Alignment in line-of-sight communication networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10382127-B2
Application number	US-201715696128-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2017
Priority date	Nov 6, 2014
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

Various of the disclosed embodiments relate to line-of-sight (LOS), e.g., optical, based networks. Particularly, systems and methods are provided for aligning nodes in a line-of-sight communication network with their peers. The nodes may be placed and passively aligned with one another as position information is passed between peers. The elevation indicated in the position information may be refined based upon relative barometric pressure readings between peers. In a next phase, isolated networks of nodes may be integrated with the network of nodes contacting the Internet backbone. Finally, routing algorithms may be implemented to address weather effects (e.g., fog) and congestion to optimize network service.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method executed in a first node for determining location information of one or more peer nodes, comprising:
establishing a local wireless network connection;
determining a position coordinate associated with the first node;
receiving, via the local wireless network connection, an association request from a nearby electronic device;
responding to the association request for establishing connectivity with the nearby electronic device;
transmitting, via the local wireless network connection, the position coordinate associated with the first node to the nearby electronic device;
receiving, from the nearby electronic device, the location information of the one or more peer nodes;
upon determining that the location information of the one or more peer nodes is lacking in the first node, adding the location information of the one or more peer nodes into a log included in the first node, wherein the location information is received from the nearby electronic device; and
determining, based on the log, that at least two nodes are within Line-of-Sight (LOS) communication range of the first node, wherein the at least two nodes are included in the one or more peer nodes.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining a position coordinate associated with the first node includes querying a GPS system.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the local wireless network connection is a Wifi connection.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
upon receiving an indication that the nearby electronic device is lacking location information of a second node, providing location information of the second node to the nearby electronic device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the second node, the first node, and the one or more peer nodes are configured to be connected to one another.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting a node in the at least two nodes for communication; and establishing connectivity with the node in the at least two nodes.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the node in the at least two nodes is selected randomly.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising: establishing connectivity with the at least two nodes.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining a position coordinate associated with the first node includes cross-referencing a post-installed image of the first node against images stored in a database.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions configured to cause at least one computing device to perform a method comprising:
establishing a local wireless network connection comprising a first node and one or more peer nodes;
determining a position coordinate associated with the first node;
receiving, via the local wireless network connection, an association request from a nearby electronic device;
responding to the association request for establishing connectivity with the nearby electronic device;
transmitting, via the local wireless network connection, the position coordinate associated with the first node to the nearby electronic device;
receiving, from the nearby electronic device, location information of the one or more peer nodes;
upon determining that the location information of the one or more peer nodes is lacking in the first node, adding the location information of the one or more peer nodes into a log included in the first node, wherein the location information is received from the nearby electronic device; and
determining, based on the log, that at least two nodes are within Line-of-Sight (LOS) communication range of the first node, wherein the at least two nodes are included in the one or more peer nodes.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the position coordinate associated with the first node is a GPS coordinate.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the position coordinate associated with the first node includes at least one of the following:
a GPS coordinate associated with the first node, a MAC address associated with the first node, a barometric pressure measurement associated with the first node, a hardware type associated with the first node, and an indication of whether the first node is connected to a backbone.

13. A computer system comprising:
at least one processor and
at least one memory comprising instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:
establishing a local wireless network connection comprising a first node and one or more peer nodes;
determining a position coordinate associated with the first node;
receiving, via the local wireless network connection, an association request from a nearby electronic device;
responding to the association request for establishing connectivity with the nearby electronic device;
transmitting, via the local wireless network connection, the position coordinate associated with the first node to the nearby electronic device;
receiving, from the nearby electronic device, the location information of the one or more peer nodes;
upon determining that the location information of the one or more peer nodes is lacking in the first node, adding the location information of the one or more peer nodes into a log included in the first node, wherein the location information is received from the nearby electronic device; and
determining, based on the log, that at least two nodes are within Line-of-Sight (LOS) communication range of the first node, wherein the at least two nodes are included in the one or more peer nodes.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein determining a position coordinate associated with the first node includes querying a GPS system.

15. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the local wireless network connection is a Wifi connection.

16. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to further perform the method comprising:
upon receiving an indication that the nearby electronic device is lacking location information of a second node, providing the location information of the second node to the nearby electronic device.

17. The computer system of claim 16 , wherein the second node, the first node, and the one or more peer nodes are configured to be connected to one another.

18. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to further perform the method comprising:
selecting a node in the at least two nodes for communication; and
establishing connectivity with the node in the at least two nodes.

19. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to further perform the method comprising:
establishing connectivity with the at least two nodes.

20. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein determining a position coordinate associated with the first node includes cross-referencing a post-installed image of the first node against images stored in a database.

Assignees

• Facebook Inc

Inventors

• Maguire Yael
• Yogeeswaran Karthik

Classifications

• H04B10/1125

  using a single common optical path · CPC title

• H04B10/1129 Primary

  Arrangements for outdoor wireless networking of information · CPC title

• H04B10/11

  Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum · CPC title