Systems and methods for connecting devices through intermediate nodes
First Claim
1. A method for wireless communications, comprising:
- receiving, at an apparatus, a request to forward a first packet previously received at the apparatus, the first packet includes a first identifier of a first recipient device of the first packet;
determining, based on the first identifier, whether the first recipient device is in a list of wireless devices within a wireless range of the apparatus;
including, based on the determination, the first packet into an outgoing queue comprising a list of packets to be forwarded;
establishing one or more connections with one or more wireless devices in the list of wireless devices;
upon including the first packet into the outgoing queue, decrementing a value in the first packet indicating a remaining number of times the first packet is allowed to be transferred from one wireless device to another wireless device;
forwarding, in accordance with the decremented value, the first packet from the outgoing queue to the one or more wireless devices via the established one or more connections;
receiving, at the apparatus, a second packet having a second identifier of a second recipient device;
determining, based on the second identifier, that the second recipient device is the same as the apparatus; and
transmitting a reach packet directly to the one or more wireless devices from the list of wireless devices to stop forwarding the second packet.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems are presented in this disclosure that enable mobile devices without access to an active network connection (e.g. cellular, satellite or Internet network) to communicate between each other by sending and receiving data packets (e.g. text, location, or image) through a mesh of connected devices. A mobile device receives a request to send a packet having an identifier of a recipient device. Based on the identifier, the mobile device determines whether the recipient device is in a list of mobile devices within a wireless range of the mobile device. Based on the determination, the mobile device includes the packet into an outgoing queue having packets for forwarding. The mobile device establishes one or more connections with one or more mobile devices in the list, and forwards one or more packets from the outgoing queue to the one or more mobile devices using the one or more connections.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for wireless communications, comprising:
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receiving, at an apparatus, a request to forward a first packet previously received at the apparatus, the first packet includes a first identifier of a first recipient device of the first packet; determining, based on the first identifier, whether the first recipient device is in a list of wireless devices within a wireless range of the apparatus; including, based on the determination, the first packet into an outgoing queue comprising a list of packets to be forwarded; establishing one or more connections with one or more wireless devices in the list of wireless devices; upon including the first packet into the outgoing queue, decrementing a value in the first packet indicating a remaining number of times the first packet is allowed to be transferred from one wireless device to another wireless device; forwarding, in accordance with the decremented value, the first packet from the outgoing queue to the one or more wireless devices via the established one or more connections; receiving, at the apparatus, a second packet having a second identifier of a second recipient device; determining, based on the second identifier, that the second recipient device is the same as the apparatus; and transmitting a reach packet directly to the one or more wireless devices from the list of wireless devices to stop forwarding the second packet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for wireless communications, comprising:
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receiving, at an apparatus, a request to forward a first packet previously received at the apparatus, the first packet includes a first identifier of a first recipient device of the first packet; determining, based on the first identifier, whether the first recipient device is in a list of wireless devices within a wireless range of the apparatus; including, based on the determination, the first packet into an outgoing queue comprising a list of packets to be forwarded; establishing one or more connections with one or more wireless devices in the list of wireless devices; upon including the first packet into the outgoing queue, decrementing a value in the first packet indicating a remaining number of times the first packet is allowed to be transferred from one wireless device to another wireless device; forwarding, in accordance with the decremented value, the first packet from the outgoing queue to the one or more wireless devices via the established one or more connections; receiving a second packet having a second identifier of a second recipient device; and discarding the second packet after reaching an expiration time indicated in the second packet, if the list of wireless devices is empty and no connection is established.
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Specification