Selection of network nodes of a network

• US 8,098,638 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Spiess, Patrik
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US11/442,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20060268770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/338, 370/351, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/435.2, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.16, 340/539.17, 340/539.19, 340/539.22, 340/539.23, 340/539.26, 340/539.3, 340/3.1, 340/3.2, 340/3.21, 340/500, 340/501, 340/505, 340/10.1, 340/10.2, 340/10.3
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A mobile node selects one or more network nodes of a network. Each network node of the network is communicatively coupled to a further network node of the network. The mobile node includes a communication unit configured to send a selection message that is receivable by a network node, the selection message including an identifier of the mobile node and a unique identifier of a current selection and the selection message being configured to select the one or more network nodes.

Claims

1. A mobile node adapted for selecting one or more network nodes of a network, wherein each network node of the network is communicatively coupled to a further network node of the network, the mobile node comprising:

a communication unit configured for sending a selection message configured to select the one or more network nodes, wherein the selection message is receivable by a network node, the selection message comprising an identifier of the mobile node and a unique identifier of a current selection message and a selection condition, wherein the selection includes verifying that the selection condition is fulfilled.

2. The mobile node of claim 1, wherein the selection message further comprises an identifier of a position of the mobile node and an identifier of a radius of a selection sphere that has a centre at the position of the mobile node, the selection sphere being applicable to select a set of network nodes that are within a distance of the radius from the mobile node.

3. The mobile node of claim 1, wherein the selection message further comprises a selection count, the selection count being applicable to select a further set of network nodes that are coupled to a selected network node by traversing a number of network nodes that is smaller than the selection count.

4. The mobile node of claim 1, further comprising an activation device configured to activate the communication unit to transmit the selection message.

5. The mobile node of claim 1, wherein the communication unit is further configured to repeat a transmission of the selection message.

6. The mobile node of claim 1, wherein the communication unit is further configured to receive a message from a network node, the message comprising one or more identifiers of network nodes that comply with the selection condition.

7. The mobile node of claim 1, wherein the mobile node further comprises an interface unit configured to interface with a mobile application device, the interface unit being further configured to send to the mobile application device a message selected from the group consisting of:

an activation message indicating an activation of the communication unit, the selection message, a reporting message, and a status message,

wherein the reporting message has been received from one of the network nodes and comprises an identifier of the selected network node, and

wherein the status message has been received from any one of the network nodes and comprises one or more identifiers of network nodes that have been selected by the selection message comprising the identifier of the current selection message.

8. The mobile node of claim 1, wherein the network is a wireless sensor network including network nodes comprising a receiver unit configured to receive messages from a coupled network node, and

wherein the communication unit of the mobile node is configured to send the selection message so that the selection message is receivable by the receiver unit.

9. The mobile node of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier of the current selection message uniquely identifies the selection message that is configured to select the one or more network nodes.

10. The mobile node of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier of the current selection message uniquely identifies a location of the mobile node when the mobile node sends the selection message that is configured to select the one or more network nodes.

11. The mobile node of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier of the current selection message uniquely identifies a signal strength with which the mobile node sends the selection message that is configured to select the one or more network nodes.

12. A network of nodes comprising network nodes and a gateway node, each network node being communicatively coupled to a further network node and the gateway node being configured to receive messages from a set of network nodes and to transmit the received messages to an application device, a network node of the network comprising:

a receiver unit configured to receive a selection message from a mobile node, the selection message being configured to select one or more network nodes and comprising an identifier of the mobile node, a unique identifier of a current selection message, and a selection condition;

a processing unit configured to create a reporting message comprising the mobile node identifier, the identifier of the current selection message, and an identifier of the network node and configured to verify that the selection condition is fulfilled when the selection condition is fulfilled and to create the reporting message when the selection condition is not fulfilled; and

a communication unit configured to route the reporting message and a further reporting message created by a processing unit of a further network node to a specific node that is configured to send the reporting message and the further reporting message to an external device.

