Unicast messaging for waking up sleeping devices

• US 20050198219A1
• Filed: 03/04/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fernandes, Lilian Sylvia, Vallabhaneni, Vasu, Banerjee, Dwip N., Jain, Vinit
• Application Number:
  US10/793,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20050198219A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections

Abstract

Returning to normal power mode a sleeping device operating in low power mode, where the sleeping device is connected to a network, and the sleeping device has a network layer address and a link layer address. Typical embodiments include configuring an administrative device connected to the network with the network layer address of the sleeping device, the link layer address of the sleeping device, and a network layer address of a last router on a route to the sleeping device; instructing the router to store the network layer address of the sleeping device in association with the link layer address of the sleeping device; sending from the administrative device to the sleeping device through the router a unicast message to return to normal power mode.

Claims

1. A method for returning to normal power mode a sleeping device operating in low power mode, wherein the sleeping device is connected to a network and the sleeping device has a network layer address and a link layer address, the method comprising:

configuring an administrative device connected to the network with the network layer address of the sleeping device, the link layer address of the sleeping device, and a network layer address of a last router on a route to the sleeping device;

instructing the router to store the network layer address of the sleeping device in association with the link layer address of the sleeping device;

sending from the administrative device to the sleeping device through the router a unicast message to return to normal power mode.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

instructing the router to store the network layer address of the sleeping device in association with the link layer address of the sleeping device further comprises transmitting, from the administrative device to the router, a message bearing the network layer address of the sleeping device and the link layer address of the sleeping device; and

the method further comprises storing in the router in response to the message the network layer address of the sleeping device in association with the link layer address of the sleeping device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the message bearing the network layer address of the sleeping device and the link layer address of the sleeping device is a DHCP offer message.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein transmitting, from the administrative device to the router, a message bearing the network layer address of the sleeping device and the link layer address of the sleeping device further comprises:

creating in the administrative device a DHCP offer message; and

transmitting the DHCP offer message to a DHCP relay agent on the router.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the message comprises a DHCP offer message; and

storing the network layer address of the sleeping device in association with the link layer address of the sleeping device further comprises storing through a DHCP relay agent on the router an ARP cache entry including the network layer address of the sleeping device and the link layer address of the sleeping device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein sending from the administrative device to the sleeping device a unicast message to return to normal power mode further comprises:

receiving the unicast message in the router as a network layer message addressed to the network layer address of the sleeping device;

retrieving the stored link layer address of the sleeping device; and

transmitting the unicast message as a link layer message to the sleeping device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the unicast message to return to normal power mode includes a message type code identifying the message as an instruction to return to normal power mode.

8. A system for returning to normal power mode a sleeping device operating in low power mode, wherein the sleeping device is connected to a network and the sleeping device has a network layer address and a link layer address, the system comprising:

means for configuring an administrative device connected to the network with the network layer address of the sleeping device, the link layer address of the sleeping device, and a network layer address of a last router on a route to the sleeping device;

means for instructing the router to store the network layer address of the sleeping device in association with the link layer address of the sleeping device;

means for sending from the administrative device to the sleeping device through the router a unicast message to return to normal power mode.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein:

means for instructing the router to store the network layer address of the sleeping device in association with the link layer address of the sleeping device further comprises means for transmitting, from the administrative device to the router, a message bearing the network layer address of the sleeping device and the link layer address of the sleeping device; and

the system further comprises means for storing in the router in response to the message the network layer address of the sleeping device in association with the link layer address of the sleeping device.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the message bearing the network layer address of the sleeping device and the link layer address of the sleeping device is a DHCP offer message.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein means for transmitting, from the administrative device to the router, a message bearing the network layer address of the sleeping device and the link layer address of the sleeping device further comprises:

means for creating in the administrative device a DHCP offer message; and

means for transmitting the DHCP offer message to a DHCP relay agent on the router.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the message comprises a DHCP offer message; and

means for storing the network layer address of the sleeping device in association with the link layer address of the sleeping device further comprises means for storing through a DHCP relay agent on the router an ARP cache entry including the network layer address of the sleeping device and the link layer address of the sleeping device.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein means for sending from the administrative device to the sleeping device a unicast message to return to normal power mode further comprises:

means for receiving the unicast message in the router as a network layer message addressed to the network layer address of the sleeping device;

means for retrieving the stored link layer address of the sleeping device; and

means for transmitting the unicast message as a link layer message to the sleeping device.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the unicast message to return to normal power mode includes a message type code identifying the message as an instruction to return to normal power mode.

15. A computer program product for returning to normal power mode a sleeping device operating in low power mode, wherein the sleeping device is connected to a network and the sleeping device has a network layer address and a link layer address, the computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for configuring an administrative device connected to the network with the network layer address of the sleeping device, the link layer address of the sleeping device, and a network layer address of a last router on a route to the sleeping device;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for instructing the router to store the network layer address of the sleeping device in association with the link layer address of the sleeping device;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for sending from the administrative device to the sleeping device through the router a unicast message to return to normal power mode.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for instructing the router to store the network layer address of the sleeping device in association with the link layer address of the sleeping device further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for transmitting, from the administrative device to the router, a message bearing the network layer address of the sleeping device and the link layer address of the sleeping device; and

the computer program product further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing in the router in response to the message the network layer address of the sleeping device in association with the link layer address of the sleeping device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the message bearing the network layer address of the sleeping device and the link layer address of the sleeping device is a DHCP offer message.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for transmitting, from the administrative device to the router, a message bearing the network layer address of the sleeping device and the link layer address of the sleeping device further comprises:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for creating in the administrative device a DHCP offer message; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for transmitting the DHCP offer message to a DHCP relay agent on the router.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein:

the message comprises a DHCP offer message; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing the network layer address of the sleeping device in association with the link layer address of the sleeping device further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing through a DHCP relay agent on the router an ARP cache entry including the network layer address of the sleeping device and the link layer address of the sleeping device.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for sending from the administrative device to the sleeping device a unicast message to return to normal power mode further comprises:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving the unicast message in the router as a network layer message addressed to the network layer address of the sleeping device;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for retrieving the stored link layer address of the sleeping device; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for transmitting the unicast message as a link layer message to the sleeping device.

21. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the unicast message to return to normal power mode includes a message type code identifying the message as an instruction to return to normal power mode.