments).

In another embodiment, the invention relates to a wireless network communications routing management device comprising a set of at least two pairs comprising a transmitting device and a receiving device. Such a communication routing management device comprises: first means for determining, for a receiving device, a critical zone for which the presence of at least one obstacle is likely to be disruptive for at least one communication involving said receiving device; means for estimating a level of capacity to be received by the receiver device, by analyzing quality variations of communications crossing said critical zone; and means for adapting the routing of network communications as a function of the estimated level of capacity to be received. Advantageously, each of the devices having a determined area of communication coverage, the two coverage areas of each pair having a mutual intersection zone, said first means for determining a critical zone take into account a zone union covering, each overlap area being determined by mutual overlap of at least two of said intersection areas, each of them having a state of disturbance according to a given criterion of quality of communication between the devices of a couple. Advantageously, said first means for determining at least one critical zone comprise themselves: exclusion means, said union of overlapping zones, at least one overlapping zone in which the presence of an obstacle disturbing is detected for a predetermined duration, while said receiver device detects a reception quality level remaining above a predetermined threshold during said predetermined time; inclusion means, in said overlapping zone union, of at least one overlap area in which the presence of a disturbing obstacle is detected for a predetermined duration, whereas said receiver device detects a quality level of reception remaining below a predetermined threshold during said predetermined time. Advantageously, said means for estimating the level of capacity to be received by said receiving device take account of at least one of the two levels belonging to the group comprising: a level of instability of the critical zone, representative of an evolution disturbances detected in the critical zone; a criticality level of the critical zone, representative of an estimated impact of disturbances detected in the critical zone. According to an advantageous characteristic, the communication routing management device comprises means for detecting, in the critical zone, a presence of at least one disturbing mobile obstacle, and in that said means for estimating the level of capacity to receive from said receiving device take into account each disturbing moving obstacle detected in the critical zone. Preferably, said first means for determining a critical zone in which the presence of a disturbing obstacle is detected themselves comprise second means for detecting a fixed or mobile disturbing obstacle by analyzing variations in disturbances of overlap zones. , detected as being disturbed according to a criterion of link quality, for a predetermined duration. Preferably, the communication routing management device comprises means for verifying, for a predetermined duration, the level of capacity to be received by said receiver device greater than a predetermined threshold, and in that said means for adapting the routing of the communications are only enabled if there is a negative check. Advantageously, said routing adaptation means comprise replacement means, in a routing scheme for which said receiver device is a relay device for at least one communication, of said receiver device by at least one alternative relay device for said said communications, said one or more alternative relays having a level of capacity to receive greater than that of said receiving device.

