Transmission method and apparatus using shared timeslot and broadcast, and firmware update method and apparatus using the same

• US 10,440,707 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Hyunhak, Kang, Hoyong, Kim, Geon
• Primary Examiner(s): Khajuria, Shripal K
• Application Number:
  US15/847,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20180176911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A network managing apparatus and a transmission method thereof are provided. The transmission method includes: broadcasting a plurality of packets using a plurality of shared timeslots shared by a plurality of network nodes for downlink communication and a base channel; determining one or more missed packets that are not received by the plurality of network nodes among the plurality of packets; determining a distributor that is to transmit the one or more missed packets and a distribution timeslot and a distribution channel for transmission of the one or more missed packets; and broadcasting transmission schedule information including information on the distributor and information on the distribution timeslot and the distribution channel using the base channel.

Claims

1. A transmission method of a network managing apparatus, comprising:

broadcasting a plurality of packets using a plurality of shared timeslots shared by a plurality of network nodes for downlink communication and a base channel;

determining one or more missed packets that are not received by the plurality of network nodes among the plurality of packets;

determining a distributor that is to transmit the one or more missed packets and a distribution timeslot and a distribution channel for transmission of the one or more missed packets; and

broadcasting transmission schedule information including information on the distributor and information on the distribution timeslot and the distribution channel using the base channel.

2. The transmission method of a network managing apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the determining of the one or more missed packets includes

determining the number of missed nodes that do not receive the one or more missed packets among the plurality of network nodes, for each of the one or more missed packets.

3. The transmission method of a network managing apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the determining includes;

calculating the maximum number of packets allocated to the distribution channel using the number of one or more missed packets, the number of channels for one downlink timeslot, and the number of the plurality of shared timeslots; and

determining a packet allocated to the distribution channel among the one or more missed packets on the basis of the number of missed nodes and the maximum number of packets.

4. The transmission method of a network managing apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the determining includes;

determining a first timeslot of the plurality of shared timeslots as the distribution timeslot; and

determining a packet allocated to the distribution channel for the first timeslot so that receivers of packets allocated to the first timeslot among the one or more missed packets are not redundant each other.

5. The transmission method of a network managing apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the distribution channel for the distribution timeslot includes the base channel and a first channel, and

the determining includes

determining a first node receiving a first packet among the plurality of network nodes as a distributor that is to transmit a second packet of the one or more missed packets through the first channel in the case in which the first packet of the one or more missed packets is allocated to the base channel.

6. The transmission method of a network managing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

before the broadcasting of the plurality of packets,

broadcasting information on the plurality of shared timeslots, information on the base channel, the number of the plurality of packets, and a transmission order of the plurality of packets through the base channel in a timeslot belonging to a contention access period (CAP) period.

7. The transmission method of a network managing apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the determining of the one or more missed packets includes

receiving a missed packet bitmap indicating one or more missed packets of each of the plurality of network nodes, from each of the plurality of network nodes; and

receiving information indicating strength and a quality of a wireless signal of a neighboring node of the plurality of network nodes, from each of the plurality of network nodes.

8. The transmission method of a network managing apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the distribution channel for a first timeslot of the distribution timeslots includes the base channel and a first channel, and

the determining includes

performing scheduling so that the packet is not transmitted in the first channel for the first timeslot in the case in which a first packet for which the number of missed nodes is largest among the one or more missed packets is allocated to the base channel for the first timeslot.

9. The transmission method of a network managing apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the transmission schedule information further includes the maximum number of packets and a transmission order of the one or more missed packets.

10. The transmission method of a network managing apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

in the case in which the distribution channel is the base channel, a packet allocated to the base channel among the one or more missed packets is transmitted by the network managing apparatus, and

in the case in which the distribution channel is a first channel different from the base channel, a packet allocated to the first channel among the one or more missed packets is transmitted by at least one of the plurality of network nodes.

11. A network managing apparatus for managing a plurality of network nodes, comprising:

a communication unit broadcasting a plurality of packets using a plurality of shared timeslots shared by the plurality of network nodes for downlink communication and a base channel; and

a processor determining one or more missed packets that are not received by the plurality of network nodes among the plurality of packets, determining a distributor that is to transmit the one or more missed packets and a distribution timeslot and a distribution channel for transmission of the one or more missed packets, and generating transmission schedule information including information on the distributor and information on the distribution timeslot and the distribution channel,

wherein the communication unit broadcasts the transmission schedule information using the base channel.

12. The network managing apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the processor

determines the number of missed nodes that do not receive the one or more missed packets among the plurality of network nodes, for each of the one or more missed packets.

13. The network managing apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the processor

calculates the maximum number of packets allocated to the distribution channel using the number of one or more missed packets, the number of channels for one downlink timeslot, and the number of the plurality of shared timeslots, and determines a packet allocated to the distribution channel among the one or more missed packets on the basis of the number of missed nodes and the maximum number of packets.

14. The network managing apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the processor

determines a packet allocated to the distribution channel for a first timeslot so that receivers of packets allocated to the first timeslot among the one or more missed packets are not redundant each other in the case of determining the first timeslot of the plurality of shared timeslots as the distribution timeslot.

15. The network managing apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the distribution channel for a first timeslot of the distribution timeslots includes the base channel and a first channel, and

the processor

determines a first node having a first packet among the plurality of network nodes as a distributor that is to perform packet transmission using the first channel of the first timeslot in the case in which the first packet of the one or more missed packets is allocated to the base channel of the first timeslot.

16. The network managing apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the distribution channel for a first timeslot of the distribution timeslots includes the base channel and a first channel, and

the processor

performs scheduling so that the packet is not transmitted in the first channel of the first timeslot in the case in which a first packet for which the number of missed nodes is largest among the one or more missed packets is allocated to the base channel of the first timeslot.

17. The network managing apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the communication unit

broadcasts information on the plurality of shared timeslots, information on the base channel, the number of the plurality of packets, and a transmission order of the plurality of packets through the base channel in a timeslot belonging to a CAP period, before broadcasting the plurality of packets.

18. The network managing apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the plurality of network nodes are a plurality of sensors existing in a sensor network, and

the plurality of packets are included in firmware data for updating firmware of the plurality of network nodes.

19. A method of updating firmware of a plurality of sensors by a personal area network (PAN) coordinator, comprising:

broadcasting a plurality of packets for updating the firmware of the plurality of sensors using a plurality of shared timeslots shared by the plurality of sensors and a base channel;

determining one or more missed packets that are not received by the plurality of sensors among the plurality of packets; and

scheduling a distributor that is to transmit the one or more missed packets and a distribution timeslot and a distribution channel for transmission of the one or more missed packets,

wherein in the case in which the distribution channel is a first channel different from the base channel, a packet allocated to the first channel among the one or more missed packets is transmitted by at least one of the plurality of sensors.

20. The method of updating firmware of claim 19, further comprising:

before the broadcasting of the plurality of packets,

broadcasting information on the plurality of shared timeslots, information on the base channel, the number of the plurality of packets, and a transmission order of the plurality of packets through the base channel in a timeslot belonging to a CAP period.