COMMUNICATING VIA NONDETERMINISTIC AND DETERMINISTIC NETWORK ROUTING

• US 20070002792A1
• Filed: 07/03/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TeraHop Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: TWITCHELL, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,144,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/28 for reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In a wireless network that includes a plurality of nodes, a method of communicating a message from an originating node, intended for receipt by a destination node, via one or more intermediate nodes, includes the steps of: (a) communicating with just a single node within the communications range of the originating node—including sending the message and the known network pathway—if a network pathway to the destination node is known by the originating node, the single node being the first intermediate node identified in the known network pathway; and (b) communicating with one or more first intermediate nodes within the communications range of the originating node—including sending the message—if a network pathway to the destination node is unknown by the originating node.

Claims

1. In a wireless network comprising a plurality of nodes, a method of communicating a message from an originating node, intended for receipt by a destination node, via one or more intermediate nodes, comprising the step of communicating with all nodes within the communications range of the originating node if a network pathway to the destination node is unknown by the originating node, said step of communicating including sending the message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the message from the originating node by a first intermediate node by communicating with all nodes within the communications range of the first intermediate node if a network pathway to the destination node is unknown by the first intermediate node, said step of communicating including sending,

(i) the message, and

(ii) the link quality between the originating node and the first intermediate node.

3. In a wireless network comprising a plurality of nodes, a method of communicating a message from an originating node, intended for receipt by a destination node, via one or more intermediate nodes, comprising the steps of:

(a) communicating with just a single node within the communications range of the originating node if a network pathway to the destination node is known by the originating node, the single node being the first intermediate node identified in the known network pathway, said step of communicating including sending the message and the known network pathway to the first intermediate node; and

(b) communicating with one or more first intermediate nodes within the communications range of the originating node if a network pathway to the destination node is unknown by the originating node, said step of communicating including sending the message.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising communicating the message by a first intermediate node by:

(a) communicating with just a single node within the communications range of the first intermediate node if a network pathway to the destination node is known by the first intermediate node, the single node being the node identified next after the first intermediate node in the known network pathway, said step of communicating including sending, to the next identified node,

(i) the message,

(ii) the known network pathway, and

(iii) the link quality between the originating node and the first intermediate node; and

(b) communicating with one or more nodes within the communications range of the first intermediate node if a network pathway to the destination node is unknown by the first intermediate node, said step of communicating including sending,

(i) the message, and

(ii) the link quality between the originating node and the first intermediate node.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising communicating the message by the first intermediate node by:

(a) communicating with just a single node within the communications range of the first intermediate node if a single network pathway to the destination node is known by the first intermediate node, the single node being the node identified next after the first intermediate node in the single network pathway, including sending, to the single node,

(i) the message,

(ii) the known network pathway, and

(iii) the link quality between the originating node and the first intermediate node;

(b) if a plurality of network pathways to the destination node are known by the first intermediate node, then,

(i) determining a preferred network pathway from the plurality of known network pathways in accordance with an algorithm, and

(ii) communicating with just a single node within the communications range of the first intermediate node, the single node being the node identified next after the first intermediate node in the preferred network pathway, including sending, to the next identified node,

(A) the message,

(B) the preferred network pathway, and

(C) the link quality between the originating node and the first intermediate node; and

(c) if no network pathway is known by the first intermediate node, then communicating with one or more nodes within the communications range of the first intermediate node, including sending,

(i) the message, and

(ii) the link quality between the originating node and the first intermediate node.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining a preferred network pathway from the known network pathways in accordance with an algorithm comprises comparing, for each known network pathway, the number of hops, between nodes, that are required to reach the destination node.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining a preferred network pathway from the known network pathways in accordance with an algorithm comprises comparing the overall link quality of the respective known network pathways.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein messages are communicated between nodes utilizing transmission control protocol (TCP).

9. The method of claim 3, wherein messages are communicated between nodes of the wireless network via data packets.

10. A wireless network in which the method of claim 3 is utilized.

11. An ad hoc wireless network in which the method of claim 3 is utilized.

12. A class-based wireless network in which the method of claim 3 is utilized.

13. A data communications device forming a node of a wireless network, wherein the data communications device includes computer-executable instructions in computer-readable medium for performing the method of claim 3.

14. The data communications device of claim 13, wherein the data communications device comprises a standards based radio.

15. The data communications device of claim 14, wherein the data communications device further includes a wireless receiver for powering up the standards based radio upon receipt of a broadcast that is intended for the standards based radio.

16. The data communications device of claim 15, wherein the second wireless receiver performs a stepped wake-up sequence of the standards based radio.

17. The data communications device of claim 14, wherein the standards based radio comprises a Bluetooth radio.

18. The data communications device of claim 14, wherein the standards based radio includes a sensor interface whereby data is acquired by the data communications device from an associated sensor.

19. In a wireless network comprising a plurality of nodes, a method of communicating a message from an originating node, intended for receipt by a destination node, via one or more intermediate nodes, comprising the steps of:

(a) first,

(i) communicating with just a single node within the communications range of the originating node if a network pathway to the destination node is known by the originating node, the single node being the first intermediate node identified in the known network pathway, said step of communicating including sending the message and the known network pathway to the first intermediate node, and

(ii) communicating with one or more first intermediate nodes within the communications range of the originating node if a network pathway to the destination node is unknown by the originating node, said step of communicating including sending the message; and

(b) thereafter, further communicating the message by the first intermediate node by;

(i) communicating with just a single node within the communications range of the first intermediate node if a single network pathway to the destination node is known by the first intermediate node, the single node being the node identified next after the first intermediate node in the single network pathway, including sending, to the single node,

(A) the message, and

(B) the known network pathway, and

(ii) if a plurality of network pathways to the destination node are known by the first intermediate node, then,

(A) determining a preferred network pathway from the plurality of known network pathways in accordance with an algorithm, and

(B) communicating with just a single node within the communications range of the first intermediate node, the single node being the node identified next after the first intermediate node in the preferred network pathway, including sending, to the next identified node,

(I) the message, and

(II) the preferred network pathway, and

(iii) if no network pathway is known by the first intermediate node, then communicating with one or more nodes within the communications range of the first intermediate node, including sending the message.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the determining of a preferred network pathway from the known network pathways in accordance with an algorithm comprises both (a) comparing, for each known network pathway, the number of hops, between nodes, that are required to reach the destination node, and (b) comparing the overall link quality of the respective known network pathways.