SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SCALABLE GEOGRAPHIC ADDRESSING FRAMEWORK

• US 20160241414A1
• Filed: 04/27/2016
• Published: 08/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,667,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/69 using geographic information, e.g. room number
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0838 Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0433 Key management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A bridge device at a first tier receives a geographic addressing packet destined for a target region containing a plurality of devices. The bridge device applies a bridging function using the geographic address packet to determine whether to transmit the geographic addressing packet. The bridging function utilizes certain information based on the geographic addressing packet. The bridge device determines to transmit the geographic addressing packet to a second tier based on the bridging function indicating that the geographic addressing packet should be transmitted to the second tier.

Claims

1. A bridge device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving, at a first tier of a network, a geographic addressing packet destined for a target region containing a plurality of devices;

determining, via a first bridging function using information based on the geographic addressing packet, whether to transmit the geographic addressing packet; and

determining to transmit the geographic addressing packet to a second tier of the network based on the first bridging function indicating that the geographic addressing packet should be transmitted to the second tier, wherein the second tier comprises a non-bridge device receiving the geographic addressing packet, and wherein the non-bridge device decrypts a header of the geographic addressing packet to determine whether to send the geographic addressing packet including a common operating picture update to another device.

2. The bridge device of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment, and wherein the geographic addressing packet comprises the common operating picture update that is to be distributed to the plurality of devices.

3. The bridge device of claim 1, wherein the first tier is a second georouter tier comprising the bridge device, wherein the bridge device communicates via a mobile communications network and a wireless network, and wherein the second tier is a geocast tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

4. The bridge device of claim 1, wherein the first tier is a geocast tier comprising the bridge device, wherein the bridge device communicates via a mobile communications network, and wherein the second tier is a second georouter tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

5. The bridge device of claim 1, wherein the first tier is a first geocast tier comprising the bridge device, wherein the bridge device communicates via a mobile communication network, and wherein the second tier is a second geocast tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

6. The bridge device of claim 1, wherein the first tier is a second georouter tier comprising the bridge device, wherein the bridge device communicates via a mobile communication network, and wherein the second tier is a third georouter tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

7. The bridge device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise distributing the geographic addressing packet by a third tier of the network to the plurality of devices responsive to the geographic addressing packet being received at a third tier located in the target region.

8. The bridge device of claim 1, wherein the geographic addressing packet is secured by a shared session key encryption system administered by a field security administrator.

9. The bridge device of claim 1, wherein the determining to transmit the geographic addressing packet to the second tier is responsive to the first bridging function returning a true response.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a first tier of a network and by a bridge device comprising a processor, a geographic addressing packet destined for a target region containing a plurality of devices;

determining, by the bridge device, via a first bridging function using information based on the geographic addressing packet, whether to transmit the geographic addressing packet;

determining, by the bridge device, to transmit the geographic addressing packet to a second tier of the network based on the first bridging function indicating that the geographic addressing packet should be transmitted to the second tier; and

distributing, by the bridge device, the geographic addressing packet by a third tier of the network to the plurality of devices responsive to the geographic addressing packet being received at a third tier located in the target region.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment, and wherein the geographic addressing packet comprises a common operating picture update that is to be distributed to the plurality of devices.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first tier is a second georouter tier comprising the bridge device, wherein the bridge device communicates via a mobile communications network and a wireless network, and wherein the second tier is a geocast tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first tier is a geocast tier comprising the bridge device, wherein the bridge device communicates via a mobile communications network, and wherein the second tier is a second georouter tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first tier is a first geocast tier comprising the bridge device, wherein the bridge device communicates via a mobile communication network, and wherein the second tier is a second geocast tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first tier is a second georouter tier comprising the bridge device, wherein the bridge device communicates via a mobile communication network, and wherein the second tier is a third georouter tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the geographic addressing packet is secured by a shared session key encryption system administered by a field security administrator.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining to transmit the geographic addressing packet to the second tier is responsive to the first bridging function returning a true response.

18. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving, at a first tier of a network, a geographic addressing packet destined for a target region containing a plurality of devices;

determining, via a first bridging function using information based on the geographic addressing packet, whether to transmit the geographic addressing packet; and

determining to transmit the geographic addressing packet to a second tier of the network based on the first bridging function indicating that the geographic addressing packet should be transmitted to the second tier, wherein the geographic addressing packet is secured by a shared session key encryption system administered by a field security administrator.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment, and wherein the operations further comprise distributing the geographic addressing packet by a third tier of the network to the plurality of devices responsive to the geographic addressing packet being received at a third tier located in the target region.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the geographic addressing packet comprises a common operating picture update that is to be distributed to the plurality of devices.