Method and apparatus for broadcast in an ad hoc network using elected broadcast relay nodes
First Claim
1. An ad hoc network, comprising:
- a plurality of nodes,wherein each node is configured to generate an attribute message comprising parameters associated with that node, and to transmit the attribute message; and
a broadcast manager node configured to receive the attribute messages from each node and to elect at least one of said nodes as a broadcast relay node based on the attribute messages,wherein each node is configured to generate a weighted value based on the parameters associated with that node, the weighted value provides a metric for ranking that node as a candidate for election as a broadcast relay node, and the attribute message transmitted from each node further comprises the weighted value associated with each particular node, andwherein at least one of;
a) each node is configured to nominate at least one nominee node for election as a broadcast relay node, and the broadcast manager node is configured to rank each nominee node based on the weighted values associated with the nominee nodes to determine candidate nodes, and to elect at least one of the candidate nodes as the broadcast relay node, orb) the weighted value is a probability measure, and each node is configured to probabilistically elect itself as a broadcast relay node based on its probability measure by sending an announcement message to its neighbor nodes.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for electing broadcast relay nodes (520B, H, M) in an ad hoc network (500). Each node (520A-520O) generates an attribute message including associated parameters. Each node (520A-520O) generates a weighted value (WV) based on the parameters. The WV can be included in the attribute message for that node, can provide a metric for ranking that node to be nominated to be a broadcast relay node, can alternatively provide a probability measure for that node to probabilistically elect itself as a broadcast relay node. The broadcast manager node (520C) receives the attribute messages and elects at least one nominated node as a broadcast relay node (520B, H, M) based on the attribute messages. Each node (520A-520O) can also initiate election of an intermediate broadcast relay node if that node fails to receive a test message within a predetermined time.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An ad hoc network, comprising:
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a plurality of nodes, wherein each node is configured to generate an attribute message comprising parameters associated with that node, and to transmit the attribute message; and a broadcast manager node configured to receive the attribute messages from each node and to elect at least one of said nodes as a broadcast relay node based on the attribute messages, wherein each node is configured to generate a weighted value based on the parameters associated with that node, the weighted value provides a metric for ranking that node as a candidate for election as a broadcast relay node, and the attribute message transmitted from each node further comprises the weighted value associated with each particular node, and wherein at least one of; a) each node is configured to nominate at least one nominee node for election as a broadcast relay node, and the broadcast manager node is configured to rank each nominee node based on the weighted values associated with the nominee nodes to determine candidate nodes, and to elect at least one of the candidate nodes as the broadcast relay node, or b) the weighted value is a probability measure, and each node is configured to probabilistically elect itself as a broadcast relay node based on its probability measure by sending an announcement message to its neighbor nodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An ad hoc network, comprising:
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a plurality of nodes, each node configured to generate an attribute message comprising parameters associated with that node and to transmit the attribute message; and a broadcast manager node configured to receive the attribute messages from each node and to elect at least one of said nodes as a broadcast relay node based on the attribute messages, wherein the broadcast manager node is configured to periodically broadcast a test message to ensure that a broadcast message is transmitted within a predetermined time, and wherein each node is configured to determine if the test message is received within a predetermined time and, when the node is a broadcast relay node, relay the test message to neighbor nodes of that node. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In an ad hoc network comprising a plurality of nodes, a method comprising:
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generating an attribute message at each node, wherein each attribute message comprises parameters associated with each particular node; transmitting the attribute message from each node to neighbor nodes; electing at least one of said nodes as a broadcast relay node based on the attribute messages; and generating a weighted value for each node based on the parameters associated with each node, wherein the weighted value provides a metric for ranking the node as a candidate for election as a broadcast relay node and the attribute message transmitted from each node further comprises the weighted value associated that node, and at least one of; a) the weighted value is a probability measure, and each node is configured to probabilistically elect itself as a broadcast relay node based on its probability measure by sending an announcement message to its neighbor nodes, b) electing at least one of said nodes as a broadcast relay node comprises; nominating, at each node, at least one nominee node for election as a broadcast relay node; ranking each nominee node based on the weighted values associated with the nominee nodes to determine candidate nodes; and electing at least one of the candidate nodes as the broadcast relay node, or c) the plurality of nodes are divided into first and second multicast groups, and electing at least one of said nodes as a broadcast relay node comprises; nominating, at each node in the first multicast group, nominee nodes for election as a broadcast relay node for the first multicast group; ranking each nominee node based on the weighted values associated with the nominee nodes to determine candidate nodes for the first multicast group; and electing at least one of the candidate nodes as the broadcast relay node for the first multicast group. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. In an ad hoc network comprising a plurality of nodes including a first node, a method comprising:
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generating an attribute message at each node, wherein each attribute message comprises parameters associated with each particular node; transmitting the attribute message from each node to neighbor nodes; electing at least one of said nodes as a broadcast relay node based on the attribute messages; and at least one of; (a) periodically broadcasting a test message from a broadcast manager node to ensure that a broadcast message is transmitted within a predetermined time; determining if the first node received the test message; and electing at least one of the nodes as an intermediate broadcast relay node to restore network connectivity to the first node when the first node did not receive the test message, or b) wherein the plurality of nodes each have at least one service type associated therewith, and wherein electing at least one of said nodes as a broadcast relay node, comprises; grouping the nodes into groups based on service types; determining candidate nodes belonging to a group associated with a first service; and electing at least one of the candidate nodes as the broadcast relay node for the group associated with a first service. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification