Distribution scheme for distributing information in a network

• US 20050254448A1
• Filed: 05/08/2002
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Tang, Haitao, Lakkakorpi, Jani
• Granted Patent: US 8,023,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/03 by updating link state protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/12 Shortest path evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and network node for distributing a network parameter information among network nodes of a transmission network. A spanning tree of routing paths corresponding to the shortest paths from said network node to other nodes is determined based on a topology information of the transmission network, and is used to distribute the network parameter information from the network node to the other network nodes. Thereby, the updating message or packet traffic can be reduced dramatically as compared to the conventional flooding scheme.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A method of distributing a network parameter information among network nodes (A-E) of a radio access network, said method comprising the steps of:

a) determining based on a topology information of said radio access network a spanning tree of routing paths corresponding to the shortest paths from said network node to other nodes;

b) detecting a network parameter change in a network node of said transmission network; and

c) distributing said network parameter information indicating said network parameter change from said network node to said other nodes in accordance with said spanning tree,

d) wherein said network node generates for each of its offspring nodes a respective updating information and sends said respective updating information to all offspring nodes.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein said network parameter information is used in a network operation and management procedure in a radio access network.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein said network operation and management procedure is an MDC point selection procedure.

28. A method according to claim 25, wherein said network parameter information relates to a QoS-related parameter.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein said network parameter information comprises at least one of a link state, a link utilization, a node utilization, and a macro diversity combining load.

30. A method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of deriving said topology information from at least one routing table.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein one routing table is provided for each network node.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein said one routing table provides a branch information for each offspring node of said network node.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein said branch information indicates branches of the concerned offspring node.

34. A method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of deriving said topology information from a link state database of a routing protocol of said transmission network.

35. A method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of obtaining said topology information by running a flooding scheme and a shortest-path-first algorithm.

36. A method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of deciding on those parameters to be included in said network parameter information based on said topology information.

37. A method according to claim 25, wherein said network parameter information comprises said updating information sent to each offspring node.

38. A method according to claim 37, wherein said updating information comprises a branch information, a parameter update information and a node identification of the network node at which said network parameter change has occurred.

39. A method according to claim 37, further comprising the step of distributing a received updating information from an offspring node of said network node to an offspring node of said offspring node based on said branch information.

40. A method according to claim 37, further comprising the step of updating a parameter information stored at said offspring node using said updating information.

41. A method according to claim 25, wherein said transmission network is a radio access network based on internet protocol technology.

42. A network node for distributing a network parameter information to other network nodes of a transmission network, said network node being arranged to detect a change in a network parameter related to said network node, and to distribute said network parameter information indicating said network parameter change towards said other network nodes in response to said detection and in accordance with a spanning tree of routing paths corresponding to the shortest paths from said network node to said other nodes, wherein said network node generates for each of its offspring nodes a respective updating information and sends said respective updating information to all offspring nodes.

43. A network node according to claim 42, wherein said spanning tree is derived from a topology information of said transmission network.

44. A network node according to claim 43, wherein said network is arranged to decide on those parameters to be included in said network parameter information based on said topology information.

45. A network node according to claim 42, wherein said network node is a base station device of a radio access network.

46. A network node for distributing a network parameter information to other network nodes of a radio access network, said network node being arranged to receive a network parameter information from an upper node, to update a stored parameter information according to said received network parameter information, and to distribute said network parameter information to its offspring network nodes based on a branch information included in said network parameter information, said branch information being derived from a spanning tree routing topology, wherein said network node is arranged to update said branch information in said network parameter information before distributing said network parameter information to said other nodes.

47. A network node according to claim 46, wherein said other nodes are offspring nodes of said network node.

48. A network node according to claim 46, wherein said network node is a base station device of a radio access network