Dynamic frame selection when requesting tone map parameters in mesh networks

• US 8,879,613 B1
• Filed: 08/06/2013
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hui, Jonathan W., Hong, Wei, Vasseur, Jean-Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean B
• Application Number:
  US13/960,622
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 375/224, 375/340, 375/377, 370/241, 370/252, 370/310
• US Class Current: 375/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/365 Dynamic adaptation of the packet size
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/628 based on packet size, e.g. shortest packet first

Abstract

In a multiple interface, low power and lossy network comprising a plurality of nodes, a sender node dynamically selects a data packet for setting a transmission parameter request in response to determining that an age value for a set of transmission parameters associated with a recipient device has expired or is expiring. The sender node selects an desired data packet for sending a transmission parameter request and transmits the selected data packet to the recipient device. The sender node receives a transmission parameter response from the recipient node comprising updated transmission parameters for that recipient node and then updates the current transmission parameters associated with the recipient node accordingly.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

in a low power and lossy network (LLN) comprising one or more interfaces and a plurality of nodes, preparing, by a sender node, data for transmission to a recipient node via a communication medium;

determining, by the sender node, if an age value for a current set of transmission parameters associated with the recipient node has exceeded a threshold value;

in response to determining that the age value has exceeded the threshold value, selecting, by the sender node, a data packet in which to set a transmission parameter request;

setting, by the sender node, the transmission parameter request in the selected data packet;

communicating, by the sender node, the data packet comprising the transmission parameter request to the recipient node using a set of base transmission parameters;

receiving, by the sender node, a transmission parameter response from the recipient node, the response providing updated transmission parameters for the recipient node; and

updating, by the sender node, the transmission parameters associated with the recipient node based on the updated transmission parameters in the transmission parameter response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step comprises selecting a data packet in a data queue on the sender node that is below a data packet size threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step comprises selecting a data packet based at least in part on a size threshold function, wherein the size threshold function maps the age value of the current transmission parameters and data packet size thresholds.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the size threshold function maps the age of the current transmission parameters and a probability value, wherein the probability value is determined based at least in part on data packet size.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step comprises:

communicating, by the sender node, a request for a small data packet to a second software layer;

receiving, by the sender node, the small data packet from the second software layer for transmitting to the recipient node; and

selecting, by the sender node, the small data packet received from the second software layer for setting the transmission parameter request to the recipient node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step comprises:

transmitting, by the sender node, a request for a small data packet to a second software layer;

determining, by the sender node, that the small data packet is not available from the second software layer; and

in response to determining that the small data packet is not available, generating, by the sender node, a control data packet for setting the transmission parameter request.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of base transmission parameters comprises a lower data rate than the current transmission parameters.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication medium is a power line communication (PLC) medium.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the LLN is a smart utility network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the sender node, data packets to the recipient device that are not selected in the selecting step, wherein the non-selected data packets are transmitted using the current transmission parameters until the current transmission parameters are updated.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more network interfaces to communicate with a low power and lossy network (LLN);

a processor coupled to the network interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes; and

a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to;

prepare a data packet for transmission to a recipient node via a communication medium;

determine an age value for a set of current transmission parameters, the current transmission parameters stored on the sender node and associated with the recipient node;

determine if the age value has exceed a threshold value;

select, in response to determining that the age value has exceeded the threshold value, a data packet in which to set a transmission parameter request;

set the transmission parameter request in the selected data packet;

transmit the selected data packet comprising the transmission parameter request to the recipient node using a set of base transmission parameters, wherein the base transmission parameters comprise a lower data rate than the current transmission parameters;

receive a transmission parameter response from the recipient node, the transmission parameter response providing an updated set of transmission parameters for the recipient node; and

update the current transmission parameters associated with the recipient node based on the updated transmission parameters in the transmission parameter response.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein selecting a data packet comprises selecting a data packet from a data queue on the sender node that is below a data packet size threshold.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein selecting a data packet comprises selecting a data packet based at least in part on a size threshold function, wherein the size threshold function maps the age value of the current transmission parameter set and data packet size thresholds.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the size threshold function maps the age of the current transmission parameters and a probability value, wherein the probability value is determined based at least in part on data packet size.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein selecting a data packet comprises selecting a small data packet received from a second sender node in response to a request from the apparatus for the small data packet.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the process when executed is further operable to transmit data packets to the recipient node that are not selected to set the transmission parameter request, wherein the non-selected data packets are transmitted to the recipient node using the current transmission parameters until the current transmission parameters are updated.

17. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having software encoded thereon, the software when executed by a processor operable to:

in a low power and lossy network comprising one or more interfaces and a plurality of nodes, prepare a data packet for transmission to a recipient node via a communication medium;

determine an age value for a set of current transmission parameters, the current transmission parameter stored on the sender node and associated with the recipient node;

determine if the age value has exceeded a threshold value;

select, in response to determining that the age value has exceeded the threshold value, a data packet in which to set a transmission parameter request, the data packet marked for transmission to the recipient node;

set the transmission parameter request in the selected data packet;

transmit the data packet comprising the transmission parameter request to the recipient node using a set of base transmission parameters, wherein the base transmission parameters comprise a lower data rate than the current transmission parameters;

receive a transmission parameter response from the recipient node, the transmission parameter response providing an updated set of transmission parameters for the recipient node; and

update the current transmission parameters associated with the recipient node based on the updated set of transmission parameters received in the transmission parameter response.

18. The computer-readable medium as in claim 17, wherein selecting a data packet comprises selecting a data packet from a data queue that is below a data packet size threshold.

19. The computer-readable medium as in claim 17, wherein selecting a data packet comprises selecting a data packet based at least in part on a size threshold function, wherein the size threshold function maps the age value of the current transmission parameter set and either data packet size thresholds, or a probability value, wherein the probability value is determined based at least in part on a candidate data packet size.

20. The computer-readable medium as in claim 17, wherein the software when executed by a processor is further operable to:

transmit a request for a small data packet to a second sender node;

receive the small data packet from the second sender node; and

select the small data packet received from the second sender node for setting the transmission parameter request.