Network routing process for regulating traffic through advantaged and disadvantaged nodes

• US 7,826,372 B1
• Filed: 03/26/2004
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Clark, Stephen M., Anderson, Albert J., Worden, Ian R., Mabe, Fred D., Stevens, James A., Nicholas, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo; Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, CHANDRAHAS B
• Application Number:
  US10/811,000
• Time in Patent Office: 2,412 Days
• Field of Search: 370/400, 370/401, 370/229, 370/235, 370/238, 370/252, 370/253, 370/254, 370/255, 709/238
• US Class Current: 370/237
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/122 by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/124 using a combination of metrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/20 Hop count for routing purposes, e.g. TTL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update

Abstract

A process for use in conjunction with a communications network routing protocol that automatically adjusts for congestion that may occur due to the presence of advantaged and partially disadvantaged nodes. The network nodes check to determine if they are advantaged or partially disadvantaged. Advantaged nodes may, for example, be airborne or satellite nodes having a high degree of network connectivity. Partially disadvantaged nodes may comprise nodes that are low on power. Advantaged nodes and partially disadvantaged nodes adjust the network metrics entered into the routing tables they use to advertise their routing information over the network to show longer pathways through such nodes. As a result the other nodes in the network reduce the amount of network traffic routed through advantaged and disadvantaged nodes.

Claims

1. A process for use as part of a routing protocol in a mobile ad hoc digital communications network composed of a plurality of nodes each of which includes a router having a routing table including routing information defining routing pathways through said network and one or more metrics defining message transfer characteristics for each such routing pathway, comprising the steps of:

a) having a plurality of said nodes exchange routing information including routing pathways through said network and one or more metrics defining message transfer costs for each routing pathway;

b) having one of said nodes calculate a measure of the degree to which it comprises an advantaged node;

c) having an advantaged node increase one or more of the metrics of a plurality of pathways through said node entered into its routing table to form an updated routing table as a function of said measure of the degree to which it comprises an advantaged node; and

d) having said updated routing table including adjusted metrics advertised across said network for the purpose of updating the routing tables of other network nodes.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein:

said measure of the degree to which a node comprises an advantaged node is based on based on a ratio of a node'"'"'s neighbors to the average number of its neighbor nodes'"'"' neighbors.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein:

said routing protocol comprises a DSDV protocol and said one or more metrics comprises hop count, and

said measure of the degree to which a node comprises an advantaged node is based on a ratio of a node'"'"'s neighbors to the average number of its neighbor nodes'"'"' neighbors.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein:

said routing protocol comprises a link state protocol and said one or more metrics comprises latency.

5. A process for use as part of a routing protocol in a mobile ad hoc digital communications network comprising of a plurality of nodes each of which includes a router having a routing table including routing information defining routing pathways through said network and including one or more metrics defining message transfer characteristics for each such routing pathway, comprising the steps of:

a) having a plurality of said nodes exchange routing advertisement messages including routing pathways through said network and one or more metrics defining message transfer cost metrics for each routing pathway;

b) having one or more of said nodes check to determine if they comprise partially disadvantaged nodes;

c) having a partially disadvantaged node increase one or more of the metrics of a plurality of routing pathways through said node entered into a routing table in order to discourage all but essential traffic through said node and form an updated routing table; and

d) having said updated routing table advertised across said network for the purpose of updating the routing tables of other network nodes.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein:

the step of having each node check to determine if it comprises a partially disadvantaged node includes the step of having the node check its available power reserves as a basis for determining if it may be a partially disadvantaged node.

7. The process of claim 5, wherein:

said routing protocol comprises a DSDV protocol and said one or more metrics comprise hop count.

8. The process of claim 5, wherein:

said routing protocol comprises a link state protocol and said one or more metrics comprise latency.

9. A process for use as part of a routing protocol in a mobile ad hoc digital communications network comprising a plurality of nodes each of which includes a router having a routing table including routing information defining routing pathways through said network and including one or more metrics defining message transfer characteristics for each such routing pathway, comprising the steps of:

a) having a plurality of said nodes exchange routing advertisement messages including routing pathways through said network and one or more metrics defining message transfer cost metrics for each routing pathway;

b) having one or more of said nodes check to determine if they comprise partially disadvantaged nodes;

c) having one or more of said nodes check to determine if they comprise advantaged nodes;

d) having an advantaged node increase one or more of the metrics of a plurality of routing pathways through said advantaged node entered into a routing table by a first amount in order to discourage traffic through said node and form a first updated routing table;

e) having said first updated routing table advertised across said network for the purpose of updating the routing tables of other network nodes;

f) having a partially disadvantaged node increase one or more of the metrics of a plurality of routing pathways through said partially disadvantaged node entered into a routing table by a second amount in order to discourage all but essential traffic through said partially disadvantaged node and form a second updated routing table; and

g) having said second updated routing table advertised across said network for the purpose of updating the routing tables of other network nodes.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein:

the step of having each node check to determine if it comprises a partially disadvantaged node includes the step of having the node check its available power reserves as a basis for determining if it may be a partially disadvantaged node.

11. The process of claim 9, wherein:

said routing protocol comprises a DSDV protocol and said one or more metrics comprise hop count.

12. The process of claim 9, wherein:

said routing protocol comprises a link state protocol and said one or more metrics comprise latency.