PARENT DEVICE ALLOCATION OF RETRANSMIT SLOT TO CHILD NETWORK DEVICE ON BEHALF OF PEER CHILD DEVICE IN A DETERMINISTIC NETWORK

• US 20160269096A1
• Filed: 03/09/2015
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: THUBERT, PASCAL, VASSEUR, JEAN-PHILIPPE, LEVY-ABEGNOLI, ERIC MICHEL, WETTERWALD, PATRICK
• Granted Patent: US 9,859,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/00 Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received correcting synchronisation H04L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1864 ARQ related signaling H04L1/1607 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving, by a parent network device in a wireless deterministic network, a retransmit capabilities message from a first child device attached to the parent network device, the retransmit capabilities message specifying that the first child device can detect a data packet transmission to the parent network device by a second child device attached to the parent network device and that is a peer of the first child device; and allocating, by the parent network device, a peer retransmit timeslot to the first child device from within a channel distribution chunk appropriated by the parent network device, the peer retransmit timeslot enabling the first child device to retransmit a data packet on behalf of the second child device to the parent network device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a parent network device in a wireless deterministic network, a retransmit capabilities message from a first child device attached to the parent network device, the retransmit capabilities message specifying that the first child device can detect a data packet transmission to the parent network device by a second child device attached to the parent network device and that is a peer of the first child device; and

allocating, by the parent network device, a peer retransmit timeslot to the first child device from within a channel distribution chunk appropriated by the parent network device, the peer retransmit timeslot enabling the first child device to retransmit a data packet on behalf of the second child device to the parent network device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the parent network device, a second retransmit capabilities message from a third child device attached to the parent network device, the second retransmit capabilities message specifying that the third child device can detect the data packet transmission by the second child device; and

allocating, by the parent network device, a second peer retransmit timeslot to the third child device from within the channel distribution chunk, the second peer retransmit timeslot enabling the third child device to retransmit the data packet on behalf of the second child device to the parent network device if the first child device cannot retransmit the data packet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating further comprises allocating, to the first child device from within the channel distribution chunk, a parent retransmit timeslot that enables the first child device to retransmit, to the second child device, a data packet on behalf of the parent network device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the parent network device multicasting a retransmit capabilities request message, the allocating based on associating the retransmit capabilities message to the retransmit capabilities request message.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a device interface circuit configured for receiving, in a wireless deterministic network, a retransmit capabilities message from a first child device attached to the apparatus, the retransmit capabilities message specifying that the first child device can detect a data packet transmission to the apparatus by a second child device attached to the apparatus and that is a peer of the first child device; and

a processor circuit configured for allocating a peer retransmit timeslot to the first child device from within a channel distribution chunk appropriated by the apparatus, the peer retransmit timeslot enabling the first child device to retransmit a data packet on behalf of the second child device to the apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the device interface circuit is further configured for receiving a second retransmit capabilities message from a third child device attached to the apparatus, the second retransmit capabilities message specifying that the third child device can detect the data packet transmission by the second child device;

the processor circuit further configured for allocating a second peer retransmit timeslot to the third child device from within the channel distribution chunk, the second peer retransmit timeslot enabling the third child device to retransmit the data packet on behalf of the second child device to the parent network device if the first child device cannot retransmit the data packet.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor circuit further is configured for allocating, to the first child device from within the channel distribution chunk, a parent retransmit timeslot that enables the first child device to retransmit, to the second child device, a data packet on behalf of the parent network device.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the device interface circuit is configured for multicasting a retransmit capabilities request message, the processor circuit configured for allocating the peer retransmit timeslot based on associating the retransmit capabilities message to the retransmit capabilities request message.

9. One or more non-transitory tangible media encoded with logic for execution by a machine and when executed by the machine operable for:

receiving, by a parent network device in a wireless deterministic network, a retransmit capabilities message from a first child device attached to the parent network device, the retransmit capabilities message specifying that the first child device can detect a data packet transmission to the parent network device by a second child device attached to the parent network device and that is a peer of the first child device; and

allocating, by the parent network device, a peer retransmit timeslot to the first child device from within a channel distribution chunk appropriated by the parent network device, the peer retransmit timeslot enabling the first child device to retransmit a data packet on behalf of the second child device to the parent network device.