13. The network of claim 12, wherein the specific node is the gateway node of the network and wherein the external device is the application device.

14. The network of claim 12, wherein the specific node is a network node and the external device is a mobile application device.

15. The network of claim 12, wherein the selection condition comprises a condition that the identifier of the current selection message has been received for a first time.

16. The network of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is further configured to access an identifier of a position of the network node, wherein the selection message further comprises an identifier of a mobile node position and an identifier of a radius of a selection sphere having a center at the mobile node position, wherein the communication unit is further configured to send the selection message to a further network node coupled to the network node, and wherein the selection condition comprises a condition that the position of the network is within the selection sphere that is identified in the selection message.

17. The network of claim 12, wherein the selection message further comprises a selection count, wherein the processing unit is further configured to create a new selection message comprising data of the selection message and a new selection count and to calculate the new selection count by reducing the selection count of the selection message by a value of one, wherein the communication unit is further configured to send the new selection message to the further network node coupled to the network node, and wherein the selection condition comprises a condition that the new selection count is greater than a threshold value and that the new selection count is greater than a previous new selection count of a previous new selection message created for an identical selection identifier.

18. The network of claim 12, wherein the gateway node is further configured to receive a status message from the application device, the status message comprising one or more identifiers of network nodes that have created a reporting message with the identifier of the current selection message, wherein the nodes of the network are further configured to route the status message to a network node that is communicatively coupled to the mobile node, and wherein the communication unit of the network node is further configured to send the status message to the mobile node.

19. The network of claim 12, wherein the network is a wireless sensor network, each network node comprising a receiver unit further configured to receive the selection message and the further reporting message, and wherein the communication unit is configured to send the reporting message and the further reporting message so that the reporting message and the further reporting message are receivable by the receiver unit of a coupled node.

20. An application device communicatively coupled to a network of nodes comprising network nodes and a gateway node,

wherein the application device is configured to receive a reporting message from the gateway node, to gather one or more reporting messages, and to provide portions of data of the one or more reporting messages to a device comprising a user interface, wherein the reporting message comprises an identifier of a mobile node, an unique identifier of a current selection message sent from the mobile node, and an identifier of a selected network node from which the reporting message originates, the identifier of the current selection message being a part of a selection message that originates from the mobile node and that comprises a selection condition fulfilled by the selected network node and wherein the gathered one or more reporting messages comprise the identifier of the current selection message.

21. The application device of claim 20, wherein the application device is further configured to create a status message comprising one or more identifiers of network nodes that have created the one or more reporting messages.

22. The application device of claim 21, wherein the application device is further configured to send the status message to the gateway node so that the status message is transmitted through the network and the mobile node to a mobile application device.

23. The application device of claim 21, wherein the application device comprises a communication unit configured to send the status message to a mobile application device over a wireless connection.

24. A mobile application device comprising a communication unit configured to receive a message comprising one or more identifiers of selected network nodes of a network and that are selected by a selection message that comprises a unique identifier of a current selection message and a selection condition fulfilled by the selected network nodes and to gather the message and a further message comprising further one or more identifiers of selected network nodes, wherein a reporting message originates from a selected network node and comprises an identifier of the current selection message, wherein the identifier of the current selection message is a portion of a selection message originating from a mobile node.

25. The mobile application device of claim 24, further comprising a user interface configured to display data related to an identifier of one of the selected network nodes to a user of the mobile application device.

26. The mobile application device of claim 25, wherein the mobile application device is further configured to indicate a location of the one selected network node to the user.

27. The mobile application device of claim 25, wherein the communication unit is configured to receive a status message from an application device using a wireless connection to the application device, wherein the status message comprises identifiers of the selected network nodes.

28. The mobile application device of claim 24, wherein the communication unit is further configured to receive from the mobile node a message selected from the group consisting of:

an activation message, the selection message, the reporting message, and the status message, wherein the activation message comprises data representing an activation of a communication unit of the mobile node, wherein the selection message comprises an identifier of the mobile node and the unique identifier of a current selection message that is configured to select the one or more network nodes that fulfill the selection condition, wherein the reporting message has been created by a selected network node and comprises the identifier of the mobile node, the identifier of the current selection message and an identifier of the selected network node, and wherein the status message has been created by an application device and comprises one or more identifiers of network nodes that have been selected by the selection message comprising the identifier of the current selection message.

