EP-4740599-A1 - METHODS OF ENABLING THE PERFORMING OF A COORDINATED TRANSMISSION IN A WIRELESS MESH NETWORK OF A MESSAGE TO A DESTINATION NODE, AS WELL AS CORRESPONDING DEVICES AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS

EP4740599A1EP 4740599 A1EP4740599 A1EP 4740599A1EP-4740599-A1

Abstract

A method of enabling of performing a coordinated transmission in a wireless mesh network of a message to a destination node, wherein said mesh network comprises a plurality of mesh nodes for relaying messages within said mesh network, wherein the method comprises the step of sending, by a coordinating mesh node being one of said plurality of mesh nodes, a group invitation message to neighbouring mesh nodes in said mesh network, said group invitation message comprises an identification of said destination node, receiving, by said coordinating mesh node, from neighbouring mesh nodes, group acknowledgement messages indicating suitability to be part of a group for said coordinated transmission to said destination node and determining, by said coordinating mesh node, the mesh nodes to form said group for said coordinated transmission to said destination node based on said received group acknowledgement message, thereby enabling performing of said coordinated transmission to said destination node.

Inventors

CHRISTOFFERSSON, JAN
ERICSON, Mårten
WÄNSTEDT, Stefan

Assignees

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20230704

Claims (20)

1. A method of enabling of performing a coordinated transmission in a wireless mesh network of a message to a destination node, wherein said mesh network comprises a plurality of mesh nodes for relaying messages within said mesh network, wherein the method comprises the step of: sending, by a coordinating mesh node being one of said plurality of mesh nodes, a group invitation message to neighbouring mesh nodes in said mesh network, said group invitation message comprises an identification of said destination node; receiving, by said coordinating mesh node, from neighbouring mesh nodes, group acknowledgement messages indicating suitability to be part of a group for said coordinated transmission to said destination node; determining, by said coordinating mesh node, the mesh nodes to form said group for said coordinated transmission to said destination node based on said received group acknowledgement message, thereby enabling performing of said coordinated transmission to said destination node.
2. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said group acknowledgement messages comprise indications of channel conditions between said destination node and said corresponding mesh nodes, respectively, wherein said step of determining comprises: determining said group for said coordinated transmission to said destination node based on said received indications of channel conditions.
3. A method in accordance with any of the previous claims, wherein said group acknowledgement messages comprise indications of propagation delays of signals received by said corresponding mesh nodes, respectively, from said destination node, wherein said step of determining comprises: determining said group for said coordinated transmission to said destination node based on said received indications of propagation delays.
4. A method in accordance with any of the previous claims, wherein said step of determining comprises: determining said group for said coordinated transmission to said destination node taking into account a target Signal to Noise Ratio, SNR, wherein an expected SNR from a coordinated transmission of said group to said destination node is at least equal to said target SNR.
5. A method in accordance with any of the previous claims, wherein said method further comprises the step of: sending, by the coordinating mesh node, acknowledgement messages to the mesh nodes in said group for indicating that said mesh nodes form part of said group.
6. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein said method further comprises the step of: determining, by any of the neighbouring mesh nodes, that no acknowledgement message was received within a predefined time window thereby confirming that said respective neighbouring mesh node is not part of said group.
7. A method in accordance with any of the previous claims, wherein said method further comprises the steps of: receiving, by the coordinating mesh node, a message, originating from a source mesh node in said mesh network, and intended for said destination node; broadcasting, by the coordinating mesh node, said message to said mesh nodes comprised by said group thereby enabling performing of said coordinated transmission of said message to said destination node.
8. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein said step of broadcasting further comprises: broadcasting, by the coordinating mesh node, said message to said mesh nodes comprised by said group along with a resource grant for informing said mesh nodes on time and/or frequency resources to use for said performing of said coordinated transmission.
9. A method in accordance with any of the claims 7 - 8, wherein any of the steps of receiving and broadcasting is performed using Device-2-Device, D2D, or SideLink, SL, communication.
10. A method in accordance with any of the claims 7 - 9, wherein said coordinating mesh node is comprised by said group, and wherein said method further comprises the step of: performing, by said coordinating mesh node, a transmission of said message to said destination node, wherein said transmission being part of said coordinated transmission of said message to said destination node.
11. A method of reducing a load in a wireless mesh network, wherein a coordinated transmission of a message to a destination node is performed, wherein said mesh network comprises a plurality of mesh nodes for relaying messages within said mesh network, wherein the method comprises the steps of: detecting, by a mesh node comprised by said plurality of mesh nodes, a coordinated transmission of said message to said destination node; receiving, by said mesh node, said message, originating from a source mesh node in said mesh network, and intended for said destination node; refraining, by said mesh node, from forwarding said message in said mesh network due to said detection that said message has been transmitted, using a coordinated transmission, to said destination node.
12. A method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein said step of detecting comprises: detecting said coordinated transmission of said message by comparing a Cyclic-Redundancy-Check, CRC, of said received message with a CRC of said coordinatively transmitted message detecting said coordinated transmission of said message by identifying a packet identifier in said coordinatively transmitted message.
13. A method in accordance with any of the claims 11 - 12, wherein said step of detecting comprises: receiving, by said mesh node, an acknowledgement from said destination node that said coordinatively transmitted message has been received.
14. A coordinating mesh node for enabling of performing a coordinated transmission in a wireless mesh network of a message to a destination node , wherein said mesh network comprises a plurality of mesh nodes for relaying messages within said mesh network, wherein the coordinating mesh node comprises: transmit equipment arranged for sending, by said coordinating mesh node being one of said plurality of mesh nodes, a group invitation message to neighbouring mesh nodes in said mesh network, said group invitation message comprises an identification of said destination node; receive equipment arranged for receiving, from neighbouring mesh nodes, group acknowledgement messages indicating suitability to be part of a group for said coordinated transmission to said destination node; process equipment arranged for determining, the mesh nodes to form said group for said coordinated transmission to said destination node based on said received group acknowledgement message, thereby enabling performing of said coordinated transmission to said destination node.
15. A coordinating mesh node in accordance with claim 14, wherein said group acknowledgement messages comprise indications of channel conditions between said destination node and said corresponding mesh nodes, respectively, wherein said process equipment is further arranged for: determining said group for said coordinated transmission to said destination node based on said received indications of channel conditions.
16. A coordinating mesh node in accordance with any of the claims 14 - 15, wherein said group acknowledgement messages comprise indications of propagation delays of signals received by said corresponding mesh nodes, respectively, from said destination node, wherein said process equipment is further arranged for: determining said group for said coordinated transmission to said destination node based on said received indications of propagation delays.
17 . A coordinating mesh node in accordance with any of the claims 14 - 16, wherein said process equipment is further arranged for: determining said group for said coordinated transmission to said destination node taking into account a target Signal to Noise Ration, SNR, wherein an expected SNR from a coordinated transmission of said group to said destination node is at least equal to said target SNR.
18. A coordinating mesh node in accordance with any of the claims 14 - 17, wherein said transmit equipment is further arranged for: sending acknowledgement messages to the mesh nodes in said group for indicating that said mesh nodes form part of said group.
19. A coordinating mesh node in accordance with any of the claims 14 - 18, wherein said receive equipment is further arranged for: receiving a message, originating from a source mesh node in said mesh network, and intended for said destination node; And wherein said transmit equipment is further arranged for: broadcasting said message to said mesh nodes comprised by said group thereby enabling performing of said coordinated transmission of said message to said destination node.
20. A coordinating mesh node in accordance with claim 19, wherein said transmit equipment is further arranged for: broadcasting, by the coordinating mesh node, said message to said mesh nodes comprised by said group along with a resource grant for informing said mesh nodes on time and/or frequency resources to use for said performing of said coordinated transmission.

