OBTAINING DATA RECEPTION PARAMETERS ON-DEMAND IN A MULTIPLE INTERFACE NETWORK

• US 20150023363A1
• Filed: 07/18/2013
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hui, Jonathan W., Hong, Wei, Vasseur, Jean-Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 9,549,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/408
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/14 Routing performance; Theoretical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/14 based on stability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In a multi-PHY, low power and lossy network comprising a plurality of nodes, a sender determines that a dwell time threshold limit for transmission of data will be exceeded by transmission of the data over a first network interface or that the recipient is unknown. The sender determines transmission parameters for the transmission of the data over the first network interface and transmits the transmission parameters to a receiver device over a second network interface that is different than the first network interface. The sender determines a channel on the first network interface for transmission of the data and transmits the determined channel with the transmission parameters to the receiver, or the receiver determines the channel on the first network interface for transmission of the data and transmits an indication of the determined channel to the sender in response to receiving the transmission parameters.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

in a multi-PHY, low power and lossy network (LLN) comprising a plurality of nodes, determining that transmission of data over a broadcast mechanism in a first network interface is undesirable;

determining transmission parameters for a transmission of data from a sender node to a receiver node via the first network interface;

transmitting, by a sender node, the transmission parameters to the receiver node via a second network interface, wherein the second network interface is different than the first network interface; and

transmitting, by the sender node, the data to the receiver node via a mechanism in the first network interface, wherein the mechanism in the first network interface was determined using the transmission parameters.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the transmission of the data via the broadcast mechanism on the first network interface is undesirable comprises determining that a time until the broadcast mechanism is available exceeds a predefined threshold.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the transmission of the data via the broadcast mechanism on the first network interface is undesirable comprises determining that the broadcast mechanism is not available.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the transmission of the data via the broadcast mechanism on the first network interface is undesirable comprises determining that the broadcast mechanism is not sufficient for the transmission of the data.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transmission parameters comprise one or more of the first network interface channel, modulation, a data rate, a transmission start time, a transmission end time, a channel-hopping schedule, or a dwell time for channels in the channel-hopping schedule.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises two or more data messages.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the receiver node, an indication of the mechanism in the first network interface via which to transmit the data.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the receiver node determines the mechanism in the first network interface via which to transmit the data in response to receiving the transmission parameters and transmits an identity of the determined mechanism to the sender node via the second network interface.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining, using the transmission parameters, the mechanism in the first network interface via which to transmit the data.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the transmission parameters transmitted to the receiver via the second network interface comprise an indication of the mechanism in the first network interface via which the data will be transmitted.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more network interfaces to communicate with a low power and lossy network (LLN);

a processor coupled to the network interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes; and

a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to;

identify a timing for a broadcast slot on a first network interface;

determine that transmission of data via the broadcast slot on the first network interface is undesirable based at least in part on the timing for the broadcast slot on the first network interface;

determine transmission parameters for the transmission of the data over the first network interface;

determine a channel in the first network interface to transmit the data, wherein the channel is determined using the transmission parameters;

transmit the transmission parameters to a receiver node over a second network interface, wherein the second network interface is different than the first network interface, and wherein the transmission parameters comprise an indication of the channel in the first network interface via which the data will be transmitted; and

transmit the data via the determined channel in the first network interface.

12. The apparatus as in claim 11, wherein determining that transmission of the data via the broadcast slot on the first network interface is undesirable comprises determining that a time until the broadcast slot is available exceeds a predefined threshold based on the identified timing for the broadcast slot on the first network interface.

13. The apparatus as in claim 11, wherein determining that the transmission of the data via the broadcast slot on the first network interface is undesirable comprises determining that the broadcast slot is not available or not sufficient for the transmission of the data.

14. The apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the transmission parameters comprise one or more of the first network interface channel, modulation, a data rate, a transmission start time, a transmission end time, a channel-hopping schedule, or a dwell time for channels in the channel-hopping schedule.

15. The apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the data comprises two or more data messages.

16. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having software encoded thereon, the software when executed by a processor operable to:

in a multi-PHY, low power and lossy network (LLN) comprising a plurality of nodes, determine that transmission of data over a broadcast slot on a first network interface is undesirable;

determine transmission parameters for the transmission of the data over the first network interface;

transmit the transmission parameters to a receiver node over a second network interface, wherein the second network interface is different than the first network interface;

receive, from the receiver node, an indication of a channel in the first network interface via which to transmit the data, wherein the receiver node determines the channel in the first network interface to transmit the data based on the transmission parameters and transmits an indication of the determined channel via the second network interface; and

in response to receiving the indication of the determined channel in the first network interface via which to transmit the data, transmit the data via the determined channel in the first network interface to the receiver node.

17. The computer-readable media as in claim 16, wherein determining that the transmission of the data via the broadcast slot on the first network interface is undesirable comprises determining that a time until the broadcast slot is available exceeds a predefined threshold.

18. The computer-readable media as in claim 16, wherein determining that the transmission of the data via the broadcast slot on the first network interface is undesirable comprises determining that the broadcast slot is not available or not sufficient.

19. The computer-readable media as in claim 16, wherein the transmission parameters comprise one or more of the first network interface channel, modulation, a data rate, a transmission start time, a transmission end time, a channel-hopping schedule, or a dwell time for channels in the channel-hopping schedule.

20. The computer-readable media as in claim 16, wherein the data comprises two or more data messages.