Intelligent communication node object beacon framework in a mobile ad hoc network

• US 6,975,614 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2002
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stingray IP Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kennedy, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): LY, ANH VU H
• Application Number:
  US10/235,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20040042417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/255, 370/313, 370/328, 370/329, 370/332
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The mobile ad hoc network includes a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together. The method includes node advertisement, or group of mobile nodes, in the mobile ad hoc network. The group of mobile nodes includes a temporary or permanent association of two or more of the plurality of mobile nodes. The method includes transmitting node/group information using a beacon signal, determining a node/group condition of the corresponding mobile node or group of nodes, and varying the beacon signal based upon the determined condition.

Claims

1. A method for node advertisement in a mobile ad hoc network comprising a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together, the method comprising:

transmitting node condition information from a given mobile node using a beacon signal;

determining a node condition of the given mobile node, the node condition including priority of information to be transmitted by the given mobile node; and

varying the beacon signal by changing a transmission characteristic based upon changes in priority of information to be transmitted by the given mobile node.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the transmission characteristic comprises at least one of transmission rate, transmission frequency and transmission pattern.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the node condition includes node movement, and varying the beacon signal comprises increasing the transmission rate based upon increased node movement and decreasing the transmission rate based upon decreased node movement.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the node movement comprises at least one of node velocity, node acceleration and node movement pattern of the corresponding mobile node.

5. A method according to claim 3 wherein the node movement is determined using global positioning satellites (GPS).

6. A method according to claim 3 wherein the node movement is determined using local landmarks.

7. A method according to claim 3 wherein the node movement is determined by tracking relative velocity using triangulation.

8. A method according to claim 3 wherein the node movement is determined by measuring inertia of the mobile node.

9. A method according to claim 2 wherein the node condition includes quality of service (QoS), and varying the beacon signal comprises changing at least one of the transmission rate, the transmission frequency and the transmission pattern based upon changes in QoS.

10. A method according to claim 2 wherein the transmission rate of the beacon signal does not exceed a rate threshold based upon available bandwidth.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the beacon signal further includes information relating to a condition of the mobile ad hoc network.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the information relating to the condition of the mobile ad hoc network includes information about the links connecting the nodes of the mobile ad hoc network.

13. A method according to claim 1 further comprising transmitting beacon signal information from the given mobile node using a beacon properties signal to advertise a type of beacon signal being transmitted by the given mobile node to the plurality of nodes of the mobile ad hoc network.

14. A method for node advertisement by a group of mobile nodes in a mobile ad hoc network comprising a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together, the group of mobile nodes comprising a temporary or permanent associated of at least two of the plurality of mobile nodes, the method comprising:

transmitting group condition information from at least one of the mobile nodes of the group using a beacon signal;

determining a group condition of the group of mobile nodes, the group condition including priority of information to be transmitted by the group of mobile nodes; and

varying the beacon signal by changing at least one of transmission rate, transmission frequency and transmission pattern based upon changes in priority of information to be transmitted by the group of mobile nodes.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the group condition includes quality of service (Qos), and varying the beacon signal comprises changing at least one of the transmission rate, transmission frequency and transmission pattern based upon changes in QoS.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein the transmission rate of the beacon signal does not exceed a rate threshold based upon available bandwidth.

17. A method according to claim 14 wherein beacon signals are transmitted by a subset of mobile nodes of the group of mobile nodes, the subset comprising a range from one mobile node to all the mobile nodes of the group.

18. A method according to claim 14 wherein the beacon signals further includes information relating to a condition of the mobile ad hoc network.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein the information relating to the condition of the mobile ad hoc network includes information about the links connecting the nodes of the mobile ad hoc network.

20. A method according to claim 14 further comprising transmitting beacon signal information from the at least one mobile node using a beacon properties signal to advertise a type of beacon signal being transmitted by the at least one mobile node to the plurality of nodes of the mobile ad hoc network.

21. A method according to claim 14 wherein the group condition further includes group movement, and wherein varying the beacon signal comprises increasing the transmission rate based upon increased group movement and decreasing the transmission rate based upon decreased group movement.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the group movement comprises at least one of group velocity, group acceleration and group movement pattern of the group of mobile nodes.