According to one variant, said routing adaptation means comprise means for increasing a number of copies of the same set of data sent to said receiving device. 5. LIST OF FIGURES Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description, given by way of indicative and nonlimiting example, and the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1 illustrates an example a wireless communication network in which is implemented the management method according to a particular embodiment according to the invention; - Figure 2 shows the schematic structure of a communication device implementing the management method according to a particular embodiment according to the invention; FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic example of a coverage intersection zone obtained by a pair of transmitter / receiver devices communicating in a communication network, according to a particular embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4a illustrates a schematic example of a recovery zone obtained from two pairs of transmitter / receiver devices, according to a particular embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4b presents a flowchart of an algorithm for locating areas of presence of objects according to a particular embodiment of the invention; FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a first example of construction of critical areas for a receiver device in a wireless communication network, according to a particular embodiment of the invention; FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a second example of construction of a critical zone for a receiver device in a wireless communication network, according to a variant of a particular embodiment of the invention; FIG. 7 presents a flowchart of an algorithm for detecting disturbing obstacles in a critical zone of the network, according to a particular embodiment of the invention; FIG. 8 illustrates an event diagram representative of an algorithm for determining a level of instability and a criticality level for a critical zone considered; FIG. 9 represents a flow diagram of an exclusion algorithm of overlapping zones of a list of overlapping zones constituting a critical zone, according to one particular embodiment of the invention; FIG. 10 represents a flowchart of an overlapping zone inclusion algorithm in a list of overlapping zones constituting a critical zone, according to a particular embodiment of the invention; FIG. 11 represents a flowchart of a communications routing algorithm by selection of a relay device, according to one embodiment; FIG. 12 represents a flowchart of a communications routing algorithm by selection of an alternative relay device, according to a variant of an embodiment; and FIG. 13 represents a flow chart of an algorithm for updating the routing of communications of a wireless communication network. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION In all the figures of this document, the elements and identical steps are designated by the same numerical reference. FIG. 1 shows an example of a wireless communication network 100 in which the management method is implemented, according to a particular embodiment in accordance with the invention. More particularly, the network 100 of FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless 7.1 audio communication system, of the home cinema type for example, comprising a source device 112, having two transmission antennas 110 and 111, as well as a plurality of transmitting and receiving devices 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180 and 190, each device being able to behave alternately as a transmitting device and a receiving device and having only one antenna for transmitting and receiving signals radio data. In addition, some nodes can play the role of relay node, that is to say that they retransmit on the network data they have previously received from another node. The network devices are all interconnected by radio communication links 101. Although the radio signals can be broadcast in all directions, some relay nodes or receivers may not be able to detect these radio signals due to the presence of radio signals. 'obstacles. A radio link is not necessarily present between a transmitting device and any other receiving device of the network. It should be noted that the description which follows illustrates a particular embodiment of the invention, certain starting hypotheses to be taken into consideration. Indeed, the topology of the communication network 100, that is to say the relative spatial position of the devices 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180 and 190, is considered as being known from each of the devices 120 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180 and 190 of the network 100. The topology of the network 100 can be effectively known in advance by each of the devices 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180 and 190 since a predefined network 100 installation is required for certain configuration recommendations as recommended by a standard (such as for example the ITU-R BS.775-2 standard adapted for a 7.1 type audio system) or because of the capacity of the devices of the network 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180 and 190 to calculate their distances and relative angles to each of the other devices of the network 100. In the remainder of the present description, it is therefore considered that the topological knowledge of the network 100 by each of the devices 12 0, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180 and 190 included in this network 100 is induced by the normalization of the installation of the communication network 100. In addition, the particular embodiment described hereinafter, intended for communication networks of home cinema type, is given as an illustrative example. It is clear that many other embodiments of the invention can be envisaged, without departing from the scope of the invention. When transmitting radio data, the data stream consists of a plurality of data blocks and is conventionally protected against transmission errors by means of error correction code. Typically, the data stream data blocks are packaged together at a sender device, each packet being encoded to generate a plurality of parity blocks representing redundant information. A receiving device of the network 100, receiving the data packets, via the various radio communication links, then proceeds to the decoding. This decoding step consists in correcting the errors in the data blocks received by the receiver device by using the parity blocks to do this. The relay devices, meanwhile, perform the transfer of coded data packets as such, without decoding or re-encode the data stream. Indeed, the execution of the decoding and subsequent coding at each relay node would exhaust the memory consumption required for temporary storage of packets, and would also increase the transmission time while consuming unnecessarily computing resources. In addition, to transmit a stream of data relating to an audio stream, a video stream or a combination of both, a protocol such as that described by the IEEE 802.15.3 standard can, for example, be implemented. In addition to the fact that it allows very high data rates (in its 802.15.3c version), because of data transmission in the 57-64 GHz frequency band, this protocol offers the possibility, for each of the network devices, to benefit from access time to the guaranteed shared wireless communication medium by using time division multiplexing, also called TDM (for Time Division Multiplexing), providing for division of the time domain into a plurality of intervals recurring time, fixed length, also called TDM sequence or cycle. Such multiplexing allows certain parameters, such as latency or data rate, to remain invariant. FIG. 2 shows the schematic structure of a communication device 200 of the communication network 100 implementing the management method, according to a particular embodiment in accordance with the invention. More specifically, the communication device 200 can be integrated in each of the sending devices or receiving devices (120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180), or in any relay node of the communication network 100, and can behave both as transmitting device and receiving device.

The communication device 200 comprises: a Random Access Memory (RAM) 202 operating as a main memory; a calculation block 201 or CPU (for Control Process Unit in English) whose capacity can be extended by an optional RAM connected to an expansion port (not shown in FIG. 2). The CPU 201 is able to execute instructions when the communication device 200 is turned on from the ROM memory 203. After the power is turned on, the CPU 201 is able to execute instructions from the memory RAM 202 relating to a computer program, once these instructions loaded from the ROM 203 or external memory (not shown in Figure 3). Such a computer program, if executed by the CPU 201, causes the execution of some or all of the steps of the algorithms described below in connection with FIGS. 7 to 13; a block 205 (denoted RF-FE for RF Front-End in English) responsible for the adaptation of a signal at the output of a baseband block 206 (denoted RF-BB for RF Base-Band in English) before it is transmitted by means of an antenna 204. By way of example, the adaptation can be carried out by frequency conversion and power amplification processes. Conversely, the block 205 also allows the adaptation of a signal received by the antenna 204 before transmission to the baseband block 206; a baseband block 206 responsible for modulating and demodulating the digital data exchanged with block 205; an input / output interface block 211 connected to a communication network 212. In a particular embodiment, the method of the invention can also be implemented centrally, that is to say by a central device implementing communication management algorithms, and deciding only resource assignments made to different communications. In a particular alternative embodiment, the method of the invention being deterministic, it can be implemented in a distributed manner, i.e. by a set of network devices, independently of one another. Referring now to FIG. 3, a schematic example of a roof intersection area 301 obtained for a pair of transmitter / receiver devices 130, 120 communicating in a communication network in a communication mode is described. particular embodiment of the invention.

More particularly, the communication network is a home cinema type wireless communication network, comprising a source device 112 comprising two transmission antennas 110 and 111, as well as a plurality of sending or receiving devices 120, 130, 140 , 150, 160, 170, 180 and 190, each of the device being able to act as a relay device (whose principle is recalled above in connection with FIG. 1). The device 130 of the network is now considered as a transmitting device, emitting with a transmission angle of 180 °, that is to say covering the entire network, and the device 120 as the associated receiver device. Transmitting device 130 has a quasi-omnidirectional antenna (relative to the extent of the communication network), whose associated coverage area (not shown in the figure) is estimated to be that produced by an angle of 180 ° between axes. (x'o 330, xl 302) and (x'o 330, x2303). The receiver device 120 has a directional antenna whose main selectivity lobe is represented by the coverage area 301 of its receiving antenna, corresponding to the space between the axes (xo 300, xl 302) and (xo 300, x2 303). The coordinates of the vertices xo 300, xl 302 and x2 303 are defined in a predefined mark 115, depending on the configuration of the communication network. In the case where the communication network is used in a home cinema sound system, the configuration can be predefined at the factory manufacture, or be provided by a user at the initialization of the system, which allows this last to be able to select a configuration adapted to its environment. In any case, the configuration of the devices is previously defined and a common location mark is used by the devices of the network. The location marker used is known to each of the network devices, as is the topology of the network. Thus, the receiver device 120 is responsive to (i.e. can estimate) any power loss of the signal emitted by the transmitting device 130, detected in the receiving coverage area 301.

