Method for transmitting FATIM in mobile ad hoc network and medium access control protocol layer module therefor

• US 20050190767A1
• Filed: 07/26/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Seo, Myung-Hwan, Ma, Joong-Soo, Lee, Soon-Jung
• Granted Patent: US 7,522,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for transmitting a flooding ad hoc traffic indication message (FATIM) in a power save mode whose beacon interval is divided into an ad hoc traffic indication message (ATIM) window and data transmission window subsequent to the ATIM window, in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) constituted by a plurality of nodes. When one of the plurality of nodes has data to be forwarded to different nodes, a FATIM frame indicating that a network broadcast message will be sent to its neighbor nodes is forwarded during the ATIM window. If a current ATIM window has not expired, at least one different node of the plurality of nodes receiving the FATIM frame forwards the received FATIM frame to its neighbor nodes.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a flooding ad hoc traffic indication message (FATIM) in a power save mode having a beacon interval that is divided into an ad hoc traffic indication message (ATIM) window and a next data transmission window, in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) including a plurality of nodes, comprising the steps of:

when one of the plurality of nodes has data to be forwarded to different nodes, forwarding a FATIM frame indicating that a network broadcast message will be sent to its neighbor nodes during the ATIM window; and

if the ATIM window has not expired, forwarding the received FATIM frame from at least one different node of the plurality of nodes receiving the FATIM frame to its neighbor nodes.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the nodes receiving the FATIM frame stay awake during the next data transmission window from which the FATIM frame is received.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the FATIM frame comprises a time-to-live (TTL) field including a value representing an ATIM frame transmission range in a unit of hops.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, further comprising the step of:

changing the TTL field value of the FATIM frame before the at least one different node of the plurality of nodes receiving the FATIM frame forwards the received FATIM frame to its neighbor nodes.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

if the current ATIM window expires, forwarding the received FATIM frame from the at least one different node of the plurality of nodes receiving the FATIM frame to its neighbor nodes during a next ATIM window.

6. A medium access control (MAC) protocol layer module for transmitting a flooding ad hoc traffic indication message (FATIM) in a power save mode having a beacon interval that is divided into an ad hoc traffic indication message (ATIM) window and a next data transmission window, in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) including a plurality of nodes, comprising:

a controller for forwarding a FATIM frame indicating that a network broadcast message will be sent to its neighbor nodes during the ATIM window when data to be forwarded to the plurality of nodes is present, determining whether a current ATIM window has expired when the FATIM frame is received from at least one of the neighbor nodes, and forwarding the received FATIM frame to its neighbor nodes according to a result of the determination.

7. The MAC protocol layer module as set forth in claim 6, wherein the plurality of nodes receiving the FATIM frame stay awake during the next data transmission window from which the FATIM frame is received.

8. The MAC protocol layer module as set forth in claim 6, wherein the FATIM frame comprises a time-to-live (TTL) field including a value representing an ATIM frame transmission range in a unit of hops.

9. The MAC protocol layer module as set forth in claim 8, wherein the controller changes the TTL field value of the FATIM frame before at least one different node of the plurality of nodes receiving the FATIM frame forwards the received FATIM frame to its neighbor nodes.

10. The MAC protocol layer module as set forth in claim 6, wherein the controller forwards the received FATIM frame to its neighbor nodes during a next ATIM window, if the ATIM window has expired, when receiving the FATIM frame.