Network with several subnetworks

• US 8,014,408 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Network System Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Mangold, Stefan, Habetha, Joerg
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh; Ayaz R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US10/489,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,280 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/254, 370/394, 370464-469, 370/94.1, 370/85.13, 370/85.14, 370/256, 370/352, 370/349, 709/223, 709/225, 709/226, 709/229, 709/210, 709/201
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

The invention relates to a network with several subnetworks, which are organized either decentrally or centrally and can be connected in each case each by bridge terminals, a proxy terminal for a bridge terminal being set up in at least one of the subnetworks, which proxy terminal during an absence (dictated by frequency, time, code, or other factors) of the bridge terminal accepts all data directed to the bridge terminal or to be forwarded thereby, temporarily stores the data, and forwards said data to the bridge terminal when this is present again.

Claims

1. A network comprising:

several subnetworks, each connectable by bridge terminals and including at least one other terminal, wherein at least one of said at least one other terminal provided in at least one of the subnetworks is set up as a proxy terminal during a planned absence of one of said at least one of the bridge terminals from said one of the subnetworks, wherein the proxy terminal

accepts designation as a proxy server by said absent bridge terminal;

accepts data directed to said absent bridge terminal or to be forwarded by said absent bridge terminal to said one of the subnetworks,

temporarily stores the data, and

forwards said data to said absent bridge terminal when said absent bridge terminal is present again in said one of the subnetworks, wherein said planned absence of said one of said at least one bridge terminals from said one of the subnetworks is for a predetermined time;

wherein one or more of the subnetworks includes a central monitoring station, wherein for each subnetwork having a central monitoring station, the central monitoring station is selected as the proxy terminal for said bridge terminal during the planned absence of said bridge terminal.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein at least two subnetworks operate in accordance with different communication standards, and the bridge terminals operate in accordance with both communication standards for data exchange of those subnetworks that operate in accordance with different communication standards.

3. The network of claim 1, wherein a plurality of bridge terminals connect a same two of the subnetworks and wherein during the absence of one of the plurality of bridge terminals, another one of the plurality of bridge terminals is selected as the proxy terminal.

4. The network of claim 1, wherein at least two of the subnetworks connectable by the bridges are wireless subnetworks each comprising a plurality of terminals that communicate wirelessly with each other.

5. The network of claim 1, wherein at least one subnetwork includes a central controller, and wherein during the absence of the bridge terminal, the central controller suppresses data transfers to the bridge terminal.

6. A bridge terminal for a network comprising at least two subnetworks, each of said two subnetworks having a plurality of terminals, said bridge terminal comprising:

an antenna;

a radio device connected to the antenna;

a protocol device connected to the radio device;

a radio switching device connected to the protocol device;

a buffer memory connected to the radio switching device; and

wherein the bridge terminal operates such that when the bridge terminal is unavailable to one of said two subnetworks, the bridge terminal selects one of the terminals in the one of said two subnetworks to be a proxy terminal and the selected terminal operates to;

function as a proxy server selected by the bridge terminal;

receive all data directed to the bridge terminal to be transferred to said one of the two subnetworks,

temporarily store the data, and

forward the data to the bridge terminal when the bridge terminal is again available to the one of the two subnetworks, wherein the unavailability of the bridge terminal from said one of the two subnetworks is planned for a predetermined time, wherein when the bridge terminal is unavailable to one of the two subnetworks, and when the one of the two subnetwork has a central controller, then the bridge terminal selects the central controller to be the proxy server.

7. In a network comprising at least first and second subnetworks each having a plurality of terminals linked by a bridge terminal, a proxy terminal provided in the first subnetwork, the proxy terminal comprising:

an antenna;

a radio device connected to the antenna;

a protocol device connected to the radio device;

a radio switching device connected to the protocol device; and

a buffer memory connected to the radio switching device, wherein the proxy terminal operates such that when the bridge terminal is unavailable to the first subnetwork, the proxy terminal;

accepts designation as a proxy server selected by the bridge terminal;

receives all data directed to the bridge terminal to be transferred to first network,

temporarily stores the data, and

forwards the data to the bridge terminal, when the bridge terminal is again available to the first subnetwork, wherein the unavailability of the bridge terminal from the first network is planned for a predetermined time, wherein the proxy terminal designated as the proxy server is a central controller in the first subnetwork.