For the sake of clarity in the remainder of the description, a reception coverage area will be assimilated to an intersection area of covers for a pair of transmitter / receiver devices. In reality, an intersection zone is an intersection between a transmission coverage area and a reception coverage area.

This intersection area of covers 301 (obtained by considering that the angle between the axes (xO '330, x11 302) and (xO' 330, x12 303) is 180 ° also allows indeterminate positioning of the transmitter device 130 around a normalized position, provided that it remains between the points xl 302 and x2 303, enabling the receiver device 120 to detect possibly a power loss of the signal emitted by the transmitting device 130. An alternative embodiment consists of to define a transmission coverage area with an angle between the axes (xO '330, x11 302) and (xO' 330, x12 303) of less than 180 ° (if it were higher, this would amount to considering it at 180 ° This angle is defined by the transmitting antennas of the communication devices of the network and is substantially the same for all the devices of the network.The same is true for the angles in reception, each device then has the knowledge. the ca On the contrary, it is possible for those skilled in the art to provide a configuration data exchange protocol that can be implemented between all the network devices so as to exchange the angle values relating to the coverage areas. transmit and / or receive antennas. In sum, by detecting a power loss of the signal received from a transmitter device of the network, the power of the signal being measured and compared to a theoretical power vacuum, that is to say in ideal conditions transmission (without obstacle or disturbance), a receiving device of the network is therefore able to detect the presence of an obstacle, or a disturbing object, in the intersection area of covers 301 relative to the transmitting device. In the following, a coverage intersection area at which a power loss is detected will be designated as a disturbed area. Each of the network devices then performs a measurement of the power of the radio signal for each of the intersection zones of covers relating to each of the transmitting devices of the network.

A correlation of the power measurements is then made in order to determine the presence or absence of disturbed overlap areas, an overlap zone being an intersection zone between at least two intersection zones of covers. An exemplary overlap zone is illustrated below in relation to FIG. 4.

FIG. 4a illustrates an example of a coverage area in a wireless communication network according to a particular embodiment of the invention. Similarly to FIGS. 1 and 3, it is considered that the communication system of FIG. 4a is a homecinema-type wireless communication network comprising a source device 112 for audio and / or video content having two transmission antennas. 110 and 111, as well as a plurality of transmitting or receiving devices 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180 and 190, able to act as a relay device (according to the principle stated above in relation with FIG. ). In this case, we also consider two intersection zones of covers 441 and 461 relating to the two transmitter / receiver pairs respectively 480/440 and 430/420.

The central device of the network determines the coordinates of the vertices xl 471, x2 472, x3 473 and x4 474 of the overlap zone 475 (also hereinafter referred to as the overlapping polygon) of the intersection zones of the covers 441 and 461. If the intersection areas of covers 441 and 461 each have a high level of disturbance, the cover polygon 475 can then correspond to an area in which an object is positioned, the latter being disturbing for the communications of the two intersection zones of therefore, it is possible to refine the size determination of the lap polygon 475 by considering the intersection of the lap polygon 475 with at least one other disturbed zone (in the case where such another disturbed zone exists ) of the network.

Such an overlap area determination method 475 may be based, for example, on Weiler-Atherton's polygon intersection (also called polygon clipping) algorithm. FIG. 4b presents a flowchart of an algorithm for locating areas of presence of objects according to a particular embodiment of the invention.

Each receiving device of the network can determine the level of link quality (or communication) that it has with a transmitting device, when the latter transmits a signal with an omnidirectional antenna configuration, and transmit them to the other devices of the network via blocks. control data. Once the information pertaining to the state of disturbance of the intersection areas of network covers collected, as transmitted by the receiving devices of the network, it is possible to implement the location algorithm in order to locate the zones of presence of the network. at least one object (or obstacle) in the coverage area of the network, this object (or obstacle) causing disturbances within the network. In such a case, the algorithm makes it possible to define the position, relative to the devices of the network, of a polygonal zone within which the object or obstacle is located. In a first step 4000, the set of network coverage intersection zones is sorted according to their respective disturbance state, as received from the receiving devices of the network. Then, in a step 4001, a list comprising all the disturbed zones (called the disturbance list) and then a list comprising all the undisturbed zones (called the non-disturbance list), in a step 4002. In a step 4003 of the algorithm, a polygonal intersection correlation is then carried out for each intersection zone of covers present in the disturbance list with all the other intersection zones of the covers in the list of overlays. perturbation, in accordance with the mechanisms previously mentioned in connection with FIG. 4a. The set of polygonal intersection overlapping zones thus obtained is then stored in a list of overlapping zones, during a step 4004.