29. A system for selecting one or more network nodes of a network, the system comprising:

a network of nodes comprising network nodes and a gateway node, each network node being communicatively coupled to a further network node and the gateway node being configured to receive messages from a set of network nodes and to transmit the received messages to an application device, a network node of the network comprising;

a receiver unit configured to receive a selection message from a mobile node, the selection message comprising an identifier of the mobile node, a unique identifier of a current message, and a selection condition;

a processing unit configured to create a reporting message comprising the mobile node identifier, the unique identifier of the current selection message, and an identifier of the network node and configured to verify that the selection condition is fulfilled when the selection condition is fulfilled and to create the reporting message when the selection condition is not fulfilled; and

a communication unit configured to route the reporting message and a further reporting message created by a processing unit of a further network node to a specific node that is configured to send the reporting message and the further reporting message to an external device;

wherein the mobile node is adapted for selecting one or more network nodes of the network, the mobile node comprising a communication unit configured for sending a selection message that is receivable by a network node, the selection message configured to select the one or more network nodes, wherein the selection message comprises an identifier of the mobile node and a unique identifier of a current selection message; and

a mobile application device comprising a communication unit configured to receive a message comprising one or more identifiers of selected network nodes of the network and to gather the message and a further message comprising further one or more identifiers of selected network nodes, wherein a reporting message originates from a selected network node and comprises an identifier of the current selection message, wherein the identifier of the current selection message is a portion of a selection message originating from a mobile node.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein

the application device is configured to receive a reporting message from the gateway node, to gather one or more reporting messages, and to provide portions of data of the one or more reporting messages to a device comprising a user interface, and

wherein the reporting message comprises an identifier of the mobile node, an identifier of the current selection message, and an identifier of a selected network node from which the reporting message originates, the identifier of the current selection message being a part of a selection message originating from the mobile node and wherein the gathered one or more reporting messages comprise the identifier of the current selection message.

31. A method for selecting one or more network nodes of a network, wherein each network node of the network is communicatively coupled to another network node of the network, the method comprising:

creating a selection message at a mobile node, the selection message configured to select the one or more network nodes, wherein the selection message comprises a mobile node identifier, a unique identifier of a current selection message, and a selection condition;

sending the selection message, such that the selection message is receivable by a network node of the network;

receiving the selection message at the network node;

checking if the network node is a selected network node, wherein the checking includes verifying that the selection condition is fulfilled;

when the network node is a selected network node, creating a reporting message comprising the mobile node identifier, the unique identifier of an identifier of the current selection message, and an identifier of the selected network node;

receiving the reporting message at an external device; and

at the external device, gathering the reporting message and a further reporting message comprising the identifier of the current selection message.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising repeatedly sending the selection message.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

sending a new selection message from the network node to a further network node that is communicatively coupled to the network node, wherein the new selection message comprises data of the selection message and a new selection condition; and

verifying at the further network node that the new selection condition is fulfilled.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the external device is an application device communicatively coupled to the network, and further comprising creating a status message with the application device, the status message comprising one or more identifiers of network nodes that have created a reporting message comprising the identifier of the current selection message.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising sending the status message from the application device to the mobile application device using a wireless connection.

36. The method of claim 31 further comprising receiving data comprising the unique identifier of the current selection message at a mobile application device.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising displaying on the mobile application device further data related to the identifier of the network node to a user of the mobile application device.

38. The method of claim 31, further comprising sending from the mobile node to the mobile application device a messages selected from the group consisting of:

an activation message comprising data representing an activation of a communication unit of the mobile node, the selection message, the reporting message, and a status message,

wherein the status message comprises one or more identifiers of network nodes that have created a reporting message comprising the identifier of the current selection message.