Network Management

• US 20070271396A1
• Filed: 01/03/2005
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Green Packet, Inc. (Green Packet Berhad)
• Original Assignee: Green Packet, Inc. (Green Packet Berhad)
• Inventors: Zheng, Xiaojing, Chen, Liangsheng
• Granted Patent: US 7,620,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/249
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0246 Exchanging or transporting network management information using the Internet; Embedding network management web servers in network elements; Web-services-based protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system for discovering, identifying and managing ad hoc networks and facilitating the communications within that network is disclosed. An addition to the network interface mediates discovery of adjacent computers with the same addition running and the exchange of profiles between these computers to allow device sharing and routing.

Claims

1. A method of forming an ad-hoc network consisting of:

broadcasting or multi-casting from at least a first network interface on a first network capable device at least one data packet including a request to join an ad-hoc network and a profile of the requesting device,

receiving at a second network interface on a second network capable device a request to join an ad-hoc network;

responding from the second network device to the first network device with a confirmation of receipt and a profile of the responding device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the initial request to join is further broadcast or multi-cast the from the second network device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first network device may additionally broadcast or multi-cast packets requesting an identifying response from every network device capable of joining the network and within range.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the packets adhere to the IP protocol and the range is set by the TTL (time to live) information of an IP header.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the transmitted profile includes an ID unique to the profile, the ID containing information based on the device address and profile.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the profile includes information on the device user name, the ad-hoc network license identification and the MAC address.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein if the network capable device is capable of operating on differing network mediums it transmits packets in all mediums.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the network mediums include at least one wireless medium.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the network capable device is a computer and the presence of responding devices is shown on the computer display.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the presence of a responding device is as an icon on the computer display and wherein operations on the icon can show information on the profile or send a user message to the network device represented by the icon.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the computer may maintain a list of contactable network devices.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the list may include an attribute which prevents display of that network device presence.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein a computer may have more than a single profile.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the profiles are managed remotely via HTTP or HTTPS.

15. An apparatus for forming an ad-hoc network consisting of:

a network capable device with at least one network interface

the network interface being programmed to;

(a) contact adjacent network devices with information on the profile of the network capable device;

(b) respond to a request for information from a similar network capable device with information on its own profile

(c) forward received profiles to other network capable devices.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein the network capable device is a computer.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein the computer is wireless capable.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein the network uses TCP/IP protocol and the radius of the network from an individual device is set by the TTL parameter.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein the number of network hops to an individual device may be shown on a users display, unless the device owner sets a parameter preventing viewing that information.