Wireless Backhaul Resiliency

Abstract

A wireless backhaul resiliency system incorporating a mesh network is disclosed, comprising: a first base station utilizing a first mesh network node for a first wide area network (WAN)/backhaul connection and having a first wireless mesh functionality; and a second base station utilizing a second mesh network node for a second WAN/backhaul connection and having a second wireless mesh functionality, wherein the first base station is configured to detect when the first WAN/backhaul connection fails and fail over to a wireless mesh connection between the first wireless mesh functionality at the first base station and the second wireless mesh functionality at the second base station, thereby forwarding data from the first base station to a core network via the wireless mesh connection, the second mesh network node, and the second WAN/backhaul connection in the event of a failure.

1 . A wireless backhaul resiliency system incorporating a mesh network, comprising:
 a first base station utilizing a first mesh network node for a first wide area network (WAN)/backhaul connection and having a first wireless mesh functionality; and   a second base station utilizing a second mesh network node for a second WAN/backhaul connection and having a second wireless mesh functionality,   wherein the first base station is configured to detect when the first WAN/backhaul connection fails and fail over to a wireless mesh connection between the first wireless mesh functionality at the first base station and the second wireless mesh functionality at the second base station, thereby forwarding data from the first base station to a core network via the wireless mesh connection, the second mesh network node, and the second WAN/backhaul connection in the event of a failure, and   wherein the first WAN/backhaul connection is a wired connection.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first base station further comprises a routing functionality configured to install a route to the core network based on connectivity of a WAN/backhaul connection. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second base stations are Long Term Evolution (LTE) eNodeBs and wherein the wireless mesh connection is a Wi-Fi connection. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first mesh network node is colocated with the first base station and wherein the second mesh network node is colocated with the second base station. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first WAN/backhaul connection and the second WAN/backhaul connection are in communication with different network interconnection points for communication with the core network. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second base stations send and receive X2 protocol messages via the wireless mesh connection between the first wireless mesh functionality at the first base station and the second wireless mesh functionality at the second base station without transiting through the core network. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second base station each further comprise two or more radios for wireless mesh functionality. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second base station are wirelessly coupled to other mesh nodes in a ring topology. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first mesh network node is configured to fail over to at least one wireless mesh connection based on an ordered pre-configured list of wireless mesh connections. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first mesh network node is configured to fail over to the wireless mesh connection at the second mesh network node based on a geographic proximity between the first mesh network node and the second mesh network node. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless mesh connection is at least one of an IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ad/af/ah Wi-Fi connection, a microwave connection, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) connection, a wireless connection with a frequency between 5.0 and 6.0 GHz, a wireless connection with a frequency between 2.2 and 2.5 GHz, and a wireless connection with a frequency between 20 and 65 GHz. 
     
     
         12 . A method, comprising:
 sending, from a Long Term Evolution (LTE) base station, data packets to a core network over a wired backhaul connection;   identifying a failure of the wired backhaul connection at the LTE base station;   setting up a wireless mesh network with another LTE base station; and   re-routing data packets at the LTE base station to the core network via the wireless mesh network with the another LTE base station.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising detecting a reconnection of the wired backhaul connection at the LTE base station and re-routing data packets at the LTE base station to the core network via the wired backhaul connection. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the wired backhaul connection and the another LTE base station are in communication with different network interconnection points for communication with the core network. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the LTE base station and the another LTE base station send and receive X2 protocol messages between each other via the wireless mesh network. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the LTE base station and the another LTE base station are configured with two or more radios for wireless mesh functionality. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the LTE base station and the another LTE base station wirelessly coupling to other mesh nodes in a ring topology. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the LTE base station failing over to at least one wireless mesh connection based on an ordered pre-configured list of wireless mesh connections. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the LTE base station failing over to the another LTE base station based on a geographic proximity between the LTE base station and the another LTE base station. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the wireless mesh network is at least one of an IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ad/af/ah Wi-Fi connection, a microwave connection, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) connection, a wireless connection with a frequency between 5.0 and 6.0 GHz, a wireless connection with a frequency between 2.2 and 2.5 GHz, and a wireless connection with a frequency between 20 and 65 GHz.