System for transmitting messages to improved stations, and corresponding processing

• US 6,697,379 B1
• Filed: 05/17/1999
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management)
• Original Assignee: Inria Institut National de Recherche EN Informatique et EN Automatique
• Inventors: Jacquet, Philippe, Muhlethaler, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): VANDERPUYE, KENNETH N
• Application Number:
  US09/312,486
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 370/469, 370/389, 370/395.1, 370/351, 370/466
• US Class Current: 370/469
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system for transmitting messages comprises stations (S) having an operating system (4), a “network” stage (3) for processing and generating messages in a first format, a communication card (1) for exchanging messages in a second format with a network, a “driver” stage (2) for putting the messages received from the card (1) or the network stage (3) in the first format or second format and transmitting them to the network stage (3) or to said card (1). The stations further comprise a management stage (5) coupled to the operating system (4) and adapted to intercept messages in the first format which are to be exchanged by the network stage and the driver stage so as to analyse the information which they contain and decide to continue their transmission, subject to any required processing, and/or adapted to generate messages in the second format, intended for the stations of the network, when a chosen condition is met.

Claims

1. System for transmitting messages between stations (S), each comprising:

an operating system (4),

a “

network”

stage (3) for processing and generating messages in a first format,

a communication card (1) suitable for exchanging messages in a second format with at least one network,

a “

driver”

stage (2) arranged to place the messages received from the card (1) or the network stage (3) respectively in the first format or second format in order to transmit them to the network stage (3) or to said card (1), and

interface means for said stages/card and operating system to interface with one another,

characterised in that some stations (S) at least comprise a management stage (5) coupled with said operating system (4) by said interface means and arranged to intercept messages in the first format which are to be exchanged by the network stage (3) and the driver stage (2) so as to analyse the information which they contain and decide to continue their transmission, subject to any required processing, as a function of at least one criterion relating to said information analysed, and/or arranged to generate messages of a selected type, in the second format, with a view to sending them through the network via said card (1) when a chosen condition is met.

2. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the operating system (4) is a multi-task system.

3. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the messages in the second format comprise a first field (6, 7).

4. System according to claim 3, characterised in that the first field comprises at least one final destination station address (6).

5. System according to claim 4, characterised in that the first field comprises a first pair of addresses comprising an initial originating station address (7) and the final destination station address (6).

6. System according to claim 1, characterised in that said messages in the second format comprise a second field (8, 9) forming at least part of a capsule.

7. System according to claim 6, characterised in that the second field comprises at least one intermediate destination station address (8).

8. System according to claim 7, characterised in that the second field contains a second pair of addresses comprising the last station address, known as the intermediate originating station (9), which has emitted the message in the second format, and the intermediate destination station address (8).

9. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the messages in the second format comprise data (10) representing the type of information which they contain.

10. System according to claim 9, characterised in that the chosen criterion relates to the type of information (10) contained in the messages received from a stage.

11. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the messages in the second format comprise at least one other piece of information, particularly representing their sequence number (11).

12. System according to claim 1, characterized in that each said at least one network is selected from the group consisting of radio and wired networks.

13. System according to claim 12, characterised in that the format of a radio network is selected from at least the format of the “

HIPERLAN”

standard and the format of the IEEE standard 802.111, and in that the format of a wired network is selected from at least the ISO standards for the IEEE standards 802.3, 802.5 and 802.14.

14. System according to claim 4, characterised in that the management stage (5) comprises routing means (14, 18, 20) adapted to store at least one routing table comprising at least the address of the intermediate destination stations with which the station which receives it can exchange messages in the second format, and in that the routing means (14, 18, 20) are arranged in order, on the one hand, to extract the first field (6, 7) from a message received in order to determine in the routing table an intermediate destination station address (8) for optimising the transmission of said message to the final destination station (6) the address of which is contained in the first field extracted, and, on the other hand, to form a second field containing said intermediate destination station address (8) extracted and intended either to replace the one initially contained in the second field of the message received which is to be retransmitted, if the message has come from the driver stage (2), or to complete its contents with a view to transmitting it, if the message has come from the network stage (3).

15. System according to claim 14, characterised in that the routing means (14, 18, 20) further comprise calculating means (18) adapted to modify the contents of said routing table on the basis of routing information contained in the service messages in the second format coming from the network.

