Method, node and arrangement in a communication network

• US 20010002908A1
• Filed: 12/04/2000
• Published: 06/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Aleksanteri, Tero, Rune, Johan
• Application Number:
  US09/729,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20010002908A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/56 Packet switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/602 Multilayer or multiprotocol switching, e.g. IP switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method, arrangement and node for routing packets within a Bluetooth network. More particularly it relates to the problem of high level routing within Bluetooth networks, requiring a lot of processing overhead and data buffering.

The problem is solved by means of a method for routing a packet, from a first node, via the forwarding node to a second node, within a Bluetooth network. In the first node, a forwarding indicator and routing information is noted in a header of the Baseband packet. The packet is transferred to the forwarding node which analyses the indicator and the routing information in the Baseband header. The packet is forwarded without unpacking and analysing the information of protocol layers higher than the Baseband layer.

Claims

1. Method for routing a packet within a Bluetooth network from a first node via a forwarding node to a second node, the packet having a first representation on a Baseband layer as a Baseband packet and a second representation on a Logical Link Control and Adaptation Layer Protocol, L2CAP, layer as a L2CAP packet, the L2CAP layer receding on a higher layer than the Baseband layer, the method comprising the steps of:

indicating (601) in a header of the Baseband packet that the packet should be forwarded;

noting (602) relevant routing information in a header of the Baseband packet;

transmitting (603) the packet from the first node to the forwarding node;

analysing (604) the indication and the routing information;

short-circuiting (605) the L2CAP layer of the packet;

forwarding (606) the packet to the second node (G) according to the routing information.

2. Method according to the previous claim, wherein one or more L2CAP packets, including data from the same sequence and being forwarded to the same destination, are segmented into multiple Baseband packets which constitute a first Baseband packet comprising the first segment of the L2CAP packets respective subsequent Baseband packets, each Baseband packet comprising the respective subsequent segment of the L2CAP packets, the method comprising the further step of:

including in a header of the first Baseband packet, an indication of that the forwarding node shall store the routing information of the first Baseband packet and associate the routing information with the incoming link.

3. Method according to the previous claim, comprising the further step of:

setting a Routing Information Indicator RII in the header of the first Baseband packet, the set RII indicating that the routing information is present.

4. Method according to the previous claim, comprising the further steps to be taken by the forwarding node after receiving the first Baseband packet;

storing the relevant routing information in a memory of the forwarding node; and

associating the relevant routing information with the incoming link on which the Baseband packet was received.

5. Method according to the previous claim, comprising the further step to be taken by the first node, after transmitting the first Baseband packet:

excluding the routing information from a header of a subsequent Baseband packet.

6. Method according to the previous claim, comprising the further steps of:

clearing the RII in the header of the subsequent Baseband packet which indicates that no routing information is present; and

transmitting the subsequent Baseband packet to the forwarding node.

7. Method according to the previous claim, comprising the further steps to be taken by the forwarding node when the subsequent Baseband packet is received:

analysing a header of the subsequent Baseband packet; and

forwarding the subsequent Baseband packet to the second node, according to the stored routing information of the first Baseband packet.

8. Method according to any of the claims 1-7, wherein the header constitutes the Baseband packet header.

9. Method according to the previous claim, comprising the further step to be taken by the forwarding node:

short-circuiting the Baseband payload sublayer.

10. Method according to any of the claims 1-7, wherein the header constitutes the Payload header of the Baseband packet.

11. A computer program product directly loadable into the internal memory of a digital computer within a node being a member of a Bluetooth communication network, comprising the software code portions for performing the steps of any of the claims 1-10, when said product is run on a computer.

12. A computer program product stored on a computer usable medium, comprising readable program for causing a computer, within a node being a member of a Bluetooth communication network, to control an execution of the steps of any of the claims 1-10.

13. A Bluetooth network comprising a first node, a second node, at least one forwarding node, and a packet to be transferred, the packet having a first representation on a Baseband layer as a Baseband packet and a second representation on a Logical Link Control and Adaptation Layer Protocol, L2CAP, layer as a L2CAP packet, the L2CAP receding on a higher layer than the Baseband, characterised by

the first node having means for indicating in a header of the Baseband packet that the packet should be forwarded;

the first node having means for noting relevant routing information in a header of the Baseband packet;

the first node having means for transmitting the packet to the forwarding node;

the forwarding node having means for analysing the indication and the routing information;

the forwarding node having means for short-circuiting the L2CAP layer of the packet; and

the forwarding node having means for forwarding the packet to the second node according to the routing information.