In a step 4005 of the algorithm, then, for each overlap zone stored in the list of overlapping zones, a polygonal subtraction correlation is performed with all the non-disturbance zones present in the non-disturbance list. Such a polygonal subtraction correlation can for example be implemented by means of a half-line algorithm (or half-line algorithm, in English), known to those skilled in the art.

The set of polygon subtraction overlapping zones thus obtained, corresponding to the zones of presence of disturbing objects (hereinafter also referred to as location zones), is then stored in a location list, during step 4006 of the present algorithm.

Each location area of the location list thus updated corresponds then to the relative positioning of disturbing objects of the network with respect to the transmitter, receiver or relay devices devices of the network. The object or obstacle is detected, in application of the algorithm described above in connection with FIG. 4b, as a covering zone or a set of overlapping zones, possibly reduced by one or more zones ( s) recovery. For the sake of simplicity, the zone of presence of a detected obstacle will be likened to a zone of overlap. FIG. 5 shows a first example of the construction of critical zones of a receiver device 130 in a wireless communication network 100, according to a particular embodiment of the invention. Generally speaking, a critical zone of a receiving device is defined as being a given zone among the coverage area of the communication network, for which the presence of one or more disturbing obstacles can cause disturbances of one or more several communications (or radio links) necessary for a receiving device. This receiver device may be either a recipient of a data content or relay data content on behalf of another receiving device recipient of the same data content. A critical zone can be defined, more precisely, as consisting of at least one overlap area, i.e., an overlap zone or a union of overlapping zones. It should be noted that a single critical area may be associated with a transmitting device for a set of communications (or all communications) involving the receiving device or that a critical area may be associated with the receiving device for each communication involving the device. receiver. Thus, the adaptation of the routing (as described later) may take into consideration a set of communications (or all communications) involving the receiving device or simply one of the communications involving the receiving device. This first example illustrates the realization of critical zones determined from the union of a set of overlapping zones positioned along one or more communication links in which the receiving device 130 is involved. More specifically, the devices 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 180 and 190 represent the different transmitter / receiver or relay devices of the communication network 100. The reference 115 represents the reference used for the representation. A critical zone Z1, for the device 130, is for example defined by a union of the overlapping zones 5010, 5011, 5012, 5013, 5014 and 5015, these being positioned according to the communication link 5020 established between the receiving devices 130 and transmitter 120. The critical zone Z1 can be expressed as follows: Z1 = [5010 U 5011 U 5012 U 5013 U 5014 U5015]. It is important to point out that, in the remainder of the description, a critical zone is defined as being linked to a receiving device of the network. In this example, it is also possible to define a critical zone with regard to several communication links, for which the receiving device 130 is involved: a zone Z2 with respect to the communication link 5021, namely Z2 = [5001 U 5002 U 5003 U 5004 U 5005]; a zone Z3 with respect to the communication link 5021, namely Z3 = [5016 U 5017 U 5018]. It is then possible to define a critical zone Z4, for the receiver device 130, as being the union of the zones Z1, Z2 and Z3, ie: Z4 = [Z1 U Z2 U Z3]. With reference to FIG. 6, a second example of critical zone construction in a communication network 100 is presented, according to a variant of a particular embodiment of the invention. Indeed, this second example illustrates the realization of a critical zone constructed from the union of a set of overlapping zones, at least a part of which is inscribed in a zone of proximity of the device. Such a proximity zone may be defined as a function, for example, of an intersection between the coverage area of the network and a disk 600 having as a center a reference point, such as the center of the receiving device 130, and a predefined radius 6020 corresponding to a threshold of proximity between the receiving device 130 and a disturbing obstacle. The term "proximity threshold" means a distance vis-à-vis the receiver device considered below which the presence of a physical element is likely to generate damaging disturbances for ongoing communications with the receiving device considered. The order of magnitude of this predefined radius, in the context of a home network, can be for example one meter.

In order to determine the areas of overlap of which at least part is inscribed in a zone of proximity of the receiving device 130, all the coordinates of each overlap zone of the network are scanned and then tested to determine whether they belong to the disk (on the figure, "sphere", actually) of proximity. If one of the coordinates of an overlap zone belongs to the proximity disk, this overlap zone is included in the union of the overlapping zones defining the critical zone of the receiving device 130. To determine if a point of a zone of recovery belongs to the proximity disk, it is sought to determine if the point is at a distance, from the receiving device, less than the radius R of the proximity disk, which amounts to applying the following criterion: (xa) 2+ (yb) 2 <R2 with: (x, y), the coordinates of the point of the overlap zone considered; (a, b), the coordinates of the center of the proximity disk relative to the receiving device; and R, the radius of the proximity disk relative to the receiving device. For this second example, the reference devices 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 180 and 190 represent the different transmitting / receiving devices or relays of the communication network 100 and the reference 115 represents the reference used for the representation.

A critical zone, named Zc, for the receiver device 130 is for example determined by union of the overlapping zones 6001 to 6009, each of them having at least one of their coordinates included in the disk 600, of center the device receiver 130 and of predefined radius 6020. This critical zone Zc can be expressed as follows: Zc = [6001 U 6002 U 6003 U 6004 U 6005 U 6006 U 6007 U 6008 U 60009].

