Inter-channel bridge node communications protocol for TDMA networks
First Claim
1. An inter-channel communications bridge node MANET architecture, comprising:
- a plurality of nodes forming a first communications channel group (CG);
a plurality of nodes forming a second communications channel group (CG);
a software program run by a processor, said software program associated with each of said nodes;
at least one bridge node selected from said first and second communication channel groups (CGs) nodes by said program, said bridge node forming a bridge for communication between said nodes of said first and second channel groups;
said nodes of said first and second channel groups communicating with one another via said bridge node according to said software program, said plurality of first and second channel group nodes form a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET), said nodes from said first CG passing and receiving messages to and from said nodes from said second CG according to Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) via said bridge node, each node having time slots in a time domain for TDMA, said bridge node is selected by said software program from “
1 hop”
neighboring nodes from said nodes in said first and second channel groups, said nodes in said first and second channel groups transmit messages at a predetermined periodicity according to said software program, said bridge node reserves a time slot in said TDMA for sending and receiving said messages from said first and second CGs, a plurality of Potential Bridge Nodes comprising “
1 hop”
neighboring nodes to said bridge node, said Potential Bridge Nodes having a plurality of time slots in the time domain for TDMA of said messages, said Potential Bridge time slots having idle slots suitable for transmission of inter-channel messages between said first and second CGs, said software program determines a common set of intersecting idle slots between said Potential Bridge Nodes time slots to reserve for inter-channel communication by said bridge node, said nodes in said first and second channel groups transmit bootstrap messages at a predetermined periodicity according to said software program; and
, based upon information from a Traffic Assigned Slots Record of the bridge node and further, based upon information from Bridge Assigned Slots Records of each of the bridge node'"'"'s one-hop neighboring nodes, said bridge node reserves a traffic slot in the time domain of said TDMA for sending and receiving said messages from said first and second CGs, prior to having a specific point-to-point destination for the messages, by taking ownership of a predetermined time domain traffic slot portion in said TDMA time domain and using a node ID of the bridge node as a bootstrap message destination node ID without specifying a point-to-point link in the bootstrap message, wherein a provisional parameter indicates a percent usage of said reserved traffic slot allocated by said bridge node for bi-directional communications to and from said bridge node.
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Abstract
An improved protocol for MANETs used in TDRS, JTRS systems and the like, where multiple channels have multiple communication links operating simultaneously within range of each other. All nodes in such MANETs are able to communicate with all their “1 hop” neighbors, even if the neighbors are on different channels. An improved inter-channel communication protocol using a bridge node allows nodes on separate channels to communicate. The bridge node operates as a pseudo-bi-directional link between two neighboring channels in the MANET. An Inter-Channel Bridge Node Communication Protocol determines contention free time slots on both channels, and then reserves one time slot to be used for inter-channel communications. The reserved time slot usage is then divided between the transmitted bridge node and the receiving node in the neighboring channel.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An inter-channel communications bridge node MANET architecture, comprising:
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a plurality of nodes forming a first communications channel group (CG); a plurality of nodes forming a second communications channel group (CG); a software program run by a processor, said software program associated with each of said nodes; at least one bridge node selected from said first and second communication channel groups (CGs) nodes by said program, said bridge node forming a bridge for communication between said nodes of said first and second channel groups; said nodes of said first and second channel groups communicating with one another via said bridge node according to said software program, said plurality of first and second channel group nodes form a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET), said nodes from said first CG passing and receiving messages to and from said nodes from said second CG according to Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) via said bridge node, each node having time slots in a time domain for TDMA, said bridge node is selected by said software program from “
1 hop”
neighboring nodes from said nodes in said first and second channel groups, said nodes in said first and second channel groups transmit messages at a predetermined periodicity according to said software program, said bridge node reserves a time slot in said TDMA for sending and receiving said messages from said first and second CGs, a plurality of Potential Bridge Nodes comprising “
1 hop”
neighboring nodes to said bridge node, said Potential Bridge Nodes having a plurality of time slots in the time domain for TDMA of said messages, said Potential Bridge time slots having idle slots suitable for transmission of inter-channel messages between said first and second CGs, said software program determines a common set of intersecting idle slots between said Potential Bridge Nodes time slots to reserve for inter-channel communication by said bridge node, said nodes in said first and second channel groups transmit bootstrap messages at a predetermined periodicity according to said software program; and
