Method for disseminating a message

• US 6,721,537 B1
• Filed: 04/16/2001
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Briesemeister, Linda
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peaches, Randy
• Application Number:
  US09/807,622
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: H04/L 1.218, 392/963, 392/36.7, 392/357, 392/372, 392/359, 455/456.1, 455/562.1, 455/11.1, 455/7, 455/517
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• 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: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

In the present method for broadcasting a message in an incomplete radio communication network (2) having a fluctuating number of subscribers (4-12) for forwarding the message, with each subscriber having a transmitting and receiving device for messages and a positioning system for determining his global position, subscribers (6-12) determine their own position, and the distance d from the sender of the message, who is also a subscriber (6-12), after receiving the message, and transmit the message, with their own position, to further subscribers (6-12) after a predetermined waiting period t, which decreases monotonically as the distance d increases. This measure ensures a rapid transmission of the message that does not burden the radio communication network (2).

Claims

1. A method for broadcasting a message in an incomplete radio communication network (2) having a fluctuating number of subscribers (4-12) for forwarding the message, with each subscriber having a transmitting and receiving device for messages, and a positioning system for determining his global position, characterized in that subscribers (6-12) determine their own position and the distance d from the sender of the message after receiving the message, and forward the message, with their position, to further subscribers (6-12) after a predetermined waiting period t, which decreases monotonically as the distance d increases.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that subscribers (6-12) only forward the received message after receiving it for the first time.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmitted message contains a geometrical description of a target region (20) for the message.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that subscribers (6-12) can use a local decision function to determine their association with the target region (20), and only forward the message if they are associated with the target region (20).

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the message is provided with a counter, which tallies the number of completed transmissions of the message, with the message being forwarded until a predetermined value for the counter has been attained.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the waiting period t decreases exponentially as the distance d between the communicating subscribers (6-12) increases.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the message contains the global position of an event.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the global position is determined in accordance with a method based on the Global Positioning System (GPS).

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that an omnidirectional aerial transmits the message.