FIG. 7 represents a flowchart of an algorithm for detecting disturbing obstacles in a critical zone of the network, according to a particular embodiment of the invention. The implementation of such an algorithm makes it possible to determine the presence of obstacles liable to cause masking phenomena between a transmitting device and one or more receiving devices or relay devices. It also makes it possible to differentiate, among these disturbing obstacles, those detected as being mobile or fixed. In a first step 700, the state of disturbance of the communication network is verified, using a mechanism for detecting common disturbance zones of the network, based on a criterion of communication or link quality (such as the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Identification) level or the bit error rate, for example). A method based on the determination of the intersection areas of covers and network overlap areas (whose principle is presented above in connection with Figures 3 and 4a and 4b) can be implemented to establish a diagnosis. current of the state of disturbance of the network.

Once the state of current disturbance of the network has been obtained, then, in a second step 701, the overlapping zones determined in step 700 are checked to a critical zone of a receiving device. In other words, it is checked whether one of the disturbing obstacles (likely to be in the recovery zones determined in step 700) is located in the critical zone.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the step of checking the disturbance state of the network is performed periodically. In a third step 702, an update is made of a local table, called local table TP, representative of the presence or absence (that is to say the non-presence) of disturbing obstacles in the coverage area of the network for each of the recovery zones of the critical zone. This local table TP is periodically updated by the present algorithm and indexed according to the instant of the update, time named i. Each data block of the local table TP corresponds to a recovery zone and constitutes information of presence or absence of an obstacle for each overlap zone of the critical zone considered. We thus note the local table TPi to represent the local table of presence of obstacles in the critical zone at a time i. A local TPO reference table is also constructed. This local table is identical in format to the local table TPi, but corresponding to a local table of total absence of obstacle in the critical zone considered. By default, the data contained in this local table corresponds to the data contained in a local table TPi for which there would be no detection for each of these overlapping zones of the critical zone. In a fourth step 703, by comparison between the local tables TPi and TPO, the presence of disturbing obstacles in the critical zone is determined, as well as their fixed or mobile character.

If the local table TPi is identical to the local table TPO, it is considered that there is no obstacle. In the opposite case, it is considered that there is presence of at least one disturbing obstacle in the critical zone. If the local table TP (i-1), i.e. the local index table i-1, is identical to the local table TPi, it is considered that there is no moving obstacle. In the opposite case, it is considered that there is presence of at least one disturbing moving obstacle. In a fifth step 704, an estimation of the state of instability (or level of instability) of the critical zone is made, so as to characterize the fact that: - there is no disturbing obstacle in the critical area; - there is at least one disturbing fixed obstacle present in the critical zone; - there is at least one disturbing moving obstacle present in the critical zone. The level of instability of the critical zone is thus representative of an evolution of perturbations detected in the critical zone, the mobile or fixed nature of a disturbing obstacle being determined as a function of disturbance variations in the critical zone. Indeed, it is considered that an obstacle is fixed when the disturbances present in the area (s) of covering where the obstacle has been detected are, for a predetermined duration, within a given range, that is to say -desire experiencing variations, around a nominal value, negligible compared to this nominal value. Any other obstacle detected in this or these area (s) of recovery is then mobile. Once step 704 is completed, a transition is made in a sixth step 705 of end of the disturbing obstacle detection algorithm. FIG. 8 illustrates an event diagram representative of an algorithm for determining an instability level and a criticality level for a critical zone considered. The implementation of such an algorithm allows a network device to estimate the impact of disturbances caused by one or more obstacles present in the critical zone, depending on the fixed or mobile nature of the obstacles. It should be noted that a mobile disruptive obstacle is considered critical for a communication network due to the dynamic nature of the disturbance it causes. By default, in the absence of an obstacle in the critical zone (state 800), it is considered that the critical zone is in a stable state, which corresponds to a lack of disturbing obstacle detection in this critical zone. The estimated criticality level is therefore low. At the first detection of a new disturbing obstacle in the critical zone (state 810), it is considered that the critical zone is in an unstable state (state 801), which corresponds to a detection of at least one moving obstacle and the level of criticality is kept at a low level. This state 801 makes it possible to filter the mobile obstacles disturbing at the critical zone limit and / or the obstacles making only one occasional appearance within the critical zone. Thus, it avoids an inadvertent reconfiguration of the network routing. Subsequently, depending on the fixed or mobile nature of the disturbing obstacles within the critical zone, the level of instability and the criticality level of the critical zone may be as follows: if at least one disturbing fixed obstacle is detected in the critical zone, the state of instability of the zone is considered to be stable and the high criticality (state 802); if at least one disturbing moving obstacle is detected in the critical zone, the state of instability of the zone is considered to be unstable and the criticality very high (state 803); if no disturbing obstacle is detected, the state of instability of the zone is considered to be stable and the criticality low (state 800). By comparison (references 810, 811, 812, 813, 814 and 815) of the current local table TPi with the previous local table TPi and the local table TPO, it is therefore possible to determine the level of instability and the level of criticality of the critical zone. FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of an exclusion algorithm of overlapping zones of a list of overlapping zones constituting a critical zone, according to one particular embodiment of the invention. The implementation of such an algorithm makes it possible to dynamically refine the constitution of critical zones for each of which the construction is not optimal. This algorithm is more particularly implemented in the case where, during a step 900, a disturbing (in particular fixed) obstacle is detected as being present in a critical zone considered to be stable for a predetermined duration (such as several minutes per second). example). After having determined (for example by measurement), during a step 901, the effective reception quality level for the communication or communications concerned, although the obstacle is present in the critical zone, it is detected that the associated receiver device to the critical zone is still able to communicate in an acceptable way. It may be recalled that this situation may be due to the fact that the constitution of the critical zone is simply not optimal, or that a change of routing of the communications has just been made, or that the critical zone is determined from to prevent communication difficulties (ie the critical area has a part that is not on the path of communication to which the critical area is associated, which serves to prevent intrusion of an obstacle in the vicinity of the communication considered, and in which is the disturbing fixed obstacle detected). As a non-limiting example, it can be judged whether a communication can be considered acceptable by measuring the power of the received radio signal (such as an RSSI measurement), or by measuring the bit error rate relative to the data stream of the received radio signal. In the case where the measurement is greater than a minimum threshold representative of a quality sufficient for the reception of a radio signal, the quality of communication is qualified as sufficient. It can also be judged whether a communication can be considered as acceptable according to a reception data loss rate, the receiving device having previously obtained information indicating the number of copies of the same data (this principle of redundancy data is explained later) that it is supposed to receive. It can also be judged whether a communication can be considered as acceptable depending on the ability of the receiving device to correct errors in the received data, for example using a Reed-Solomon decoder. In this case, it can be considered that the particular position of the fixed obstacle in the critical zone is not disturbing for the associated receiver device. Thus, data blocks of the local table TPi corresponding to the overlapping areas for which a presence of fixed obstacle is detected, but for which the receiving device can communicate in an acceptable manner, are then deleted during a step 902. transition in a step 903 end of algorithm is performed when the update of the local table TPi is completed. FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of an overlapping zone inclusion algorithm in a list of overlapping zones constituting a critical zone, according to a particular embodiment of the invention. The implementation of such an algorithm makes it possible to dynamically refine the constitution of critical areas for which the construction is not optimal.

