Geocast-based file transfer

• US 10,511,393 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2017
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Camquyen
• Application Number:
  US15/601,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20170257178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/71 Wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/78 characterised by source locations or destination locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

Geocast-based file transfer may be implemented via use of a Geocast File Transfer (GFT) protocol. A sending device may parse a file into multiple chunks. Respective multiple geocast packets comprising the chunks may be geocast. The sending device may geocast all packets sequentially. Upon geocasting all packets, the sending device may wait a predetermined amount of time. During the period of time, any receiving device that did not receive a chunk of the file may geocast a request for the missing chunk. Receiving devices also may wait various respective amounts of time before geocasting requests. Other receiving devices that may have missed a chunk may hear that the chunk it missed is being requested. And that device need not make a request for the chunk. Rather, that device may wait for the sending device to retransmit a geocast packet that contains the missing chunk.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first apparatus; and

a second apparatus communicatively connected with the first apparatus, the second apparatus comprising;

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

geocasting a plurality of geocast messages to a plurality of devices of a mobile ad hoc network, the plurality of devices comprising the first apparatus, wherein the geocast messages are associated with a plurality of chunks of an entire file;

responsive to the plurality of chunks of the entire file being sent, sending a notification to the plurality of devices that instructs the plurality of devices to commence sending requests to the second apparatus for chunks that were not received, wherein the first apparatus does not send a request for chunks that were not received based on analysis of requests of other devices of the plurality of devices;

waiting a predetermined amount of time;

if a request for a chunk of the plurality of chunks of the entire file is received prior to expiration of the predetermined amount of time;

incorporating the requested chunk into a new geocast message; and

geocasting the new geocast message; and

responsive to receiving an indication that any of the plurality of devices received the plurality of the chunks of the entire file, terminating the process of sending the chunks that were not received to remaining devices of the plurality of devices.

2. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising incorporating into at least one geocast message of the plurality of geocast messages an indication of a total number of chunks in the plurality of chunks, wherein the indication of the total number of chunks comprises information from which the total number of chunks may be inferred.

3. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising incorporating an indication of the total number of chunks into each remaining geocast packet of the plurality of geocast packets.

4. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

generating a name for the file; and

incorporating into a first geocast message of the plurality of geocast messages, an indication of a name of the file.

5. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising incorporating an indication of a name of the file into each remaining geocast packet of the plurality of geocast packets.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first geocast message is geocast to a geographic region of an intended recipient.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the geocast message includes a packet type, and

the geocast message is geocasted when the second apparatus is located in a long range forwarding zone defined for the packet type.

8. A method comprising:

geocasting, by a sending node, a plurality of geocast messages to a plurality of devices of a mobile ad hoc network, the plurality of devices comprising a first node, wherein the geocast messages are associated with a plurality of chunks of an entire file;

responsive to the plurality of chunks of the entire file being sent, sending a notification to the plurality of devices that instructs the plurality of devices to commence sending requests to the sending node for chunks that were not received;

waiting a predetermined amount of time;

if a request for a chunk of the plurality of chunks of the entire file is received prior to expiration of the predetermined amount of time;

incorporating the requested chunk into a new geocast message; and

geocasting the new geocast message; and

responsive to receiving an indication that any of the plurality of devices received the plurality of the chunks of the entire file, terminating a process of sending the chunks that were not received to remaining devices of the plurality of devices.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising incorporating into at least one geocast message of the plurality of geocast messages an indication of a total number of chunks in the plurality of chunks, wherein the indication of the total number of chunks comprises information from which the total number of chunks may be inferred.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising incorporating an indication of a total number of chunks into each remaining geocast packet of the plurality of geocast packets.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating a name for the file; and

incorporating into a first geocast message of the plurality of geocast messages, an indication of a name of the file.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising incorporating an indication of a name of the file into each remaining geocast packet of the plurality of geocast packets.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the new geocast message is geocast to a geographic region of an intended recipient.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the geocast message includes a type of packet, and

the geocast message is geocasted when the sending node is located in a long range forwarding zone defined for the packet type.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

geocasting, by a sending node, a plurality of geocast messages to a plurality of devices of a mobile ad hoc network, the plurality of devices comprising a first node, wherein the geocast messages are associated with a plurality of chunks of an entire file;

responsive to the plurality of chunks of the entire file being sent, sending a notification to the plurality of devices that instructs the plurality of devices to commence sending requests to the sending node for chunks that were not received;

waiting a predetermined amount of time;

if a request for a chunk of the plurality of chunks of the entire file is received prior to expiration of the predetermined amount of time;

incorporating the requested chunk into a new geocast message;

geocasting the new geocast message; and

responsive to receiving an indication that any of the plurality of devices received the plurality of the chunks of the entire file, terminating a process of sending the chunks that were not received to remaining devices of the plurality of devices.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising incorporating an indication of a name of the file into each remaining geocast packet of the plurality of geocast packets.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein at least one geocast message of the at least one geocast message comprises a name of the file.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the geocast message is geocast to a geographic region of an intended recipient.