Data transport protocol for a multi-station network

• US 20050135242A1
• Filed: 06/24/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iwics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Iwics Incorporated
• Inventors: Larsen, James David, Rodman, Paul Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,213,438 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/10 based on available power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of operating a communication network, the network comprising a plurality of stations which are able to transmit data to and receive data from one another so that a message comprising a plurality of data packets is sent from an originating station to a destination station via at least one opportunistically selected intermediate station. The method makes use of probe signals transmitted from each station on a selected probing channel to which other stations respond to indicate their availability as destination or intermediate stations. A Request to Send message is sent, with a Clear to Send message returned by an available station. The station with data to send opportunistically selects an available station and the selected station uses a Packet Acknowledge message to confirm successful reception of the transmitted data packet. An End-to-End Acknowledge message is sent by the originating station, directly or indirectly, to confirm receipt of said data packets.

Claims

1. A communication network comprising a plurality of client stations each able to transmit and receive data so that the network can transmit a message comprising a plurality of data packets from an originating client station to a destination client station via at least one opportunistically selected intermediate client station, and wherein the network further comprises

a plurality of gateways arranged to serve as access points to the network for client stations;

a plurality of seed stations with which client stations can communicate, each seed station being in communication with at least one gateway, the plurality of seed stations extending the effective connectivity range of the client stations;

and at least one subscriber network manager for monitoring the client stations;

wherein each client station is adapted to;

define at least one probing channel, distinct from at least one data channel;

select, at each client station, a probing channel for the transmission of probe signals to other client stations;

transmit probe signals from each client station on the selected probing channel, other client stations which receive the first probe signals from a probing client station responding directly or indirectly to thereby indicate to the probing client station their availability as destination or intermediate client stations;

from a client station with data to send, transmit a probe signal comprising a Request to Send message to other available client stations indicating the wish to send data to a particular destination or destinations;

from an available client station receiving the request to send and that is able to receive data and based on the client stations own availability as destination or intermediate client stations, transmit a probe signal comprising a Clear to Send message, with information indicating its availability as destination or intermediate client stations, to the client station with data to send;

from the client station with data to send, opportunistically select a client station or stations that transmitted a Clear to Send message based on information in their Clear to Send messages and transmit at least one data packet to said selected client station or stations;

from the selected client station receiving the data packet, transmit a Packet Acknowledge message to the client station with data to send to confirm successful reception of the transmitted data packet; and

from a destination client station successfully receiving all data packets of a message from the originating client station, transmit an End-to-End Acknowledge message to the originating client station, directly or via one or more intermediate client stations, to confirm receipt of said data packets.

2. A communication network according to claim 1 wherein each originating client station is adapted to retain all the data packets of the message until the originating client station receives the End-to-End Acknowledge message from the destination client station.

3. A communication network according to claim 1 wherein each destination client station is adapted to retain all the data packets of the message until the destination client station transmits the End-to-End Acknowledge message to the originating client station.

4. A communication network according to claim 1 wherein each client station with data to send is adapted to retain the at least one data packet until the client station with data to send has transmitted the at least one data packet to the selected client station and until the selected client station confirms successful reception of the transmitted data packet.

5. A communication network according to claim 4 wherein each client station transmitting probe signals comprising Clear to Send messages is adapted to include in the Clear to Send message information on a data packet it has retained as a client station with data to send.