Path notification

• US 8,774,051 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Toru, Natsugari, Reiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUO, ANTHONY L
• Application Number:
  US13/240,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20120099585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/350, 370/392, 370/254, 370/338, 370/349, 370/395.2, 370/408, 709/203, 709/238, 709/252, 455/13.1, 455/428
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/42 Centralised routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

A server creates a communication path table indicating a communication path for packet data, based on connection information reported by a parent device and a relay device, and distributes the created communication path table to the parent device, the relay device and a child device. The child device transmits the packet data to a relay device indicated in the communication path table, based on the distributed communication path table. The relay device transfers the packet data transmitted from the child device, to a relay device or a parent device indicated in the communication path table, based on the distributed communication path table.

Claims

1. A multi-hop network system for performing multi-hop communication, the system comprising:

a parent device that is connected to a highest level of said multi-hop network system;

a child device that is connected to an end of said multi-hop network system;

a relay device that transfers packet data transmitted from said child device to said parent device; and

a server that creates a communication path table indicating a communication path for the packet data, based on connection information reported by said parent device and said relay device, and distributes the created communication path table to said parent device, said relay device and said child device,

wherein said parent device reports the connection information to said server,

said child device transmits the packet data to a relay device indicated in the communication path table, based on the communication path table distributed by said server, and said relay device reports the connection information to said server, and transfers the packet data transmitted from said child device, to a relay device or a parent device indicated in the communication path table, based on the communication path table distributed by said server,

wherein said server creates the communication path table so that a transmission timing, which is the timing when each of said child device and said relay device transmits the packet data, is included in the communication path table,

said child device transmits the packet data at a timing depending on the transmission timing indicated in the communication path table,

said relay device transmits the packet data at a timing depending on the transmission timing indicated in the communication path table, and

the transmission timing when said child device transmits the packet data is different from the transmission timing when said relay device transmits the packet data.

2. The multi-hop network system according to claim 1, wherein

if there are communication paths from said child device to said parent device, said server creates the communication path table indicating the communication paths.

3. The multi-hop network system according to claim 1, wherein

when there is a new connection of a relay device or a child device, other than a relay device and a child device that are connected to said relay device, said relay device reports the connection information indicating the connection, to said server, and

said server updates the communication path table based on the reported connection information, and distributes the updated communication path table to said parent device, said relay device and said child device.

4. The multi-hop network system according to claim 1, wherein

if reception quality information indicating reception quality of the packet data in said parent device or said relay device is transmitted from said parent device or said relay device, said server assigns a priority to the communication path, based on the reception quality indicated by the reception quality information, and creates the communication path table including priority information indicating the priority,

said child device transmits the packet data based on the priority indicated by the priority information indicated in the communication path table, and

said relay device transfers the packet data based on the priority indicated by the priority information indicated in the communication path table.

5. The multi-hop network system according to claim 1, wherein the packet data is transmitted from the child device to the parent device via the relay device at a first packet transmission timing;

and the packet data is transmitted from another child device to the parent device via the relay device at a second transmission timing which is different from the first transmission timing; and

the packet data is transmitted from the relay device to the parent device at a third transmission timing which is different from both of the first and second transmission timings; and

the packet data is transmitted from another relay device to the parent device at a fourth transmission timing which is different from each of the first, second and third transmission timings.

6. A server, comprising:

a path table creator that creates a communication path table indicating a communication path for packet data to be transmitted and received by communication devices included in a multi-hop network system that performs multi-hop communication, based on connection information reported by said communication devices; and

a path table distributor that distributes the communication path table created by said path table creator to said communication devices,

wherein said path table creator creates the communication path table so that a transmission timing, which is the timing when each of said communication devices transmits the packet data, is included in the communication path table,

each of said communication devices transmits the packet data at a respective timing depending on the corresponding transmission timing indicated in the communication path table, and

the respective timings when said communication devices transmit the packet data are different from each other.

7. The server according to claim 6, wherein the packet data is transmitted from a first communication device to a second communication device from among said communication devices at a first packet transmission timing;

and the packet data is transmitted from another communication device, from among said communication devices, to the second communication device at a second transmission timing which is different from the first transmission timing.

