ZIGBEE NETWORK SYSTEM, METHOD WITH ROAMING FUNCTION, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM THEREOF

• US 20070258386A1
• Filed: 07/05/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Institute For Information Industry
• Original Assignee: Institute For Information Industry
• Inventors: Liu, Yung-Chih, Shie, Bing-Huan
• Application Number:
  US11/428,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20070258386A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/54 Organization of routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A ZigBee network system, method with roaming function, and computer readable medium thereof are provided. The ZigBee network system comprises a first node, a second node, a coordinator and a first roaming node. The first node, the second node and the coordinator are connected directly or indirectly. The first roaming node connects to the first node wirelessly. The method comprises the following steps. The first roaming node transmits a roaming-request packet when the first roaming node roams within a connecting range of the second node. The second node transmits a roaming-identify packet in response to the roaming-request packet. One of the first node and the coordinator transmits a roaming-confirm packet in response to the roaming-request packet. The second node transmits a roaming-response packet in response to the roaming-confirm packet. The first roaming node connects to the second node wirelessly after the first roaming node receives the roaming-response packet.

Claims

1. A ZigBee network system with roaming function, comprising:

a first node;

a second node;

a coordinator, connecting to the first node and the second node directly or indirectly; and

a first roaming node, connecting to the first node wirelessly, the first roaming node transmitting a roaming-request packet to the second node when the first roaming node roams within a connecting range of the second node, the second node transmitting a roaming-identify packet to the first node and the coordinator in response to the roaming-request packet, the second node transmitting a roaming-response packet to the first roaming node in response to a roaming-confirm packet when one of the first node and the coordinator transmits the roaming-confirm packet to the second node in response to the roaming-identify packet, the first roaming node connecting to the second node wirelessly after it receives the roaming-response packet.

2. The ZigBee network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first node further comprises a first routing table, the second node further comprises a second routing table, and the coordinator further comprises a binding table, when the first roaming node connects to the first node wirelessly, the first node sets a first network address according to the first roaming node, and stores the first network address in the first routing table, the second routing table, and the binding table, when the first roaming node roams within the connecting range of the second node and connects to the second node wirelessly, the second node sets a second network address according to the first roaming node, and replaces the first network address stored in the first routing table, the second routing table, and the binding table by the second network address.

3. The ZigBee network system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first node further comprises a neighbor table, the first node transmits the roaming-confirm packet to the second node in response to the roaming-identify packet when the first network address is stored in the neighbor table.

4. The ZigBee network system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the coordinator transmits the roaming-confirm packet to the second node in response to the roaming-identify packet when the first network address is stored in the binding table.

5. The ZigBee network system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a third node, comprising a third routing table for connecting to the coordinator directly or indirectly; and

a second roaming node, connecting to the third node wirelessly, the third node setting a third network address according to the second roaming node, and storing the third network address in the first routing table, the second routing table, the third routing table, and the binding table, when the first roaming node connects to the first node wirelessly, the first network address being stored in the third routing table, when the first roaming node roams within the connecting range of the second node and connects to the second node wirelessly, the first network address stored in the third routing table being replaced by the second network address.

6. The ZigBee network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the roaming-request packet, the roaming-identify packet, the roaming-confirm packet, and the roaming-response packet are transmitted via a Network Layer defined by a ZigBee standard.

7. A method for performing roaming function in a ZigBee network system, the ZigBee network system comprising a first node, a second node, a coordinator, and a first roaming node, the first roaming node connecting to the first node wirelessly, the first node, the second node, and the coordinator being connected directly or indirectly, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a roaming-request packet by the first roaming node when the first roaming node roams within a connecting range of the second node;

transmitting a roaming-identify packet by the second node in response to the roaming-request packet;

transmitting a roaming-confirm packet by one of the first node and the coordinator in response to the roaming-identify packet;

transmitting a roaming-response packet by the second node in response to the roaming-confirm packet; and

connecting to the second node wirelessly after the first roaming node receives the roaming-response packet.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first node comprises a first routing table, the second node comprises a second routing table, and the coordinator comprises a binding table, the method further comprising the steps of:

setting a first network address by the first node when the first roaming node connects to the first node wirelessly;

storing the first network address in the first routing table, the second routing table, and the binding table;

setting a second network address by the second node when the first roaming node connects to the second node wirelessly; and

replacing the first network address with the second network address.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the ZigBee network system further comprises a third node and a second roaming node, the third node comprising a third routing table and connecting to the coordinator directly or indirectly, the second roaming node connecting to the third node wirelessly, the method further comprising the step of:

setting a third network address by the third node;

storing the third network address in the first routing table, the second routing table, the third routing table, and the binding table;

storing the first network address in the third routing table when the first roaming node connects to the first node wirelessly; and

replacing the first network address stored in the third routing table with the second network address when the first roaming node connects to the second node wirelessly.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the roaming-request packet, the roaming-identify packet, the roaming-confirm packet, and the roaming-response packet are transmitted via a Network Layer defined by a ZigBee standard.

