METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING DATA PACKETS

• US 20140023077A1
• Filed: 07/16/2013
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pelion OY (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: ARM Finland Oy (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: PILTONEN, Joni, SAARNIVALA, Mikko
• Granted Patent: US 9,774,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/20 Hop count for routing purposes, e.g. TTL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for routing data packets. The solution in a communication network including a set of nodes, storing information regarding nodes of the network; and when transmitting a data packet to a destination node in the network, determining and including in the data packet the recipient identification; determining and including in the data packet the direction of the destination node in the network; determining and including in the data packet a hop count indicator indicating the number of node-to-node hops to the destination node; setting in the data packet the transmission direction indicator equal to a value corresponding to direction down and transmitting the packet.

Claims

1. An apparatus in a first communication network comprising a set of apparatuses, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform;

control communication with apparatuses operationally connected to the apparatus by transmitting and receiving data packets, the data packets comprising a recipient identification, a transmission direction indicator, and depending on the transmission direction indicator, a hop count indicator, wherein the apparatus is configured to

receive a data packet;

determine the transmission direction indicator of the data packet;

determine if the apparatus is the recipient of the data packet and process the packet if so;

otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down, determine whether the hop count indicator equals zero and if so, discard the data packet;

otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction up;

transmit the data packet;

otherwise, reduce the hop count indicator by one and

if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down and the number of apparatuses of which information is stored in the apparatus in the down direction is larger than one, broadcast the data packet, otherwise transmit the data packet.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to transmit and receive data packets comprising a transmission direction indicator having a value of two possible values corresponding to direction up and direction down.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the data packets comprise a hop count indicator if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to, when transmitting a packet originating from the apparatus, include in the packet

the recipient identification for the packet;

the transmission direction indicator; and

the hop count indicator if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to store information on apparatuses of a communication network the apparatus is operationally connected to.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus is configured to store information on one apparatus in the up transmission direction and up to two apparatuses in down transmission direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to register itself to the communication network by transmitting in the up transmission direction a message comprising the identification of the apparatus, a lifetime indicator and a transmission direction indicator equaling a value corresponding to direction up.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to broadcast a packet by setting prior the transmission of a packet the Medium Access Layer address to the data packet to a broadcast value indicating the data packet is to be received by all apparatuses receiving the transmission.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to communicate wirelessly with at least one other apparatus of the communication network.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a node in the communication network.

11. An apparatus in a first communication network comprising a set of nodes, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform;

store information regarding nodes of the communication network;

and when transmitting a data packet to a destination node in the communication network,

determine and include in the data packet the IPv6 address of the recipient;

determine the branch of the destination node in the network;

determine and include in the data packet a hop count indicator indicating the number of node-to-node hops to the destination node;

set and include in the data packet the transmission direction indicator equal to a value corresponding to direction down;

transmit the packet.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein information stored regarding nodes of the communication network comprises:

identification of the node;

the direction of the node in the network;

a lifetime indicator of the stored information; and

a hop count indicator indicating the number of node-to-node hops to the node.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is configured to

receive a data packet from a node in the communication network;

determine if the apparatus is the recipient of the data packet and process the packet if so;

otherwise, determine if the recipient of the data packet is a node in the communication network, and if so transmit the data packet;

otherwise transmit the data packet to an external network.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is configured to receive a registration message from a node, the message comprising the identification of the node, and a lifetime indicator of the information in the message.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is configured to maintain a list of nodes and determine the hop count indicator for a node by

A) browsing the node from the list;

B) retrieving a parent of the node from the list; and

C) repeating step B also for parent'"'"'s parent until the last parent is the apparatus itself.

16. A web service system comprising one or more apparatuses in a first communication network comprising a set of apparatuses, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform;

control communication with apparatuses operationally connected to the apparatus by transmitting and receiving data packets, the data packets comprising a recipient identification, a transmission direction indicator, and depending on the transmission direction indicator, a hop count indicator, wherein the apparatus is configured to

receive a data packet;

determine the transmission direction indicator of the data packet;

determine if the apparatus is the recipient of the data packet and process the packet if so;

otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down, determine whether the hop count indicator equals zero and if so, discard the data packet;

otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction up;

transmit the data packet;

otherwise, reduce the hop count indicator by one and

if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down and the number of apparatuses of which information is stored in the apparatus in the down direction is larger than one, broadcast the data packet, otherwise transmit the data packet;

and an apparatus in the first communication network comprising a set of nodes, the apparatus comprising;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform;

store information regarding nodes of the communication network;

and when transmitting a data packet to a destination node in the communication network,

determine and include in the data packet the IPv6 address of the recipient;

determine the branch of the destination node in the network;

determine and include in the data packet a hop count indicator indicating the number of node-to-node hops to the destination node;

set and include in the data packet the transmission direction indicator equal to a value corresponding to direction down;

transmit the packet.

17. A method in an apparatus, comprising:

controlling communication with one or more apparatuses;

transmitting and receiving data packets comprising a recipient identification, a transmission direction indicator, and depending on the transmission direction indicator, a hop count indicator;

receiving a data packet;

determining the transmission direction indicator of the data packet;

determining if the apparatus is the recipient of the data packet and process the packet if so;

otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down, determining whether the hop count indicator equals zero and if so, discard the data packet;

otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction up;

transmitting the data packet;

otherwise, reducing the hop count indicator by one and

if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down and the number of apparatuses of which information is stored in the apparatus in the down direction is larger than one, broadcasting the data packet, otherwise transmit the data packet.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting and receiving data packets comprising a transmission direction indicator having a value of two possible values corresponding to direction up and direction down.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data packets comprise a hop count indicator if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

when transmitting a packet originating from the apparatus, including in the packet the recipient identification for the packet;

the transmission direction indicator; and

the hop count indicator if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

storing information on apparatuses of a communication network the apparatus is operationally connected to.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

storing information on one apparatus in the up transmission direction and up to two apparatuses in down transmission direction.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

registering the apparatus to the communication network by transmitting in the up transmission direction a message comprising the identification of the apparatus, a lifetime indicator and a transmission direction indicator equaling a value corresponding to direction up.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

broadcasting a packet by setting prior the transmission of a packet the Medium Access Layer address to the data packet to a broadcast value indicating the data packet is to be received by all apparatuses receiving the transmission.

29. A computer program product encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process carrying out the method of claim 17.

25. A method in an apparatus in a first communication network comprising a set of nodes, comprising:

storing information regarding nodes of the communication network;

and when transmitting a data packet to a destination node in the communication network,

determining and including in the data packet the IPv6 address of the recipient;

determining the branch of the destination node in the network;

determining and including in the data packet a hop count indicator indicating the number of node-to-node hops to the destination node;

setting and including in the data packet the transmission direction indicator equal to a value corresponding to direction down;

transmitting the packet.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein information stored regarding nodes of the communication network comprises:

identification of the node

the direction of the node in the network;

a lifetime indicator of the stored information; and

a hop count indicator indicating the number of node-to-node hops to the node.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving a data packet from a node in the communication network;

determining if the apparatus is the recipient of the data packet and process the packet if so;

otherwise, determining if the recipient of the data packet is a node in the communication network, and if so transmitting the data packet;

otherwise transmitting the data packet to an external network.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving a registration message from a node, the message comprising the identification of the node, and a lifetime indicator of the information in the message.

30. A computer program product encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process carrying out the method of claim 25.