This algorithm is more particularly implemented in the case where, during a step 1000, a disturbing (in particular fixed) obstacle is detected as being present in the coverage area of the network and outside a critical zone considered to be stable for a long time (such as several minutes for example). After determining the reception quality level during a step 1001 (identical to step 901), although the disturbing obstacle is absent from the critical zone, the receiving device is not able to communicate in an acceptable manner .

In this case, it can be considered that the particular position of the fixed obstacle, outside the critical zone, is disturbing. The local table TPi is then completed, during a step 1002, by adding the overlap zone for which the presence of the fixed obstacle is detected.

A transition in a step 903 end of algorithm is performed when the update of the local table TPi is completed. In the context of the present invention, the ability to receive from a receiving device, depending on the characteristics of a critical zone (level of instability and level of criticality) associated with it, can be determined according to rules stated below. This makes it possible, for example, to estimate the need for the receiving device in question to receive additional copies of the same data, in order to guarantee at least a good reception of the data. Indeed, by increasing the number of copies of the same data broadcast in the communication network, the probability that the receiving device receives this data, as well as the ability of the receiving device to correct the errors contained in the copy or copies, is increased. received (by application of a Reed-Solomon error correction mechanism for example). In addition, this makes it possible, for example, to estimate the need to substitute, in the routing of the data in the communication network, the receiving device considered when it has the role of relay device on behalf of a recipient device other, for a data stream, by an alternative relay device. In the particular embodiment discussed above, in connection with FIG. 6, a critical zone is firstly determined for the receiver device 130. The level of instability and the criticality level associated with this critical zone are then estimated. for the critical area of the receiver device 130. These two levels are used to determine a probability that the receiving device (which may be a relay device for a given data stream) can communicate with one or more transmitter device (s). ) (which may also be a relay device (s) for the given data stream), that is, to determine the ability of the receiving device to receive radio data. Several cases can therefore arise: - if the critical zone is considered stable and of low criticality, the capacity of the receiving device to receive radio data is high; if the critical zone is considered to be stable and of high criticality, the capacity of the receiving device to receive radio data is low; if the critical zone is considered to be unstable and of low criticality, the capacity of the receiving device to receive radio data is low; if the critical zone is considered to be unstable and of high criticality, the capacity of the receiving device to receive radio data is very low. By way of example, this indicator makes it possible to define the redundancy of the radio data necessary to ensure a transmission towards the receiver device, so that it can maintain an acceptable quality of reception. Thus, it is possible to define a number of copies of radio data to be addressed (for example by means of relay devices) to the receiver device 130, as a function of the level of instability and the criticality level determined for the critical zone associated with the receiving device 130: if the critical zone is considered to be stable and of low criticality, the routing of the data in the network takes into account the transmission of a copy of the data of the stream concerned to the receiving device 130; if the critical zone is considered to be stable and of high criticality, the routing of the data in the network takes into account the transmission of at least two copies of the data of the stream in question to the receiving device 130; if the critical zone is considered to be unstable and of low criticality, the routing of the data in the network takes into account the transmission of at least two copies of the data of the stream concerned to the receiving device 130; if the critical zone is considered to be unstable and high criticality, the routing of the data in the network takes into account the transmission of multiples (for example more than three) copies of the data of the stream in question to the receiving device 130. , the role of a receiver device 130 for a given data stream can be taken into account. For example, if a critical zone is considered to be unstable and high criticality or if the critical zone is considered stable and of high criticality, and the device 130 is a relay device for a receiving device. Finally another of the data flow considered, then the routing of the data in the communication network can substitute an alternative relay device to the receiver device 130, this alternative relay device having for example an associated critical zone (at least with respect to the data flow considered) stable and of low criticality. More generally, this indicator makes it possible to adapt the routing of the communications to the receiving device 130 considered, when the latter, according to the data stream considered, has the role of final recipient of the data stream in question or that of relay device for the account of a final recipient other than the data stream considered. FIG. 11 is presented illustrating a flowchart of a communications routing algorithm by selection of an alternative relay device, according to a particular embodiment of the invention. The implementation of such an algorithm makes it possible to adapt the communication characteristics of the network in terms of routing, and in particular the use of the relay devices of the network, so as to avoid the effects of the disturbances likely to be caused by a or more obstacles in the network coverage area. In a first step 1100, the set of critical areas of the different receiving devices of the network is defined according to the principle described above in relation to FIG. 6 for example. In a second step 1101, the critical relay devices of the network are determined, that is to say the relay devices whose ability to relay is likely to be the most disturbed by the presence of disturbing obstacles in the area. associated criticism. Thus, it is considered as critical reception devices (or relay devices) having a capacity to receive low or very low. It is also possible to perform a gradation of the capacity to be received from a device using the instability and criticality levels of the critical zone associated with it (the principle of which is detailed above, in connection with Figure 8). Indeed, a receiver device with which an unstable critical zone of high criticality level is associated can be considered as being a device in a highly critical situation, a receiver device with which a stable critical zone of high criticality level is associated as being a device in a moderately critical situation and a receiver device with which a stable critical zone of low criticality level is associated as being a device in a non-critical situation. In a step 1102, among the set of available relay devices of the network, at least one relay device, called an alternative relay, whose associated critical zone is stable and of a lower criticality level, and which makes it possible to provide the relay function, is determined. between the transmitting device and the final receiving device, instead of the relay device considered. Thus, in a particular embodiment of the invention, the alternative relay device, capable of performing the relay function, is selected between the transmitting device and the final receiving device, in place of the relay device considered, whose critical zone is the most stable and the lowest level of criticality.

