MESH NETWORK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM BASED ON WIRELESS SENSING AND METHOD THEREOF

A mesh network management system based on wireless sensing and a method thereof are provided. The mesh network management system includes a master wireless router and at least one slave wireless router signally connected to the mater wireless router. The master wireless router and the slave wireless router are in a normal mode. At least one wireless sensing detection zone is formed between the master wireless router and the slave wireless router. The master wireless router senses a radio frequency signal in the wireless sensing detection zone and confirms whether the wireless sensing detection zone meets an unmanned environment condition according to the radio frequency signal to generate an unmanned environment confirmation result. The master wireless router sets at least one of the master wireless router and the slave wireless router from the normal mode to an energy-saving mode according to the unmanned environment confirmation result.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number No. 111115671, filed Apr. 25, 2022, which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a network management system and a method thereof. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a mesh network management system based on wireless sensing and a method of managing a mesh network based on wireless sensing.

Description of Related Art

Wi-Fi is one of the main communication technologies that people usually use to surf the Internet. A mesh network is a method to transmit data and the controlling commands between network nodes through dynamic routing. The mesh network can include a plurality of access points (AP) that can be connected to each other through a wireless network, and so the mesh network is able to extend the coverage range of wireless network communication area in addition to allowing client devices to be connected to anywhere while maintaining the network connection quality when many people are online. However, with the client devices in wireless network becoming more popular, the number of mesh routers in mesh network also increases. When the user left the mesh network, the mesh routers are still in work mode and continue to consume power. On the other hand, when the mesh network is at home or work environment and there is no one around, there is a possibility of malicious connection or data snooping by other people.

In view of this, a mesh network management system and a method thereof that can detect in real time whether someone is present in the environment so as to control the work mode of mesh routers are indeed highly anticipated by the public and become the goal and the direction of relevant industry efforts.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a mesh network management system based on wireless sensing includes a master wireless router and at least one slave wireless router. The master wireless router operates in a normal mode, and the at least one slave wireless router is signally connected to the master wireless router and operates in the normal mode. At least one wireless sensing detection zone is formed between the master wireless router and the at least one slave wireless router. The master wireless router senses a radio frequency signal in the at least one wireless sensing detection zone, and confirms whether the at least one wireless sensing detection zone meets an unmanned environment condition according to the radio frequency signal to generate an unmanned environment confirmation result. The master wireless router sets at least one of the master wireless router and the at least one slave wireless router from the normal mode to an energy-saving mode according to the unmanned environment confirmation result.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of managing a mesh network based on wireless sensing includes performing a signal sensing step, a zone confirming step, and a mode setting step. The mesh network includes a master wireless router and at least one slave wireless router, and the master wireless router and the at least one slave wireless router are in a normal mode. The signal sensing step includes configuring the master wireless router to sense a radio frequency signal in at least one wireless sensing detection zone formed between the master wireless router and the at least one slave wireless router. The zone confirming step includes configuring the master wireless router to confirm whether the at least one wireless sensing detection zone meets an unmanned environment condition according to the radio frequency signal to generate an unmanned environment confirmation result. The mode setting step includes configuring the master wireless router to set at least one of the master wireless router and the at least one slave wireless router from the normal mode to an energy-saving mode according to the unmanned environment confirmation result.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiment will be described with the drawings. For clarity, some practical details will be described below. However, it should be noted that the present disclosure should not be limited by the practical details, that is, in some embodiment, the practical details is unnecessary. In addition, for simplifying the drawings, some conventional structures and elements will be simply illustrated, and repeated elements may be represented by the same labels.

It will be understood that when an element (or device) is referred to as be “connected to” another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or it can be indirectly connected to the other element, that is, intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as be “directly connected to” another element, there are no intervening elements present. In addition, the terms first, second, third, etc. are used herein to describe various elements or components, these elements or components should not be limited by these terms. Consequently, a first element or component discussed below could be termed a second element or component.

Referring toFIG.1.FIG.1is a schematic view of a mesh network management system100based on wireless sensing according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The mesh network management system100based on wireless sensing includes a master wireless router200and at least one slave wireless router300, and the at least one slave wireless router300is wirelessly and signally connected to the master wireless router200. The master wireless router200and the slave wireless router300are both operating in a normal mode. In one embodiment, the number of the at least one slave wireless router300is plural, and the normal mode is an infrastructure mode of Wi-Fi communication technology, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The master wireless router200and the slave wireless router300have a wireless sensing detection zone400formed therebetween. The master wireless router200senses a radio frequency signal410in the wireless sensing detection zone400, and according to the radio frequency signal410, confirms whether the wireless sensing detection zone400meets an unmanned environment condition so as to generate an unmanned environment confirmation result. According to the unmanned environment confirmation result, the master wireless router200sets at least one of the master wireless router200and the slave wireless router300from the normal mode to an energy-saving mode. Therefore, the mesh network management system100based on wireless sensing uses the master wireless router200to sense or detect the radio frequency signal410in the wireless sensing detection zone400located between the master wireless router200and the slave wireless router300to adjust the mode of the master wireless router200or the slave wireless router300in an unmanned environment, and so not only is the power consumption saved, but the network security is also enhanced.

