Mobile ad hoc network (MANET) providing interference reduction features and related methods

{
  "publication_number": "US2005053004A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Mobile ad hoc network (MANET) providing interference reduction features and related methods",
  "abstract": "A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) may include a plurality of mobile nodes each including a wireless communications device and a controller connected thereto operating in accordance with a multi-layer protocol hierarchy. More particularly, the controller may, at an upper protocol layer, establish a quality-of-service (QoS) threshold. Further, at at least one intermediate protocol layer below the upper protocol layer, the controller may determine whether a QoS metric for at least one selected route from at least one source mobile node falls below the QoS threshold. In addition, at a lower protocol layer below the at least one intermediate protocol layer, the controller may cooperate with the wireless communications device to determine the QoS metric for the at least one selected route, and adjust signal reception gain and/or a signal reception pattern based upon a determination that the QoS metric has fallen below the QoS threshold.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) comprising: a plurality of mobile nodes each comprising a wireless communications device and a controller connected thereto; said controller operating in accordance with a multi-layer protocol hierarchy for, at an upper protocol layer, establishing a quality-of-service (QoS) threshold; at at least one intermediate protocol layer below the upper protocol layer, determining whether a QoS metric for at least one selected route from at least one source mobile node falls below the QoS threshold; and at a lower protocol layer below the at least one intermediate protocol layer, cooperating with said wireless communications device to determine the QoS metric for the at least one selected route, receive data from the at least one source mobile node via the at least one selected route, and adjust signal reception gain based upon a determination that the QoS metric has fallen below the QoS threshold.",
    "2. The MANET of claim 1 wherein said wireless communications device provides an adjustable signal reception pattern; and wherein, at the lower protocol layer, said controller also cooperates with said wireless communications device to change the signal reception pattern based upon a determination that the QoS metric has fallen below the QoS threshold.",
    "3. The MANET of claim 1 wherein the upper protocol layer comprises an application layer.",
    "4. The MANET of claim 1 wherein the at least one intermediate protocol layer comprises at least one of a session layer, a transport layer, a network layer, and a radio transport layer.",
    "5. The MANET of claim 1 wherein the lower protocol layer comprises a physical layer.",
    "6. The MANET of claim 1 wherein the QoS threshold is based upon at least one of available bandwidth, error rate, end-to-end delay, end-to-end delay variation, hop count, expected path durability, and priority.",
    "7. A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) comprising: a plurality of mobile nodes each comprising a wireless communications device providing an adjustable signal reception pattern and a controller connected thereto; said controller operating in accordance with a multi-layer protocol hierarchy for, at an upper protocol layer, establishing a quality-of-service (QoS) threshold; at at least one intermediate protocol layer below the upper protocol layer, determining whether a QoS metric for at least one selected route from at least one source mobile node falls below the QoS threshold; and at a lower protocol layer below the at least one intermediate protocol layer, cooperating with said wireless communications device to determine the QoS metric for the at least one selected route, receive data from the at least one source mobile node via the at least one selected route, and adjust the signal reception pattern based upon a determination that the QoS metric has fallen below the QoS threshold.",
    "8. The MANET of claim 7 wherein the upper protocol layer comprises an application layer.",
    "9. The MANET of claim 7 wherein the at least one intermediate protocol layer comprises at least one of a session layer, a transport layer, a network layer, and a radio transport layer.",
    "10. The MANET of claim 7 wherein the lower protocol layer comprises a physical layer.",
    "11. The MANET of claim 7 wherein the QoS threshold is based upon at least one of available bandwidth, error rate, end-to-end delay, end-to-end delay variation, hop count, expected path durability, and priority.",
    "12. A method for operating a mobile node in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET), comprising a plurality of mobile nodes, in accordance with a multi-layer protocol hierarchy, the mobile node comprising a wireless communications device, the method comprising: at an upper protocol layer, establishing a quality-of-service (QoS) threshold; at at least one intermediate protocol layer below the upper protocol layer, determining whether a QoS metric for at least one selected route from at least one source mobile node falls below the QoS threshold; and at a lower protocol layer below the at least one intermediate protocol layer, using the wireless communications device to determine the QoS metric for the at least one selected route, causing the wireless communications device to receive data from the at least one source mobile node via the at least one selected route, and causing the wireless communications device to adjust signal reception gain based upon a determination that the QoS metric has fallen below the QoS threshold.",
