Wireless communications apparatus, and routing control and packet transmission technique in wireless network

• US 7,620,010 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2005
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Takeda, Shinji, Fujiwara, Atsushi, Yagyu, Kengo
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao; Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Skripnikov; Alex
• Application Number:
  US11/105,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 370229-238, 370/332, 370/338, 709/235, 709/239
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/124 using a combination of metrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/127 based on intermediate node capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality

Abstract

A wireless communications apparatus used in a wireless communications network consisting of multiple wireless communications apparatuses mutually connected via wireless links includes (a) a buffer configured to temporarily store information received from an adjacent wireless communications apparatus or a user terminal located under the wireless communications apparatus; (b) a routing control information processing unit that estimates a node cost representing traffic at the wireless communications apparatus and a link cost representing a radio condition of the link to determine a transmission route based on cost information reflecting both the node cost and the link cost; and (c) a routing control unit that designates a next hop to which information accumulated in the buffer is to be transmitted according to the determined transmission route.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus of a wireless communications network including multiple wireless communications apparatuses mutually connected via wireless links, the wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a first buffer configured to store information received from an adjacent wireless communication apparatus;

a second buffer configured to store information received from a user terminal controlled by the wireless communications apparatus;

a routing control information processing unit configured to determine a node cost according to an amount of the information accumulated in the first buffer and the second buffer and a link cost of a transmission path between the wireless communications apparatus and the adjacent wireless communications apparatus, to produce cost information from the node cost and the link cost, and select a transmission path to a destination wireless communications apparatus for the information extracted from the first buffer such that the cost information of the selected transmission path is minimum in possible transmission paths to the destination wireless communications apparatus; and

a routing control unit configured to designate a next hop in the selected transmission path to transmit the extracted information.

2. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the routing control information processing unit exchanges the cost information with adjacent wireless communication apparatuses in the network, and when receiving arbitrary cost information from one of the adjacent wireless communications apparatuses, the routing control information processing unit produces new cost information taking into account the node cost of the wireless communications apparatus and the link cost of a wireless link from said one of the adjacent wireless communications apparatuses, and transmits the new cost information to the adjacent wireless communications apparatuses.

3. A wireless communication apparatus of a wireless communications network including multiple wireless communications apparatuses mutually connected via wireless links, comprising:

a first buffer configured to store a first information received from an adjacent wireless communication apparatus;

a second buffer configured to store a second information item received from a user terminal controlled by the wireless communications apparatus;

a priority control unit configured to schedule transmission of the first information and the second information i-tern according to transmission priority, the transmission priority assigning higher priority to transmission of a predefined percentage of the first information from the first buffer over transmission of the second information from the second buffer; and

a routing control information processing unit configured to determine a node cost according to an amount of the first information accumulated in the first buffer and the second buffer and a link cost of a transmission path between the wireless communications apparatus, to produce cost information from the node cost and the link cost, and select a transmission path to a destination wireless communications apparatus for the first information extracted from the first buffer such that the cost information of the selected transmission path is minimum in possible transmission paths to the destination wireless communications apparatus; and

a routing control unit configured to designate a next hop in the selected transmission path to transmit the extracted first information.

4. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first buffer and the second buffer includes a plurality of buffer segments according to types of information to be transmitted, and the priority control unit schedules the transmission of the first and second information based on the priority of the buffer segments.

5. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 3, wherein the priority control unit schedule the transmission of the first and second information by variably controlling the transmission ratio of the first information stored in the first buffer to the second information stored in the second buffer.

6. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a monitoring unit configured to monitor the amount of the first information accumulated in the first buffer and if the information amount exceeds a prescribed threshold, to report occurrence of congestion to adjacent wireless communications apparatuses;

wherein

when receiving a message reporting occurrence of congestion from another wireless communications apparatus, the routing control unit designates a transmission route bypassing said other wireless communications apparatus at which the congestion has occurred.

7. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine a destination of the first information, to allow the first information to be temporarily stored in the first buffer if the first information is to be transmitted to the adjacent wireless communication apparatus, and to allow the first information to be delivered to the user terminal if the first information is addressed to the user terminal.

8. A packet transmission method employed in a wireless network defined by a plurality of wireless communications apparatuses mutually connected via wireless links, comprising:

receiving first information at a wireless communication apparatus from an adjacent wireless communication apparatus and storing the first information in a first buffer;

receiving second information at the wireless communication apparatus from a user terminal controlled by the wireless communication apparatus and storing the second information in a second buffer;

scheduling transmission of the first information and the second information based on prescribed transmission priority; and

, the transmission priority assigning higher priority to transmission of a predefined percentage of the first information from the first buffer over transmission of the second information from the second buffer;

determining a node cost according to an amount of the first information accumulated in the first buffer and the second buffer and a link cost of a transmission path between the wireless communications apparatus and the adjacent wireless communications apparatus;

producing cost information from the node cost and the link cost;

selecting a transmission path to a destination wireless communications apparatus for the first information extracted from the first buffer such that the cost information of the selected transmission path is minimum in possible transmission paths to the destination wireless communications apparatus; and

designating a next hop in the selected transmission path to transmit the extracted first information.