Specifically, the master wireless router200and the slave wireless router300form a plurality of wireless routers, and each of the wireless routers includes a fronthaul interface FI and a backhaul interface BI. In particular, the wireless router has three Wi-Fi frequency bands, which are respectively 2.4G, 5G and 6G, or 2.4G, 5GL and 5GH. One of these Wi-Fi frequency bands is used by the backhaul interface BI, and the wireless routers in the mesh network use the backhaul interface BI for network connection and signal communication between one another. Thus, the radio frequency signal410is transmitted between the backhaul interface BI of the master wireless router200and the backhaul interface BI of the slave wireless router300. The other Wi-Fi frequency bands are used by the fronthaul interface FI to allow external user devices to connect to the wireless router for monitoring the wireless router and providing client devices to connect to the wireless router for surfing the Internet. When the master wireless router200and the slave wireless router300operate in the normal mode, the fronthaul interface FI and the backhaul interface BI of each wireless router are set to be turned on.

Further, when the radio frequency signal410is configured to be for wireless sensing purpose, the radio frequency signal410is generated by one of the master wireless router200and the slave wireless router300. It should be noted that one of the master wireless router200and the slave wireless router300can serve as a wireless receiver, and the other one of the master wireless router200and the slave wireless router300can serve as a wireless transmitter. In other words, the wireless router can be a wireless receiver or a wireless transmitter, but the radio frequency signal410being sensed in the wireless sensing detection zone400is transmitted between a pair of wireless receiver and wireless transmitter. The master wireless router200captures or obtains channel state information (CSI) from the radio frequency signal410based on Wi-Fi wireless sensing technology, and performs motion detection, such as human walking or object moving, on the wireless sensing detection zone400according to the CSI. When the CSI of the radio frequency signal410meets an unmanned environment condition, such as having a small amplitude variation, the master wireless router200determines that there is no one in the wireless sensing detection zone400and generates an unmanned environment confirmation result. The master wireless router200then transmits a controlling command to the slave wireless router300according to the unmanned environment confirmation result to change the operation mode of the slave wireless router300from the normal mode to the energy-saving mode. The details of implementing the mesh network management system100based on wireless sensing in a mesh network environment will be described in following embodiments.

Referring toFIG.2andFIG.3.FIG.2shows a flow chart of a method of managing a mesh network based on wireless sensing according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.FIG.3is a schematic view illustrating a second slave wireless router320achanged from the normal mode to a sleep mode in a mode setting step S06ofFIG.2. The method of managing the mesh network based on wireless sensing (herein after, referred to as “mesh network managing method500”) is applied to the mesh network management system100based on wireless sensing and includes a signal sensing step S02, a zone confirming step S04, and a mode setting step S06. In this embodiment, the mesh network managing method500is used to manage a mesh network M1in a home environment. In one embodiment, the mesh network M1is connected in star, daisy chain, or tree topology, but the present disclosure is not limited thereby. The mesh network M1includes a master wireless router200a, and a plurality of slave wireless routers. The slave wireless routers can be divided into a first slave wireless router310aand two second slave wireless routers320a. The master wireless router200a, the first slave wireless router310a, and the two second slave wireless routers320aare in a normal mode. In the home environment where the mesh network M1is deployed, the master wireless router200aand the first slave wireless router310aare located at the entrance of the environment, for example, the entrance hall of the house, and a wireless sensing detection zone401ais formed between the master wireless router200aand the first slave wireless router310a. The two second slave wireless routers320aare distributed in the environment, such as in different rooms of the house, and two wireless sensing detection zones402aare formed between the master wireless router200aand each of the two second slave wireless routers320a.

The signal sensing step S02includes configuring the master wireless router200ato sense a radio frequency signal410ain the wireless sensing detection zone401aand to sense two radio frequency signals420arespectively in the two wireless sensing detection zones402a.

The zone confirming step S04includes configuring the master wireless router200ato confirm whether the wireless sensing detection zone401ameets the unmanned environment condition according to the radio frequency signal410aso as to generate an unmanned environment confirmation result corresponding to the wireless sensing detection zone401a, and configuring the master wireless router200ato confirm whether each wireless sensing detection zone402ameets the unmanned environment condition according to each radio frequency signal420aso as to generate an unmanned environment confirmation result corresponding to each wireless sensing detection zone402a. Moreover, the zone confirming step S04further includes configuring the master wireless router200ato confirm whether the wireless sensing detection zone401ameets a manned environment condition according to the radio frequency signal410aso as to generate a manned environment confirmation result corresponding to the wireless sensing detection zone401a, and configuring the master wireless router200ato confirm whether each wireless sensing detection zone402ameets the manned environment condition according to each radio frequency signal420aso as to generate a manned environment confirmation result corresponding to each wireless sensing detection zone402a.

