Network Routing System, Method and Computer Program Product

• US 20140004865A1
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: Bhargava, Vidur, Vishwanath, Sriram, Jose, Jubin
• Granted Patent: US 9,578,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method, system, or computer program product to enhance the performance of multi-hop cellular networks or other wireless networks is provided. A wireless device (e.g., cellular telephone) is able to communicate with a base-station in a cell of the cellular network over a non-cellular interface via another wireless device in the cell through the use of multi-hopping. By enabling wireless devices to communicate with a base station in such a manner, the effective coverage area of the cellular network is expanded and the effective capacity of the cellular network is improved. Distributed routing, device management, adaptive scheduling, and distributed algorithms can be used to enhance the overall performance of multi-hop cellular networks.

Claims

1. A method of coordinating use of a wireless medium among wireless devices that are out of range of one another, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first wireless device, a first request-to-send (RTS) signal transmitted from a second wireless device to a third wireless device, the RTS signal being wirelessly transmitted by the second wireless device in response to data in an output buffer of the second wireless device destined for the third wireless device;

receiving, by the first wireless device, a second RTS signal transmitted from a fourth wireless device to the first wireless device, the second RTS signal being wirelessly transmitted by the fourth wireless device in response to data in an output buffer of the fourth wireless device destined for the first wireless device, the fourth wireless device being out of range of the second wireless device;

in response to the first RTS signal, determining, by the first wireless device, to delay a transmission of a first clear-to-send (CTS) signal from the first wireless device until an acknowledgement (ACK) signal is transmitted from the third wireless device to the second wireless device;

receiving the ACK signal, by the first wireless device, the ACK signal being wirelessly transmitted from the third wireless device to the second wireless device in response to receipt of data by the third wireless device from the second wireless device; and

in response to the ACK signal, wirelessly transmitting a second CTS signal from the first wireless device to the fourth wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving data frames, by the first wireless device, from the fourth wireless device after transmitting the second CTS signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless device is configure to operate as a node of a hybrid cellular and non-cellular multi-hop wireless network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless device is a cell phone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the ACK signal comprises receiving the ACK signal via a non-cellular interface of the first wireless device.

6. A method of routing data in a multi-hop wireless network, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a first wireless device, data indicative of whether signal-quality of transmissions from a second wireless device to the first wireless device are above a first threshold;

obtaining, by the first wireless device, data indicative of whether signal-quality of transmissions from a third wireless device to the first wireless device are above a second threshold;

based on the obtained data, by the first wireless device, determining to route data from the first wireless device to the third wireless device through the second wireless device; and

in response to the determination, transmitting data to the second wireless device for relay to the third wireless device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first threshold is greater than or equal to approximately 0 decibels.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second threshold is greater than or equal to approximately 30 decibels.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the data indicative of whether signal-quality of transmissions from a second wireless device to the first wireless device are above a first threshold comprises a beacon frame transmitted by the second wireless device.

10. A method of relaying data in a multi-hop network, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first wireless device, a data frame and a first value both wirelessly transmitted from a second wireless device;

determining, by the first wireless device, to relay the data frame based on first value;

in response to the determination, selecting, by the first wireless device, a third wireless device to receive the data frame; and

in response to the determination, transmitting, by the first wireless device, the data frame and a second value calculated by the first wireless device to the third wireless device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first value is based on a medium-access control (MAC) address of the second wireless device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first value is based on a destination MAC address.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the data frame comprises the first value.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first value is smaller than or approximately equal to 4 bytes.

15. A method of forming a social network, the method comprising:

wirelessly receiving, by a first wireless device, a data from a second wireless device;

determining, by the first wireless device, the data matches other data;

wirelessly transmitting, in response to the determination, from the first wireless device, a request to the second wireless device to establish communication; and

wirelessly receiving, by the first wireless device, a signal from the second wireless device indicating that request is accepted.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first wireless device is a node of a hybrid cellular and non-cellular multi-hop network.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining that the data matches other data comprises determining that a person identifier matches the other data.

18. A method of reconstructing an acknowledgement signal, the method comprising:

wirelessly receiving, by a first wireless device, data frames from a second device to be relayed to a third wireless device;

snooping, by the first wireless device, frame-reconstruction-helper-values from header information of the data frames;

wirelessly transmitting, by the first wireless device, the data frames to the third wireless device along with a signal commanding the third wireless device to not transmit an acknowledgement signal for the second device;

constructing, by the first wireless device, based on frame-reconstruction-helper-values, an acknowledgement signal; and

transmitting the acknowledgement signal to the second device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first wireless device is a node of a hybrid cellular and non-cellular multi-hop network.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the frame-reconstruction-helper-values are based on internet protocol and transmission control protocol (TCP) headers of an encapsulated TCP segment.