Method for enabling multi-channel signaling in a communication network

• US 8,804,643 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2010
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Europe Ltd (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Wenhui, Festag, Andreas, Baldessari, Roberto, Le, Long
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang, Suk Jin
• Application Number:
  US13/393,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20120188964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for enabling multi-channel signaling in a communication network, including a multitude of communication nodes, wherein the communication among the communication nodes is performed by sending and receiving messages on communication channels including a control channel and at least one service channel, is characterized in that communication nodes embed information related to communication channel usage in messages sent on one of the communication channels, in particular the control channel, wherein the information indicates to others of the communication nodes a communication channel, in particular a service channel, intended to be employed for a specific service and/or application by the communication node having sent the respective message, and wherein communication nodes that receive a message including information related to communication channel usage forward the information by embedding the information in any of their own messages to be sent on a communication channel, in particular on the control channel.

Claims

1. A method for enabling multi-channel signaling in a communication network, the communication network being a vehicular ad hoc network, the method comprising:

communicating among a plurality of communication nodes of a communication network by sending and receiving messages on communication channels including a control channel and at least one service channel, each of the communication nodes embedding information related to communication channel usage in at least one of the messages that are sent on one of the control channel and the service channel, the information indicating to others of the communication nodes one particular service channel that is intended to be employed for a specific service and/or application by the communication node having sent the respective message, the information including information on the service channel and one or more of the specific service and the application, the specific service and the application being specified to be used with the particular service channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein communication nodes that receive a message including information related to communication channel usage forward the information by embedding the information in any of messages of the receiving communication nodes to be sent on the control channel.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information related to communication channel usage is embedded in the messages by setting or coding the information in an extra data field that is readable by communication nodes receiving the message.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication nodes embed the information related to communication channel usage in the messages only when a load of the control channel is below a predefined threshold.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication nodes repeat the sending of information related to communication channel usage at predefined and/or regular intervals.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the messages that include information related to communication channel usage are periodic or event-driven messages that are sent by the communication nodes on the control channel, and/or

wherein the messages that include information related to communication channel usage are sent at a network layer.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication nodes that receive different information related to communication channel usage from other communications nodes are configured to forward none, a part or all of the different information.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the forwarding of information related to communication channel usage functions as acknowledgement for involved communication nodes to be aware of potential peers for communication.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication nodes that receive one of the messages including information related to communication channel usage forward the information only when predetermined conditions are met, and

wherein the predetermined conditions consider one or more of channel load, the number of communication nodes that have already sent the information and a relative location of the communication node.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the forwarding of information related to communication channel usage is limited by a time-out value and/or by a number of hops,

wherein the time-out value or the number of hops are defined by a default setting or specified in the messages.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information related to communication channel usage includes information on a lifetime of the information, and/or applications that employ the indicated communication channels, and/or a priority and/or a category of the applications, and/or quality of service requirements on the communication, and/or a transport and/or network protocol, and/or an access technology.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information related to communication channel usage includes timing information that specifies at which point of time receiving communication nodes are supposed to switch to a predetermined communication channel, the predetermined communication channel being one of the at least one service channel.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication nodes that receive a message including information related to communication channel usage adapt the information according to purposes of channel usage of the communication nodes by adding another application to the communication channel indication and/or by extending a number of hops or a lifetime of the information.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the messages including information related to communication channel usage further include a data field to identify whether the information results from one or more of an initial embedding process and a forwarding process.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein a timer is set at the communication nodes to prescribe a maximum waiting time for sending a message that includes information related to communication channel usage, and

wherein when no message in which said information could be embedded is scheduled before the maximum waiting time is expired, the communication nodes send an independent message only to indicate the information.

16. The method according to claim 2, wherein the information related to communication channel usage is embedded in the message by setting or coding information in an extra data field that is readable by communication nodes receiving the message.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one of the messages is sent on the control channel.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one of the messages is sent on the service channel.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information related to the communication channel usage is embedded in one or more of existing messages and messages that already have to be transmitted.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein communication nodes that receive a message including the information check locally whether the receiving communication nodes are interested in switching to the announced service channel and decide whether the receiving communication nodes will additionally use the announced service channel.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein an optimal communication channel is dynamically selected in order to balance a load between different channels or to avoid interference.