Network Array, Forwarder Device And Method Of Operating A Forwarder Device

• US 20080062878A1
• Filed: 09/21/2005
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Roque, Adolfo, Dalmases, Francesc, Habetha, Jorg
• Granted Patent: US 9,119,227 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A network array (100) comprises a first network (101) having a plurality of first nodes (103, 104, 109), comprises a second network (102) having a plurality of second nodes (106, 109), and comprises a forwarder node (109). The forwarder node (109) constitutes one of the first nodes (103, 104, 109) and constitutes one of the second nodes (106, 109) to form a communication interface between the first network (101) and the second network (102). The forwarder node (109) has an implemented data transmission scheduling management function capable of distinguishing between data to be transmitted between the first network (101) and the second network (102) and data to be transmitted within the first network (101) or within the second network (102). The forwarder node (109) is adapted to communicate with the first network (101) using a first operation frequency and is adapted to communicate with the second network (102) using a second operation frequency which is different from the first operation frequency.

Claims

1. A network array (100),

comprising a first network (101) having a plurality of first nodes (103, 104,109);

comprising a second network (102) having a plurality of second nodes (106, 109);

comprising a forwarder node (109);

wherein the forwarder node (109) constitutes one of the first nodes (103, 104, 109) and constitutes one of the second nodes (106, 109) to form a communication interface between the first network (101) and the second network (102);

wherein the forwarder node (109) has an implemented data transmission scheduling management function capable of distinguishing between data to be transmitted between the first network (101) and the second network (102) and data to be transmitted within the first network (101) or within the second network (102);

wherein the forwarder node (109) is adapted to communicate with the first network (101) using a first operation frequency and is adapted to communicate with the second network (102) using a second operation frequency which is different from the first operation frequency.

2. The network array (100) according to claim 1,

wherein the forwarder node (109) is adapted in such a manner that it functions as a slave in the first network (101) and as a master in the second network (102).

3. The network array (100) according to claim 1,

wherein the first network (101) is adapted as a master-slave network and the second network (102) is adapted as a master-slave network.

4. The network array (100) according to claim 1,

wherein the first network (101) is adapted as an infrastructure network and the second network (102) is adapted as an ad-hoc network.

5. The network array (100) according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of first nodes (103, 104, 109) include a communication hub (103) which functions as a master in the first network (101).

6. The network array (100) according to claim 2,

wherein the plurality of first nodes (103, 104, 109) include at least one node (104) which functions as a further slave in the first network (101).

7. The network array (100) according to claim 1,

wherein the forwarder node (109) is adapted to function as a Hybrid Coordinator in the second network (102).

8. The network array (100) according to claim 1,

wherein the forwarder node (109) is adapted to switch between a first operation state in which the forwarder node (109) is communicatively coupled with the first network (101) and is free of a communication with the second network (102), and a second operation state in which the forwarder node (109) is communicatively coupled with the second network (102) and is free of a communication with the first network (101).

9. The network array (100) according to claim 1,

wherein the forwarder node (109) is realized as a single transceiver.

10. The network array (100) according to claim 1,

wherein the forwarder node (109) is adapted to communicate with the first network (101) and with the second network (102) according to the IEEE 802.11e standard.

11. The network array (100) according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the plurality of first nodes (103, 104, 109) and/or of the plurality of second nodes (106, 109) is realized as a computer device.

12. The network array (100) according to claim 1,

wherein the forwarder node (109) is adapted to forward a data packet from the first network (101) to the second network (102) or to forward a data packet from the second network (102) to the first network (101).

13. The network array (100) according to claim 12,

wherein the forwarder node (109) is adapted, prior to forwarding a data packet from the first network (101) to the second network (102) or to forwarding a data packet from the second network (102) to the first network (101), to estimate a bandwidth necessary for transmitting the data packet.

14. The network array (100) according to claim 12,

wherein the forwarder node (109) is adapted, prior to forwarding a data packet from the first network (101) to the second network (102) or to forwarding a data packet from the second network (102) to the first network (101), to accept or to deny a data packet transmission request based on an estimated bandwidth necessary for transmitting the data packet.

15. The network array (100) according to claim 12,

wherein the forwarder node (109) is adapted, prior to forwarding a plurality of data packets from the first network (101) to the second network (102) or to forwarding a plurality of data packets from the second network (102) to the first network (101), to determine a chronological order of transmission of the plurality of data packets based on a predetermined traffic policy.

16. The network array (100) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first network (101) and the second network (102) is a wireless network.

17. The network array (100) according to claim 1,

wherein the data transmission scheduling management function is adapted to distinguish between multi-hop transmission data and single-hop transmission data.

18. The network array (100) according to claim 1,

wherein the data transmission scheduling management function is adapted to distinguish between multi-hop transmission data to be transmitted from a communication hub (103) of the first network (101) to one of the plurality of second nodes (106, 109) of the second network (102) on the one hand and multi-hop transmission data to be transmitted from one of the plurality of second nodes (106, 109) of the second network (202) to a communication hub (103) of the first network on the other hand.

