Overcoming
Non Line-of-Sight Obstacles with Patented VINE Technology
Wi-LAN's patented wireless VINE technology is a new networking
technology that overcomes the non lineof- sight obstacles and
minimizes initial up-front costs of developing networks. VINE
technology focuses on overcoming the LOS issues imposed by challenging
terrain topography. As your network grows, any node can be promoted
to become a repeater; the only requirement for a new node to get
attached is to have RF connectivity to any node already in the
network - a deployment strategy called anypoint-to-multipoint,
since any node already in the network can become the centre of
a pointto- multipoint branch. Hard to reach locations that are
obstructed can easily be reached once the VINE spreads into that
neighbourhood.
VINE
Technology
The VIP 110-24 is the building block of the VINE wireless
network. This unique architecture allows nodes to be added to
the network by establishing a connection to any node already on
the network. Once attached, the new node becomes the potential
attaching point for other nodes. The VINE network topology is
a tree. The different node types in the tree are: "root",
"repeater", and "leaf". Figure 1 below illustrates
a possible network. Figure 2 shows a graph representation of the
same network. The VIP 110-24 is equipped with two antenna ports.
Antenna port A is assigned for communications with that node's
"parent". With exception of the root, each node in the
VINE has one and only one parent node. The antenna connected to
port A is typically a high gain directional antenna pointing at
this parent node. The root node is the only radio without a parent
node. Antenna port B is assigned for communications with the node's
"children". This antenna must provide coverage to all
of the node's children. Depending on the geographic location of
those children the antenna connected to port B could be an omni,
sector, or directional antenna. Leaf nodes do not have children,
so no antenna is connected to port B. Each VIP 110-24 in a VINE
network operates in a half duplex mode, i.e., it may either transmit
or receive at any given time. Transmissions consist of variable
length packets. "Outbound" packets flow "downstream"
or away from the root (from parent to child). "Inbound"
packets flow "upstream" or towards the root (from children
to parent).
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