SYSTEM, DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR UNIFYING DIFFERENTLY-ROUTED NETWORKS USING VIRTUAL TOPOLOGY REPRESENTATIONS

• US 20100254309A1
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon BBN Technlogies Corp. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BBN Technologies (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Haigh, Karen Z., Mankins, David Patrick, Troxel, Gregory D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,139,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/52 Multiprotocol routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/26 for hybrid routing by combining proactive and reactive routing

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for routing data through a first and a second ad-hoc network are described. Routing information structured according to a first routing protocol associated with a plurality of nodes in the first network is received at a border node that is part of at least the first and second ad-hoc networks. Routing information structured according to a second routing protocol associated with a plurality of nodes in the second ad-hoc network is also received. The received routing information is translated from the first routing protocol to the second routing protocol, or vice versa, and disseminated to nodes in the first or second ad-hoc networks. Data packets from nodes in the first ad-hoc network are forwarded to nodes in the second ad-hoc network, or vice versa, based in part on the translated routing information.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium storing computer executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to carryout out a method for routing data through a first ad-hoc network and a second ad-hoc network comprising:

receiving routing information structured according to a first routing protocol associated with a plurality of nodes in the first ad-hoc network;

receiving routing information structured according to a second routing protocol associated with a plurality of nodes in the second ad-hoc network;

generating a first virtual topology of a combination of the first and second ad-hoc networks according to the first routing protocol;

disseminating the first virtual topology to nodes in the first ad-hoc network; and

forwarding a packet from a node in the first ad-hoc network to a node in the second ad-hoc network based at least in part on the first virtual topology.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising computer executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

generate a second virtual topology of a combination of the first and second ad-hoc networks according to the second routing protocol;

disseminate the second virtual topology to nodes in the second ad-hoc network; and

forward a packet from a node in the second ad-hoc network to a node in the first ad-hoc network based at least in part on the second virtual topology.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first routing protocol is a reactive protocol and the second routing protocol is proactive.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first routing protocol is a proactive protocol and the second routing protocol is reactive.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first routing protocol is a link state protocol and the second routing protocol is a distance vector protocol.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the virtual topology includes a list of nodes in the first and second ad-hoc networks with the associated cost of information transmission through each of the nodes.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first routing protocol is a distance vector protocol and the second routing protocol is a link state protocol.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the virtual topology includes a list of nodes in the first and second ad-hoc networks with the associated minimum costs of reaching each node in the first ad-hoc network.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first and second routing protocols are link state protocols.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the virtual topology includes a list of nodes in the first and second ad-hoc networks with the associated cost of information transmission through each of the nodes.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first and second routing protocols are distance vector protocols.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the virtual topology includes a list of nodes in the first and second ad-hoc networks with the associated minimum costs of reaching each node in the first ad-hoc network.

13. A method for routing data through a first ad-hoc network and a second ad-hoc network comprising:

receiving at a border node belonging to at least the first and second ad-hoc networks routing information structured according to a first routing protocol associated with a plurality of nodes in the first ad-hoc network;

receiving at the border node routing information structured according to a second routing protocol associated with a plurality of nodes in the second ad-hoc network;

generating at the border node a first virtual topology of a combination of the first and second ad-hoc networks according to the first routing protocol;

disseminating by the border node the first virtual topology to nodes in the first ad-hoc network; and

forwarding a packet from a node in the first ad-hoc network to a node in the second ad-hoc network based at least in part on the first virtual topology.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

generating at the border node a second virtual topology of a combination of the first and second ad-hoc networks according to the second routing protocol;

disseminating by the border node the second virtual topology to nodes in the second ad-hoc network; and

forwarding a packet from a node in the second ad-hoc network to a node in the first ad-hoc network based at least in part on the second virtual topology.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first routing protocol is a reactive protocol and the second routing protocol is proactive.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first routing protocol is a proactive protocol and the second routing protocol is reactive.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first routing protocol is a link state protocol and the second routing protocol is a distance vector protocol.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the virtual topology includes a list of nodes in the first and second ad-hoc networks with the associated cost of information transmission through each of the nodes.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the first routing protocol is a distance vector protocol and the second routing protocol is a link state protocol.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the virtual topology includes a list of nodes in the first and second ad-hoc networks with the associated minimum costs of reaching each node in the first ad-hoc network.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second routing protocols are link state protocols.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the translated routing information includes a list of nodes in the first and second ad-hoc networks with the associated cost of information transmission through each of the nodes.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second routing protocols are distance vector protocols.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the virtual topology includes a list of nodes in the first ad-hoc network with the associated minimum costs of reaching each node in the first ad-hoc network.

25. A device for routing data through a first ad-hoc network and a second ad-hoc network comprising:

a first transceiver in communication with at least one node in the first ad-hoc network;

a second transceiver in communication with at least one node in the second ad-hoc network; and

a control unit in communication with the first and second transceivers, wherein the control unit comprises;

a processor; and

a memory storing computer executable instructions, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carryout out a method for routing data through the first and second ad-hoc networks comprising;

receiving routing information structured according to a first routing protocol associated with a plurality of nodes in the first ad-hoc network from the first transceiver;

receiving routing information structured according to a second routing protocol associated with a plurality of nodes in the second ad-hoc network from the second transceiver;

generating a first virtual topology of a combination of the first and second ad-hoc networks according to the first routing protocol;

disseminating the first virtual topology to nodes in the first ad-hoc network; and

forwarding a packet from a node in the first ad-hoc network to a node in the second ad-hoc network based at least in part on the first virtual topology.

26. The device of claim 25, further comprising computer executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

generate a second virtual topology of a combination of the first and second ad-hoc networks according to the second routing protocol;

disseminate the second virtual topology to nodes in the second ad-hoc network; and

forward a packet from a node in the second ad-hoc network to a node in the first ad-hoc network based at least in part on the second virtual topology.

27. The device of claim 25, wherein the first routing protocol is a reactive protocol and the second routing protocol is proactive.

28. The device of claim 25, wherein the first routing protocol is a proactive protocol and the second routing protocol is reactive.

29. The device of claim 25, wherein the first routing protocol is a link state protocol and the second routing protocol is a distance vector protocol.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the virtual topology includes a list of nodes in the first and second ad-hoc networks with the associated cost of information transmission through each of the nodes.

31. The device of claim 25, wherein the first routing protocol is a distance vector protocol and the second routing protocol is a link state protocol.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the translated routing information includes a list of nodes in the first and second ad-hoc networks with the associated minimum costs of reaching each node in the first ad-hoc network.

33. The device of claim 25, wherein the first and second routing protocols are link state protocols.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein the virtual topology includes a list of nodes in the first and second ad-hoc networks with the associated cost of information transmission through each of the nodes.

35. The device of claim 25, wherein the first and second routing protocols are distance vector protocols.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein the virtual topology includes a list of nodes in the first and second ad-hoc networks with the associated minimum costs of reaching each node in the first ad-hoc network.