11. A computer program product for storing a computer program to execute a method for performing roaming function in a ZigBee network system, the ZigBee network system comprising a first node, a second node, a coordinator, and a first roaming node, the first roaming node connecting to the first node wirelessly, the first node, the second node, and the coordinator being connected directly or indirectly, the computer program comprising:

code for transmitting a roaming-request packet by the first roaming node when the first roaming node roams within a connecting range of the second node;

code for transmitting a roaming-identify packet by the second node in response to the roaming-request packet;

code for transmitting a roaming-confirm packet by one of the first node and the coordinator in response to the roaming-identify packet;

code for transmitting a roaming-response packet by the second node in response to the roaming-confirm packet; and

code for connecting to the second node after the first roaming node receives the roaming-response packet.

12. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first node comprises a first routing table, the second node comprises a second routing table, and the coordinator comprises a binding table, the computer program further comprising:

code for setting a first network address by the first node when the first roaming node connects to the first node wirelessly;

code for storing the first network address in the first routing table, the second routing table, and the binding table;

code for setting a second network address by the second node when the first roaming node connects to the second node wirelessly; and

code for replacing the first network address with the second network address.

13. The computer program product as claimed in claim 12, wherein the ZigBee network system further comprises a third node and a second roaming node, the third node comprising a third routing table and connecting to the coordinator directly or indirectly, the second roaming node connecting to the third node wirelessly, the computer program further comprising:

code for setting a third network address by the third node;

code for storing the third network address in the first routing table, the second routing table, the third routing table, and the binding table;

code for storing the first network address in the third routing table when the first roaming node connects to the first node wirelessly; and

code for replacing the first network address stored in the third routing table with the second network address when the first roaming node connects to the second node wirelessly.

14. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11, wherein the roaming-request packet, the roaming-identify packet, the roaming-confirm packet, and the roaming-response packet are transmitted via a Network Layer defined by a ZigBee standard.

15. A router for using in a ZigBee network system with roaming function, the ZigBee network system comprising a roaming node and a coordinator, the router connecting to the coordinator, when the roaming node roams within a connecting range of the router, the router receiving a roaming-request packet transmitted from the roaming node, and transmitting a roaming-identify packet to the coordinator in response to the roaming-request packet, when the coordinator transmits a roaming-confirm packet to the router in response to the roaming-identify packet, the router transmitting a roaming-response packet to the roaming node in response to the roaming-confirm packet and connecting to the roaming node wirelessly.

16. The router as claimed in claim 15, wherein the ZigBee network system further comprises a node, the node comprising a neighbor table, the router transmitting the roaming-identify packet to the node in response to the roaming-request packet, when an network address of the roaming node is stored in the neighbor table, the node transmitting the roaming-confirm packet to the router, and the router transmitting a roaming-response packet to the roaming node in response to the roaming-confirm packet and connecting to the roaming node wirelessly.

17. The router as claimed in claim 15, wherein the coordinator further comprises a binding table, when an network address of the roaming node is stored in the binding table, the coordinator transmits the roaming-confirm packet to the router, and the router transmits a roaming-response packet to the roaming node in response to the roaming-confirm packet and connects to the roaming node wirelessly.

18. The router as claimed in claim 15, wherein the roaming-request packet, the roaming-identify packet, the roaming-confirm packet, and the roaming-response packet are transmitted via a Network Layer defined by a ZigBee standard.

19. An end device for using in a ZigBee network system with roaming function, the ZigBee network system comprising a router and a coordinator, the router connecting to the coordinator, when the end device roams within a connecting range of the router, the end device transmitting a roaming-request packet to the router, and the router transmitting a roaming-identify packet to the coordinator in response to the roaming-request packet, when the coordinator transmits a roaming-confirm packet to the router in response to the roaming-identify packet, the end device receiving a roaming-response packet transmitted in response to the roaming-confirm packet from the router and connecting to the router wirelessly.

20. The end device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the roaming-request packet, the roaming-identify packet, the roaming-confirm packet, and the roaming-response packet are transmitted via a Network Layer defined by a ZigBee standard.