Node structure information management method and radio network system

• US 20040032625A1
• Filed: 04/29/2003
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamano, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/00 Network traffic management; Network resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/00 Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices

Abstract

A node configuration information management method and a wireless network system whereby node configuration information about a wireless bus comprising a hub station and a plurality of nodes is managed by the hub station in a centralized manner so that the hub station can share the latest node configuration information with all of the nodes. According to the node configuration information management method, when the node information in the wireless bus 11 is modified, a node notifies the hub station of the modification via a modification notifying packet. Further, 1) Each node and the hub station store the node configuration information about each node in a node configuration information table, and the hub station has a counter for managing the updating of the node configuration information table as a whole and transmits a count in each frame; 2) The hub station, upon reception of the node configuration modification notification from the node, updates its own node configuration information table, and broadcasts update information to all of the nodes; 3) The node receives the modification information and updates its own node configuration information table, while receiving the count transmitted in each frame, determining if there is updating on the part of the hub station, requesting retransmission of differential information concerning the difference, if any, from its own node configuration information table, and updating its own node configuration information table.

Claims

1. A method of managing the node configuration in a wireless network comprising a hub station and a plurality of nodes, wherein

the hub station comprises a hub station management table for managing unique information about each of the nodes, wherein the updating of the hub station management table is managed by first update timing information that is transmitted to all of the nodes periodically, wherein if the hub station management table is modified, modification information is transmitted to all of the nodes together with the first update timing information, wherein

each node has a node management table for managing the unique information about the node, wherein the node receives the first update timing information and the update information, compares first update timing information in its own management table with the first update timing information transmitted from the hub station, and rewrites its own management table based on the update information if its own update timing information is older.

8. The node configuration management method according to claim 1 or 7, wherein the hub station manages updating of the unique information about each node based on second update timing information in the hub station management table, wherein the hub station compares the first update timing information transmitted from each node with the second update timing information of the relevant node in order to select differential data.

2. A method of managing the node configuration in a wireless network comprising a hub station and a plurality of nodes, wherein

the hub station has a hub station management table for managing unique information about each of the nodes, wherein updating of the hub station management table is managed based on first update timing information that is transmitted to all of the nodes periodically, wherein

each node has a node management table for managing the unique information about the node, wherein the node receives the first update timing information and compares first update timing information in its own management table with the first update timing information transmitted from the hub station, wherein the node requests the transmission of the unique information data if its own update timing information is old, and rewrites its own management table based on the unique information data transmitted from the hub station in response to the request.

4. The node configuration management method according to claim 2, wherein the unique information data transmitted from the hub station in response to the request from the node for the transmission of the unique information data is differential data including only that data in the unique information which relates to a node that has been added, modified, or deleted subsequent to the update timing information carried by the node.

7. The node configuration management method according to claim 2, wherein the first update timing information is sequentially updated, wherein, if the first update timing information of the node is older than the first update timing information transmitted from the hub station by two or more, the node requests the hub station, together with the update timing information of its own, to transmit the relevant differential data.

3. A method of managing the node configuration in a wireless network comprising a hub station and a plurality of nodes, wherein

the hub station has a hub station management table for managing unique information about each node, wherein updating of the hub station management table is managed based on first update timing information, wherein

each node has a node management table for managing the unique information about each node, wherein the updating of the node management table is managed based on the first update timing information, the node periodically transmitting the first update timing information that it manages to the hub station, wherein

the hub station compares its own first update timing information with the first update timing information transmitted from each node periodically, the hub station creating the unique information data if the two items of information are different and transmitting it to the corresponding node, wherein

the node rewrites its own management table based on the data transmitted from the hub station.

5. The node configuration management method according to claim 3, wherein the hub station compares the first update timing information periodically transmitted from each node with its own first update timing information, and if there is a difference, the hub station creates unique information differential data corresponding to the difference and transmits it to the relevant node.

6. The node configuration management method according to claim 3, wherein the hub station periodically transmits the first update timing information to all of the nodes and, if the management table is modified, the hub station transmits modification information to all of the nodes together with the first update timing information.

10. The node configuration management method according to claim 3, wherein a frame structure for wireless transmission includes a region for transmitting the unique information about each node, a region for the hub station to transmit modified portion of the unique information to all of the nodes, and a data region for transmitting and receiving normal data, wherein the nodes make retransmission requests to the hub station individually by using the data region, the hub station transmitting differential data in response to the retransmission request using the data region.

9. The node configuration management method according to claim I or 2, wherein a frame structure for wireless communication includes a region for transmitting the first update timing information managed by the hub station to all of the nodes, a region for transmitting the unique information about each node, a region for the hub station to transmit modified portion of the unique information to all of the nodes, and a data region for transmitting and receiving normal data, wherein each node makes a retransmission request to the hub station individually using the data region, the hub station transmitting differential data in response to the retransmission request using the data region.

11. A wireless network system comprising a hub station and a plurality of nodes, wherein

the hub station comprises a hub station management table for managing unique information about each node based on first update timing information, a detection means for detecting a modification in the node configuration, an update means for updating the hub station management table in accordance with the result of detection by the detection means, and a transmitter for transmitting, if there is a modification in the hub station management table, modification information to all of the nodes together with the first update timing information, as well as transmitting the first update timing information to all of the nodes periodically, wherein

each node comprises a node management table for managing the unique information about the node based on the first update timing information, a receiver for receiving the first update timing information, and an update means for comparing the first update timing information in the node management table of the node with the first update timing information transmitted from the hub station and for updating, if the update timing information of the node is old, its own node management table based on the modification information.

12. A wireless network system comprising a hub station and a plurality of nodes, wherein

the hub station comprises a hub station management table for managing unique information about each node based on first update timing information, a detection means for detecting a modification in the node configuration, an update means for updating the hub station management table in accordance with the result of detection by the detection means, and a transmitter for transmitting the first update timing information to all of the nodes periodically, wherein

each node comprises a node management table for managing the unique information about the node based on the first update timing information, a receiver for receiving the first update timing information, a data transmission request means for comparing the first update timing information in the node management table of the node with the first update timing information transmitted from the hub station and for requesting, if the update timing information of the node is old, the transmission of the unique information data, and an update means for updating its own node management table based on the unique information data transmitted from the hub station in accordance with the request.