In a step 1103, the routing of the network is then updated by notifying the receiving devices concerned of routing information, comprising for example an identification of the selected alternative relay device or devices. A transition is then made to a step 1104 of the end of the algorithm, this end step being maintained until the next update of the routing of the network.

FIG. 12 represents a flowchart of a communications routing algorithm by determining a number of retransmissions required by a receiver device, according to a variant of a particular embodiment. The implementation of such an algorithm makes it possible to adapt the network communication characteristics in terms of routing, and in particular the use of the retransmission number of the transmission devices of the network, so as to avoid the effects of the disturbances that could be caused by a network. or several disturbing obstacles present in the network. In a first step 1200, the set of critical areas of the different receiving devices of the network is defined, according to the principle described above in relation to FIG. 6 for example.

In a second step 1201, the stability and criticality of each critical zone is then determined, according to the principle described above in relation to FIG. 8. In a third step 1202, the number of retransmissions required is determined, that is, ie the number of copies of the same data, which seems necessary to ensure at least a correct reception by the receiving device of the radio data, according to the level of instability and the level of criticality of the critical zone. In a fourth step 1203, the routing of the network is then updated, for example by notifying the receiving devices concerned of the identification of the selected relay device (s) to relay the copies.

A transition is then made to a step 1204 of the end of the algorithm, this end step being maintained until the next update of the routing of the network. The algorithm illustrated in FIG. 13 relates to an algorithm for updating the routing of the network according to one particular embodiment in accordance with the invention. On notification of updating the routing of the network, in a first step 1200, occurring during the implementation of one of the routing algorithms described above in relation to FIGS. 11 and 12, transmission to the set of network devices, in a second step 1301, a first piece of information representative of the new routing configuration of the network and a second piece of information representative of the instant for which a switchover from the current configuration to a new configuration must be implemented. For example, the network cycles are numbered and the master device provides an indication of the current cycle number when transmitting its own data frame. The second information representative of the instant for which a switchover of the current configuration can then be the network cycle number for which the new configuration is effective. The switchover time must be greater than the maximum latency of the network, so as to ensure that all network devices, directly or by relay mechanism, have actually received the tilt indication. This taking into account of the switching time can be possibly confirmed by an acknowledgment mechanism. In a third step 1302, then waiting for a period of time (up to the moment of switching) for which the reception, by all the devices of the network, the first and second information must be guaranteed.

In a fourth step 1303, it ensures the switchover, for all devices, to the new routing configuration of the network. A transition is then made to a step 1304 at the end of the algorithm.

