Method or device for delivering a packet in a scatternet

• US 20050188103A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Hongyuan
• Application Number:
  US10/749,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20050188103A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method of delivering a packet from a first device in a first piconet of a scatternet to a destination device in a second piconet of the scatternet comprising: creating a direct radio communications link between the first device and the destination device; and transmitting the packet via the direct radio communications link. Alternatively, a method of delivering a packet from a first device in a first piconet of a scatternet to a destination device in a second piconet of that scatternet comprising: creating a third piconet between the first piconet and the second piconet; and transmitting the packet via the third piconet. Alternatively, a method of delivering a packet from a first device in a first piconet of a scatternet to a destination device in a second piconet of the scatternet comprising: receiving the packet at the first device; determining whether the creation of a direct radio communications link between the first device and the destination device is possible; and if it is not possible, forwarding the packet within the scatternet.

Claims

1. A method of delivering a packet from a first device in a first piconet of a scatternet to a destination device in a second piconet of the scatternet comprising:

creating a direct radio communications link between the first device and the destination device; and

transmitting the packet via the direct radio communications link.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the destination device is joined to the first piconet.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of creating a direct radio communications link creates a third piconet between the first piconet and the second piconet.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first device operates as Master of the third piconet.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scatternet has a topology defined at initiation of the scatternet and creating the direct radio communications link adjusts the topology of the scatternet.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the direct radio communications link creates a short-circuit in the network topology.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a piconet is a star-topology low power radio frequency network comprising a Master as a central node and one or more Slaves as dependent nodes, each of which has a radio communications link to the Master, and a scatternet is a distributed low power radio frequency network comprising a plurality of piconets that are interconnected by radio communication links.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first device and/or the destination device are mobile.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the creation of a direct radio communications link between the first device and the destination device is possible.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the packet comprises an address of the destination device and the step of determining uses the identity of the destination device.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of determining comprises determining if the destination device is within radio communication range of the first device.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first device maintains a list of devices within radio communication range.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the list comprises, for each device within communication range, an address and a clock offset.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the list is maintained using the Bluetooth Inquiry procedure.

15. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of determining comprises the first device determining whether the destination device is included in the list.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the comparison occurs within the Bluetooth Link layer.

17. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the direct radio communications link is temporary.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the direct radio communications link is released after a predetermined period of inactivity.

19. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the packet is a routing request.

21. A carrier embodying a computer program which when loaded into a processor enables a method as claimed in claim 1.

20. A method of delivering a packet from a first device in a first star-topology sub-network of a distributed low power radio frequency network to a destination device in a second star-topology sub-network of the distributed network comprising:

creating a direct low power radio frequency communications link between the first device and the destination device; and

transmitting the packet via the direct low power radio frequency communications link.

22. A device for participating in a first piconet of a scatternet and for delivering a packet to a destination device in a second piconet of the scatternet comprising:

means for creating a new direct radio communications link to the destination device while maintaining an existing direct radio communications link within the first piconet; and

a radio transmitter for transmitting the packet via the new direct communications link.

23. A method of delivering a packet from a first device in a first piconet of a scatternet to a destination device in a second piconet of the scatternet comprising:

receiving the packet at the first device;

determining whether the creation of a direct radio communications link between the first device and the destination device is possible; and

if it is not possible, forwarding the packet within the scatternet.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23, further comprising adding an address of the first device to the packet before forwarding it.

25. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the received packet is transferred from a network layer to a link layer and, if possible, the link layer creates a direct radio communications link with the destination device and, if not possible, the link layer forwards the received packet.

26. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the received packet is buffered in a network layer and a notification comprising the address of the destination device is transferred to a link layer and, if possible, the link layer creates a direct radio communications link with the destination device and, if not possible, replies to the network layer which transfers the received packet to the link layer for forwarding.

27. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the method further comprises, if the creation of a direct radio communications link between the first device and the destination device is possible, creating a direct radio communications link between the first device and the destination device.

28. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the received packet is a route request packet and the method further comprises, if the creation of a direct radio communications link between the first device and the destination device is possible, transmitting a reply packet to a source of the received route request packet.

29. A method of determining a route from a source device in a first piconet of a scatternet to a destination device in a second piconet of that scatternet comprising, before generating a routing request, determining, at the source device, whether the creation of a direct radio communications link between the source device and the destination device is possible;

and if it is not possible, generating, at the source device, a routing request for forwarding within the scatternet.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the method further comprises, if the creation of a direct radio communications link between the first device and the destination device is possible, creating a direct radio communications link between the first device and the destination device.

31. A method of delivering a packet from a first device in a first piconet of a scatternet to a destination device in a second piconet of that scatternet comprising:

creating a third piconet between the first piconet and the second piconet; and

transmitting the packet via the third piconet.

32. A method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the first device operates as Master of the third piconet.

33. A method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the step of creating a third piconet comprises creating a direct radio communications link between the first device and the destination device.

34. A method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the scatternet has a topology defined at initiation of the scatternet and creating a third piconet aadjusts the topology of the scatternet.

35. A method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the third piconet creates a short-circuit in the network topology.

36. A method as claimed in claim 31, wherein a piconet is a star-topology low power radio frequency network comprising a Master as a central node and one or more Slaves as dependent nodes, each of which has a radio communications link to the Master, and a scatternet is a distributed low power radio frequency network comprising a plurality of piconets that are interconnected by radio communication links.