Method and system for coordinating access to a barrage relay network

• US 8,873,391 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2012
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trellisware Technologies, Inc. (ViaSat Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Trellisware Technologies, Inc. (ViaSat Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brown, Thomas A, Halford, Thomas R, Johnson, Mark L
• Primary Examiner(s): ROSE, KERRI M
• Application Number:
  US13/480,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20130315131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 370229-231
• US Class Current: 370/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/32 Flooding denial of service attacks H04L63/1458
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/28 in relation to timing considerations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

Methods for coordinating access to a barrage relay networks are disclosed. For example, one disclosed method includes: receiving, by a first node, a first message from a second node on a network; suppressing transmission of messages by the first node; receiving, by the first node, a second message corresponding to the first message or waiting a sufficient amount of time without receipt of the second message; reactivating transmission of the messages by the first node.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating access to a barrage relay network comprising:

receiving, at a first node, a first copy of a request message from a second node on the barrage relay network;

receiving, at the first node, a second copy of the request message from a third node on the barrage relay network;

combining, at the first node, the first copy and the second copy of the request message;

suppressing, at the first node, transmission of request messages by the first node;

receiving, at the first node, a confirmation message corresponding to the request message or waiting a period of time without receipt of the confirmation message; and

reactivating, at the first node, transmission of the request messages by the first node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the period of time is a number of timeslots on a request sub-channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein both the request message and the confirmation message are transmitted over a common control channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the barrage relay network comprises two channels.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the barrage relay network comprises a data channel.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the barrage relay network comprises a control channel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the control channel comprises one or more independent sub-channels.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the control channel comprises a request sub-channel and a confirmation sub-channel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the request message is received on the request sub-channel.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the confirmation message is received on the confirmation sub-channel.

11. A method for coordinating access to a barrage relay network comprising:

transmitting, from a first node, a request message comprising a first hop count field;

receiving, at a second node, the request message and determining a first distance in hops from the first node to the second node;

transmitting, from the second node, the request message comprising the first hop count field;

receiving, at a third node, the request message and determining a second distance in hops from the first node to the third node;

transmitting, from the third node, a confirmation message comprising a second hop count field and the second distance;

receiving, at the second node, the confirmation message and determining a third distance in hops from the third node to the second node;

receiving, at the first node, the confirmation message; and

thereafter

initiating a data transmission from the first node to the third node, wherein a state of the second node for relaying the data transmission is determined based on the first distance, the second distance, and the third distance.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, at the second node, if the first distance plus the third distance is greater than the second distance.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

scheduling, at the third node, the data transmission, wherein the data transmission schedule is defined in the confirmation message.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the barrage relay network comprises two channels.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the barrage relay network comprises a data channel.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the barrage relay network comprise a control channel.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the control channel comprises one or more independent sub-channels.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the control channel comprises a request sub-channel and a confirmation sub-channel.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the request message is transmitted on the request sub-channel.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the confirmation message is transmitted on the confirmation sub-channel.

21. A method for coordinating access to a barrage relay networking comprising:

transmitting, from a first node, a request message comprising a first hop count field;

receiving, at a second node, the request message and determining a first distance in hops from the first node to the second node;

transmitting, from the second node, the request message comprising the first hop count field;

receiving, at a third node, the request message and determining a second distance in hops from the first node to the third node;

transmitting, from the third node, an exploration message comprising a second hop count field, the second distance, and a schedule for a data transmission;

receiving, at the second node, the exploration message and determining a third distance in hops from the third node to the second node; and

transmitting, from the second node, the exploration message based on the first distance, the second distance, and the third distance, wherein;

if the exploration message is received at the first node, initiating the data transmission from the first node to the third node, and

if the exploration message is not received at the first node, retransmitting, from the first node, the request message comprising the first hop count field.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the barrage relay network comprises a data channel and a control channel.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the control channel comprises a request sub-channel and a confirmation sub-channel.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the request message is transmitted on the request sub-channel.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

transmitting, from the first node, a confirmation message;

transmitting, from the second node, the confirmation message, if the first distance plus the third distance is less than or equals the second distance plus one hop; and

receiving, at the third node, the confirmation message.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the confirmation message is transmitted on a confirmation sub-channel.