Claims (20)

REVENDICATIONS1. A wireless network communications routing management method (100) comprising a set of at least two pairs comprising a transmitting device and a receiving device, said method being characterized by comprising steps of: - determining (1100; 1200), for a receiving device (130), a critical area for which the presence of at least one obstacle is likely to be disruptive for at least one communication involving said receiving device; estimating (1101; 1201) a level of capacity to be received by the receiver device (130), by analyzing quality variations of communications crossing said critical zone; and - adapting (1103; 1203) the routing of the network communications according to the estimated capacity level to be received. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that, each of the devices having a determined communication coverage area, the two coverage areas of each pair having a mutual intersection area (301), the critical area is determined by a lap region union, each lap region (475) being determined by overlapping at least two of said intersection regions (441, 461). 3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that said step (1200) of determining at least one critical zone comprises at least one of the steps of: excluding, from said union of overlapping zones, at least one zone of recovery in which the presence of a disturbing obstacle is detected for a predetermined duration, while said receiver device (310) detects a reception quality level remaining above a predetermined threshold during said predetermined time; in said overlapping zone union, including at least one overlapping zone in which the presence of a disturbing obstacle is detected for a predetermined duration, while said receiving device detects a lower reception quality level, at a predetermined threshold during said predetermined time. 4. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the level of capacity to receive said receiver device (130) is estimated according to at least one of the two levels belonging to the group comprising: - a level instability of the critical zone, representative of an evolution of perturbations detected in the critical zone; a criticality level of the critical zone, representative of an estimated impact of disturbances detected in the critical zone. 5. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises a step of detecting, in the critical zone, the presence of at least one disturbing moving obstacle, and in that the estimate (1101; 1201) the capacity level to be received from said receiving device (130) is performed as a function of each disturbing moving obstacle detected in the critical zone. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that said step (700, 701) of determining a critical area in which the presence of a disturbing obstacle is detected comprises a step of detecting whether the The disturbing obstacle is fixed or movable by analyzing overlapping zone disturbance variations (475) detected as being disturbed according to a link quality criterion for a predetermined period of time. 7. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises a step of performing a verification that for a predetermined duration, the level of capacity to receive said receiver device is greater than a predetermined threshold , and in that the step (1103; 1203) of adapting the routing of the communications is performed only in case of negative verification. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the step (1103) of adapting the routing comprises a step (1102) consisting, in a routing scheme for which said receiving device (130) is a relay device for at least one communication, to replace said receiver device (130) with at least one alternative relay device for said one or more communications, said at least one alternative relay having a higher receivability level than said receiver device (130). ). A method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the step (1203) of adapting the routing comprises a step (1202) of increasing a number of copies of the same set of data sent. to said receiving device. Computer program product downloadable from a communication network and / or recorded on a computer-readable medium and / or executable by a processor, characterized in that it comprises program code instructions for the implementation of the Method according to at least one of Claims 1 to 9, when said program is executed on a computer. 11. A computer readable medium, possibly totally or partially removable, storing a computer program comprising a set of instructions executable by a computer to implement the method according to at least one of claims 1 to 9. A wireless network (100) communications routing management device comprising a set of at least two pairs comprising a transmitting device and a receiving device, said communications routing management device being characterized in that it comprises: - first means for determining, for a receiving device (130), a critical zone for which the presence of at least one obstacle is likely to be disruptive for at least one communication involving said receiving device ( 130); means for estimating a level of capacity to be received by the receiver device (130), by analyzing quality variations of communications crossing said critical zone; and means for adapting the routing of network communications as a function of the estimated level of capacity to be received. 30 13. A communication routing management device according to claim 12, characterized in that, each of the devices having a determined communication coverage area, the two coverage areas of each pair having a mutual intersection area (301), said first critical area determining means includes a lap region union, each lap region (475) being determined by overlapping at least two of said intersection regions (441, 461). 14. Communication routing management device according to claim 13, characterized in that said first means for determining at least one critical zone comprise themselves: - exclusion means, said union overlap zones, at least one overlap area in which the presence of a disturbing obstacle is detected for a predetermined duration, while said receiving device (130) detects a reception quality level remaining above a predetermined threshold during said predetermined time; inclusion means, in said union of overlapping zones, of at least one overlapping area in which the presence of a disturbing obstacle is detected for a predetermined duration, whereas said receiving device detects a level receiving quality remaining below a predetermined threshold during said predetermined time. 15. Communication routing management device according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that said means for estimating the level of capacity to receive said receiver device (130) take account of at least one of the two levels belonging to the group comprising: a level of instability of the critical zone, representative of an evolution of perturbations detected in the critical zone; a criticality level of the critical zone, representative of an estimated impact of disturbances detected in the critical zone. 16. Communication routing management device according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that it comprises means for detecting, in the critical zone, a presence of at least one disturbing moving obstacle. And said means for estimating the level of capacity to receive from said receiving device (130) takes into account each disturbing moving obstacle detected in the critical zone. 17. Communications routing management device according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that said first means for determining a critical zone in which the presence of a disturbing obstacle is detected comprise themselves second means for detecting a fixed or mobile disturbing obstacle by analyzing variations of disturbances of overlapping zones, detected as being disturbed according to a criterion of link quality, for a predetermined duration. 18. A communication routing management device according to any one of claims 12 to 17, characterized in that it comprises means for checking, for a predetermined duration, the level of capacity to be received from said upper receiver device (310). at a predetermined threshold, and in that said communication routing adaptation means are activated only in the case of negative verification. 19. A communication routing management device according to any one of claims 12 to 18, characterized in that said routing adaptation means comprise replacement means, in a routing scheme for which said receiving device (130). is a relay device for at least one communication, of said receiving device (130) by at least one alternative relay device for said communication or said communications, said at least one alternative relay having a level of capacity to receive greater than that of said receiving device (130) . 20. Communications routing management device according to any one of claims 12 to 18, characterized in that said routing adaptation means comprise means for increasing a number of copies of the same set of data. sent to said receiving device (130).