Patent ID: 9258722
Filing Date: 2016-02-09
CPC Classification: G01D,H04W

Claim Text:
1. A method for managing a reliable wireless ad hoc mesh network architecture and protocol to support normal and emergency operation of voice, data and location communication for underground, industrial and other hazardous environments using a single wideband platform, the method comprising: providing an ad hoc wireless mesh network (WMN) system for underground communications comprising localized clusters of autonomous nodes with connection to gateway nodes where gateway nodes, fixed mesh nodes (FMNs) and mobile nodes contain an ad hoc mesh network protocol for automatic formation and maintenance of link connections in a network and communicate through RF links over an RF spectrum; configuring each of the nodes of the WMN system to provide a combination of waveforms and features supported by the system; supervising the functioning of each WMN to ensure operation of nodes located therein and to identify traffic pattern congestion within each WMN; determining signal strength of the RF link and a traffic profile at proposed underground locations of the gateway node and at each of the fixed nodes as measured by transmissions from fixed mesh node transmitters to a mobile mesh radio; optimizing a location of each of the gateway nodes and each of the fixed nodes by maximizing signal strength of the RF link and the traffic pattern for each such node; optimizing a location of each of the mobile nodes based on a geolocation algorithm; and reconfiguring any WMN in which traffic congestion is found to reduce latency and peak usage on each FMN, or in which unreliable nodes are identified, to improve RF coverage and the traffic profile for the underground communications.