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Tropos Networks Awarded Six New Patents for Breakthrough Innovations in Outdoor Wireless Mesh Networks
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Tropos Uniquely Dominates in Intellectual Property for Outdoor Wireless Mesh Networking Solutions
Sunnyvale, CA -- Tropos® Networks, the market leader in wireless IP broadband mesh networks, today announced that the company has been awarded six new patents so far this year for technology innovations created to meet the environmentally tough challenges of outdoor wireless mesh networks. This brings the total to 11 since 2002 with over 50 still in the pipeline.
"With our experience in building the world’s largest wireless mesh network in Oklahoma City, the most heavily-utilized mesh network with Google in Mt. View, California, and the most reliable military grade networks with our government customers, we have a unique basis for understanding and solving the complex problems of outdoor wireless mesh networks," said Narasimha Chari, co-founder and chief technology officer at Tropos. "As a result of our working with real customers to solve their problems, we have developed breakthrough solutions to the most difficult environmental challenges of wireless mesh networks, a fact that is reflected in our approved patents and continued innovations."
The six new patents were awarded for software innovations in high performance wireless mesh routing, the network management of large-scale networks, enhancements in client link performance, and hardware innovations that maximize throughput and simplify the internetworking of IP services.
High Performance Wireless Mesh Routing
A method and apparatus that provides a routing protocol for wireless devices (US Patent Number 7,397,789), is a patent for performing route selection that takes into account end-to-end path quality metrics. A key innovation lies in the discovery of the importance of end-to-end path quality evaluation within a multi-hop wireless network to maximize the end-user throughputs achievable.
Network Management of Large Scale Networks
A method and apparatus for monitoring and displaying the routing metrics of a wireless mesh network (US Patent Number 7,376,087), covers the visual display of link quality metrics and end-to-end path metrics on a network management system. This enables the management of large-scale networks covering broad geographic areas and aids in the optimization that is a necessary step in the deployment of mesh networks.
The wireless mesh network time commit provisioning is a network management patent filed (noticed received that patent is being granted) on a method for reliably performing scheduled over-the-air configuration changes on a large-scale mesh network that can have links of varying quality and reliability. This feature is key to enabling reliable management of a large-scale network containing links and connections of varying reliability.
Hardware Throughput Maximization and Internetworking Simplification
The minimization of channel filters within access nodes (US Patent Number 7,362,737) is a hardware design patent that maximizes the throughput of a wireless mesh network by minimizing interference and minimizing hardware costs through the intelligent use of wireless filters.
Network layer emulation (US Patent Number 7,382,778) is a patented method of transparently interfacing a wireless edge network to a back-end network to simplify the integration with back-end authentication systems.
Enhanced Client Link Performance
The access point control of client roaming (US Patent Number 7,450,552) is a method to control the association of clients to a wireless mesh network to enable better client link performance.
Tropos’ awarded and pending patents reflect its unique outdoor mesh architecture that was designed from day one to scale to large networks in terms of both coverage area and capacity. The company has developed a steady stream of innovations that span multiple areas from new and innovative hardware and RF designs for outdoor wireless routers, to routing software algorithms for maximizing the performance of wireless in outdoor environments, and reliable network management innovations that scale to large real-world network deployments.
About Tropos Networks, Inc.
Tropos® Networks is the worldwide market leader in wireless IP broadband mesh networks that enable customers to own and control a smart, affordable, IP foundation for deploying high-value applications that improve the efficiencies of mobile workers, reduce operational costs and contribute towards the building of greener communities. Common applications over Tropos networks include mobile public safety (police, fire and EMS), utility automation, intelligent transportation systems and video surveillance. The patented Tropos MetroMesh™ system delivers the ultimate reliability, scalability, and security and is installed in over 30 countries. Founded in 2001, Tropos Networks is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, please visit www.tropos.com, call 408-331-6800 or write to info@tropos.com. Tropos is a registered trademark and MetroMesh is a trademark of Tropos Networks, Inc.
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