Green power for dense large networks (proxy table scaling)

• US 10,366,245 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2016
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: Erdmann, Bozena, Holtman, Koen Johanna Guillaume
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Parth
• Application Number:
  US15/228,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20170047982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/681 using addresses for wireless personal area networks or wireless sensor networks, e.g. Zigbee addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/695 using masks or ranges of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2596 Translation of addresses of the same type other than IP, e.g. translation from MAC to MAC addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for managing proxy device assignment in a wireless communication network where proxy devices operate as relay devices forwarding signals from a resource restricted device to a destination device. The method comprises dividing an identifier space of the resource restricted device into at least two parts, and assigning at least one of the at least two parts of the identifier space to at least one proxy device of the wireless communication network wherein the proxy device assigned to a first part of the identifier space is responsible for the resource restricted device transmitting a signal comprising an identifier falling within the first part of the identifier space.

Claims

1. Method for managing proxy device assignment in a wireless communication network characterized in that proxy devices in the wireless communication network operate as relay devices forwarding signals from a resource restricted device to at least one destination device, the method comprising:

dividing an identifier space available to the resource restricted device into at least two parts, and

assigning at least one of the at least two parts of the identifier space to at least one proxy device of the wireless communication network wherein the proxy device assigned to the at least one of the at least two parts of the identifier space is responsible for at least selected tasks associated with forwarding signals related to the resource restricted device comprising an identifier falling within the first part of the identifier space.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier is a static identifier, in particular an address of the resource restricted device, and dividing an identifier space of the resource restricted device is based on a predetermined number of least significant bits of the static identifier.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier is a non-static identifier, in particular a sequence number used by the resource restricted device and dividing an identifier space of the resource restricted device is based on a predetermined number of least significant bits of the non-static identifier.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein assigning the at least one part of the identifier space to at least one proxy device of the wireless communication network comprises randomly selecting the proxy device to which the at least one part of the identifier space is assigned to.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein assigning the at least one part of the identifier space to at least one proxy device of the wireless communication network is performed based on a predetermined relationship between an identifier of the proxy device and the part of the identifier space.

6. Method according to claim 1, further comprising dynamically adapting the division of the identifier space.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the selected tasks comprise at least one of participating in commissioning, storing a proxy table entry, forwarding data frames, commissioning and/or configuration frames on behalf of the resource restricted device, forwarding data frames, commissioning and/or configuration frames on behalf of transmit-only resource restricted device, forwarding data frames, commissioning and/or configuration frames on behalf of resource restricted device capable of bidirectional communication, forwarding using a particular communication mode, discovering pairings for the resource restricted device, handling bidirectional communication with the resource restricted device, buffering information about the resource restricted device, handling queries for the resource restricted device, buffering communication for the resource restricted device;

with particular delay;

with or without an alias and combinations thereof.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform a method of for managing proxy device assignment in a wireless communication network characterized in that proxy devices in the wireless communication network operate as relay devices forwarding signals from a resource restricted device to at least one destination device, the medium comprising code for:

dividing an identifier space available to the resource restricted device into at least two parts, and

assigning at least one of the at least two parts of the identifier space to at least one proxy device of the wireless communication network wherein the proxy device assigned to the at least one of the at least two parts of the identifier space is responsible for at least selected tasks associated with forwarding signals related to the resource restricted device comprising an identifier falling within the first part of the identifier space.

9. A proxy device adapted to operate as a relay device between a resource restricted device and a destination device, characterize in that said proxy device comprising

a controller being arranged for determining if the proxy device is responsible for at least one part of an identifier space available to the resource restricted device, said part of identifier space determining at least one selected task associated with forwarding signals related to a resource restricted device comprising an identifier belonging to the determined part of the identifier space,

a communication module adapted for performing the selected tasks for at least one resource restricted device having an identifier belonging to the determined part of the identifier space.

10. System for wireless communication between a resource restricted device and a destination device, the system comprising:

at least one resource restricted device,

at least one destination device,

the system characterized in that it further comprises;

a plurality of proxy devices to operate as relay devices forwarding signals between the at least one resource restricted device and the at least one destination device, the system comprising;

at least one management unit adapted for dividing an identifier space available to the resource restricted device into at least two parts,

said management unit being adapted for at least one of;

assigning at least one of the at least two parts of the identifier space to at least one first proxy device of the plurality of proxy devices and/or

assigning to the at least one first proxy device or to the at least one of the at least two parts of the identifier space at least selected tasks associated with forwarding signals related to a resource restricted device comprising an identifier belonging to said one of the at least two parts of the identifier space,

so that the first proxy device is responsible for at least selected tasks associated with forwarding signals related to a resource restricted device comprising an identifier falling within the first part of the identifier space.

11. System according to claim 10, wherein the management unit is adapted to assign at least one part of the identifier space to at least one proxy device of the wireless communication network in a random manner.

12. System according to claim 10, wherein the management unit is adapted to assign the at least one part of the identifier space to at least one proxy device of the wireless communication network based on a predetermined relationship between an identifier of the proxy device and the part of the identifier space.

13. System according to claim 10, wherein the management unit is adapted for dynamically adapting the division of the identifier space.

14. System according to claim 13, wherein the management unit is comprised in a management device or is distributed over at least two proxy devices of the plurality of proxy devices.

15. System according to claim 13, wherein the first proxy device assigned to a first part of the identifier space is adapted to monitor the forwarding done by other proxy devices responsible for transmissions with identifiers outside the first part of the identifier space.