Patent ID: 6894985

Claim:
A method for monitoring link quality in a mobile ad hoc network comprising a plurality of mobile nodes connected together by a plurality of wireless communication links, the method comprising at each node: recording transmission information for transmissions on links to neighboring nodes; calculating a packet error rate for each of the links to the neighboring nodes based upon the recorded transmission information; the packet error rate being calculated for each of the links based upon a weighted sum of (a) an aggregate packet error rate for neighboring nodes over a time period, and (b) at least one of a transmitted packet error rate for packets transmitted to the neighboring node over the time period and a received packet error rate for packets transmitted from the neighboring node over the time period; determining link quality for each of the links to the neighboring nodes based upon the calculated packet error rate; comparing the link quality for each of the links to the neighboring nodes with a threshold; and performing new channel discovery when link quality falls below the threshold.