Wireless communication apparatus, communication routing control apparatus, communication routing control method and communication system

• US 7,948,891 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2006
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• 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, Yagyu, Kengo, Aoki, Hidenori, Matsumoto, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): PARK, JUNG H
• Application Number:
  US11/816,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20090052374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,924 Days
• Field of Search: 370/235, 370/238, 370/252, 370/254, 370/310, 370/338, 370/389, 370/392
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/26 Route discovery packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/52 Multiprotocol routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/04 based on wireless node resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/28 for reactive routing

Abstract

A wireless communication apparatus for performing communication via a plurality of wireless interfaces in a wireless ad hoc network is disclosed. When the wireless communication apparatus receives a request frame via one of the plurality of wireless interfaces, the wireless communication apparatus sends the request frame from at least two wireless interfaces in the plurality of wireless interfaces. In addition, the wireless communication apparatus selects a wireless interface to be used for communication from among the plurality of wireless interfaces based on the request frame.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus for performing communication via a plurality of wireless interfaces in a wireless ad hoc network, comprising:

a plurality of sending buffers that stores frames for each of the plurality of wireless interfaces;

a measurement unit that measures a total data amount of frames stored in the sending buffers for each of the plurality of wireless interfaces;

a data sending and receiving unit that, when receiving a request frame via one of the plurality of wireless interfaces, sends the request frame via at least two wireless interfaces of the plurality of wireless interfaces if a difference of the total data amount measurement values among the wireless interfaces measured by the measurement unit is equal to or less than a threshold, and, if at least one difference of differences of the total data amount measurement values among the wireless interfaces measured by the measurement unit is equal to or greater than a threshold, sends the request frame via a wireless interface in which the total data amount is smaller; and

a routing unit that selects a wireless interface to be used for communication from among the plurality of wireless interfaces based on the request frame.

2. The wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the routing unit selects the wireless interface to be used for communication from among the plurality of wireless interfaces based on arriving order of the request frame.

3. The wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the routing unit selects the wireless interface to be used for communication from among the plurality of wireless interfaces based on arriving order and communication cost of the request frame.

4. The wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the routing unit selects the wireless interface to be used for communication from among the plurality of wireless interfaces based on communication cost of a received request frame that is received within a predetermined period from arriving time of the request frame.

5. The wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication apparatus functions as an access point for managing a terminal under the wireless communication apparatus, and

when the data sending and receiving unit receives a frame from the terminal, the data sending and receiving unit sends the request frame on behalf of the terminal.

6. The wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein, when the data sending and receiving unit receives a request frame addressed to the terminal under the wireless communication apparatus, the data sending and receiving unit returns a response signal for the request frame on behalf of the terminal.

7. The wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 6, the wireless communication apparatus further comprising an associating terminal management unit that manages associating terminal information of terminals under the wireless communication apparatus,

wherein, when a new terminal associates with the wireless communication apparatus, the data sending and receiving apparatus broadcasts a frame reporting association of the terminal, and

when receiving a frame reporting association of a new terminal from another wireless communication apparatus, the associating terminal management unit deletes association of the terminal from the associating terminal information.

8. The wireless communication apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1-4 and 5-7, wherein the routing unit selects the wireless interface from among the plurality of wireless interfaces for each of pairs of a source address and a destination address.

9. The wireless communication apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1-4 and 5-7, wherein the data sending and receiving unit periodically sends the request frame based on a set time that is set in the routing unit.

10. A wireless communication apparatus for performing communication via a plurality of wireless interfaces in a wireless ad hoc network, comprising:

a data sending and receiving unit that, when receiving a request frame via one of the plurality of wireless interfaces, sends the request frame via at least two wireless interfaces in the plurality of wireless interfaces; and

a routing unit that selects a wireless interface to be used for communication from among the plurality of wireless interfaces based on the request frame,

wherein the data sending and receiving unit periodically sends the request frame based on a set time that is set in the routing unit, and

wherein, when the routing unit selects a wireless interface based on the request frame, the routing unit checks whether there is any wireless interface that is previously used for a route to a destination by referring to a routing table, and when there is such a wireless interface, the routing unit weights communication cost for the wireless interface that is previously used so as to select the wireless interface to be used for communication from among the plurality of wireless interfaces based on the weighted communication cost.

11. A communication routing control apparatus in a wireless communication apparatus for performing communication via a plurality of wireless interfaces in a wireless ad hoc network, comprising:

means for, when detecting that a request frame is received with one of the plurality of wireless interfaces, sending the request frame via at least two wireless interfaces in the plurality of wireless interfaces;

means for selecting a wireless interface to be used for communication from among the plurality of wireless interfaces based on the request frame,

wherein the wireless communication apparatus includes;

a plurality of sending buffers for storing frames for each of the plurality of wireless interfaces;

a measurement unit that measures a total data amount of frames stored in the sending buffers for each of the plurality of wireless interfaces; and

a data sending and receiving unit that, when receiving a request frame via one of the plurality of wireless interfaces, sends the request frame via at least two wireless interfaces of the plurality of wireless interfaces if a difference of the total data amount measurement values among the wireless interfaces measured by the measurement unit is equal to or less than a threshold, and, if at least one difference of differences of the total data amount measurement values among the wireless interfaces measured by the measurement unit is equal to or greater than a threshold, sends the request frame via a wireless interface in which the total data amount is smaller.

12. A communication routing control method in a wireless ad hoc network including a plurality of wireless communication apparatuses each including a plurality of wireless interfaces, a plurality of sending buffers that store frames for each of the plurality of wireless interfaces, and a measurement unit that measures a total data amount of frames stored in the sending buffers for each of the plurality of wireless interfaces, the method comprising:

a step in which a source node sends a request frame;

a step in which each of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses receives the request frame using one of the plurality of wireless interfaces;

a step in which each of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses selects a wireless interface to be used for communication from among the plurality of wireless interfaces based on the request frame;

a step in which each of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses sends the request frame from at least two wireless interfaces of the plurality of wireless interfaces if a difference of the total data amount measurement values among the wireless interfaces measured by the measurement unit is equal to or less than a threshold, and, if at least one difference of differences of the total data amount measurement values among the wireless interfaces measured by the measurement unit is equal to or greater than a threshold, sends the request frame via a wireless interface in which the total data amount is smaller;

a step in which a destination node receives the request frame, and returns a response signal of the request frame; and

a step in which each of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses receives the response signal of the request frame to establish a communication route based on the response signal.

13. A communication system of a wireless ad hoc network comprising:

a plurality of wireless communication apparatuses each including a plurality of wireless interfaces, a plurality of sending buffers that store frames for each of the plurality of wireless interfaces, and a measurement unit that measures a total data amount of frames stored in the sending buffers for each of the plurality of wireless interfaces, wherein,

a source node sends a request frame;

each of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses receives the request frame using one of the plurality of wireless interfaces;

each of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses selects a wireless interface to be used for communication from among the plurality of wireless interfaces based on the request frame;

each of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses sends the request frame from at least two wireless interfaces of the plurality of wireless interfaces if a difference of the total data amount measurement values among the wireless interfaces measured by the measurement unit is equal to or less than a threshold, and, if at least one difference of differences of the total data amount measurement values among the wireless interfaces measured by the measurement unit is equal to or greater than a threshold, sends the request frame via a wireless interface in which the total data amount is smaller;

a destination node receives the request frame, and returns a response signal of the request frame; and

each of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses receives the response signal of the request frame to establish a communication route based on the response signal.