US 7894385

Here's a concise summary of US Patent 7894385:

US Patent 7894385 Summary

• Title: Mobility extensions for wireless multiple radio mesh [cite: "Title: Mobility extensions for wireless multiple radio mesh"]
• Current Assignee: Dynamic Mesh Networks Inc [cite: "Current Assignee Dynamic Mesh Networks Inc"]
• Inventors: Francis daCosta, Sriram Dayanandan [cite: "Inventor Francis daCosta Sriram Dayanandan"]
• Filing Date: June 15, 2007 [cite: "Filing date 2007-06-15"]
• Issue Date: February 22, 2011 [cite: "Publication date 2011-02-22"]
• Abstract: The patent describes extending multi-radio backhaul functionality to mobile applications. It involves a mobile mesh node scanning or sampling multiple radio channels to identify the best parent mesh node for connection. The techniques outlined aim to perform this scanning/sampling without degrading the overall performance or "up time" of the mobile mesh unit's network. [cite: "Abstract The functionality of multiple radio backhaul is extended to mobility applications. The multiple radio backhaul uses at least one radio for the uplink and at least one radio for the downlink, both operating in different, non-interfering channels. A mobile mesh node scans and/or samples multiple radio channels to determine the best parent mesh node to connect to. Techniques devised to scan/sample the external Radio Frequency (RF) environment without sacrificing the overall up time performance of the network are described."]

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Method for operating a mesh network): This claim describes a method where a mobile mesh node, equipped with a dedicated scanning radio and at least two relay radios (all operating on different, non-interfering channels), uses the scanning radio for initial discovery of potential new parent nodes. When the node is moving rapidly, an uplink relay radio then performs the actual sampling of these discovered potential parents. To prevent data loss during sampling, the current parent node buffers packets destined for the mobile node, and the mobile node buffers packets intended for its current parent. To manage this process efficiently, a common current parent node coordinates sampling times by sending tokens to its child nodes in a round-robin fashion. [cite: "1. A method for operating a mesh network having a plurality of mesh nodes, comprising: for at least one mesh node of the mesh network, scanning a Radio Frequency (RF) environment using a dedicated scanning radio to determine a new potential parent mesh node for connecting with said at least one mesh node; wherein said at least one mesh node includes, in addition to said scanning radio, at least two relay radios in each mesh element and wherein said scanning radio and said at least two relay radios operate on different non-interfering channels; wherein said at least one mesh node is moving sufficiently rapidly that it may lose connectivity with its current parent mesh node, and wherein said dedicated scanning radio is utilized for discovery of potential new parent nodes and sampling of discovered potential new parent nodes is performed by an uplink relay radio of said at least one mesh node; wherein while said at least one mesh node samples potential new parent nodes, packets to be sent to said at least one mesh node from its current parent node are buffered by the current parent node, and packets to be sent from said at least one mesh node to its current parent are buffered by said at least one mesh node; and wherein sampling times are coordinated among multiple mesh nodes having a common current parent node whereby the common current parent node sends tokens to each of its children in a round-robin manner."]
• Claim 2 (Mesh network apparatus): This claim describes a mesh network system with a plurality of mesh nodes. At least one of these mesh nodes is designed to use a dedicated scanning radio to find new potential parent nodes. This node also includes at least two relay radios, with the scanning and relay radios operating on different, non-interfering channels. The system ensures that when the mesh node is sampling potential new parent nodes, packets are buffered by both the current parent node (for downlink traffic) and the mobile mesh node itself (for uplink traffic). Furthermore, sampling times are coordinated among child nodes sharing a common parent, with the parent sending tokens to its children in a round-robin manner. [cite: "2. A mesh network comprising: a plurality of mesh nodes; wherein at least one mesh node of the mesh network is configured to scan a Radio Frequency (RF) environment using a dedicated scanning radio to determine a new potential parent mesh node for connecting with said at least one mesh node; wherein said at least one mesh node includes, in addition to the scanning radio, at least two relay radios in each mesh element and wherein said scanning radio and said at least two relay radios operate on different non-interfering channels; wherein while said at least one mesh node samples potential new parent nodes, packets to be sent to said at least one mesh node from its current parent node are buffered by the current parent node, and packets to be sent from said at least one mesh node to its current parent are buffered by said at least one mesh node; wherein sampling times are coordinated among multiple mesh nodes having a common current parent node whereby the common current parent node sends tokens to each of its children in a round-robin manner."]
• Claim 3 (Mesh network apparatus with specific radio configuration): This claim focuses on a mesh network where each node has at least three distinct radios: a first relay radio for uplink connections to a current parent (on a first RF channel), a second relay radio for downlink connections to child nodes (on a second RF channel), and a dedicated scanning radio (on a third, different RF channel) for discovering new potential parent nodes. After the scanning radio identifies a potential new parent, the first relay radio (uplink) samples the link to this new parent. During this sampling, packets are buffered by both the current parent node and the mesh node. Similar to the other claims, sampling times are coordinated by the common parent node sending round-robin tokens to its children. [cite: "3. A mesh network comprising: a plurality of mesh nodes; wherein each node within said plurality of nodes comprises at least three radios further including: a first relay radio operating on a first RF channel at a first point in time and dedicated to uplink connections to a single current parent node; a second relay radio operating on a second RF channel at a first point in time and dedicated to downlink connections to zero or more child nodes; and a dedicated scanning radio operating on a third RF channel at a first point in time and configured to scan a Radio Frequency (RF) environment to discover new potential parent mesh nodes for connecting with said first relay radio; wherein said first, second, and third RF channels are different from each other wherein after said dedicated scanning radio discovers a potential new parent node, said first relay radio samples the RF link to said potential new parent node using its uplink radio and concurrent with said sampling, packets to be sent to the mesh node from its current parent node are buffered by the current parent node, and packets to be sent from the mesh node to its current parent node are buffered by the mesh node wherein sampling times are coordinated among multiple mesh nodes having a common current parent node whereby the common current parent node sends tokens to each of its children in a round-robin manner."]

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, a search for US patent 7894385 in CAFC 2026 dockets did not return any specific results directly mentioning this patent. The provided Google Patents page does indicate ongoing litigation in various District Courts and a PTAB case (IPR2025-01569, which was "Not Instituted - Procedural"), but no specific CAFC 2026 dockets for US7894385 were found. [cite: "US case filed in California Northern District Court litigation Critical https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/California%20Northern%20District%20Court/case/3%3A25-cv-06441 Source: District Court Jurisdiction: California Northern District Court "Unified Patents Litigation Data" by Unified Patents is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.", "PTAB case IPR2025-01569 filed (Not Instituted - Procedural) litigation https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/ptab/case/IPR2025-01569 Petitioner: "Unified Patents PTAB Data" by Unified Patents is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.", "US case filed in Texas Eastern District Court litigation https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Texas%20Eastern%20District%20Court/case/2%3A25-cv-00781 Source: District Court Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court "Unified Patents Litigation Data" by Unified Patents is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.", "US case filed in Texas Eastern District Court litigation https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Texas%20Eastern%20District%20Court/case/2%3A25-cv-00472 Source: District Court Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court "Unified Patents Litigation Data" by Unified Patents is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.", "US case filed in California Northern District Court litigation https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/California%20Northern%20District%20Court/case/5%3A25-cv-06441 Source: District Court Jurisdiction: California Northern District Court "Unified Patents Litigation Data" by Unified Commons Attribution 4.0 International License."]