Patents
US 9179475 B2: Distributed ad hoc mesh network protocol for underground mine and hazardous area communications
- Granted
- 2015-11-03
- Filed
- 2009-03-20 application 13257378
- Type
- Utility · 22 claims
- Elsewhere
- Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for forming and maintaining an ad hoc mesh network suitable for reliable voice and data communications in underground, industrial and other hazardous environments. This invention includes support for cooperative negotiation of dedicated transmission bandwidth for all fixed network nodes, determination of network time synchronization without a pre-determined time master, discovery and merging of adjacent ad hoc mesh networks, and routing techniques for voice, data and network status packets which react instantaneously to network topology changes. Furthermore this invention provides a reliable communication network for mobile nodes carried by personnel and sensor nodes that are fixed or mobile that supports voice, data and tracking/situation awareness. A current application for this technology is a coal mine communication system with an operations center to dispatch, monitor and control coal mine operation including communication and location of mine personnel, and environmental conditions in the mine.
Source: PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 (ipg151103.xml).
Assignees
| Assignee | Type | Place | Also on furp.org | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovative Wireless Technologies, Inc. 7 patents | US company or organization | Forest, VA | INNOVATIVE WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. SEC filer EXACT medium confidence: identical full name, one of each nationally | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Inventors
| Inventor | Place | Patents | Person page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Koleszar | Lynchburg, VA | 6 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Steve R. Harrison | Lynchburg, VA | 1 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Tim Dechant | Monroe, VA | 1 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Paul Carpenter | Lynchburg, VA | 6 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Paul E. Schmidt | Forest, VA | 4 | Person page FUZZY medium confidence | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
CPC categories
| Subclass | Category | First group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| H04W | Wireless communication networks | H04W74/02 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| H04L | Transmission of digital information, e.g. telegraphic communication | H04L45/32 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).
Assignments and security interests
No recorded assignments or security interests on file for this patent.
USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.