Geocast-Based File Transfer

• US 20170257178A1
• Filed: 05/22/2017
• Published: 09/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2012
• 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 10,511,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/71 Wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/78 characterised by source locations or destination locations
• 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 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

Geocast-based file transfer may be implemented via use of a Geocast File Transfer (GFT) protocol. A sending device may parse a file into multiple chunks. Respective multiple geocast packets comprising the chunks may be geocast. The sending device may geocast all packets sequentially. Upon geocasting all packets, the sending device may wait a predetermined amount of time. During the period of time, any receiving device that did not receive a chunk of the file may geocast a request for the missing chunk. Receiving devices also may wait various respective amounts of time before geocasting requests. Other receiving devices that may have missed a chunk may hear that the chunk it missed is being requested. And that device need not make a request for the chunk. Rather, that device may wait for the sending device to retransmit a geocast packet that contains the missing chunk.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first apparatus; and

a second apparatus communicatively connected with the first apparatus, the second apparatus comprising;

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

geocasting a plurality of geocast messages via single hop, tiered geocasting directly from a source in a tier to the first apparatus in a different tier using long range transmitters and a long range forwarding zone, wherein the geocast messages are associated with a plurality of chunks of a file;

waiting a predetermined amount of time;

if a request for a chunk of the plurality of chunks of the file is received prior to expiration of the predetermined amount of time;

incorporating the requested chunk into a new geocast message; and

geocasting the new geocast message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication of the total number of chunks comprises information from which the total number of chunks may be inferred.

3. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising incorporating an indication of the total number of chunks into each remaining geocast packet of the plurality of geocast packets;

4. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

generating a name for the file; and

incorporating into a first geocast message of the plurality of geocast messages, an indication of a name of the file.

5. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising incorporating an indication of a name of the file into each remaining geocast packet of the plurality of geocast packets.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first geocast message is geocast to a geographic region of an intended recipient.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the forwarding zone is different for each tier.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the geocast message includes a packet type, and

the geocast message is geocasted when the device is located in the long range forwarding zone defined for the packet type.

9. A method comprising:

geocasting a plurality of geocast messages via single hop, tiered geocasting directly from a source in a tier to a node in a different tier using long range transmitters and a long range forwarding zone, wherein the geocast messages are associated with a plurality of chunks of a file;

waiting a predetermined amount of time;

if a request for a chunk of the plurality of chunks of a file is received prior to expiration of the predetermined amount of time;

incorporating the requested chunk into a new geocast message; and

geocasting the new geocast message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the indication of the total number of chunks comprises information from which the total number of chunks may be inferred.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising incorporating an indication of the total number of chunks into each remaining geocast packet of the plurality of geocast packets;

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

generating a name for the file; and

incorporating into a first geocast message of the plurality of geocast messages, an indication of a name of the file.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising incorporating an indication of a name of the file into each remaining geocast packet of the plurality of geocast packets.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first geocast message is geocast to a geographic region of an intended recipient.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the forwarding zone is different for each tier.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the geocast message includes a type of packet, and

the geocast message is geocasted when the device is located in the long range forwarding zone defined for the packet type.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to effectuation operations comprising:

receiving at least one geocast message via single hop, tiered geocasting directly from a source in a tier to a node in a different tier using long range transmitters and a long range forwarding zone, each geocast message of the at least one geocast message comprising a respective chunk of a plurality of chunks of data of a file, wherein at least one geocast message of the at least one geocast message comprises an indication of a total number of chunks in the plurality of chunks;

determining if all chunks of the plurality of chunks have been received; and

when it is determined that all chunks of the plurality of chunks have not been received, geocasting a geocast message comprising a request for a missing chunk.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the indication of the total number of chunks comprises information from which the total number of chunks may be inferred.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein at least one geocast message of the at least one geocast message comprises a name of the file.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the geocast message is geocast to a geographic region of an intended recipient.