Systems and Methods for Mobile Communications

• US 20090046622A1
• Filed: 08/14/2008
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Central Florida Research Foundation Inc. (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: University of Central Florida Research Foundation Inc. (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Hua, Kien A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,971,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/26 Route discovery packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/32 for defining a routing cluster membership

Abstract

In on embodiment, messages are delivered in a mobile network by creating a communication route between a source node and a destination node comprised of virtual routers, each virtual router being fixed to a particular geographical area and including a plurality of mobile nodes, each of the mobile nodes being available to forward a data packet on behalf of a virtual router, and each mobile node upon receiving a data packet sent over the communication route monitoring for forwarding of the data packet by another mobile node and, if such forwarding is not detected, the mobile node forwarding the data packet.

Claims

1. A method for forming a communication route between a source node and a destination node, the method comprising:

the source node sending a route request to the destination node that is relayed to the destination node by relay nodes positioned between the source node and the destination node;

the destination node sending a route reply to the destination node that is relayed to the source node by the relay nodes; and

mobile nodes within transmission ranges of the relay nodes overhearing the reply request and, as a consequence, forming virtual routers that extend across the transmission ranges, each of the mobile nodes being available to forward a data packet on behalf of its associated virtual router.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending a route request comprises the source node broadcasting a route request message packet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sending a route reply comprises the destination node broadcasting a route reply message packet.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the mobile nodes of each virtual router determining its distance from the destination node in terms of virtual hops.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining its distance from the destination node comprises the mobile node determining a minimum virtual hop count identified in the route reply relayed by a relay node.

6. A method for delivering messages between a source node and a destination node in a mobile network, the method comprising:

creating a communication route between the source node and the destination node comprised of virtual routers, each virtual router being fixed to a particular geographical area and including a plurality of mobile nodes, each of the mobile nodes being available to alternatively forward a data packet on behalf of its associated virtual router; and

each mobile node upon receiving a data packet sent over the communication route monitoring for forwarding of the data packet by another mobile node and, if such forwarding is not detected, the mobile node forwarding the data packet.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein creating a communication route comprises:

the source node sending a route request to the destination node that is relayed to the destination node by relay nodes positioned between the source node and the destination node;

the destination node sending a route reply to the destination node that is relayed to the source node by the relay nodes; and

mobile nodes within transmission ranges of the relay nodes overhearing the reply request and, as a consequence, forming virtual routers that extend across the transmission ranges.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising each mobile node prior to forwarding the data packet determining whether the mobile node is the destination node.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising each mobile node prior to forwarding the data packet determining whether the mobile node is the in the communication route.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising each mobile node prior to forwarding the data packet determining whether another device that sent the data packet belongs to a virtual router centered on the destination node.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising each mobile node prior to forwarding the data packet further determining whether the mobile node is downstream of the other device that sent the data packet.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising each mobile node prior to forwarding the data packet further determining whether the mobile node belongs to the virtual router centered on the destination node.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising each mobile node prior to forwarding the data packet determining whether both the mobile node and another device that sent the data packet are part of a virtual router centered on the destination node if forwarding of the data packet is detected.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising each mobile node prior to forwarding the data packet further determining if an acknowledgement message has been received from the destination node if the mobile node and the other device that sent the data packet are part of the virtual router centered on the destination node.

15. A mobile network comprising:

a source node;

a destination node; and

a communication route that extends between the source node and the destination node, the communication route comprising one or more virtual routers, each virtual router being fixed to a particular geographical area and including a plurality of mobile nodes, each of the mobile nodes being available to alternatively forward data packets along the communication route on behalf of its associated virtual router.

16. The mobile network of claim 15, wherein the mobile nodes are further configured to, upon receiving a data packet, determine whether the mobile node is in the communication route.

17. The mobile network of claim 16, wherein the mobile nodes are further configured to monitor for forwarding of the data packet by another mobile node.

18. The mobile network of claim 17, wherein the mobile nodes are further configured to forward the data packet if such forwarding is not detected.

19. The mobile network of claim 17, wherein the mobile nodes are further configured not to forward the data packet if such forwarding is detected.

20. A mobile node comprising:

a processing device;

a wireless communication device; and

memory that stores a wireless communications manager configured determine whether the mobile node should forward a received data packet sent along a communication route, the wireless communications manager being configured to (i) determine whether the mobile node is in the communication route, (ii) monitor for forwarding of the data packet by another device if the mobile node is in the communication route, and (iii) forward the data packet if forwarding of the data packet by another device is not detected.

21. A virtual router that is fixed to a particular geographical area through which a communication route passes, the virtual router comprising:

a plurality of mobile nodes each available to alternatively forward data packets along a communication route on behalf of the virtual router, each mobile node being configured to monitor for forwarding of a received data packet by another mobile node and forward the data packet if such forwarding is not detected after a time interval and not forward the data packet if such forwarding is detected within the time interval.