METHOD AND DEVICE FOR FORWARDING DATA PACKETS

• US 20130058352A1
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Espina Perez, Javier, Draaijer, Maurice Herman Johan, Goergen, Daniel Martin, Schenk, Tim Cornell Wilhelmus
• Application Number:
  US13/698,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20130058352A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location

Abstract

The method for forwarding data packets in position based routing of data from a source node (S) to at least one destination node (D) of a mesh network (1) comprises the following steps. A data packet (2) originating from the source node (S) is received at an intermediate node (A) and the geographical position of the destination node (D) is obtained from the data packet (2). All accessible neighbor nodes (C_i) of the intermediate node (A) and their positions are determined. For each neighbor node (C_i) of the intermediate node (A), a deviation value (v_i) depending on the position of the neighbor node (C_i) in relation to a line of sight (4) between the intermediate node (A) and the destination node (D) is then determined and at least one of the neighbor nodes (C_i) is selected as a next intermediate node (B) depending on the determined deviation values (v_i). The data packed (2) is then forwarded to the selected next intermediate node (B).

Claims

1. A method for forwarding data packets in position based routing of data from a source node (S) to at least one destination node (D) of a mesh network (1), the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a data packet (2) originating from the source node (S) at an intermediate node (A) and obtaining the geographical position of the destination node (D) from the data packet (2);

determining all accessible neighbor nodes (C_i) of the intermediate node (A) and their positions;

for each neighbor node (C_i) of the intermediate node (A), determining a deviation value (v_i) depending on the position of the neighbor node (C_i) in relation to a line of sight (4) between the intermediate node (A) and the destination node (D);

selecting at least one of the neighbor nodes (C_i) that are closer to the destination node (D) than the intermediate node (A) as a next intermediate node (B) depending on the determined deviation values (v_i); and

forwarding the data packed (2) to the selected next intermediate node (B);

wherein a control parameter (α

) is included in the data packet 2 and wherein the control parameter (α

) controls the determination of the deviation value (v_i).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deviation value (v_i) is related to a distance (6) between the respective neighbor node (C_i) and the line of sight (4), and in particular the length of a perpendicular projection from the respective neighbor node (C_i) and the line of sight (4).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deviation value (v_i) is related to a distance (7) between the respective neighbor node (C_i) and the intermediate node (A).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deviation value (v_i) is related to an angle (8) between the line of sight (4) and a line connecting the intermediate node (A) and the respective neighbor node (C_i).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deviation value (v_i) is related to a combination of the distance (6) between the respective neighbor node (C_i) and the line of sight (4) and/or a distance (7) between the respective neighbor node (C_i) and the intermediate node (A) and/or an angle (8) between the line of sight (4) and a line connecting the intermediate node (A) and the respective neighbor node (C_i).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selection of the next intermediate node (B) is based on a combined value (vp_i) which is a combination of the deviation value (v_i) and a progress value (p_i) that depends on the position of the respective neighbor node (C_i) with respect to the destination node (D).

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the combined value (vp_i) is a weight sum of the deviation value (v_i) and the progress value (p_i).

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the control parameter (α

) controls the determination of the combined value (vp_i).

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the control parameter (α

) is used for weighting the deviation value (v_i) and the progress value (p_i) when determining the combined value (vp_i).

10. The method according to claim 6, used for multicast routing by sending the data packet (2) to all those neighbor nodes (c_i), where the related deviation values (v_i) and/or combined values (vp_i) fulfill a predetermined threshold criterion.

11. A method for routing a data packet (2) in a mesh network (1) from a source node (S) to at least one destination node (D) via at least one intermediate node (A), wherein the intermediate node (A) performs a method for routing the data packet (2) to a next intermediate node (B) according to claim 1.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the source node (S) includes at least one control parameter (α

) in the data packet (2) and wherein the at least one control parameter (α

) controls the forwarding method for forwarding the data packet (2) at the intermediate node (A).

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the source node (S) sends the data packet (2) at least two times with differing values for the at least one control parameter (α

).

14. The method according to claim 11 used for multicast routing, wherein the source node (S) includes a predetermined threshold parameter related to the threshold criterion that is used to select the neighbor nodes (C_i) to which the data packet (2) is forwarded by the intermediate node (A).

15. A routing device for use at a node of a mesh network (1), the routing device being designed to perform a method for forwarding a data packet (2) according to claim 1.