Methods and apparatuses for routing data in a personal area network

• US 20050135379A1
• Filed: 07/01/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.), Intel Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation), NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV), Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Chhabra, Jasmeet, Krishnamurthy, Lakshman, Smith, Zachary, Kling, Ralph, Orlik, Philip V., Sahinoglu, Zafer, Liu, Yong, Hu, Xuhui, Zhu, Chunhui, Hester, Lance Eric, Lee, Myung J., Allen, Vernon Anthony, Callaway, Edgar Herbert Jr., Jamieson, Phil, Rudland, Phil
• Granted Patent: US 7,564,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.310
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/52 Multiprotocol routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The invention is a routing method for data in a personal area network. The personal area network includes a plurality of nodes. The method includes receiving a frame at a node, determining whether the node contains a routing table entry for the frame destination, and when the node contains a routing table entry, determining a route for the frame based on a first routing protocol. The method further includes, when the node does not contain a routing table entry for the frame destination, determining whether a route should be discovered for the frame destination, and when a route should not be discovered, determining a route for the frame based on a second routing protocol.

Claims

1. A communication protocol for a personal area network, said protocol comprising the steps of:

receiving a frame;

determining whether an entry in a routing table exists for the destination of said frame;

when said entry in a routing table exists for the destination of said frame, determining a route for said frame based on a first routing protocol; and

when said entry in a routing table does not exist for the destination of said frame, determining a route for said frame based on a second routing protocol.

2. The communication protocol of claim 1, wherein said first routing protocol is a table-based routing protocol.

3. The communication protocol of claim 2, wherein said table-based routing protocol is an ad hoc on demand distance vector routing protocol.

4. The communication protocol of claim 1, wherein said second routing protocol is a tree-based routing protocol.

5. The communication protocol of claim 1, wherein said frame is received at a network coordinator node.

6. The communication protocol of claim 1, wherein said frame is received at a fully functional node.

7. The communication protocol of claim 1, wherein when said frame is received at a reduced function node;

said method comprising the step of determining a route for said frame based on a tree-based routing protocol.

8. The communication protocol of claim 1, wherein said frame comprises a source address and a destination address.

9. A communication protocol for a personal area network, said protocol comprising the steps of:

receiving a frame;

determining whether a routing table entry exists for the destination of said frame;

when a routing table entry exists for the destination of said frame, determining a route for said frame based on a first routing protocol; and

when a routing table entry does not exist for the destination of said frame, evaluating a route discovery flag in said frame.

10. The communication protocol of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

when said route discovery flag is evaluated to be in a first state, initiating a route discovery process based on said first routing protocol; and

when said route discovery flag is evaluated to be in a second state, determining a route for said frame based on a second routing protocol.

11. The communication protocol of claim 10, wherein said first routing protocol is a table-based routing protocol.

12. The communication protocol of claim 11, wherein said table-based routing protocol is an ad hoc on demand distance vector routing protocol.

13. The communication protocol of claim 10, wherein said second routing protocol is a tree-based routing protocol.

14. The communication protocol of claim 9, wherein said frame is received at a network coordinator node.

15. The communication protocol of claim 9, wherein said frame is received at a fully functional node.

16. The communication protocol of claim 9, wherein when said frame is received at a reduced function node;

said method comprising the step of determining a route for said frame based on a tree-based routing protocol.

17. The communication protocol of claim 9, wherein said frame comprises a source address and a destination address.

18. A communication protocol for a personal area network, said personal area network comprising a plurality of nodes, said protocol comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one route request signal at a node;

determining whether said route request signal was received along a valid tree path;

when said route request signal was received along a valid tree path, determining whether said node is the destination of said route request signal; and

when said route request signal was not received along a valid tree path, discarding said route request signal.

19. The communication protocol of claim 18, wherein a valid tree path may be predefined for said personal area network.

20. The communication protocol of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

when said node is determined to be the destination of said route request signal, transmitting a route reply signal; and

when said node is determined not to be the destination of said route request signal, transmitting a route request signal.

21. The communication protocol of claim 18, wherein when said node is a reduced function node;

said method comprising the steps of;

determining whether said reduced function node is a destination for said at least one route request signal; and

when said reduced function node is the destination of said at least one route request signal, sending a route reply signal to the source node of said route request signal.

22. A communication protocol for a personal area network, said personal area network comprising a plurality of nodes, said protocol comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one route reply signal at a node;

determining whether said node is the destination for said at least one route reply signal;

when said node is the destination for said at least one route reply signal, comparing a route cost in the at least one route reply signal to at least one parameter; and

when said route cost is less than said at least one parameter, recording the route of said route reply signal.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one parameter is predetermined for said personal area network.

24. A communication protocol for a personal area network;

said protocol comprising the steps of;

determining whether the destination of a frame is recorded in a routing table;

routing said frame according to a first routing protocol when said destination of said frame is recorded in said routing table; and

when said destination of said frame is not recorded in said routing table, routing said frame according to a second routing protocol.

25. The communication protocol of claim 24, wherein said first routing protocol is a table-based routing protocol.

26. The communication protocol of claim 25, wherein said table-based routing protocol is an ad hoc on demand distance vector routing protocol.

27. The communication protocol of claim 24, wherein said second routing protocol is a tree-based routing protocol.

28. The communication protocol of claim 24, wherein said personal area network is one of a tree, star, or hybrid topology network.

29. A communication protocol for a personal area network;

said protocol comprising the steps of;

providing at least one node, said at least one node for determining whether the destination of a frame is recorded in a routing table;

routing said frame according to a first routing protocol when said destination of said frame is recorded in said routing table; and

when said destination of said frame is not recorded in said routing table, routing said frame according to a second routing protocol.

30. The communication protocol of claim 29, wherein said at least one node comprises one of a network coordinator node, a fully functional node, or a reduced function node.

31. A communication protocol for a personal area network;

said protocol comprising the steps of;

evaluating a route discovery flag in at least one frame, wherein said route discovery flag has a first state and a second state;

initiating a route discovery process based on a first routing protocol when said route discovery flag is evaluated to be in a first state; and

determining a route for said frame based on a second routing protocol when said route discovery flag is evaluated to be in a second state.

32. The communication protocol of claim 31, wherein said first routing protocol is a table-based routing protocol.

33. The personal area network of claim 32, wherein said table-based routing protocol is an ad hoc on demand distance vector routing protocol.

34. The communication protocol of claim 31, wherein said second routing protocol is a tree-based routing protocol.

35. A communication protocol for a personal area network;

said protocol comprising the steps of;

providing at least one node, said at least one node for evaluating a route discovery flag in at least one frame, wherein said route discovery flag has a first state and a second state;

initiating a route discovery process based on a first routing protocol when said route discovery flag is evaluated to be in a first state; and

determining a route for said frame based on a second routing protocol when said route discovery flag is evaluated to be in a second state.

36. The communication protocol of claim 35, wherein said at least one node comprises one of a network coordinator node, a fully functional node, or a reduced function node.

37. A communication protocol for a personal area network;

said protocol comprising the steps of;

providing at least one node, said at least one node for determining whether a route request signal was received along a valid tree path, determining whether said at least one node is the destination of said route request signal when said route request signal is determined to be received along a valid tree path, and discarding said route request signal when said at least one node determines that said route request signal was not received along a valid tree path.

38. The communication protocol of claim 37, further including said at least one node for transmitting a route reply signal when said at least one node determines that said at least one node is the destination of said route request signal.

39. The communication protocol of claim 37, further including said at least one node for transmitting a route request signal when said at least one node determines that said at least one node is not the destination of said route request signal.