Method to improve the information distribution in a communication network

• US 20040117505A1
• Filed: 12/13/2002
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Spyder Navigations LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Le, Franck, Faccin, Stefano M., Flinck, Hannu
• Granted Patent: US 7,330,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/028 Dynamic adaptation of the update intervals, e.g. event-triggered updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery

Abstract

A method of distributing information in a communication network, wherein first advertisement messages are distributed in broadcast with a certain repetition frequency, the first advertisement messages providing information directed to connectivity purposes which are specific to the communication network; second advertisement messages are available for a distribution at a lower frequency as the first advertisement messages, the second advertisement messages providing other information; and the second advertisement messages comprising an elongated structure with respect to the first advertisement messages.

Claims

1. A method of distributing information in a communication network, wherein

first advertisement messages are distributed in broadcast with a certain repetition frequency, the first advertisement messages providing information directed to connectivity purposes which are specific to the communication network;

second advertisement messages are available for a distribution at a lower frequency as the first advertisement messages, the second advertisement messages providing other information; and

the second advertisement messages comprising an elongated structure with respect to the first advertisement messages.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication network is based on any version of the Internet Protocol.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lower frequency is zero so that the second advertisement messages are only available upon request.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a capability of the second advertisement messages is signaled with a respective indication in the first advertisement messages.

5. A method of distributing information in a communication network, wherein

first advertisement messages are distributed in broadcast with a certain repetition frequency, the first advertisement messages providing information directed to connectivity purposes which are specific to the communication network;

second advertisement messages are available for a distribution at a lower frequency as the first advertisement messages, the second advertisement messages providing other information;

the second advertisement messages comprising an elongated structure with respect to the first advertisement messages;

the first and second advertisement messages are solicited by a requesting entity by respective first and second solicitation messages; and

the second solicitation messages specify the type of information to be provided by the second advertisement messages.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the communication network is based on any version of the Internet Protocol.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the lower frequency is zero so that the second advertisement messages are only available upon request.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the type of information to be provided by the second advertisement messages according to the specification of the second solicitation messages follows a system definition for the communication network.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the type of information to be provided by the second advertisement messages according to the specification of the second solicitation messages corresponds to individual requests of the respective soliciting entities.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the second advertisement messages are sent in unicast only to respective soliciting entities.

11. A system for distributing information in a communication network, comprising

means for generating first advertisement messages, wherein the first advertisement messages provide information directed to connectivity purposes which are specific to the communication network;

means for distributing the first advertisement messages in broadcast with a certain repetition frequency;

means for generating second advertisement messages, wherein the second advertisement messages provide other information and comprise an elongated structure with respect to the first advertisement messages; and

means for making the second advertisement messages available for a distribution at a lower frequency as the first advertisement messages.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the communication network is based on any version of the Internet Protocol.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the lower frequency is zero so that the means for making the second advertisement messages available provide them only upon request.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the means for generating the first advertisement messages indicate a capability of the second advertisement messages by inserting a respective indication in the first advertisement messages.

15. A system for distributing information in a communication network, comprising

means for generating first advertisement messages, wherein the first advertisement messages provide information directed to connectivity purposes which are specific to the communication network;

means for distributing the first advertisement messages in broadcast with a certain repetition frequency;

means for generating second advertisement messages, wherein the second advertisement messages provide other information and comprise an elongated structure with respect to the first advertisement messages;

means for making the second advertisement messages available for a distribution at a lower frequency as the first advertisement messages;

means for receiving first and second solicitation messages from a requesting entity, wherein the second solicitation messages specify the type of information to be provided by the second advertisement messages; and

means for providing the first and second advertisement messages according to the solicitation by respective first and second solicitation messages.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the communication network is based on any version of the Internet Protocol.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the lower frequency is zero so that the second advertisement messages are only available upon request.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein the means for providing the first and second advertisement messages according to the solicitation by respective first and second solicitation messages comprise a system definition for the communication network defining the type of information to be provided by the second advertisement messages according to the specification of the second solicitation messages.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein the means for providing the first and second advertisement messages according to the solicitation by respective first and second solicitation messages are implemented such that the type of information to be provided by them according to the specification of the second solicitation messages corresponds to individual requests of the respective soliciting entities.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the means for making the second advertisement messages available are sending the second advertisement messages in unicast only to respective soliciting entities.

21. An IP host for obtaining distributed information in a communication network, comprising

means for receiving first advertisement messages distributed in broadcast with a certain repetition frequency, wherein the first advertisement messages provide information directed to connectivity purposes which are specific to the communication network;

and

means for receiving second advertisement messages available for a distribution at a lower frequency as the first advertisement messages, wherein the second advertisement messages provide other information and comprise an elongated structure with respect to the first advertisement messages.

22. The IP host according to claim 21, wherein the communication network is based on any version of the Internet Protocol.

23. The IP host according to claim 21, wherein the lower frequency is zero so that the second advertisement messages are only available upon request and the means for receiving them also perform such request.

24. The IP host according to claim 21, wherein the means for receiving first advertisement messages also retrieve a capability of the second advertisement messages when signaled with a respective indication in the first advertisement messages.

25. An IP host for obtaining information in a communication network, comprising

means for receiving first advertisement messages distributed in broadcast with a certain repetition frequency, wherein the first advertisement messages provide information directed to connectivity purposes which are specific to the communication network;

means for receiving second advertisement messages available for a distribution at a lower frequency as the first advertisement messages, wherein the second advertisement messages provide other information and comprise an elongated structure with respect to the first advertisement messages;

means for generating first and second solicitation messages, wherein the second solicitation messages specify the type of information to be provided by the second advertisement messages; and

means for soliciting the first and second advertisement messages by respectively generated first and second solicitation messages.

26. The IP host according to claim 25, wherein the communication network is based on any version of the Internet Protocol.

27. The IP host according to claim 25, wherein the lower frequency is zero so that the second advertisement messages are only available upon request and the means for receiving them are also for performing such request.

28. The IP host according to claim 25, wherein the means for generating the first and second solicitation comprise a system definition for the communication network defining the type of information to be provided by the second advertisement messages according to the specification of the second solicitation messages.

29. The IP host according to claim 25, wherein the means for generating the first and second solicitation messages are implemented for individually requesting the type of information to be provided by the second advertisement messages.

30. The IP host according to claim 29, wherein the means for receiving the second advertisement messages also receive them when sent in unicast only to respective soliciting entities.