16. System according to claim 14, characterised in that at least one of the stations (S) provided with a management stage (5) comprises at least one other driver stage (2-2) connected to said management stage and to another communication card (1-2) connected to another network, and in that the management stage (5) is arranged to select at least one of the networks with a view to transmitting messages, as a function of the intermediate destination station address (8) contained in the second field of the message to be transmitted.

17. System according to claim 5, characterised in that it comprises de-encapsulating/encapsulating means (17) adapted to extract a second field, or at least a capsule portion, from a message coming from the driver stage (2) or to add a second field to a message intended for at least one station of the network via this driver stage (2).

18. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the management stage (5) comprises service message management means (15).

19. System according to claim 18, characterised in that the service message management means (15) are adapted to generate messages “

for broadcasting”

for multiple final destination stations belonging to at least one network.

20. System according to claim 18, characterised in that the service message management means (15) comprise timing means adapted to count down a chosen period so that after the end of each countdown period a service message is generated, said end defining the selected condition which is met.

21. System according to claim 18, characterised in that the service message management means (15) are arranged so as to emit a service message after each modification of the routing table, said modification defining the selected condition which is met.

22. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the stations (S) comprise configuration means (19) for the various stages and card(s) connected thereto and to said operating system by said interface means.

23. System according to claim 18, characterised in that the service message management means (15) are adapted to generate a service message at the local request of the network stage (3) or the configuration means (19), said request defining the selected condition which is met, wherein the stations (S) comprise configuration means (19) for the various stages and card(s) connected thereto and to said operating system by said interface means.

24. System according to claim 16, wherein the stations (S) comprise configuration means (19) for the various stages and card(s) connected thereto and to said operating system by said interface means, characterised in that the routing information is contained in messages coming from the configuration means (19).

25. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the management stage (5) comprises synchronising means (21, 22) arranged to form messages synchronised in frequency and time, intended for certain other stations, and, on receiving a synchronisation message, to extract the information therefrom so as to put the emitting/receiving means of the communication card (1) of their station into the state corresponding to the information extracted.

26. System according to claim 25, characterised in that the synchronising means (21, 22) are arranged so as to generate said synchronising message spontaneously, particularly periodically.

27. System according to claim 25, characterised in that the synchronising means (21, 22) are arranged so as to generate said synchronising message at the local request of the network stage (3) or the configuration means.

28. System according to claim 25, characterised in that the synchronising means (21, 22) are arranged so as to generate interrogation messages demanding that a synchronisation message is sent.

29. System according to claim 9, further comprising

de-encasulating/encansulating means (17) adapted to extract a second field, or at least a capsule portion, from a message coming from the driver stage (2) or to add a second field to a message intended for at least one station of the network via this driver stage (2), wherein the management stage (5) comprises service message management mans (15), and

synchronizing means (21, 22) arranged to form messages synchronized in frequency and time, intended for certain other stations, and, on receiving a synchronization message, to extract the information therefrom so as to put the emitting/receiving means of the communication card (1) of their station into the state corresponding to the information extracted, characterised in that the management stage (5) comprises switching means (16) connected to said de-encapsulating/encapsulating means (17), to said routing means (14, 18, 20), to said service message management means (15) and to said synchronizing means (21, 22).

30. System according to claim 29, characterised in that the switching means (16) are adapted to determine, from the type of messages received, the stage (stages), among the network stage (3) and the driver stage (2), and/or the means, among the routing means (14, 18, 20), the de-encapsulating/encapsulating means (17), the synchronising means (21, 22) and the service message management means (15), which is or are affected by a message which they have received, and to transmit said message to the stage (stages) or means thus determined.

31. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the management stage (5) forms part of the driver stage (2).

32. Process for transmitting messages between the stations (S) of a system according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises one and/or the other of the following steps:

a) intercepting messages which have to be exchanged between a network stage (3) and a driver stage (2) of a station (S), then analysing the data contained in said intercepted messages so as to decide to continue transmitting them, subject to any processing, as a function of at least one criterion bearing on the data analysed,

b) generating a message of a selected type, with a view to broadcasting it in the network when a selected condition is verified.