Intelligent communication node object beacon framework including neighbor discovery in a mobile ad hoc network

• US 20040042434A1
• Filed: 09/04/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stingray IP Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kennedy, Robert A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,763,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The mobile ad hoc network includes a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together. The nodes advertise using variable beacon signals. The method includes neighbor discovery with beacon signal detection The method includes searching for the variable beacon signals at a given mobile node using an initial detection rate and at an initial detection frequency, and increasing a detection rate from the initial detection rate up to a maximum detection rate while searching for the variable beacon signals at the initial detection frequency. The detection frequency may also be varied.

Claims

1. A method for detecting variable beacon signals in a mobile ad hoc network comprising a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together, each of the mobile nodes transmitting node condition information using the variable beacon signals, the variable beacon signals being varied based upon a node condition, the method comprising:

defining an initial detection rate;

defining an initial detection frequency;

defining a maximum detection rate;

searching for the variable beacon signals at a given mobile node using the initial detection rate and at the initial detection frequency; and

increasing a detection rate from the initial detection rate up to the maximum detection rate while searching for the variable beacon signals at the initial detection frequency.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein defining the maximum detection rate comprises setting the maximum detection rate at a predetermined maximum detection rate for the given mobile node.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein defining the maximum detection rate comprises setting the maximum detection rate at a received maximum detection rate transmitted by a neighboring mobile node.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the detection rate is increased according to a function defining time varying properties of the variable beacon signal of a neighboring mobile node.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the variable beacon signals vary in transmission frequency;

and further comprising changing a detection frequency from the initial detection frequency while searching for the variable beacon signals.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the variable beacon signals vary in at least one of transmission rate, transmission frequency and transmission pattern.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the node condition includes node movement, and the transmission rate of the variable beacon signal is increased based upon increased node movement and decreased based upon decreased node movement.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the node movement comprises at least one of node velocity, node acceleration and node movement pattern of the corresponding mobile node.

9. A method according to claim 6 wherein the node condition includes quality of service (QoS), and at least one of the transmission rate, the transmission frequency and the transmission pattern of the variable beacon signal are varied based upon changes in QoS.

10. A method according to claim 6 wherein the node condition includes priority of information, and at least one of the transmission rate, the transmission frequency and the transmission pattern of the variable beacon signal are varied based upon changes in priority of information.

11. A method according to claim 6 wherein the transmission rate of the variable beacon signal does not exceed a transmission rate threshold based upon available bandwidth.

12. A method according to claim 1 further comprising determining a type of variable beacon signal being transmitted from a neighboring mobile node by processing beacon signal information received from the neighboring mobile node via a beacon properties signal.

13. A method for detecting variable beacon signals in a mobile ad hoc network comprising a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together, each of the mobile nodes transmitting node condition information using the variable beacon signals, the variable beacon signals being varied based upon a node condition, the method comprising:

defining an initial detection rate;

defining an initial detection frequency;

searching for the variable beacon signals at a given mobile node using the initial detection rate and at the initial detection frequency; and

increasing a detection rate from the initial detection rate according to a function defining time varying properties of the variable beacon signal of a neighboring mobile node while searching for the variable beacon signals at the initial detection frequency.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the detection rate is increased up to a maximum detection rate.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the maximum detection rate is based upon a received maximum detection rate transmitted by a neighboring mobile node.

16. A method according to claim 13 wherein the variable beacon signals vary in transmission frequency;

and further comprising changing a detection frequency from the initial detection frequency while searching for the variable beacon signals.

17. A method according to claim 13 wherein the variable beacon signals vary in at least one of transmission rate, transmission frequency and transmission pattern.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the node condition includes node movement, and the transmission rate of the variable beacon signal is increased based upon increased node movement and decreased based upon decreased node movement.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein the node movement comprises at least one of node velocity, node acceleration and node movement pattern of the corresponding mobile node.

20. A method according to claim 17 wherein the node condition includes quality of service (QoS), and at least one of the transmission rate, the transmission frequency and the transmission pattern of the variable beacon signal are varied based upon changes in QoS.

21. A method according to claim 17 wherein the node condition includes priority of information, and at least one of the transmission rate, the transmission frequency and the transmission pattern of the variable beacon signal are varied based upon changes in priority of information.

22. A method according to claim 17 wherein the transmission rate of the variable beacon signal does not exceed a transmission rate threshold based upon available bandwidth.

23. A method according to claim 13 further comprising determining a type of variable beacon signal being transmitted from a neighboring mobile node by processing beacon signal information received from the neighboring mobile node via a beacon properties signal.

24. A mobile ad hoc network comprising:

a plurality of wireless mobile nodes;

a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together;

each mobile node comprising

a communications device to wirelessly communicate with other nodes of the plurality of nodes via the wireless communication links, and

a controller to route communications via the communications device, and comprising

a beacon signal generator to generate and transmit node condition information using a variable beacon signal, the variable beacon signals being varied based upon a node condition; and

a beacon signal detector to search for the variable beacon signals at a detection rate, which is increased from an initial detection rate up to a maximum detection rate, and at an initial detection frequency.

25. A network according to claim 24 wherein the maximum detection rate comprises a predetermined maximum detection rate.

26. A network according to claim 24 wherein the maximum detection rate comprises a received maximum detection rate transmitted by a neighboring mobile node.

27. A network according to claim 24 wherein the beacon signal detector increases the detection rate according to a function defining time varying properties of the variable beacon signal of a neighboring mobile node.

28. A network according to claim 24 wherein the variable beacon signals vary in transmission frequency;

and wherein the beacon signal detector changes a detection frequency from the initial detection frequency while searching for the variable beacon signals.

29. A network according to claim 24 wherein the beacon signal generator varies the variable beacon signal by varying at least one of transmission rate, transmission frequency and transmission pattern.

30. A network according to claim 29 wherein the node condition includes node movement, and the beacon signal generator increases the transmission rate of the variable beacon signal based upon increased node movement and decreases the transmission rate based upon decreased node movement.

31. A network according to claim 30 wherein the node movement comprises at least one of node velocity, node acceleration and node movement pattern.

32. A network according to claim 24 wherein the beacon signal generator transmits beacon signal information using a beacon properties signal to advertise a type of beacon signal being transmitted to the plurality of nodes of the mobile ad hoc network.

33. A network according to claim 24 wherein the beacon signal detector determines a type of variable beacon signal being transmitted from a neighboring mobile node by processing beacon signal information received from the neighboring mobile node via a beacon properties signal.