ROUTING OPERATIONS USING SENSOR DATA

• US 20090122797A1
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ribiere, Vincent Jean, Vasseur, Jean-Philippe, Patel, Alpesh S., Wetterwald, Patrick, THUBERT, PASCAL
• Granted Patent: US 8,228,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) router receiving sensor data from at least one of a second IP router or an attached host sensor node, the sensor data distinct from link data of a network link; the IP router generating sensor information based on storing the sensor data with metadata describing reception of the sensor data by the IP router in a routing information base; and the IP router executing a routing operation based on the sensor information stored in the routing information base.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

an Internet Protocol (IP) router receiving sensor data from at least one of a second IP router or an attached host sensor node, the sensor data distinct from link data of a network link;

the IP router generating sensor information based on storing the sensor data with metadata describing reception of the sensor data by the IP router in a routing information base; and

the IP router executing a routing operation based on the sensor information stored in the routing information base.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing the routing operation includes generating a constrained routing path to a destination based on the sensor information and routing information stored in the routing information base.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the generating a constrained routing path includes:

generating a first path for reaching the destination if a first portion of the sensor information identifies a detected sensor metric is below a first threshold; and

generating a second path for reaching the destination if the first portion of the sensor information identifies the detected sensor metric exceeds the first threshold, the second path distinct from the first path;

the method further comprising selecting, by the IP router, one of the first or second paths for routing a received data packet, based on determining whether the first portion of the sensor information identifies the detected sensor metric is below the first threshold or exceeds the first threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing the routing operation includes providing at least a portion of the sensor information to a sensor application in response to one of the IP router receiving a database query from the sensor application, or the IP router detecting a prescribed event defined by a prescribed rule related to the sensor information.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving by the IP router the prescribed rule related to the sensor information from the sensor application via an IP network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing the routing operation includes sharing the sensor information with a third IP router according to a routing protocol providing synchronization of respective routing information bases.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the executing the routing operation further includes:

receiving sensor information from the third IP router according to the routing protocol providing synchronization of the routing information base with a remote routing information base of the third IP router; and

generating sensor knowledge based on generating metadata describing evolution of the sensor information generated by the IP router, and the received sensor information from the third IP router, relative to a prescribed evolution domain, and storing the metadata describing the evolution in the routing information base.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the executing the routing operation further includes providing at least a portion of the sensor knowledge to a sensor application in response to one of the IP router receiving a database query from the sensor application, or the IP router detecting a prescribed event defined by a prescribed rule related to the sensor knowledge.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the metadata includes at least one of source information identifying the IP router having stored the received sensor data in the routing information base or lifetime information indicating a lifetime of an identified portion of the sensor data stored in the routing information base, the method further comprising:

selectively removing, by the IP router, the identified portion of the sensor data from the routing information base in response to detecting an expiration of the corresponding lifetime;

receiving, by the IP router, received sensor information from the third IP router according to the routing protocol providing synchronization of the routing information base with a remote routing information base of the third IP router, the received sensor information including first sensor information having been generated by the third IP router and second sensor information having been received by the third IP router from a fourth IP router according to the routing protocol; and

selectively discarding, by the IP router, the second sensor information based on identifying from corresponding source information that the second sensor information originated from a source beyond a prescribed scope utilized by the IP router.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the receiving includes receiving from the second IP router an IP advertisement message that specifies at least a portion of the sensor data;

the routing information base is implemented as a link state database that stores the sensor information including the sensor data and metadata, the executing the routing operation including sending a link state advertisement message, specifying at least a portion of the sensor information, to a third IP router according to a prescribed link state routing protocol.

11. An apparatus comprising:

an Internet Protocol (IP) network interface circuit configured for receiving sensor data from at least one of an IP advertisement message from a second IP router or an attached host sensor node, the sensor data distinct from link data of a network link;

a memory circuit configured for storing a routing information base; and

a routing circuit configured for generating sensor information based on storing, into the routing information base, the sensor data with metadata describing reception of the sensor data by the IP router, the routing circuit configured for executing a routing operation based on the sensor information stored in the routing information base.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the routing circuit is configured for executing the routing operation based on generating a constrained routing path to a destination based on the sensor information and routing information stored in the routing information base.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the routing circuit is configured for generating a constrained routing path based on:

generating a first path for reaching the destination if a first portion of the sensor information identifies a detected sensor metric is below a first threshold; and

generating a second path for reaching the destination if the first portion of the sensor information identifies the detected sensor metric exceeds the first threshold, the second path distinct from the first path;

the routing circuit further configured for selecting one of the first or second paths for routing a received data packet, based on determining whether the first portion of the sensor information identifies the detected sensor metric is below the first threshold or exceeds the first threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the routing circuit is configured for executing the routing operation based on providing at least a portion of the sensor information to a sensor application in response to one of the network interface circuit receiving a database query from the sensor application, or the routing circuit detecting a prescribed event defined by a prescribed rule related to the sensor information.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the IP network interface circuit is configured for receiving the prescribed rule related to the sensor information from the sensor application via an IP network;

the routing circuit configured for implementing the prescribed rule for detection of the prescribed event relative to the sensor information.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the routing circuit is configured for executing the routing operation based on sharing the sensor information with a third IP router according to a routing protocol providing synchronization of respective routing information bases.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the routing circuit is configured for executing the routing operation based on:

receiving received sensor information from the third IP router according to the routing protocol providing synchronization of the routing information base with a remote routing information base of the third IP router; and

generating sensor knowledge based on generating metadata describing evolution of the sensor information generated by the routing circuit, and the received sensor information from the third IP router, relative to a prescribed evolution domain, the routing circuit configured for storing the metadata describing the evolution in the routing information base.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the routing circuit is configured for executing the routing operation based on providing at least a portion of the sensor knowledge to a sensor application in response to one of the IP network interface circuit receiving a database query from the sensor application, or the routing circuit detecting a prescribed event defined by a prescribed rule related to the sensor knowledge.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the metadata includes at least one of source information identifying the IP router having stored the received sensor data in the routing information base or lifetime information indicating a lifetime of an identified portion of the sensor data stored in the routing information base, wherein:

the routing circuit is configured for selectively removing the identified portion of the sensor data from the routing information base in response to detecting an expiration of the corresponding lifetime;

the IP network interface circuit is configured for receiving received sensor information from the third IP router according to the routing protocol providing synchronization of the routing information base with a remote routing information base of the third IP router, the received sensor information including first sensor information having been generated by the third IP router and second sensor information having been received by the third IP router from a fourth IP router according to the routing protocol;

the routing circuit is configured for selectively discarding the second sensor information based on identifying from corresponding source information that the second sensor information originated from a source beyond a prescribed scope utilized by the IP router.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the routing information base is implemented as a link state database that stores the sensor information including the sensor data and metadata, the routing circuit configured for executing the routing operation based on sending a link state advertisement message, specifying at least a portion of the sensor information, to a third IP router according to a prescribed link state routing protocol.

21. An apparatus comprising:

an Internet Protocol (IP) network interface circuit configured for receiving sensor data from at least one of an IP advertisement message from a second IP router or an attached host sensor node, the sensor data distinct from link data of a network link;

a memory circuit configured for storing a routing information base; and

means for generating sensor information based on adding, into the routing information base, the sensor data with metadata describing reception of the sensor data by the IP router, the means for generating configured for executing a routing operation based on the sensor information stored in the routing information base.