METHOD AND NODES FOR SELECTING A CAPILLARY NETWORK GATEWAY

• US 20160353227A1
• Filed: 02/21/2014
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Sachs, Joachim, Kernen, Ari, Rune, Johan, Eriksson, Anders E., Beijar, Nicklas, Tsiatsis, Vlasios, Militano, Francesco
• Granted Patent: US 10,104,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for selecting a capillary network gateway for a machine device of a capillary network. The capillary network gateway is capable of data exchange between the machine device and a wireless network. The method comprises: acquiring information about a respective message box capability for two or more capillary network gateways of the capillary network; and selecting, for the machine device, the capillary network gateway based on the information about the message box capability. The disclosure also relates to a corresponding node, computer program and computer program product.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a capillary network gateway for a machine device of a capillary network, the capillary network gateway being capable of data exchange between the machine device and a wireless network, the method comprising:

acquiring information about a respective message box capability for two or more capillary network gateways of the capillary network, and

selecting, for the machine device, the capillary network gateway based on the information about the message box capability.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selecting is further based on a characteristic of an energy supply of the machine device, and wherein the selecting comprises selecting, for a machine device having a constrained energy supply, a capillary network gateway having a message box capability.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information about the message box capability is conveyed by an information element of a data packet exchanged between the machine device and the wireless network.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selecting is further based on one or more additional criteria chosen from:

a requirement of an application configured in the machine device, channel quality and/or required transmission power of a channel between the machine device and each of the two or more capillary network gateways, energy status of the machine device, location of the two or more capillary network gateways, radio technology used by the respective capillary network gateway in communication with the machine device, latency between the machine device and each of the at least two capillary network gateway.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising connecting the machine device to the selected capillary network gateway.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the selecting is further based on an additional criterion and wherein the connecting comprises connecting the machine device to the capillary network gateway when the additional criterion is met and the selected capillary network gateway has a message box capability, and else connecting the machine device to another capillary network gateway meeting the additional criterion and the other capillary network gateway having a message box capability.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selecting is further based on requirements of an application run by the machine device, the method comprising deriving information about the application run by the machine device by parsing an incoming or outgoing machine device message or by acquiring information about the application run by the machine device from a node within the capillary network or a node within the wireless network or a node external to the wireless network and the capillary network.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is performed in a capillary network gateway;

and the acquiring comprises receiving information about a message box capability from at least one other capillary network gateway of the capillary network or from a network node of the wireless network.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is performed in a network node of the wireless network;

and the acquiring comprises obtaining, in the network node, information about a respective message box capability for two or more capillary network gateways.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the obtaining comprises:

receiving, from each of the two or more capillary network gateways information about a respective message box capability, or

using information about the respective message box capability available in the network node, or

receiving, from one or more other network nodes of the wireless network, information about a respective message box capability for the two or more capillary network gateways.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is performed in the machine device;

and the acquiring comprises receiving information about a respective message box capability from two or more capillary network gateways.

5. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

15-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A node for selecting a capillary network gateway for a machine device of a capillary network, the capillary network gateway being capable of data exchange between the machine device and a wireless network, the node comprising a processor and memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the processor, whereby the node is operative to:

acquire information about a respective message box capability for two or more capillary network gateways of the capillary network, and

select, for the machine device, the capillary network gateway based on the information about message box capability.

19. The node as claimed in claim 18, configured to select further based on a characteristic of an energy supply of the machine device, and configured to select, for a machine device having a constrained energy supply, a capillary network gateway having a message box capability.

20. The node as claimed in claim 18, configured to convey the information about the message box capability by using an information element of a data packet exchanged between the machine device and the wireless network.

21. The node as claimed in claim 18, configured to select further based on one or more additional criteria chosen from:

a requirement of an application configured in the machine device, channel quality and/or required transmission power of a channel between the machine device and each of the two or more capillary network gateways, energy status of the machine device, location of the two or more capillary network gateways, radio technology used by the respective capillary network gateway in communication with the machine device, latency between the machine device and each of the at least two capillary network gateway.

22. The node as claimed in claim 18, configured to perform the acquiring and selecting when the machine device exits a low-power mode.

23. The node as claimed in claim 18, configured to connect the machine device to the selected capillary network gateway.

24. The node as claimed in claim 23, configured to select further based on an additional criterion and configured to connect the machine device to the capillary network gateway when the additional criterion is met and the selected capillary network gateway has a message box capability, and else connect the machine device to another capillary network gateway meeting the additional criterion and the other capillary network gateway having a message box capability.

25. The node as claimed in claim 18, configured to select further based on requirements of an application run by the machine device, the node further configured to derive information about the application run by the machine device by parsing an incoming or outgoing machine device message or configured to acquire information about the application run by the machine device from a node within the capillary network or from a node within the wireless network or from a node external to the wireless network and the capillary network.

26. The node as claimed in claim 18, comprising a capillary network gateway, and configured to acquire by receiving information about a message box capability from at least one other capillary network gateway of the capillary network or from a network node of the wireless network.

28. The node as claimed in claim 18, comprising a network node of the wireless network, and configured to acquire by obtaining, in the network node, information about a respective message box capability for two or more capillary network gateways.

30. The node as claimed in claim 28, configured to obtain by:

receiving, from each of the two or more capillary network gateways information about a respective message box capability, or

using information about the respective message box capability available in the network node, or

receiving, from one or more other network nodes of the wireless network, information about a respective message box capability for the two or more capillary network gateways.

31. The node as claimed in claim 18, comprising a machine device, and configured to acquire by receiving information about a respective message box capability from two or more capillary network gateways.

33. The node as claimed in claim 18, wherein the message box comprises a proxy message box configured to provide a data mirroring service or configured to provide a message storing service.

34. The node as claimed in claim 18, configured to select based on the information about the message box capability and an additional criterion, and configured to select, when the two or more capillary network gateways has the same message box capability, the capillary network gateway best meeting the additional criterion.

27. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

35-37. -37. (canceled)