Density-based power outage notification transmission scheduling in frequency-hopping networks

• US 8,908,536 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• 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): Duong, Frank
• Application Number:
  US13/631,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20140092752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 370/216, 370/241, 370242-246, 370/252, 370/312, 370/328, 370/338, 370/390, 375132-136, 340/870.11, 455/13.1, 709223-227, 709238-244, 714748-750
• US Class Current: 370/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

In one embodiment, a node may discover the density of neighboring nodes in a frequency-hopping communication network. In response to identifying a power outage condition, the node may also dynamically determine an initial power outage notification (PON) transmission protocol based on the density of neighboring nodes. The node may then communicate a first PON to a plurality of neighboring nodes according to the initial PON transmission protocol.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

discovering, by a device, a density of neighboring nodes in a frequency-hopping communication network;

identifying, by the device, a power outage condition;

dynamically determining by the device and based on the density of neighboring nodes, an initial power outage notification (PON) transmission protocol by selecting whether to send a particular PON within a broadcast time slot of a frequency-hopping schedule or within a unicast time slot of the frequency-hopping schedule; and

communicating, by the device, a first PON to a plurality of neighboring nodes according to the initial PON transmission protocol.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the initial PON transmission protocol comprises transmitting the first PON outside of a broadcast slot when the density of neighboring nodes is greater than a particular threshold, or transmitting the first PON inside of a broadcast slot when the density of neighboring nodes is less than a particular threshold.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the frequency-hopping schedule comprises a number of channels.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein the initial PON transmission protocol comprises transmitting the first PON outside of a broadcast slot when the number of channels is less than a particular threshold, or transmitting the first PON inside of a broadcast slot when the number of channels is greater than a particular threshold.

5. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically determining, based on whether an acknowledgement of the first PON is received, an adjusted PON transmission protocol.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein the adjusted PON transmission protocol differs from the initial PON transmission protocol if no acknowledgement is received.

7. The method as in claim 6, further comprising:

communicating one or more subsequent PONS to the plurality of neighboring nodes according to the adjusted PON transmission protocol.

8. The method as in claim 5, wherein the adjusted PON transmission protocol comprises transmitting no subsequent PON if acknowledgement is received.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a transceiver configured to communicate with a frequency-hopping communication network that operates according to a common broadcast slot for the network that simultaneously overlays a configured portion of all independently determined unicast listening slots in the network; and

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

discover a density of neighboring nodes in a channel-hopping communication network;

identify a power outage condition;

dynamically determine, based on the density of neighboring nodes, an initial power outage notification (PON) transmission protocol by selecting whether to send a particular PON within a broadcast time slot of a frequency-hopping schedule or within a unicast time slot of the frequency-hopping schedule; and

communicate a first PON to a plurality of neighboring nodes according to the initial PON transmission protocol.

10. The apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

communicate the first PON outside of a broadcast slot when the density of neighboring nodes is greater than a particular threshold, or communicate the first PON inside of a broadcast slot when the density of neighboring nodes is less than a particular threshold.

11. The apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the frequency-hopping schedule comprises a number of channels.

12. The apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

communicate the first PON outside of a broadcast slot when the number of channels is less than a particular threshold, or communicate the first PON inside of a broadcast slot when the number of channels is greater than a particular threshold.

13. The apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

dynamically determine, based on whether an acknowledgement of the first PON is received, an adjusted PON transmission protocol.

14. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the adjusted PON transmission protocol differs from the initial PON transmission protocol if no acknowledgement is received.

15. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

communicate one or more subsequent PONS to the plurality of neighboring nodes according to the adjusted PON transmission protocol.

16. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having software encoded thereon, the software, when executed by a processor on a device in a frequency-hopping communication network that operates according to a common broadcast slot for the network that simultaneously overlays a configured portion of all independently determined unicast listening slots in the network, operable to:

discover a density of neighboring nodes in a frequency-hopping communication network;

identify a power outage condition;

dynamically determine, based on the density of neighboring nodes, an initial power outage notification (PON) transmission protocol by selecting whether to send a particular PON within a broadcast time slot of a frequency-hopping schedule or within a unicast time slot of the frequency-hopping schedule; and

communicate a first PON to a plurality of neighboring nodes according to the initial PON transmission protocol.

17. The computer-readable medium as in claim 16, wherein the software when executed is further operable to:

communicate the first PON outside of a broadcast slot when the density of neighboring nodes is greater than a particular threshold, or communicate the first PON inside of a broadcast slot when the density of neighboring nodes is less than a particular threshold.

18. A method, comprising:

identifying, by a device, a power outage condition;

dynamically determining by the device and based on a probability of contacting one or more neighboring nodes when transmitting outside of a broadcast time slot, an initial power outage notification (PON) transmission protocol by selecting whether to send a particular PON within a broadcast time slot of a frequency-hopping schedule or within a unicast time slot of the frequency-hopping schedule; and

communicating, by the device, a first PON to a plurality of neighboring nodes according to the initial PON transmission protocol.

19. The method as in claim 18, wherein the initial PON transmission protocol comprises transmitting the first PON outside of a broadcast slot, or transmitting the first PON inside of a broadcast slot.

20. The method as in claim 18, wherein the probability is calculated according to the following formula:

P=1−

(1−

1/C)N,

wherein, P is probability, C is a number of channels in the frequency-hopping network, and N is a number of neighbors in the frequency-hopping network.