23. A mobile ad hoc network comprising:

a plurality of wireless mobile nodes;

a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together;

each mobile node comprising

a communications device to wirelessly communicate with other nodes of the plurality of nodes via the wireless communication links, and

a controller to route communications via the communications device, and comprising

a beacon signal generator to generate and transmit node condition information using a beacon signal; and

a condition determining unit to determine a condition of the mobile node, the node condition including priority of information to be transmitted by the mobile node;

the beacon signal generator varying the beacon signal by changing a transmission characteristic based upon changes in priority of information to be transmitted by the mobile node.

24. The network according to claim 23 wherein the beacon signal further includes information relating to a status of a group of mobile nodes, the group of mobile nodes comprising a temporary or permanent association of at least two of the plurality of mobile nodes;

wherein the condition determining unit further determines a condition of the group of mobile nodes; and

wherein the beacon signal generator varies the beacon signal based upon the determined condition of the group of mobile nodes.

25. A network according to claim 23 wherein the transmission characteristic comprises at least one of transmission rate, transmission frequency and transmission pattern.

26. A network according to claim 25 wherein the node condition includes node movement, and the beacon signal generator varies the beacon signal by increasing the transmission rate based upon increased node movement and decreasing the transmission rate based upon decreased node movement.

27. A network according to claim 26 wherein the node movement comprises at least one of node velocity, node acceleration and node movement pattern of the corresponding mobile node.

28. A network according to claim 26 wherein the condition determining unit comprises a global positioning satellite (GPS) device for determining the node movement.

29. A network according to claim 26 wherein the condition determining unit determines the node movement using local landmarks.

30. A network according to claim 26 wherein the condition determining unit determines the node movement by tracking the relative velocity using triangulation.

31. A network according to claim 26 wherein the condition determining unit determines the node movement by measuring inertia of the mobile node.

32. A network according to claim 25 wherein the node condition includes quality of service (QoS), and the beacon signal generator varies the beacon signal by at least one of changing the transmission rate and changing the transmission frequency based upon changes in QoS.

33. A network according to claim 25 wherein the beacon signal generator does not increase the transmission rate of the beacon signal beyond a rate threshold based upon available bandwidth.

34. A network according to claim 23 wherein the beacon signal further includes information relating to a status of the mobile ad hoc network.

35. A network according to claim 34 wherein the information relating to the status of the mobile ad hoc network includes information about the links between the nodes of the mobile ad hoc network.

36. A network according to claim 23 wherein the beacon signal generator transmits beacon signal information using a beacon properties signal to advertise a type of beacon signal being transmitted to the plurality of nodes of the mobile ad hoc network.

37. A method for node advertisement by a group of mobile nodes in a mobile ad hoc network comprising a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together, the group of mobile nodes comprising a temporary or permanent associated of at least two of the plurality of mobile nodes, the method comprising:

transmitting group condition information from at least one of the mobile nodes of the group using a beacon signal;

determining a group condition of the group of mobile nodes, the group condition including priority of information to be transmitted by the group of mobile nodes; and

varying the beacon signal by changing a transmission characteristic based upon changes in priority of information to be transmitted by the group of mobile nodes.

38. A method according to claim 37 wherein the transmission characteristic comprises at least one of transmission rate, transmission frequency and transmission pattern.

39. A method according to claim 38 wherein the group condition includes quality of service (QoS), and varying the beacon signal comprises changing at least one of the transmission rate, transmission frequency and transmission pattern based upon changes in QoS.

40. A method according to claim 38 wherein the transmission rate of the beacon signal does not exceed a rate threshold based upon available bandwidth.

41. A method according to claim 37 wherein beacon signals are transmitted by a subset of mobile nodes of the group of mobile nodes, the subset comprising a range from one mobile node to all the mobile nodes of the group.

42. A method according to claim 37 wherein the beacon signals further includes information relating to a condition of the mobile ad hoc network.

43. A method according to claim 42 wherein the information relating to the condition of the mobile ad hoc network includes information about the links connecting the nodes of the mobile ad hoc network.

44. A method according to claim 37 further comprising transmitting beacon signal information from the at least one mobile node using a beacon properties signal to advertise a type of beacon signal being transmitted by the at least one mobile node to the plurality of nodes of the mobile ad hoc network.