14. Bluetooth network according to the previous claim, wherein one or more L2CAP packets, including data from the same sequence and being forwarded to the same destination, are segmented into multiple Baseband packets, constituting a first Baseband packet, comprising the first segment of the L2CAP packets and subsequent Baseband packets, each comprising the respective subsequent segment of the L2CAP packets characterised by the first node having means for including in a header of a first Baseband packet, an indication of that the forwarding node shall store the routing information of the first Baseband packet and associate the routing information with the incoming link.

15. Bluetooth network according to the previous claim, characterised by the first node having means for setting a Routing Information Indicator, RII, in the header of the first Baseband packet, the set RII indicating that routing information is present.

16. Bluetooth network according to the previous claim, characterised by the forwarding node having means for storing the relevant routing information in a memory.

17. Bluetooth network according to the previous claim, characterised by the forwarding node having means for associating the relevant routing information with the incoming link.

18. Bluetooth network according to the previous claim, characterised by the first node having means for excluding the routing information from a header of a subsequent Baseband packet.

19. Bluetooth network according to the previous claim, characterised by the first node having means for clearing the RII in the header of the subsequent Baseband packet which indicates that no routing information is present.

20. Bluetooth network according to the previous claim, characterised by the forwarding node having means for forwarding the subsequent Baseband packet to the second node, according the stored routing information of the first Baseband packet.

21. Bluetooth network according to any of the claims 13-20 characterised by the header constituting the Baseband packet header.

22. Bluetooth network according to the previous claim characterised by the forwarding node having means for short-circuiting the Baseband payload sublayer.

23. Bluetooth network according to any of the claims 13-20 characterised in that the header constitutes the Payload header of the Baseband packet.

27. Node (501) according to the previous

claim 21

, characterised by after receiving a packet comprising routing information, having means for storing the routing information in a memory.

28. Node (501) according to the previous claim, characterised by having means for associating the routing information with the incoming link.

29. Node (501) according to the previous claim, characterised by having means for excluding from a header of a subsequent Baseband packet the routing information.

30. Node (501) according to the previous claim, characterised by having means for clearing the RII in the header of the subsequent Baseband packet, which indicates that no routing information is present.

31. Node (501) according to the previous claim, characterised by having means for forwarding the subsequent Baseband packet, according to a stored routing information of a first Baseband packet, to a node within the Bluetooth network.

24. A node (501) within a Bluetooth network for transmitting and routing packets, the packets the packet having a first representation on a Baseband layer as a Baseband packet and a second representation on a Logical Link Control and Adaptation Layer Protocol, L2CAP, layer as a L2CAP packet, the L2CAP receding on a higher layer than the Baseband, characterised by the node having means for:

indicating (504) in a header of a Baseband packet that a packet should be forwarded;

noting (503) relevant routing information in a header of a Baseband packet;

transmitting (502) a packet to a forwarding node;

analysing (506) the indication and the routing information in a received packet;

short-circuiting (507) the Logical Link Control and Adaptation Layer Protocol, L2CAP, layer of a received packet; and

forwarding (508) a packet to a second node according to the routing information.

25. Node (501) according to the previous claim, wherein one or more L2CAP packets, including data from the same sequence and being forwarded to the same destination, are segmented into multiple Baseband packets, constituting a first Baseband packet, comprising the first segment of the L2CAP packets and subsequent Baseband packets, each comprising the respective subsequent segment of the L2CAP packets characterised by the node having means for including in a header of the first Baseband packet, indication of that a forwarding node shall store the routing information of the first Baseband packet and associate the routing information with the incoming link.

26. Node (501) according to the previous claim, characterised by having means for setting a Routing Information Indicator, RII, in a header of the first Baseband packet, the RII indicating that routing information is present.

32. Node (501) according to any of the claims 24-31 characterised by the header constituting the Baseband packet header.

33. Node (501) according to the previous claim characterised by the forwarding node having means for short-circuiting the Baseband payload sublayer.

34. Node (501) according to any of the claims 24-31 characterised in that the header constitutes the Payload header of the Baseband packet.