19. The network array (100) according to claim 1,

wherein the data transmission scheduling management function is realized as a round-robin scheduling scheme.

20. A forwarder device (109) for forming a communication interface between a first network (101) and a second network (102) of a network array (100) and for managing data transmission scheduling,

being adapted to constitute one of a plurality of first nodes (103, 104, 109) of a first network (101) and being adapted to constitute one of a plurality of second nodes (106, 109) of a second network (102) to form a communication interface between the first network (101) and the second network (102);

and

having an implemented data transmission scheduling management function capable of distinguishing between data to be transmitted between the first network (101) and the second network (102) and data to be transmitted within the first network (101) or within the second network (102);

being adapted to communicate with the first network (101) using a first operation frequency and being adapted to communicate with the second network (102) using a second operation frequency which is different from the first operation frequency.

21. The forwarder device (109) according to claim 20,

being adapted to function as a Hybrid Coordinator in the second network (202).

22. The forwarder device (109) according to claim 20,

being adapted to switch between a first operation state in which it is communicatively coupled with the first network (101) and is free of a communication with the second network (102), and a second operation state in which it is communicatively coupled with the second network (102) and is free of a communication with the first network (101).

23. The forwarder device (109) according to claim 20,

being adapted to communicate with the first network (101) and with the second network (102) according to the IEEE 802.11e standard.

24. The forwarder device (109) according to claim 20,

being adapted to forward a data packet from the first network (101) to the second network (102) or to forward a data packet from the second network (102) to the first network (101).

25. The forwarder device (109) according to claim 24,

being adapted, prior to forwarding a data packet from the first network (101) to the second network (102) or to forwarding a data packet from the second network (102) to the first network (101), to estimate a bandwidth necessary for transmitting the data packet.

26. The forwarder device (109) according to claim 24, being adapted, prior to forwarding a data packet from the first network (101) to the second network (102) or to forwarding a data packet from the second network (102) to the first network (101), to accept or to deny a data packet transmission request based on an estimated bandwidth necessary for transmitting the data packet.

27. The forwarder device (109) according to claim 24,

wherein the forwarder node (109) is adapted, prior to forwarding a plurality of data packets from the first network (101) to the second network (102) or to forwarding a plurality of data packets from the second network (102) to the first network (101), to determine a chronological order of transmission of the plurality of data packets based on a predetermined traffic policy.

28. The forwarder device (109) according to claim 20,

being adapted for wireless communication with the first network (101) and/or with the second network (102).

29. The forwarder device (109) according to claim 20,

wherein the data transmission scheduling management function is adapted to distinguish between multi-hop transmission data and single-hop transmission data.

30. The forwarder device (109) according to claim 20,

wherein the data transmission scheduling management function is adapted to distinguish between multi-hop transmission data to be transmitted from a communication hub (103) of the first network (101) to one of the plurality of second nodes (106, 109) of the second network (102) on the one hand and multi-hop transmission data to be transmitted from one of the plurality of second nodes (106, 109) of the second network (202) to a communication hub (103) of the first network on the other hand.

31. The forwarder device (109) according to claim 20, wherein the data transmission scheduling management function is realized as a round-robin scheduling scheme.

32. The forwarder device (109) according to claim 20,

adapted such that the data transmission scheduling management function aggregates the streams related to multi-hop traffic.

33. The forwarder device (109) according to claim 20,

adapted such that single-hop traffic in the second network (102) is allocated in direct links during an absence of the forwarder device (109) in the second network (102).

34. A method of operating a forwarder device (109) for forming a communication interface between a first network (101) and a second network (102) of a network array (100) and for managing data transmission scheduling,

comprising the steps of

adapting the forwarder device (109) to constitute one of a plurality of first nodes (103, 104, 109) of a first network (101) and adapting the forwarder device (109) to constitute one of a plurality of second nodes (106, 109) of a second network (102) to form a communication interface between the first network (101) and the second network (102);

and

implementing, in the forwarder device (109), a data transmission scheduling management function capable of distinguishing between data to be transmitted between the first network (101) and the second network (102) and data to be transmitted within the first network (101) or within the second network (102);

adapting the forwarder device (109) to communicate with the first network (101) using a first operation frequency and to communicate with the second network (102) using a second operation frequency which is different from the first operation frequency.

35. The method according to claim 34,

wherein multi-hop-uplink requests are negotiated including the steps of

checking, using the second operation frequency, at least one traffic request from at least one of the second nodes (106) using an Admission Control Unit provided in the forwarder device (109);

refusing a traffic request, if it is determined that no sufficient capacity is available in the forwarder device (109);

in case that a traffic request is not refused, waiting to switch from the second operation frequency to the first operation frequency and forwarding the request to a communication hub (103) forming one of the first nodes (103, 104, 109) of the first network (101) using the first operation frequency;

checking a response from the communication hub (103) in the Admission Control Unit in the forwarder device (109);

waiting to switch from the first operation frequency to the second operation frequency and forwarding the response to the at least one of the second nodes (106).

36. The method according to claim 35,

wherein multi-hop-downlink requests are negotiated including the steps of