, based upon information from a Traffic Assigned Slots Record of the bridge node and further, based upon information from Bridge Assigned Slots Records of each of the bridge node'"'"'s one-hop neighboring nodes, said bridge node reserves a traffic slot in the time domain of said TDMA for sending and receiving said messages from said first and second CGs, prior to having a specific point-to-point destination for the messages, by taking ownership of a predetermined time domain traffic slot portion in said TDMA time domain and using a node ID of the bridge node as a bootstrap message destination node ID without specifying a point-to-point link in the bootstrap message, wherein a provisional parameter indicates a percent usage of said reserved traffic slot allocated by said bridge node for bi-directional communications to and from said bridge node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for an inter-channel communications bridge node MANET TDMA protocol, comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of nodes forming a first communications channel group (CG); providing a plurality of nodes forming a second communications channel group (CG); said first and second channel groups form a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET), each of said nodes controlled by a software program run by a processor; selecting at least one bridge node from said first and second communication channel groups, said bridge node forming a bridge between said first and second communication channel groups, wherein said bridge node is selected from “
1 hop”
neighboring nodes of said nodes in the first and second channel groups via the software program;allowing communication of data between the nodes of said first and second communication channel groups via said bridge node during predetermined time slots via Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA); transmitting messages to and from said nodes in said first and second channel groups at a predetermined periodicity according to said software program; based upon information from a Traffic Assigned Slots Record of the bridge node and further, based upon information from Bridge Assigned Slots Records of each of the bridge node'"'"'s one-hop neighboring nodes, reserving in said bridge node a time slot in said TDMA for sending and receiving said messages from said first and second CGs; having a plurality of Potential Bridge Nodes comprising “
1 hop”
neighboring nodes to said bridge node, said Potential Bridge Nodes being in the other CG to the CG of said bridge node, each of said Potential Bridge Nodes having a plurality of time slots in the time domain for TDMA of said messages, said Potential Bridge Nodes time slots having idle slots suitable for transmission of inter-channel messages between said first and second CGs;determining with said software program a common set of intersecting idle slots between said Potential Bridge Nodes time slots to reserve for inter-channel communication by said bridge node; transmitting bootstrap messages from said nodes in said first and second channel groups at a predetermined periodicity according to said software program; reserving a traffic slot of said bridge node in the time domain of said TDMA for sending and receiving said messages to and from said first and second CGs, prior to having a specific point-to-point destination for said messages, by taking ownership of a predetermined time domain traffic slot portion in said TDMA time domain and using a node ID of the bridge node as a bootstrap message destination node ID without specifying a point-to-point link in the bootstrap message, wherein a provisional parameter indicates a percent usage of said reserved traffic slot allocated by said bridge node for bi-directional communications to and from said bridge node; and having said software program ensure all “
1 hop”
neighbor nodes, in the other CG to the CG said bridge node resides in, listen during the predetermined time domain of said traffic slot for messages from said bridge node. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A MANET architecture comprising:
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means forming a first communications channel (CC) comprising a first plurality of nodes; means forming a second communications channel (CC) comprising a second plurality of nodes; means for bridging said first and second communication channels;
said means for bridging comprising at least one node selected from said first and second CC;said first and second CC means communicating with one another via said bridging means; means for processing associated with said first and second CC means; said means for processing is programmable with a software program, said software program controlling said first and second CC means to pass and receive data to each other according to Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA);
wherein,said software program controls the selection of said bridging node, and selects said bridging node from said first and second plurality of nodes of said first and second CC means that are “
1 hop”
neighbors to one another;said plurality of nodes forming a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET); said nodes of said first and second CC means transmit bootstrap messages, said bridging node reserves a slot in said TDMA for communication to and from said first and second CC means, said software program transmitting bootstrap messages from said nodes in said first and second channel groups at a predetermined periodicity; based upon information from a Traffic Assigned Slots Record of the bridge node and further, based upon information from Bridge Assigned Slots Records of each of the bridge node'"'"'s one-hop neighboring nodes, said software program reserving a traffic slot of said bridge node in the time domain of said TDMA for sending and receiving said messages to and from said first and second CC means, prior to having a specific point-to-point destination for said messages, by taking ownership of a predetermined time domain traffic slot portion in said TDMA time domain of said bridge node and using a node ID of the bridge node as a bootstrap message destination node ID without specifying a point-to-point link in the bootstrap message, wherein a provisional parameter indicates a percent usage of said reserved traffic slot allocated by said bridge node for bi-directional communications to and from said bridge node; said software program ensures all “
1 hop”
neighbor nodes, in the other CC to the CC said bridge node resides in, listen during the predetermined time domain of said traffic slot for messages from said bridge node,said nodes of said first and second CC means transmit bootstrap messages, said bridging node reserves a slot in said TDMA for communication to and from said first and second CC means, said software program transmitting bootstrap messages from said nodes in said first and second channel groups at a predetermined periodicity; a plurality of Potential Bridge Nodes comprising said “
1 hop”
neighboring nodes to said bridge node, said Potential Bridge Nodes being in the other CC to the CC of said bridge node, each of said Potential Bridge Nodes having a plurality of time slots in the time domain for TDMA of said messages, said Potential Bridge time slots having idle slots suitable for transmission of inter-channel messages between said first and second CC means;said software program determining a common set of intersecting idle slots between said Potential Bridge Nodes time slots to reserve for inter-channel communication by said bridge node.
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Specification