Method for measuring load between MCDN devices for use in determining path with optimal throughput

• US 7,068,630 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2001
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ricochet Networks, Inc. (Proxim Wireless Corporation)
• Inventors: San Filippo, III, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARK, JUNG H
• Application Number:
  US09/920,081
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 370/337, 370/347, 370/338, 370/252, 370/350, 370/503
• US Class Current: 370/337
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00

Abstract

In a packet communication system having a plurality of independently operating nodes which have limited available communication time and which are capable of monitoring busy time and idle time in cyclical epochs, a method is provided for measuring and computing a load on the communication time of the local node in communication with a plurality of other nodes wherein the period of load measurement is synchronized to the communication epoch and the load attributed by the local node is subtracted to assure that the measurement is accurate.

Claims

1. In a packet communication system having a plurality of independently operating nodes, including a first node and a second node, which have limited available communication time and which are capable of monitoring busy time and idle time in cyclical epochs, a method for determining a load on the communication time of the first node with said second node comprising:

broadcasting from the first node a first heartbeat and thereupon resetting a global counter at the first node at a first epoch;

receiving at the second node said first heartbeat and resetting a second node counter for the first node;

transferring traffic of the first node with the second node and accumulating total traffic duration in the global counter at the first node;

receiving traffic from the first node at the second node and accumulating second node traffic duration in a first node counter at the second node;

broadcasting a second heartbeat from the first node at the beginning of the next epoch, including value of the global counter, and resetting the global counter for a second epoch;

receiving the second heartbeat and the global counter value at the second node; and

determining a net loading for the first node as viewed by the second node by factoring out contribution to the global counter value during the first epoch.

2. The method according to claim 1 further including:

averaging the net loading over several epochs.

3. The method according to claim 1 further including:

using the net loading in selecting a best path for traffic of the second node.