10. A method comprising:

sending, by a child network device attached to a parent network device in a wireless deterministic network, a retransmit capabilities message to the parent network device, the retransmit capabilities message specifying that the child network device can detect a data packet transmission to the parent network device by a second child device attached to the parent network device and that is a peer of the child network device; and

receiving, by the child network device from the parent network device, a peer retransmit timeslot allocated to the child network device from within a channel distribution chunk appropriated by the parent network device, the peer retransmit timeslot enabling the child device to retransmit a data packet on behalf of the second child device to the parent network device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting, by the child network device, a determined absence of an acknowledgement by the parent network device to a newly-transmitted data packet from the second child device; and

the child network device retransmitting the newly-transmitted data packet using the peer retransmit timeslot, on behalf of the second child device to the parent network device, in response to the determined absence of the acknowledgement.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, by the child network device, a parent retransmit timeslot that enables the child network device to retransmit, to the second child device, a data packet on behalf of the parent network device;

detecting, by the child network device, a determined absence of an acknowledgement by the second child device to a second transmitted data packet from the parent network device; and

the child network device retransmitting the second transmitted data packet using the parent retransmit timeslot, on behalf of the parent network device to the second child device, in response to the determined absence of the acknowledgement.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, by the child network device, a retransmit capabilities request message from the parent network device;

determining, by the child network device, detectability of the data packet transmission to the parent network device by the second child device based on promiscuous detection of the data packet transmission on timeslots allocated to the second child device within the channel distribution chunk; and

generating the retransmit capabilities message, responsive to the retransmit capabilities request message, based on the promiscuous detection of the data packet transmission.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the generating includes specifying, within the retransmit capabilities message, detection reliability metrics based on the promiscuous detection of the data packet transmission.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor circuit configured for generating a retransmit capabilities message for a parent network device in a wireless deterministic network, the apparatus attached as a child network device to the parent network device, the retransmit capabilities message specifying that the apparatus can detect a data packet transmission to the parent network device by a second child device attached to the parent network device and that is a peer of the apparatus; and

a device interface circuit configured for sending the retransmit capabilities message to the parent network device, the device interface circuit further configured for receiving, from the parent network device, a peer retransmit timeslot allocated to the apparatus from within a channel distribution chunk appropriated by the parent network device, the peer retransmit timeslot enabling the apparatus to retransmit a data packet on behalf of the second child device to the parent network device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the processor circuit is configured for detecting a determined absence of an acknowledgement by the parent network device to a newly-transmitted data packet from the second child device;

the processor circuit configured for causing retransmission of the newly-transmitted data packet using the peer retransmit timeslot, on behalf of the second child device to the parent network device, in response to the determined absence of the acknowledgement.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the device interface circuit is configured for receiving a parent retransmit timeslot that enables the apparatus to retransmit, to the second child device, a data packet on behalf of the parent network device;

the processor circuit configured for detecting a determined absence of an acknowledgement by the second child device to a second transmitted data packet from the parent network device;

the processor circuit further configured for causing retransmission of the second transmitted data packet using the parent retransmit timeslot, on behalf of the parent network device to the second child device, in response to the determined absence of the acknowledgement.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the device interface circuit is configured for receiving a retransmit capabilities request message from the parent network device;

the processor circuit is configured for determining detectability of the data packet transmission to the parent network device by the second child device based on promiscuous detection of the data packet transmission on timeslots allocated to the second child device within the channel distribution chunk; and

the processor circuit is configured for generating the retransmit capabilities message, responsive to the retransmit capabilities request message, based on the promiscuous detection of the data packet transmission.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor circuit is configured for specifying, within the retransmit capabilities message, detection reliability metrics based on the promiscuous detection of the data packet transmission.

20. One or more non-transitory tangible media encoded with logic for execution by a machine and when executed by the machine operable for:

sending, by a child network device attached to a parent network device in a wireless deterministic network, a retransmit capabilities message to the parent network device, the retransmit capabilities message specifying that the child network device can detect a data packet transmission to the parent network device by a second child device attached to the parent network device and that is a peer of the child network device; and

receiving, by the child network device from the parent network device, a peer retransmit timeslot allocated to the child network device from within a channel distribution chunk appropriated by the parent network device, the peer retransmit timeslot enabling the child device to retransmit a data packet on behalf of the second child device to the parent network device.