Dynamic metropolitan area mobile network

• US 7,280,519 B1
• Filed: 01/07/2003
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Darrell Harvey Shane
• Original Assignee: Darrell Harvey Shane
• Inventors: Shane, Darrell Harvey
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hyun; Soon D.
• Application Number:
  US10/338,210
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/32 for defining a routing cluster membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

Disclosed is a scalable, hybrid mobile network termed the Metropolitan Area Mobile Network (MAMN) based on a new dynamic mobile network protocol-DynaMo. DynaMo supports TCP/IP based communication between nodes, whether they are moving or stationary. DynaMo is a location-based routing technique that integrates MAMN, with wired TCP/IP networks (such as the Internet). Through the disclosed use of a modified Domain Name Services (DNS), communication between wired and wireless nodes, moving or stationary, is supported and is transparent to the end-user. DynaMo supports the use of multiple channels and implements a scheme for channel reuse. A hybrid encryption mechanism, based on public/private key pairs enables signed and secure communication.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a route in a communications network comprising the steps of:

(1) providing a network comprised of a plurality of communications nodes, each communications node within a containing cell, wherein at least one communications node is a source node;

each source node possessing a route evaluation function and a destination region specified by a center cell and a radius;

(2) each communications node that is a source node performing the steps of;

(A) initiating region casting, if the containing cell of the source node is the same as the center cell of the destination region;

said region casting being of increasing radius outward from the center cell;

(B) determining route constraint parameters and route configuration attributes based on the route evaluation function;

(C) initiating node-hopping to the center cell of the destination region, if route configuration stipulates a completely wireless route between the source node and the center cell of the destination region;

said node-hopping conducted within route constraints from and to wireless communications nodes;

(D) selecting a compatible way point communications node if the determined route configuration dictates that the route should pass through a way point communications node;

(E) initiating diffusion searching for the compatible way point communications node and its tentative containing cell, if the determined route configuration dictates that the route should pass through the way point communications node and if the containing cell of the way point communications node is unavailable; and

(F) initiating the node-hopping to the tentative containing cell of the way point communications node, if the route configuration dictates that the route should pass through said way point communications node and if the tentative containing cell of the way point communications node is available;

said node-hopping conducted within the route constraints;

(3) each communications node performing the steps of;

(A) determining a unique surface position;

(B) determining a containing cell from the determined surface position;

(C) listening for and replying to packets requiring a response;

(D) continuing the region casting when compatibility requested until region boundary is reached;

(E) continuing the node-hopping when the compatibility requested until the node contained in the center cell of the destination region is reached;

(F) continuing node-hopping when compatibility requested until node contained in the way point'"'"'s tentative containing cell is reached;

(G) initiating the region casting when a node is nominated as the region cast initiator;

(H) continuing the diffusion searching when the compatibility requested until the compatible way point communications node is found or until the diffusion search boundary is reached; and

(I) initiating diffusion searching when a node is nominated as a diffusion search initiator;

(4) each way point communications node, that is not an entrance gateway, becomes the source node and the method continues at (2); and

(5) each way point communications node that is the entrance gateway node, performing the steps of;

(A) determining an exit gateway node proximate to the center cell of the destination region; and

(B) transmitting a packet to the exit gateway node.

2. The method for establishing a route in a communications network as claimed in claim 1 wherein the source node is a wired node and at least one way point communications node is the exit gateway node;

the method further comprising the steps of;

querying, by the source node, of a modified Domain Name System for the exit gateway node close to the center cell of the destination region;

receiving a cellid-to-IP-address query by the modified Domain Name System;

returning a set of Internet Protocol addresses of potential exit gateway nodes close to the center cell of the destination region based on a cell identifier of the center cell of the destination region, by the modified Domain Name System, to the source node; and

transmitting one of more packets to the exit gateway node, by the source node;

thereafter the transmission causing the exit gateway node to act as a wireless source node.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein each communications node, its respective containing cell and Internet Protocol (IP) address are relatable by a modified Domain Name System.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein each communications node, its respective containing cell and Internet Protocol address are relatable by a modified Domain Name System wherein the steps of determining a containing cell and determining an exit gateway node execute the modified Domain Name System comprising the steps of:

returning cell resource records to a first requesting node according to an Internet Protocol address received from the first requesting node; and

returning to a second requesting node a respective Internet Protocol address for each node having characteristics satisfying a received set of criteria from the second requesting node.

