System and method for mobile ad hoc network

• US 7,525,933 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLLIDAY, JAIME MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US11/289,899
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 455/41.2, 455/449
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/023 Limited or focused flooding to selected areas of a network

Abstract

A method and system for geocasting data packets in a MANET. The MANET is combined with a long-range network such that a wireless terminal can decide whether to rebroadcast a geocast packet over the MANET, the long-range network, or not at all, depending on the wireless terminal'"'"'s proximity to the geocast region, the location of the originating wireless terminal, or both. A wireless terminal close to or within the geocast region can rebroadcast on the MANET, whereas a wireless terminal far from the geocast region can rebroadcast on the long-range network.

Claims

1. A location-based flooding method for a wireless terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a geocast packet transmitted from a sending terminal; and

determining whether to retransmit the geocast packet on a MANET based at least on the number of times the geocast packet was previously received; and

if it is determined not to retransmit the geocast packet based on the number of times the geocast packet was received, determining whether to retransmit said geocast packet based on the proximity of the wireless terminal to the sending terminal; and

if it is determined not to retransmit the geocast packet based on the proximity of the wireless terminal to the sending terminal, determining whether to retransmit said geocast packet based on the proximity of the wireless terminal to a geocast region.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of receiving comprises the step of:

receiving the geocast packet on a MANET or a long-range network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining whether to retransmit said geocast packet based at least on the number of times the geocast packet was received comprises the step of determining whether the geocast packet has been received at least a number M times.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of retransmitting said geocast packet on the MANET if said packet was not received said at least M times.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining whether to retransmit the geocast packet based on the proximity of the wireless terminal to the sending terminal comprises the step of determining whether the sending terminal is located less than some minimum distance D away from said wireless terminal.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of retransmitting the geocast packet on the MANET if said sending terminal is not located less than some minimum distance D away from said wireless terminal.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining whether to retransmit said geocast packet based on the proximity of the wireless terminal to the geocast region comprises the step of determining whether the wireless terminal is closer to the center of the geocast region than any terminal from which the geocast packet was previously received.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of retransmitting said geocast packet on the MANET if said wireless terminal is determined to be closer to the center of the geocast region than any terminal from which the geocast packet was received.