The mode setting step S06includes configuring the master wireless router200ato set the mode of at least one of the master wireless router200a, the first slave wireless router310a, and the two second slave wireless routers320afrom the normal mode to an energy-saving mode according to different unmanned environment confirmation results, and the energy-saving mode includes a fronthaul-off mode and a sleep mode. The mode setting step S06further includes configuring the master wireless router200ato set the mode of the master wireless router200a, the first slave wireless router310a, and the two second slave wireless routers320ato stay in normal mode, in other words, to continue operating in normal mode. The fornthaul-off mode represents that the fronthaul interface of the wireless router is off or inactive, and the backhaul interface of the wireless router remains on or active. The sleep mode represents that both the fronthaul interface and the backhaul interface of the wireless router are in a sleep power-saving state.

In specific, if a moving object110a, such as an user, has not left the mesh network M1in the environment but instead is just walking between rooms as shown in the left-side diagram ofFIG.3, the CSI of the radio frequency signal420awould meet the manned environment condition due to larger amplitude variation. The master wireless router200athus determines that there is someone in the wireless sensing detection zone402a, generates a manned environment confirmation result, and sets the mode of the master wireless router200a, the first slave wireless router310a, and the two second slave wireless routers320ato remain in the normal mode. In the same way, when the moving object110is located in one of the wireless sensing detection zones401a,402a, for example, when a user walks from one room to another room, the master wireless router200adetermines that there is someone in the mesh network M1and sets the master wireless router200a, the first slave wireless router310a, and the two second slave wireless routers320ato remain in the normal mode.

In the second embodiment, after the moving object110aleaves the mesh network M1in the environment as shown in the right-side diagram ofFIG.3, the master wireless router200asets the mode of each second slave wireless router320afrom the normal mode to the sleep mode according to the unmanned environment confirmation results corresponding to each of the wireless sensing detection zones401a,402a. When the second slave wireless router320ais in the sleep mode, the fronthaul interface and the backhaul interface of the second slave wireless router320aenter the sleep power-saving state, and so the master wireless router200ano longer senses the environment zone between itself and each second slave wireless router320aas shown in the right-side diagram ofFIG.3. As such, the mesh network managing method500of the present disclosure uses the master wireless router200ato sense the radio frequency signals410a,420ato determine whether there are people in the wireless sensing detection zones401a,402athat are distributed in the environment. When there is no one, the master wireless router200asets the mode of the two second slave wireless routers320ato the sleep mode, and in turn the power of the mesh network M1is saved while maintaining the connectivity between the master wireless router200aand the first slave wireless router310aand the external user devices.

Referring toFIG.4.FIG.4is a schematic view illustrating the second slave wireless router320aofFIG.3changed from the sleep mode to the normal mode. After the moving object110acomes from outside back to the mesh network M1in the environment, because the moving object110awould pass by the wireless sensing detection zone401alocated at the environment entrance area, another radio frequency signal430ais disturbed or interfered and thus sensed by the master wireless router200a. The master wireless router200aconfirms whether the wireless sensing detection zone401ameets the manned environment condition according to the radio frequency signal430aso as to generate the manned environment confirmation result. When the CSI of the radio frequency signal430ameets the manned environment condition, the master wireless router200adetermines that there is someone in the wireless sensing detection zone401aand generates the manned environment confirmation result. The master wireless router200asets the mode of the two second slave wireless routers320afrom the sleep mode to the normal mode according to the manned environment confirmation result to wake up the two second slave wireless routers320a, so that the user device can connect to all of the wireless routers in the mesh network M1in real time. In short, when the moving object110aenters or leaves the wireless sensing detection zone401alocated at the environment entrance area, the master wireless router200ais driven to adjust the mode of all of the wireless routers in the mesh network M1to the normal mode.

Referring toFIG.2andFIG.5.FIG.5is a schematic view illustrating a master wireless router200b, a first slave wireless router310b, and two second slave wireless routers320bchanged from a normal mode to a fronthaul-off mode in the mode setting step S06of the mesh network managing method500according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. The master wireless router200b, the first slave wireless router310b, and the two second slave wireless routers320bin a mesh network M2are all in the normal mode as shown in the left-side diagram ofFIG.5.

