DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SCHEDULING DATA PACKET TRANSMISSIONS IN WIRELESS NETWORKS

• US 20130188492A1
• Filed: 09/20/2011
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Schenk, Tim Corneel Wilhelmus, Gorgen, Daniel Martin, Perez Espina, Javier, Garcia Morchon, Oscar
• Granted Patent: US 10,397,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1868 Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1881 with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0247 based on conditions of the access network or the infrastructure network central resource management H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access

Abstract

For load balancing in a large-scale wireless mesh network, a device, a system and a method are provided for controlling data packet transmissions in the wireless mesh network, wherein a time slot is randomly selected within a determined answer interval for transmitting an answer responding to a received data packet.

Claims

1. (canceled)

14. A system for controlling data packet transmission in a wireless network, the system comprising:

a plurality of nodes (10); and

at least one data collector node (so);

wherein at least one of the nodes (10) and/or the data collector node (50) comprises a device comprising a control unit (200) that is adapted to randomly select a time slot within a determined answer interval for transmitting an answer responding to a received data packet,

wherein the data collector node (50) is adapted to poll at least one of the nodes (10) for data packet transmission based on a hop distance of the node (10) to the data collector node (50) and/or a network area in which the node (10) is located, and

wherein the data collector node (50) is adapted to multicast a data request message to at least some of the nodes (10), to which the nodes (10) answer with a node-specific delay after having received the data request message.

2. The system according to claim 14, wherein the device is adapted to be added to the least one node and/or to the data collector node and/or to a control center and wherein the wireless network is a mesh network.

3. The system according to claim 14, wherein the received data packet is at least one of a multicast or broadcast data packet sent to more than one receiver node or a request for data delivery.

4. The device system according to claim 14, wherein the control unit is adapted to differentiate between time-critical and non-time critical data packets.

5. The system according to claim 14, wherein the answer interval is specific for the received data packet and/or the answer interval is determined based on at least one of

a number of addressee nodes of the answer,

a number of receiver nodes of the received data packet,

network capabilities,

a time stamp,

information included in the received data packet,

a predetermined deadline,

current or expected network load, and a stored schedule.

6. The system according to Claim 14, wherein a transmission of a data packet is scheduled based on a location of the device within the network and/or based on a hop distance of the device to a data collector node and/or on a network address.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the transmission of a data packet in an area with low hop distance to the data collector node is scheduled to be prior than the transmission of a data packet in an area with high hop distance to the data collector node.

8. The system according to Claim 14, wherein the control unit is adapted to set back-off delays based on a spatial distance between the device and the data collector node and/or based on a hop distance of the device to the data collector node and/or on a location of the device within the network and/or on a network address.

9. The system according to Claim 14, wherein the control unit is adapted to aggregate answers to more than one received data packet in one answer-batch.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is adapted to postpone the answers to the received data packets for aggregation in the answer-batch such that the answers are transmitted within a respective answer interval.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is adapted to aggregate answers to an individual node and/or to aggregate answers to a predetermined group of nodes.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein for aggregation of answers to the predetermined group, the control unit is adapted to determine the group of nodes based on a distance between the nodes.

13. The system according to claim 14, wherein the device is used in telemanagement of a lighting system for switching on/off and/or controlling dimming patterns of luminaire nodes.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the answer is at least one of a time-uncritical data packet or an acknowledgement of the received data packet.

15. A method for controlling data packet transmission in a wireless network comprising a plurality of nodes and at least one data collector node, said method comprising:

randomly selecting a time slot within a determined answer interval for transmitting an answer responding to a received data packet;

polling at least one of the nodes for data packet transmission based on a hop distance of the node to the data collector node and/or or a network area in which the node is located, and

multicasting a data request message to at least some of the nodes, to which the nodes answer with a node-specific delay after having received the data request message.