Description

Title Methods of enabling the performing of a coordinated transmission in a wireless mesh network of a message to a destination node, as well as corresponding devices and computer program products. Technical field The present disclosure is generally related to the field of wireless communications and, more specifically, to coordinated transmissions of mesh nodes in a transmission from a source mesh node to a destination node in a wireless mesh network. Background Mesh networking is a key technology-agnostic enabler for Internet-of- Things, loT, in the short wireless range space. Well-known technologies such as WiFi and ZigBee have already standardized mesh support, and products that feature mesh networking are available on the market. Another well known technology is Bluetooth. Typically, in a Bluetooth mesh network, the wireless mesh nodes are asynchronously deployed and can talk to each other directly when within coverage of each other. After provisioning, the network may start operating and does not require any centralized operation - no coordination is required and, as such, there is no single point of failure. A group of nodes can be addressed with a single command, making dissemination and collection of information fast and reliable. The basic scenario for this disclosure is related to mesh nodes in a wireless mesh network. The mesh nodes in the mesh network may operate on separate radio resources, for example Bluetooth resources, compared to the cellular, for example 5G, network. It may also be that the wireless mesh network operates on radio resources that are controlled by the cellular network such as Side Link, SL. A wireless mesh network may be deployed such that a source mesh node broadcasts any data to any adjacent wireless mesh nodes. These adjacent wireless mesh nodes may decode and subsequently relay the data to other adjacent wireless mesh nodes. This is typically called “Flooding”. To avoid that wireless mesh nodes, that have already transmitted the data, are retransmitting the same data once again, the relaying may be restricted. Several options exist to accomplish that particular effect. On top of that, a random delay may be introduced when different wireless mesh nodes forward the data to avoid collisions with other transmissions, thereby increasing the reliability of the transmission through the wireless mesh network. In any case, when several wireless mesh nodes have data to transmit through wireless mesh network, the risk of congestion and collisions increases throughout the wireless mesh network. The nodes in the wireless mesh network may have a limited range. The result is that the coverage of the wireless mesh network may be limited. It would therefore be advantageous to create solutions that enable more coverage area. Summary It is an object of the present disclosure to provide for a method of enabling of performing a coordinated transmission in a wireless mesh network of a message to a destination node. Further objects include associated methods as well as associated mesh nodes and computer program products. In a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of enabling of performing a coordinated transmission in a wireless mesh network of a message to a destination node. The mesh network comprises a plurality of mesh nodes for relaying messages within said mesh network. The method comprises the step of sending, by a coordinating mesh node being one of said plurality of mesh nodes, a group invitation message to neighbouring mesh nodes in said mesh network, said group invitation message comprises an identification of said destination node. This group invitation message invites the neighbouring nodes to be part of the group for sending a coordinated transmission towards that particular destination node. A further step includes receiving, by said coordinating mesh node, from neighbouring mesh nodes, group acknowledgement messages indicating suitability to be part of a group for said coordinated transmission to said destination node. Next, the method includes the step of determining, by said coordinating mesh node, the mesh nodes to form said group for said coordinated transmission to said destination node based on said received group acknowledgement message, thereby enabling performing of said coordinated transmission to said destination node. The destination node may also be comprised by the wireless mesh network. Alternatively, the destination node is a node not comprised by the wireless mesh network, for example a base station like a eNodeB or a gNodeB. The inventors have found that it might be beneficial if multiple intermediate mesh nodes coordinate their transmissions. This may reduce the risk of congestion and collisions with the wireless mesh network, and may extent the coverage area of the transmission. Such a coordination is accomplished in that multiple intermediate mesh nodes perform the coordinated transmission at the same time, i.e. these mes