Method for managing the transfer of information packets across a wireless and routing nodes implementing it

• US 8,982,857 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2007
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pirelli & C SPA, Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Pirelli & C SPA, Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Borean, Claudio, Giannantonio, Roberta, Coleri Ergen, Sinem
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, STEVEN H D
• Application Number:
  US12/451,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20100202335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,841 Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless network includes permanently powered routing nodes and intermittently operating routing nodes. A polling procedure is used for transferring routing and data information packets from a permanently powered routing node to an intermittently operating routing node. In particular, when the permanently powered routing node has to transmit an information packet to the intermittently operating routing node, it stores the information packet in a memory; it waits until the intermittently operating routing node is able to receive information packets; and then it transmits the information packet to the intermittently operating routing node, and when the intermittently operating routing node has to transmit an information packet to the permanently powered routing node, it transmits immediately the information packet to the permanently powered routing node.

Claims

1. A method for managing the transfer of information packets across a wireless network comprising a first plurality of permanently powered routing nodes forming a first permanently powered sub-network, a second plurality of permanently powered routing nodes forming a second permanently powered sub-network, and a plurality of intermittently operating routing nodes forming an intermittently operating sub-network, comprising:

associating the first permanently powered sub-network directly with the second permanently powered sub-network;

if the first permanently powered sub-network loses connection with the second permanently powered sub-network, associating the intermittently operating sub-network with each of the first permanently powered sub-network and the second permanently powered sub-network;

transferring information packets, comprising routing information packets and data information packets, from at least one of the first plurality of permanently powered routing nodes to at least a first intermittently operating routing node of said plurality of intermittently operating routing nodes, using a polling procedure; and

transferring information packets, comprising routing information packets and data information packets, from at least one of the second plurality of permanently powered routing nodes to at least a second intermittently operating routing node of said plurality of intermittently operating routing nodes, using a polling procedure,

wherein the polling procedure comprises transmitting a request of data from one intermittently operating routing node to one permanently powered operating routing node, receiving a reply from the permanently powered operating routing node, checking the reply, and if the permanently powered routing node has an information packet pending for the intermittently operating routing node, carrying out a waiting loop which ends either when the permanently powered routing node starts transmission of the information packet or when a predetermined time period expires.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein transferring information packets comprises attempting to immediately transmit said information packet.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of the first plurality of permanently powered routing nodes transmits information packets to only one of said plurality of intermittently operating routing nodes.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first intermittently operating routing node receives information packets from only one of the first plurality of permanently powered routing nodes of said wireless network.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein transferring information packets comprises said first intermittently operating routing node receiving information packets from other intermittently operating routing nodes of said wireless network, or transmitting information packets to other intermittently operating routing nodes of said plurality of intermittently operating routing nodes, through a duty-cycling communication protocol.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first intermittently operating routing node is associated with only one permanently powered routing node of said wireless network, and wherein, if said first intermittently operating routing node loses radio connection with said only one permanently powered node, said intermittently operating routing node associates with another available permanently powered routing node of said wireless network.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, if said first intermittently operating routing node associates with another permanently powered routing node of said wireless network, routing information within at least a subset of the routing nodes of said wireless network are consequently updated.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said wireless network is a ZigBee network.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the intermittent operation of the intermittently operating routing nodes of said wireless network is related to a transceiver thereof.

10. A network of routing nodes comprising a first plurality and second plurality of always-on routing nodes for a wireless network, the first and second pluralities of always-on routing nodes forming first and second always-on sub-networks, respectively, the first and second sub-networks connected to each other, each always-on routing node comprising a radio transceiver having a permanent power supply and configured to communicate with a plurality of intermittently operating routing nodes, each comprising a radio transceiver having an intermittent operation,

wherein, in the case of a lost connection between the first and second always-on sub-networks, at least one of the first plurality of always-on routing nodes communicates with at least one of the plurality of intermittently operating nodes, and wherein the always-on routing node comprises:

a memory configured to store at least an information packet to be sent to the at least one intermittently operating routing node, said information packet comprising routing information packets and data information packets; and

a module configured to receive a request of data from at least one intermittently operating node, reply to the intermittently operating node, and carry out a waiting loop that ends either when the transmission of the information packet begins or when a predetermined time period expires.

11. The network of routing nodes of claim 10, wherein said module is configured to determine and store the type of operation of a transceiver of another routing node when said other routing node associates with said transceiver of another routing node, said type of operation of the transceiver being permanent or intermittent.

12. A wireless network of routing nodes comprising a first plurality of permanently powered routing nodes forming a first permanently powered sub-network, a second plurality of permanently powered routing nodes forming a second permanently powered sub-network, and a plurality of intermittently operating routing nodes forming an intermittently operating sub-network, wherein the first permanently powered sub-network is wirelessly connected to the second permanently powered sub-network, and wherein each of said plurality of intermittently operating routing nodes comprises a polling module implementing a polling procedure for receiving, from one of said permanently powered routing nodes, information packets directed to any of said plurality of intermittently operating routing nodes, said information packets comprising routing information packets and data information packets,

wherein each intermittently operating routing node is configured to receive a notification notifying of a loss of connection between the first and second permanently powered sub-networks, and

wherein, upon receiving said notification, at least one intermittently operating routing node is configured to search for and connect to a permanently powered routing node using a polling procedure,

wherein the polling procedure comprises transmitting a request of data from one intermittently operating routing node to one permanently powered operating routing node, receiving a reply from the permanently powered operating routing node, checking the reply, and if the permanently powered routing node has an information packet pending for the intermittently operating routing note, carrying out a waiting loop which ends either when the permanently powered routing note starts transmission of the information packet or when a predetermined time period expires.

13. The network according to claim 12, comprising a duty-cycling module configured to implement a duty-cycling communication protocol for communicating with other intermittently operating nodes of said wireless network.

14. The network according to claim 12, configured to associate, in the case of a loss of connection between the first and second permanently powered sub-networks, at least one permanently powered routing node with only one intermittently operating routing node.

15. The network according to claim 12, comprising a module configured to monitor a radio connection between the first and second permanently powered sub-networks to determine whether said radio connection is lost.

16. The network according to claim 15, wherein, when said radio connection is lost, said module sends said notification message.