8. A path notification method of notifying a communication path through which packet data is transmitted from a child device connected to an end of a multi-hop network system, to a parent device connected to a highest level of said multi-hop network system, via a relay device, the method comprising the processes of:

reporting connection information on said parent device to a server connected to said parent device, by said parent device;

reporting connection information on said relay device to said server by said relay device;

creating a communication path table indicating the communication path for the packet data, by said server, based on the connection information reported by said parent device and said relay device;

distributing the created communication path table to said parent device, said relay device and said child device by said server;

transmitting the packet data to a relay device indicated in the communication path table, by said child device, based on the communication path table distributed by said server; and

transferring the packet data transmitted from said child device, to a relay device or a parent device indicated in the communication path table, by said relay device, based on the communication path table distributed by said server,

wherein the creating the communication path table comprises including a transmission timing when each of said child device and said relay device transmits the packet data into the communication path table,

the transmitting the packet data by said child device comprises transmitting the packet data at a timing depending on the transmission timing indicated in the communication path table,

the transferring the packet data by said relay device comprises transmitting the packet data at a timing depending on the transmission timing indicated in the communication path table, and

the transmission timing when said child device transmits the packet data is different from the transmission timing when said relay device transmits the packet data.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the packet data is transmitted from the child device to the parent device via the relay device at a first packet transmission timing;

and the packet data is transmitted from another child device to the parent device via the relay device at a second transmission timing which is different from the first transmission timing; and

the packet data is transmitted from the relay device to the parent device at a third transmission timing which is different from both of the first and second transmission timings; and

the packet data is transmitted from another relay device to the parent device at a fourth transmission timing which is different from each of the first, second and third transmission timings.

10. A multi-hop network system for performing multi-hop communication, the system comprising:

a parent device that is connected to a highest level of said multi-hop network system;

a child device that is connected to an end of said multi-hop network system;

a relay device that transfers packet data transmitted from said child device to said parent device; and

a server that creates a communication path table indicating a communication path for the packet data, based on connection information reported by said parent device and said relay device, and distributes the created communication path table to said parent device, said relay device and said child device,

wherein said parent device reports the connection information to said server,

said child device transmits the packet data to a relay device indicated in the communication path table, based on the communication path table distributed by said server, and said relay device reports the connection information to said server, and transfers the packet data transmitted from said child device, to a relay device or a parent device indicated in the communication path table, based on the communication path table distributed by said server,

wherein only when communication through all communication paths indicated in the communication path table is disabled, said relay device uses an autonomous routing function to continue the communication, and reports the connection information obtained by using the autonomous routing function, to said server, and

said server updates the communication path table based on the reported connection information, and distributes the updated communication path table to said parent device, said relay device and said child device.

11. A server, comprising:

a path table creator that creates a communication path table indicating a communication path for packet data to be transmitted and received by communication devices included in a multi-hop network system that performs multi-hop communication, based on connection information reported by said communication devices; and

a path table distributor that distributes the communication path table created by said path table creator to said communication devices,

wherein only when communication through all communication paths indicated in the communication path table is disabled, a relay device from among said communication devices uses an autonomous routing function to continue the communication, and reports the connection information obtained by using the autonomous routing function, to said server, and

said server updates the communication path table based on the reported connection information, and distributes the updated communication path table to said communication devices.

12. A path notification method of notifying a communication path through which packet data is transmitted from a child device connected to an end of a multi-hop network system, to a parent device connected to a highest level of said multi-hop network system, via a relay device, the method comprising the processes of:

reporting connection information on said parent device to a server connected to said parent device, by said parent device;

reporting connection information on said relay device to said server by said relay device;

creating a communication path table indicating the communication path for the packet data, by said server, based on the connection information reported by said parent device and said relay device;

distributing the created communication path table to said parent device, said relay device and said child device by said server;

transmitting the packet data to a relay device indicated in the communication path table, by said child device, based on the communication path table distributed by said server; and

transferring the packet data transmitted from said child device, to a relay device or a parent device indicated in the communication path table, by said relay device, based on the communication path table distributed by said server,

wherein only when communication through all communication paths indicated in the communication path table is disabled, said relay device uses an autonomous routing function to continue the communication, and reports the connection information obtained by using the autonomous routing function, to said server, and

said server updates the communication path table based on the reported connection information, and distributes the updated communication path table to said parent device, said relay device and said child device.