Patent ID: 7649899
Filing Date: 2010-01-19
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for dynamic egress routing through a default gateway in a mesh network, the method comprising: providing a default gateway, a client device, a first egress mesh node and a second egress mesh node, wherein the first egress mesh node and the second egress mesh node are in direct communication with the internet, wherein communication between the default gateway and the first egress mesh node passes through a plurality of internal mesh nodes which indicate a first hop count, wherein communication between the default gateway and the second egress mesh node passes through a plurality of internal mesh nodes which indicate a second hop count, wherein communication from the client to the internet first passes through the gateway before passing through at least one member of a group comprising: the plurality of internal mesh nodes having the first hop count and the plurality of internal mesh nodes having the second hop count; obtaining, at the default gateway, route identifiers of the first and second egress mesh nodes in communication with the default gateway, wherein the route identifier for the first egress mesh node includes the first hop count, wherein the route identifier for the second egress mesh node includes the second hop count; periodically calculating, at the default gateway, a route matrix for each of the route identifiers, wherein the route matrix is based on the first hop count, the second hop count, and link quality source routing calculated by a mesh connectivity layer; storing, on the default gateway, a hierarchy of routes, wherein the hierarchy of routes is based on the calculated route matrix for each of the route identifiers, wherein the hierarchy is dynamic based on the periodic calculation of the route matrix; identifying, on the default gateway, an optimal route to the first egress mesh node based on hop count and the link quality source routing calculated by the mesh connectivity layer; sending a permission request from the default gateway to the first egress mesh node identified by the optimal route; updating a routing table of the default gateway with the internet protocol address of the first egress mesh node identified by the optimal route when the default gateway receives permission from the first egress mesh node identified by the optimal route; updating a routing table of the default gateway with the internet protocol address of the second egress mesh node when the default gateway does not receive permission from the first egress mesh node identified by the optimal route; receiving, at the default gateway, a data packet from the at least one client for routing to at least one member of a group comprising: the internet protocol address of the first egress mesh node and the internet protocol address of the second egress mesh node; and routing the data packet from the default gateway to the internet according to the updated routing table, wherein the routing includes at least one member of a group comprising: sending the data packet from the default gateway through the plurality of internal mesh nodes which indicate the first hope count to reach the first egress mesh node at the internet protocol address of the of the first egress mesh node and sending the data packet from the default gateway through the plurality of internal mesh nodes which indicate the second hope count to reach the second egress mesh node at the internet protocol address of the of the second egress mesh node.