DEVICE AND METHOD FOR A MULTI-HOP MOBILE AD HOC NETWORK
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Abstract
An ad hoc network having self-organized clusters of nodes, i.e., one-hop ad hoc subnetworks. Any node can assume the role of a routing node if it is able to communicate with at least one node in another cluster so as to self-organize the clusters of nodes into a multi-hop ad hoc network. An intra-cluster synchronization of sleep and awake periods of nodes in a power-saving mode of operation is performed separately within each cluster. An inter-cluster synchronization of awake periods of neighboring clusters to be temporally non-overlapping is performed by the routing nodes.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1-17. -17. (canceled)
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18. A method of operating a node in an ad hoc network, comprising:
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joining or initiating a cluster in an ad hoc network, wherein a plurality of nodes are able to self-organize themselves into clusters of nodes, each cluster comprising a collection of nodes which are capable of one-hop communication directly with each other; performing an intra-cluster temporal synchronization of sleep and awake periods of nodes in a power-saving mode of operation within the own cluster without any single node coordinating the operation of the individual nodes in the cluster; accessing a communication medium using a contention mechanism without any single node coordinating the operation of the individual nodes in the cluster; selectively assuming, when appropriate, a routing function to a neighboring cluster so as to self-organize the clusters of nodes into a multi-hop ad hoc network comprised of individual clusters of nodes; performing, when the routing function is assumed, inter-cluster data routing between the own cluster and the neighboring cluster; and performing, when the routing function is assumed, an inter-cluster synchronization of awake periods of the own cluster and the neighboring cluster to be temporally non-overlapping. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A network node apparatus, comprising a processor unit and a radio communication unit, the processor unit being configured to perform routines:
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joining or initiating a cluster in an ad hoc network, wherein a plurality of nodes are able to self-organize themselves into clusters of nodes, each cluster comprising a collection of nodes which are capable of one-hop communication directly with each other; performing an intra-cluster temporal synchronization of sleep and awake periods of nodes in a power-saving mode of operation within the own cluster without any single node coordinating the operation of the individual nodes in the cluster; accessing a communication medium using a contention mechanism without any single node coordinating the operation of the individual nodes in the cluster; selectively assuming, when appropriate, a routing function to a neighboring cluster so as to self-organize the clusters of nodes into a multi-hop ad hoc network comprised of individual clusters of nodes; performing, when the routing function is assumed, inter-cluster data routing between the own cluster and the neighboring cluster; and performing, when the routing function is assumed, an inter-cluster synchronization of awake periods of the own cluster and the neighboring cluster to be temporally non-overlapping.
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34. An ad hoc network, comprising a plurality of network nodes, each of the plurality of nodes including a processor unit and a radio communication unit, the processor unit being configured to perform routines:
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joining or initiating a cluster in an ad hoc network, wherein a plurality of nodes are able to self-organize themselves into clusters of nodes, each cluster comprising a collection of nodes which are capable of one-hop communication directly with each other; performing an intra-cluster temporal synchronization of sleep and awake periods of nodes in a power-saving mode of operation within the own cluster without any single node coordinating the operation of the individual nodes in the cluster; accessing a communication medium using a contention mechanism without any single node coordinating the operation of the individual nodes in the cluster; selectively assuming, when appropriate, a routing function to a neighboring cluster so as to self-organize the clusters of nodes into a multi-hop ad hoc network comprised of individual clusters of nodes; performing, when the routing function is assumed, inter-cluster data routing between the own cluster and the neighboring cluster; and performing, when the routing function is assumed, an inter-cluster synchronization of awake periods of the own cluster and the neighboring cluster to be temporally non-overlapping.
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Specification