5. A method for establishing a route in a communications network comprising the steps of:

(1) providing a network comprised of a plurality of communications nodes;

each communications node having a respective containing cell;

wherein at least one communications node is a source node;

each source node possessing a route evaluation function and a specified destination node;

(2) each communications node that is the source node performing the steps of;

(A) determining a tentative cell of the specified destination node;

(B) initiating diffusion searching, if the containing cell of the source node is the same as the tentative containing cell of the destination node;

said diffusion searching being of increasing radius from the tentative cell of the destination node;

(C) determining route constraint parameters and route configuration attributes based on the route evaluation function;

(D) initiating node-hopping to the tentative cell of the destination node, if route configuration stipulates a completely wireless route between the source node and the destination node;

said node-hopping conducted within route constraints from and to wireless communications nodes;

(E) selecting a compatible way point communications node, if the route configuration dictates the route should pass through a way point communications node and if a way point node is located in the tentative containing;

(F) initiating the diffusion searching for at least one compatible way point communications node, if the route configuration dictates the route should pass through the way point communications node and if the way point node is located in the tentative containing cell of the way point communications node; and

(G) initiating the node-hopping to the tentative containing cell of the way point communications node, if the route configuration dictates the route should pass through the way point communications node and if the tentative containing cell of the way point communications node is available;

said node-hopping conducted within the route constraints;

(3) each communications node performing the steps of;

(A) determining a unique surface position;

(B) determining a containing cell from the determined surface position;

(C) listening for and replying to packets requiring a response;

(D) continuing the diffusion searching when compatibility requested until the way point communications node is located or until the destination node is located or until diffusion search boundary is reached;

(E) continuing the node-hopping when the compatibility requested until a node contained in the tentative cell of the destination node is reached or until a node contained in the tentative cell of the way point communications node is reached; and

(F) initiating the diffusion searching if a communications node is nominated as a diffusion search initiator;

(4) each way point communications node, that is not an entrance gateway, becomes the source node and the method continues at (2); and

(5) each way point communications node that is the entrance gateway node, performing the steps of;

(A) determining an exit gateway node proximate to the tentative cell of the destination node; and

(B) transmitting a packet to the exit gateway node.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein each communications node, its respective containing cell and its Internet Protocol address are relatable by a modified Domain Name System.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein each communications node, its respective containing cell and its Internet Protocol address are relatable by a modified Domain Name System wherein the steps of determining a tentative cell, determining a containing cell and determining an exit gateway node execute the modified Domain Name System comprising the steps of:

returning cell resource records to a first requesting node according to an Internet Protocol address received from the first requesting node; and

returning to a second requesting node a respective Internet Protocol address for each node having characteristics satisfying a received set of criteria from the second requesting node.

8. A method for establishing a route in a communications network comprising the steps of:

providing a network comprised of a plurality of communications nodes located in a defined array of stationary cells, wherein at least one communications node is a mobile destination node and at least one communications node is a diffusion search initiator node in possession of communicable routing constraints;

initiating diffusion searching by the diffusion search initiator node, thereby contacting communication nodes in adjacent stationary cells;

said diffusion searching being of increasing radius across neighboring stationary cells by propagating means of the contacted communications nodes by contacting communications nodes in adjacent outward cells of the defined stationary array and transferring the communicable routing constraints, unless said mobile destination node confirms immediate contact by the initiator node;

said diffusion searching having an origin at the initiator node;

whereby a route is established from initiator node to said mobile destination node;

propagating the diffusion searching by the contacted communication nodes;

the searching progressing into the adjacent cells of the defined stationary array until the first of;

contacting the mobile destination node, or reaching a diffusion search boundary; and

, if the mobile destination node is contacted, and

creating, by the mobile destination node, a routing back to the initiator node through nodes that satisfy the route constraints.

