Method to support multicast routing in multi-hop wireless networks
First Claim
1. A method for supporting multicast in a multihop wireless network, the method comprising:
- establishing certain nodes in the network as core source nodes;
engaging in a multicast tree discovery or refreshing process by operating at least one of the core source nodes to broadcast a route request (RREQ) message; and
building the multicast tree or refreshing the multicast tree based on the RREQ message, and at least one route reply (RREP) message received by the at least one core source node from another node in response to the RREQ message.
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Abstract
A system and method for supporting multicast in highly dynamic wireless multi-hop networks, such as ad-hoc networks, with good scalability. The system and method provide a multicast routing algorithm to work in wireless ad-hoc networks without any fixed infrastructure nodes present. In doing so, the system and method provide a technique to build a multicast source specific tree on demand, while using a core source node to limit routing overhead. The system and method further provide a repair process to reduce the latency of discovery of topology change, employ a node sequence number mechanism to differentiate between upstream nodes and downstream nodes on the multicast tree in the repair process, and provide an active joining process to reduce the latency of discovery of membership change.
78 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for supporting multicast in a multihop wireless network, the method comprising:
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establishing certain nodes in the network as core source nodes;
engaging in a multicast tree discovery or refreshing process by operating at least one of the core source nodes to broadcast a route request (RREQ) message; and
building the multicast tree or refreshing the multicast tree based on the RREQ message, and at least one route reply (RREP) message received by the at least one core source node from another node in response to the RREQ message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A multihop wireless communications network, comprising:
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a plurality of nodes, some of which being multicast source nodes; and
a number of core source nodes that is less than a total number of multicast source nodes in the network, the core source nodes being adapted to engage in a multicast tree discovery or refreshing process by broadcasting route request (RREQ) messages and receiving route reply (RREP) messages in response to the RREQ messages, and then building or refreshing a multicast tree based on an exchange of the RREQ message and RREP messages. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification