Method, apparatus and system for multicast communication in a wireless multi-hop network

• US 7,957,301 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2005
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yue, Gaofeng, Bhatti, Ghulam M.
• Primary Examiner(s): MARCELO, MELVIN C
• Application Number:
  US12/063,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20090201844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,122 Days
• Field of Search: 370/337, 370/344, 370/347, 370/248, 370/252, 370/432
• US Class Current: 370/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for multicast communication in a network having plural nodes according to the ZigBee network specification includes creating a multicast group including a subset of the plural nodes and excluding at least one non-member node in the plural nodes. The multicast group has a multicast address. The method also includes transmitting multicast message including the multicast address and receiving the multicast message at each node in the multicast group.

Claims

1. A method for multicast communication in a network having plural nodes according to the ZigBee network specification, said method comprising:

creating a multicast group that includes a subset of the plural nodes and excludes at least one non-member node in the plural nodes, said multicast group having a multicast address, wherein the creating further comprises;

sending a join request (JREQ) message from a joining node seeking to join the multicast group to a receiving node; and

sending a join reply (JREP) message from the receiving node to the joining node, the JREP message including a path cost to a node in the multicast group from the joining node;

forwarding an updated JREQ message from the receiving node to another node if the receiving node is not a member of the multicast group, the updated JREQ message including a sum of a link cost included in the JREQ message and a link cost of a communication link between the joining node and the receiving node;

receiving another JREP message from the another node, the another JREP message including a path cost to a node in the multicast group from the receiving node; and

setting the path cost in the JREP to be sent to the joining node by the receiving node to be a sum of the path cost included in the another JREP message and a link cost between the joining node and the receiving node;

transmitting a multicast message including the multicast address; and

receiving the multicast message at each node in the multicast group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating further comprises:

sending a multicast activation (MACT) command from the joining node to the receiving node to activate the multicast group.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a leave request (LREQ) command from the joining node to the receiving node indicating that the joining node seeks to leave the multicast group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving further comprises:

receiving the multicast message at a first node;

determining if a second node within a transmit radio range of the first node is the only node within the transmit radio range of the first node that is also a member of the multicast group; and

forwarding the multicast message to the second node using a MAC unicast protocol or a MAC broadcast protocol based on the determining.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining further comprises:

storing a routing table at the first node, the routing table including an address for each node within a transmit radio range of the first node that is a member of a respective multicast group; and

determining if the second node is a member of the multicast group based on the routing table.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the JREQ message further comprises sending a message having a same format as a ZigBee standard route request (RREQ) message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the JREP message further comprises sending a message having a same format as a ZigBee standard route reply (RREP) message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting a message having a ZigBee standard command frame type (10)b in a frame control field.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the JREQ message includes sending a message having a ZigBee standard command frame identifier of 0x04.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the JREP message includes sending a message having a ZigBee standard command frame identifier of 0x05.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the sending the MACT command includes sending a command having a ZigBee standard command frame identifier of 0x06.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the sending the LREQ command includes sending a command having a ZigBee standard command frame identifier of 0x07.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the JREP further comprises:

calculating the path cost based on at least one of a packet delay, a link quality indicator, a node battery power level, and an available node buffer size.

14. A method for multicast communication in a network having plural nodes, said method comprising:

creating a multicast group that includes a subset of the plural nodes and excludes at least one non-member node in the plural nodes, said multicast group having a multicast address, wherein the creating further comprises;

sending a join request (JREQ) message from a joining node seeking to join the multicast group to a receiving node; and

sending a reply (JREP) message from the receiving node to the joining node, the JREP message including a path cost to a node in the multicast group from the joining node;

forwarding an updated JREQ message from the receiving node to another node if the receiving node is not a member of the multicast group, the updated JREQ message including a sum of a link cost included in the JREQ message and a link cost of a communication link between the joining node and the receiving node;

receiving another JREP message from the another node, the another JREP message including a path cost to a node in the multicast group from the receiving node; and

setting the path cost in the JREP to be sent to the joining node by the receiving node to be a sum of the path cost included in the another JREP message and a link cost between the joining node and the receiving node;

transmitting a multicast message including the multicast address; and

receiving the multicast message at each node in the multicast group.

15. A node apparatus in a network having plural nodes according to the ZigBee network specification, said node comprising:

a multicast group creating section configured to create a multicast group that includes a subset of the plural nodes and excludes at least one non-member node in the plural nodes, said multicast group having a multicast address;

a multicast message transmitting section configured to transmit a multicast message to the multicast group including the multicast address;

a join request (JREQ) sending section configured to send a message to join the multicast group;

a join reply (JREP) receiving section configured to receive a JREP message from a neighbor node including a path cost to a member node in the multicast group;

a forwarding section configured to forward an updated JREQ message to another node if the node apparatus is not a member of the multicast group, the updated JREQ message including a sum of a link cost included in the JREQ message and a link cost of a communication link to the neighbor node;

a receiving section configured to receive another JREP message from the another node, the another JREP message including a path cost to the member node in the multicast group; and

a setting section configured to set the path cost in the JREP to be a sum of the path cost included in the another JREP message and the link cost of a communication link to the another node.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a multicast activation (MACT) command sending section configured to send a MACT command to activate the multicast group.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a leave request (LREQ) command sending section configured to send a LREQ command to indicate the node apparatus seeks to leave the multicast group.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a determining section configured to determine if a second node within a transmit radio range is the only node within the transmit radio range that is also a member of the multicast group; and

a forwarding section configured to forward the multicast message to the second node using a MAC unicast protocol or a MAC broadcast protocol based on the determining section.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a routing table configured to store an address for each node within the transmit radio range that is a member of a respective multicast group, wherein the determining section is further configured to determine if the second node is a member of the multicast group based on the routing table.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a format of the JREQ message is the same as a format of a ZigBee standard route request (RREQ) message.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a format of the JREP message is the same as a format of a ZigBee standard route reply (RREP) message.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the multicast message transmitting section is further configured to transmit a message having a ZigBee standard command frame type (10)b in a frame control field.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the JREQ message includes a message having a ZigBee standard command frame identifier of 0x04.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the JREP message includes a message having a ZigBee standard command frame identifier of 0x05.

25. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the MACT command includes a command having a ZigBee standard command frame identifier of 0x06.

26. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the LREQ command includes a command having a ZigBee standard command frame identifier of 0x07.

27. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the path cost includes at least one of a packet delay, a link quality indicator, a node battery power level, and an available node buffer size.

28. A communication system comprising:

plural nodes according to the ZigBee network specification, each node comprising;

a multicast group creating section configured to create a multicast group that includes a subset of the plural nodes and excludes at least one non-member node in the plural nodes, said multicast group having a multicast address; and

a multicast message transmitting section configured to transmit a multicast message to the multicast group including the multicast address;

a join request (JREQ) sending section configured to send a JREQ message to join the multicast group;

a join reply (JREP) receiving section configured to receive a JREP message from a neighbor node including a path cost to a member node in the multicast group;

a forwarding section configured to forward an updated JREQ message to another node if the node apparatus is not a member of the multicast group, the updated JREQ message including a sum of a link cost included in the JREQ message and a link cost of a communication link to the neighbor node;

a receiving section configured to receive another JREP message from the another node, the another JREP message including a path cost to the member node in the multicast group; and

a setting section configured to set the path cost in the JREP to be a sum of the path cost included in the another JREP message and the link cost of a communication link to the another node.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein each node further comprises:

a multicast activation (MACT) command sending section configured to send a MACT command to activate the multicast group.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein each node further comprises:

a leave request (LREQ) command sending section configured to send a LREQ command to indicate the node seeks to leave the multicast group.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein each node further comprises:

a determining section configured to determine if a second node within a transmit radio range is the only node within the transmit radio range that is also a member of the multicast group; and

a forwarding section configured to forward the multicast message to the second node using a MAC unicast protocol or a MAC broadcast protocol based on the determining section.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein each node further comprises:

a routing table configured to store an address for each node within the transmit radio range that is a member of a respective multicast group, wherein the determining section is further configured to determine if the second node is a member of the multicast group based on the routing table.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the MACT command includes a command having a ZigBee standard command frame identifier of 0x06.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein the LREQ command includes a command having a ZigBee standard command frame identifier of 0x07.