9. A method for establishing a route in a communications network comprising the steps of:

providing a network comprised of a plurality of communications nodes located in cells, wherein at least one communications node is a mobile destination node and at least one communications node is a diffusion search initiator node in possession of communicable routing constraints;

initiating diffusion searching by the diffusion search initiator node, thereby contacting communication nodes in adjacent cells;

said diffusion searching being of increasing radius across neighboring cells by propagating means of the contacted communications nodes by contacting communications nodes in adjacent outward cells and transferring the communicable routing constraints, unless said mobile destination node confirms immediate contact by the initiator node;

said diffusion searching having an origin at the initiator node;

whereby a route is established between initiator node and said mobile destination node;

propagating the diffusion searching by the contacted communication nodes;

the searching progressing into the adjacent cells until the first of;

contacting the mobile destination node, or reaching a diffusion search boundary; and

, if the mobile destination node is contacted, and

creating by the mobile destination node, a routing back to the initiator node through nodes that satisfy the route constraints; and

wherein the network is further comprised of;

at least one communications node that is acting as the diffusion search initiator node, at least one communications node that is a mobile destination node and at least one communications node that is a way point node acting as an exit gateway node, and at least one communications node that is a way point node acting as an entrance gateway node;

the method further comprising the steps following the step of propagating diffusion searching of;

if a contacted node is an entrance gateway node, then

querying, by the entrance gateway node, of modified Domain Name System for a tentative containing cell of the mobile destination node based upon the Internet Protocol address of the mobile destination node;

receiving an IP-address-to-cellid query by the modified Domain Name System;

returning the tentative containing cell of the mobile destination node based on the Internet Protocol address of the mobile destination node, by the modified Domain Name System, to the entrance gateway node;

querying, by the entrance gateway node, of the modified Domain Name System for an exit gateway node Internet Protocol address close in distance to the tentative containing cell of the mobile destination node;

receiving the query by the modified Domain Name System;

returning the Internet Protocol address of one or more potential exit gateway nodes near the tentative containing cell of the mobile destination node, by the modified Domain Name System, to the entrance gateway node;

selecting, by the entrance gateway node, the exit gateway node from the set of potential exit gateway nodes; and

transmitting one or more packets to the exit gateway node, by the entrance gateway node;

thereafter the transmission causing the exit gateway node to act as a wireless source node establishing a completely wireless route to the mobile destination node.

10. A method for establishing a route in a communications network comprising the steps of:

providing a network comprised of a plurality of communications nodes located in cells, wherein at least one communications node is a mobile destination node and at least one communications node is a diffusion search initiator node in possession of communicable routing constraints;

initiating diffusion searching by the diffusion search initiator node, thereby contacting communication nodes in adjacent cells;

said diffusion searching being of increasing radius across neighboring cells by propagating means of the contacted communications nodes by contacting communications nodes in adjacent outward cells and transferring the communicable routing constraints, unless said mobile destination node confirms immediate contact by the initiator node;

said diffusion searching having an origin at the initiator node;

whereby a route is established between initiator node and said mobile destination node;

propagating the diffusion searching by the contacted communication nodes;

the searching progressing into the adjacent cells until the first of;

contacting the mobile destination node, or reaching a diffusion search boundary; and

, if the mobile destination node is contacted, and

creating, by the mobile destination node, a routing back to the initiator node through nodes that satisfy the route constraints; and

wherein the network is further comprised of;

at least one communication node that is a way point node acting as an exit gateway node;

a communications node that is a mobile destination node and a communication node that is a wired source node;

the method further comprising the steps preceding the step of initiating diffusion searching of;

querying, by the source node, of a modified Domain Name System for a tentative containing cell of the mobile destination node based upon the Internet Protocol address of the mobile destination node;

receiving the IP-address-to-cellid query by the modified Domain Name System;

returning the tentative containing cell of the mobile destination node based on the Internet Protocol address of the mobile destination node, by the modified Domain Name System, to the source node;

querying, by the source node, of the modified Domain Name System for the exit gateway node Internet Protocol address close in distance to the tentative containing cell of the mobile destination node;

receiving the query by the modified Domain Name System

returning the Internet Protocol address of one or more potential exit gateway nodes near the tentative containing cell of the mobile destination node, by the modified Domain Name System, to the source node;

selecting, by the source node, the exit gateway node from the set of potential exit gateway nodes; and

transmitting one or more packets to the exit gateway node, by the source node;

thereafter the transmission causing the exit gateway node to act as a wireless source node establishing a completely wireless route to the mobile destination node.