Wireless mesh network health determination

Abstract

Methods and system to determine the health of wireless mesh networks are provided. Each radio node of a wireless mesh network transmits Link Quantification Messages (LQMs) interPAN at maximum power to enable adjacent nodes to determine the Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) on the wireless link to that radio node. Each radio node also transmits LQMs at successively lower power levels. The adjacent nodes detect a power level at measurable packet error rate to determine a noise floor for the wireless link. An aggregator collects link quantification information from the radio nodes and forms an intercommunication matrix for the wireless network. The RSSI and power level at measurable packet error rate information is used to remove unreliable links from the intercommunication matrix. Nodes are ranked and the reliability and dependability of the nodes is calculated to show the network health.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a receiving radio node in a wireless mesh network, a first set of link quantification messages that were transmitted at a maximum transmit power level by a transmitting radio node in the wireless mesh network;   receiving, by the receiving radio node in the wireless mesh network, at least portions of a subsequent sets of link quantification messages that were transmitted at lower power levels below the maximum transmit power level by the transmitting radio node in the wireless mesh network;   detecting, by the receiving radio node from the subsequent sets of link quantification messages, one of the lower power levels at which the receiving radio node experiences measurable packet error rate;   storing the power level at which the receiving radio node experiences measurable packet error rate as an indication of noise on a link between the receiving node and the transmitting node; and   receiving subsequent sets of link quantification messages in which each subsequent set of link quantification messages was transmitted at a unique discrete lower power level.