    "13. The method of claim 12 wherein the wireless communications device provides an adjustable signal reception pattern; and further comprising, at the lower protocol layer, causing the wireless communications device to change the signal reception pattern based upon a determination that the QoS metric has fallen below the QoS threshold.",
    "14. The method of claim 12 wherein the upper protocol layer comprises an application layer.",
    "15. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one intermediate protocol layer comprises at least one of a session layer, a transport layer, a network layer, and a radio transport layer.",
    "16. The method of claim 12 wherein the lower protocol layer comprises a physical layer.",
    "17. The method of claim 12 wherein the QoS threshold is based upon at least one of available bandwidth, error rate, end-to-end delay, end-to-end delay variation, hop count, expected path durability, and priority.",
    "18. A method for operating a mobile node in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) comprising a plurality of mobile nodes in accordance with a multi-layer protocol hierarchy, the mobile node comprising a wireless communications device providing an adjustable signal reception pattern, the method comprising: at an upper protocol layer, establishing a quality-of-service (QoS) threshold; at at least one intermediate protocol layer below the upper protocol layer, determining whether a QoS metric for at least one selected route from at least one source mobile node falls below the QoS threshold; and at a lower protocol layer below the at least one intermediate protocol layer, using the wireless communications device to determine the QoS metric for the at least one selected route, causing the wireless communications device to receive data from the at least one source mobile node via the at least one selected route, and causing the wireless communications device to adjust the signal reception pattern based upon a determination that the QoS metric has fallen below the QoS threshold.",
    "19. The method of claim 18 wherein the upper protocol layer comprises an application layer.",
    "20. The method of claim 18 wherein the at least one intermediate protocol layer comprises at least one of a session layer, a transport layer, a network layer, and a radio transport layer.",
    "21. The method of claim 18 wherein the lower protocol layer comprises a physical layer.",
    "22. The method of claim 18 wherein the QoS threshold is based upon at least one of available bandwidth, error rate, end-to-end delay, end-to-end delay variation, hop count, expected path durability, and priority."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to the field of communications networks, and, more particularly, to mobile ad hoc networks and related methods.\n\nWireless networks have experienced increased development in the past decade. One of the most rapidly developing areas is mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). Physically, a MANET includes a number of geographically distributed, potentially mobile nodes sharing one or more common radio channels. Compared with other types of networks, such as cellular networks or satellite networks, the most distinctive feature of MANETS is the lack of any fixed infrastructure. The network is formed of mobile (and potentially stationary) nodes, and is created on the fly as the nodes communicate with each other. The network does not depend on a particular node and dynamically adjusts as some nodes join or others leave the network.\n\nIn a hostile environment where a fixed communication infrastructure is unreliable or unavailable, such as in a battle field or in a natural disaster area struck by earthquake or hurricane, a MANET can be quickly deployed to provide much needed communications. While the military is still a major driving force behind the development of these networks, ad hoc networks are quickly finding new applications in civilian or commercial areas. MANETs will allow people and applications to exchange data in the field or in a class room without using any network structure except that which they create by simply turning on their computers or PDAs.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04W 40/12",
    "H04L 12/28",
    "H04L 45/302",
    "H04W 80/00",
    "H04W 84/18"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H04L 12/26",
    "H04W 40/12",
    "H04L 12/28"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Harris Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Joseph Cain",
    "Richard Bernhardt",
    "William Windham"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2003-09-09",
  "publication_date": "2005-03-10",
  "priority_date": "2003-09-09",
  "application_number": "US-65835703-A",
  "family_id": "34226767",
  "cited_by_count": 27,
  "citations": [
    "US5600794A",
    "US6377551B1",
    "US6813272B1",
    "US6678252B1",
    "US20030161268A1",
    "US20030202477A1",
    "US6954435B2",
    "US20040156333A1",
    "US20040157557A1",
    "US20050041591A1"
  ]
}