Method, apparatus and system for transmitting and receiving data packets

• US 10,554,550 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pelion OY (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: ARM Finland Oy (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Piltonen, Joni, Saarnivala, Mikko
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong M
• Application Number:
  US15/691,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20180006940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/20 Hop count for routing purposes, e.g. TTL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for routing data packets. The solution in a communication network including a set of nodes, storing information regarding nodes of the network; and when transmitting a data packet to a destination node in the network, determining and including in the data packet the recipient identification; determining and including in the data packet the direction of the destination node in the network; determining and including in the data packet a hop count indicator indicating the number of node-to-node hops to the destination node; setting in the data packet the transmission direction indicator equal to a value corresponding to direction down and transmitting the packet.

Claims

1. An apparatus in a set of one or more apparatuses of a first communication network, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing computer program code and information on the number of child nodes of the apparatus,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

control communication with apparatuses of the set by transmitting and receiving data packets, the data packets comprising a recipient identification, a transmission direction indicator, and depending on the transmission direction indicator, a hop count indicator, wherein the apparatus is configured to receive a data packet;

determine the transmission direction indicator of the data packet;

determine if the apparatus is the recipient of the data packet and process the packet if so;

otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to the direction down, determine whether the hop count indicator equals zero and if so, discard the data packet;

otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction up, transmit the data packet;

otherwise, reduce the hop count indicator by one; and

if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down and the number of child nodes is larger than one, broadcast the data packet, otherwise if the number of child nodes is one, transmit the data packet to the child node.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to transmit and receive data packets comprising a transmission direction indicator having a value of two possible values corresponding to direction up and direction down.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the data packets comprise a hop count indicator if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to, when transmitting a packet originating from the apparatus, include in the packet:

the recipient identification for the packet;

the transmission direction indicator; and

the hop count indicator if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to store information on apparatuses of the set.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus is configured to store information on one apparatus in the up transmission direction and up to two apparatuses in down transmission direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to register itself to the communication network by transmitting in the up transmission direction a message comprising the identification of the apparatus, a lifetime indicator and a transmission direction indicator equaling a value corresponding to direction up.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to broadcast a packet by setting, prior to the transmission of a packet, the Medium Access Layer address to the data packet to a broadcast value indicating the data packet is to be received by all apparatuses receiving the transmission.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to communicate wirelessly with at least one other apparatus of the communication network.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a node in the communication network.

11. A web service system comprising one or more apparatuses in a communication network comprising a set of apparatuses, a first apparatus of the set comprising:

at least one processor, and at least one memory storing computer program code and information on a number of child nodes of the apparatus,

wherein, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the first apparatus at least to;

control communication with apparatuses of the set by transmitting and receiving data packets, the data packets comprising a recipient identification, a transmission direction indicator, and depending on the transmission direction indicator, a hop count indicator, wherein the first apparatus is configured to receive a data packet;

determine the transmission direction indicator of the data packet;

determine if the apparatus is the recipient of the data packet and process the packet if so;

otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down, determine whether the hop count indicator equals zero and if so, discard the data packet;

otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction up, transmit the data packet;

otherwise, reduce the hop count indicator by one, and

if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down and the number of child nodes is larger than one, broadcast the data packet to all apparatuses in communication therewith, otherwise if the number of child nodes is one, transmit the data packet to the child node.

12. The web service of claim 11, comprising:

a second apparatus in the communication network comprising;

at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus at least to perform;

store information regarding nodes of the communication network; and

when transmitting a data packet to a destination node in the communication network,

determine and include in the data packet the IPv6 address of the recipient;

determine the branch of the destination node in the network;

determine and include in the data packet a hop count indicator indicating the number of node-to-node hops to the destination node;

set and include in the data packet the transmission direction indicator equal to a value corresponding to direction down; and

transmit the packet.

13. A method in an apparatus, comprising:

controlling communication with one or more apparatuses;

transmitting and receiving data packets comprising a recipient identification, a transmission direction indicator, and depending on the transmission direction indicator, a hop count indicator;

receiving a data packet;

determine the transmission direction indicator of the data packet;

determining if the apparatus is the recipient of the data packet and process the packet if so;

otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down, determining whether the hop count indicator equals zero and if so, discard the data packet;

otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction up, transmitting the data packet;

otherwise, reducing the hop count indicator by one; and

if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down and a number of child nodes of the apparatus is larger than one, broadcasting the data packet to all apparatuses connected to the apparatus, otherwise if the number of child nodes of the apparatus is one, transmit the data packet to the child node.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

transmitting and receiving data packets comprising a transmission direction indicator having a value of two possible values corresponding to direction up and direction down.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the data packets comprise a hop count indicator if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

when transmitting a packet originating from the apparatus, including in the packet;

the recipient identification for the packet;

the transmission direction indicator; and

the hop count indicator if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

storing information on apparatuses of a communication network the apparatus is connected to.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

storing information on one apparatus in the up transmission direction and up to two apparatuses in down transmission direction.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

registering the apparatus to the communication network by transmitting in the up transmission direction a message comprising the identification of the apparatus, a lifetime indicator and a transmission direction indicator equaling a value corresponding to direction up.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

broadcasting a packet by setting, prior to the transmission of a packet, the Medium Access Layer address to the data packet to a broadcast value indicating the data packet is to be received by all apparatuses receiving the transmission.