Computer-based systems configured for managing mesh networks having integrated roofing components and methods of use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11930388-B2
Application number	US-202217971450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2022
Priority date	Aug 5, 2021
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

Systems and methods of the present disclosure enable mesh network capacity management via network metering using a processor an integrated roofing mesh network node in a mesh network to receive and transmit data packets in the mesh network. Each data packet includes a source address, a destination address, and a payload of data. The processor determines passthrough traffic including a subset of data packets routed between radio nodes of the mesh network through the gateway based on the source address and the destination address of each data packet and an address associated with the gateway. The processor determines a passthrough data capacity based on the payload of each data packet in the subset and determines a metric based on the passthrough data capacity to signify an amount of mesh network bandwidth provided by the integrated roofing mesh network node.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a gateway of an integrated roofing mesh network node in communication with a mesh network of other nodes;
wherein the gateway comprises a processor configured to execute software instructions that cause the processor to:
control the gateway to devote a predetermined percentage of bandwidth to a passthrough traffic;
determine the passthrough traffic based at least in part on:
i) an address associated with the gateway, and
ii) a source address and a destination address of each of a plurality of received data packets that is received from the mesh network;
wherein the passthrough traffic comprises a subset of the plurality of received data packets, a plurality of transmitted data packets transmitted to the mesh network, or any combination thereof, that are routed between two or more of the other nodes of the mesh network through the gateway of the integrated roofing mesh network node based at least in part on the source address and the destination address of each data packet;

determine at least one metric based at least in part on a passthrough data capacity based on a payload of data of each data packet in the subset; and
communicate the at least one metric to a service provider to notify the service provider of an amount of mesh network bandwidth provided by the passthrough data capacity of the integrated roofing mesh network node.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to assess the at least one metric relative to an amount of available bandwidth of the bandwidth to determine a portion of the passthrough data capacity attributed to the gateway of the integrated roofing mesh network node in comparison to other nodes.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one metric comprises a magnitude of the passthrough data capacity, a ratio of the magnitude and consumed data capacity, a ratio of the passthrough data capacity to a total mesh network bandwidth, or a combinatino thereof.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the at least one metric over a period of time defined by the service provider.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to faciliate tranmission of at least one particular data packet of the plurality of transmitted data packets using the gateway of the integrated roofing mesh network node to an external destination address.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein processor is further configured to transmit or receive each data packet based on a header including the source address and the destination address.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to log a routing of each data packet, having the source address, the destination address, or a combination thereof, of a device local to the gateway, as a consumed traffic.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to log each data packet, having the source address, the destination address, or a combination thereof, of a device that is not local to the gateway, as the passthrough traffic.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate a visualization of the at least one metric over a period of time.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate an incentive recommendation to instruct a rebate or reward for a contribution of the integrated roofing mesh network node.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the incentive recommendation is based on the at least one metric.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the incentive recommendation comprises a reduction in a service bill, a rebate for additional data service, or a combination thereof.

13. A roofing system comprising:
a roof; and
a gateway of an integrated roofing mesh network node of the roof in communication with a mesh network of other nodes;
wherein the gateway comprises a processor configured to execute software instructions that cause the processor to:
receive a first set of data packets from the mesh network;
transmit a second set of data packets to the mesh network;
examine packet headers of the first set of data packets and the second set of data packets;
compare a source address and a destination address of each data packet in the first set of data packets and each data packet in the second set of data packets to an address associated with the gateway;
classify each data packet of the first set of data packets and the second set of data packets as a consumed data packet if the source address or the destination address matches the address associated with the gateway;
classify each data packet of the first set of data packets and the second set of data packets as a passthrough data packet if neither the source address nor the destination address matches the address associated with the gateway; and
determine an amount of mesh network bandwidth provided by a passthrough data capacity of the integrated roofing mesh network node, wherein the passthrough data capacity is based on at least one metric based on a payload of each data packet of the first set of data packets and the second set of data packets classified as a passthrough data packet.

14. The roofing system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to monitor routing of the first set of data packets, the second set of data packets, or a combination thereof.

15. The roofing system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a route for each data packet in the first set of data packets, the second set of data packets, or a combination thereof.

16. The roofing system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to allocate a broadcast address, a multicast address, or a combination thereof, for the mesh network.

17. The roofing system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to examine the packet headers of the first set of data packets to determine the source address and the destination address.

18. A method comprising:
comparing, by utilizing a processor of a gateway of an integrated roofing mesh network node in communication with a mesh network of other nodes, a source address and a destination address of each data packet transmitted to and received by the integrated roofing mesh network node to an address associated with the gateway;
classifying, by utilizing the processor of the gateway, each data packet as consumed traffic if the source address or the destination address matches the address associated with the gateway and as passthrough traffic if neither the source address nor the destination address matches the address associated with the gateway;
examining, by utilizing the processor of the gateway, a packet payload for each data packet in the consumed traffic and each data packet in the passthrough traffic;
determining, by utilizing the processor of the gateway, a payload size of each data packet based on the packet payload of each data packet;
measuring, based on the payload size and by utilizing the processor of the gateway, a consumed traffic throughput, goodput, or any combination thereof, for each data packet in the consumed traffic and a passthrough traffic throughput, goodput, or any combination thereof, for each data packet in the passthrough traffic; and
determining, by utilizing the processor of the gateway an amount of mesh network bandwidth provided by a passthrough data capacity of the integrated roofing mesh network node, wherein the passthrough data capacity is based on at least one metric b

Assignees

• Bmic Llc

Inventors

• Campau Zachary Richard
• Riley Xavier

Classifications

• H04W28/021 Primary

  in wireless networks with changing topologies, e.g. ad-hoc networks (self-organizing networks H04W84/18) · CPC title

• H04L12/2807

  Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network (arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50) · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• H04W28/02 Primary

  Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control · CPC title

• H04L47/24

  Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS · CPC title