Method and apparatus for providing a collaborative reply over an ad-hoc mesh network

• US 8,194,541 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Leppanen, Kari, Kasslin, Mika, Tirronen, Mikko, Virtanen, Sami, Turunen, Markku T
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): FARAHMAND, ASHIL S
• Application Number:
  US12/475,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20100302945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/230, 370/310, 370/312, 370/315
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/023 Limited or focused flooding to selected areas of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

An approach is provided for providing a collaborative reply to a flooding message over an ad-hoc mesh network. A reply message to a flooding message is received by a wireless node within the ad-hoc network. The wireless node monitors for an acknowledgement of receipt of the reply message according to a routing table and initiates a scheduled transmission of the reply message based on the monitoring.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a receiving node, a reply message to a flooding message from a neighboring wireless node, the reply message including information on a desired next-hop recipient node of the reply message;

determining whether the receiving node is the desired next-hop recipient node;

if the receiving node is not the desired next-hop recipient node, determining whether the desired next-hop recipient node is a one-hop neighbor of the receiving node based, at least in part, on a neighbor table of the receiving node;

determining a relative radio distance of the neighboring wireless node that transmitted the reply message and a relative radio distance of the desired next-hop recipient node;

categorizing the relative radio distances as very near, near or far based on increasing distance thresholds associated with the categories; and

determining to initiate a collaborative reply process if the receiving node is not the desired next-hop recipient node and the desired next-hop recipient node is the one-hop neighbor of the receiving node based, at least in part, on the categorization.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to monitor for an acknowledgement of receipt of the reply message broadcast by the desired next-hop recipient node; and

determining to cancel the collaborative reply process if the acknowledgement is observed.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein the collaborative reply process is canceled if a relative radio distance category of the neighboring wireless node that transmitted the reply message is very near or if a relative radio distance category of the desired next-hop recipient node is far.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein when the collaborative reply process is not canceled based on the relative radio distance determination, further comprising:

determining to schedule transmission of the reply message with a random delay to a next receiving wireless node from a routing table;

determining to observe a broadcast transmission of a same reply message of the reply message by any neighboring wireless node; and

determining to transmit the reply message to the next receiving wireless node following the scheduled random delay if the broadcast transmission of the same reply message by the any neighboring wireless node is not observed.

5. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to update the routing table to reflect receipt of the reply message.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the reply message is transmitted as a unicast message.

7. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

receive, at a receiving node, a reply message to a flooding message from a neighboring wireless node, the reply message including information on a desired next-hop recipient node of the reply message,

determine whether the receiving node is the desired next-hop recipient node,

if the receiving node is not the desired next-hop recipient node, determine whether the desired next-hop recipient node is a one-hop neighbor of the receiving node based, at least in part, on a neighbor table of the receiving node;

determine a relative radio distance of the neighboring wireless node that transmitted the reply message and a relative radio distance of the desired next-hop recipient node;

categorize the relative radio distances as very near, near or far based on increasing distance thresholds associated with the categories; and

determine to initiate a collaborative reply process if the receiving node is not the desired next-hop recipient node and the desired next-hop recipient node is the one-hop neighbor of the receiving node based, at least in part, on the categorization.

8. An apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to monitor for an acknowledgement of receipt of the reply message broadcast by the desired next-hop recipient node; and

determine to cancel the collaborative reply process if the acknowledgement is observed.

9. An apparatus of claim 7, wherein the collaborative reply process is cancelled if a relative radio distance category of the neighboring wireless node that transmitted the reply message is very near or if a relative radio distance category of the desired next-hop recipient node is far.

10. An apparatus of claim 7, when the collaborative reply process is not canceled based on the relative radio distance determination, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to schedule transmission of the reply message with a random delay to a next receiving wireless node obtained from a routing table;

determine to observe a broadcast transmission of a same reply message of the reply message by any neighboring wireless node; and

determine to transmit the reply message to the next receiving wireless node following the scheduled random delay if the broadcast transmission of the same reply message by the any neighboring wireless node is not observed.

11. An apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to update the routing table to reflect receipt of the reply message.

12. An apparatus of claim 7, wherein the reply message is transmitted as a unicast message.

13. An apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is a mobile phone further comprising:

user interface circuitry and user interface software configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone through use of a display and configured to respond to user input; and

a display and display circuitry configured to display at least a portion of a user interface of the mobile phone, the display and display circuitry configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone.

14. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the mobile phone includes a radio for device-to-device communication over an ad-hoc mesh network.

15. A method comprising:

providing access for receiving a reply message, at a receiving node, to a flooding message from a neighboring wireless node, the reply message including information on a desired next-hop recipient node of the reply message, determining whether the receiving node is the desired next-hop recipient node, if the receiving node is not the desired next-hop recipient node, determining whether the desired next-hop recipient node is a one-hop neighbor of the receiving node based, at least in part, on a neighbor table of the receiving node, determining a relative radio distance of the neighboring wireless node that transmitted the reply message and a relative radio distance of the desired next-hop recipient node, categorizing the relative radio distances as very near, near or far based on increasing distance thresholds associated with the categories, and determining to initiate a collaborative reply process if the receiving node is not the desired next-hop recipient node and the desired next-hop recipient node is the one-hop neighbor of the receiving node based, at least in part, on the categorization.

16. A method of claim 15, wherein the reply message is received and transmitted over an ad-hoc mesh network.

17. A method of claim 15, wherein the access is further provided for determining to monitor for an acknowledgement of receipt of the reply message broadcast by the desired next-hop recipient node, and for determining to cancel the collaborative reply process if the acknowledgement is observed.