After a moving object110bleaves the mesh network M2in the environment, the mode setting step S06of the third embodiment is performed to configure the master wireless router200bto set the mode of the master wireless router200b, the first slave wireless router310b, and the two second slave wireless routers320bfrom the normal mode to the fornthaul-off mode according to the unmanned environment confirmation result corresponding to the wireless sensing detection zone401band the two unmanned environment confirmation results corresponding to the two wireless sensing detection zones402b. At this time, each wireless router turns off its fronthaul interface according to the fronthaul-off mode. When the fronthaull interface is turned off (changing to fronthaul-off mode), besides the user devices cannot identify the service set identifier (SSID) of each wireless router, other external communication devices also cannot identify the SSID of each wireless router. Since the backhaul interface of each wireless router still remains on, the backhaul interfaces of the first slave wireless router310band the two second slave wireless routers320bare still connected to the backhaul interface of the master wireless router200b, so that the master wireless router200bcan continue sensing the radio frequency signal410bin the wireless sensing detection zone401band the two radio frequency signals420brespectively in the two wireless sensing detection zones402bas shown in the right-side diagram ofFIG.5. Hence, the mesh network managing method500of the present disclosure can reduce energy consumption when there is no one in the environment and also can enhance network security by turning off the fronthaul interfaces of all wireless routers. In addition, when there is no one in the environment, by continuing sensing the radio frequency signal410band the two radio frequency signals420b, the master wireless router200bis able to monitor whether the environment has been intruded by outsider, which can serve as an intrusion detection function.

Referring toFIG.6.FIG.6is a schematic view illustrating the master wireless router200b, the first slave wireless router310b, and the two second slave wireless routers320bofFIG.5changed from the fronthaul-off mode to the normal mode. After the moving object110breturns from outside to the mesh network M2in the environment, because the moving object110bwould pass by the wireless sensing detection zone401blocated at the entrance of the environment, another radio frequency signal430bis thereby interfered and sensed by the master wireless router200b. The master wireless router200bconfirms whether the wireless sensing detection zone401bmeets the manned environment condition according to the radio frequency signal430bso as to generate the manned environment confirmation result. The master wireless router200bsets the mode of the master wireless router200b, the first slave wireless router310b, and the two second slave wireless routers320bfrom the fronthaul-off mode to the normal mode according to the manned environment confirmation result to turn on the fronthaul interface of each wireless router, and so the user device can immediately connect to all of the wireless routers in the mesh network M2.

Referring toFIG.2andFIG.7.FIG.7is a schematic view illustrating a first slave wireless router changes from the normal mode to the fronthaul-off mode and second slave wireless routers change from the normal mode to the sleep mode in a mode setting step of a method of managing a mesh network based on wireless sensing according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. After a moving object110cleaves a mesh network M3in the environment as shown in the right-side diagram inFIG.7, the mode setting step S06of a fourth embodiment is performed to configure the master wireless router200cto set the mode of the first slave wireless router310cfrom the normal mode to the fronthaul-off mode according to the unmanned environment confirmation result corresponding to a wireless sensing detection zone401c. It should be noted that when the first slave wireless router310cis in the fronthaul-off mode, the fronthaul interface of the first slave wireless router310cis turned off, and the first slave wireless router310cis still connected to the master wireless router200cthrough its backhaul interface. In other words, the backhaul interface of the first slave wireless router310cand the backhaul interface of the master wireless router200care connected to each other, so that the master wireless router200ccontinues to sense the radio frequency signal410cin the wireless sensing detection zone401c. On the other hand, the master wireless router200calso sets the mode of the two second slave wireless routers320cfrom the normal mode to the sleep mode according to the unmanned environment confirmation results corresponding to two wireless sensing detection zones402c. As such, the mesh network managing method500of the fourth embodiment sets the first slave wireless router310clocated at the environment entrance area to the fronthaul-off mode and sets the two second slave wireless routers320clocated at other places to the sleep mode, and only retains connectivity of the master wireless router200cwith external user devices to maximize the saving on power-consumption of the mesh network M3. In other embodiments, after ensuring there is no one in the mesh network of the environment, the master wireless router sets the wireless routers to different energy-saving modes, including setting itself (the master wireless router) to the fronthaul-off mode of the energy-saving mode, and so the mode setting step of the present disclosure is not limited by the second, the third, and the fourth embodiments.

In summary, the present disclosure has the following advantages. First, the master wireless router executes the signal sensing step, the zone confirming step, and the mode setting step to adjust the mode of the master wireless router or the slave wireless router to the energy-saving mode when there is no one in the environment, which in turn reduces energy consumption and enhances network security. Second, by setting the slave wireless router located at the environment entrance area to the fronthaul-off mode and the slave wireless router located at other places to the sleep mode, the power consumption of the mesh network is saved to the greatest extent, and the master wireless router remains connectable to external user devices. Third, when there is no one in the environment, the master wireless router continues to sense each radio frequency signal in each wireless sensing detection zone to monitor whether the environment is intruded by outsider, and so can double as an intrusion detection function.