Method and a device for optimizing data transfer in a wireless communication network

• US 8,995,438 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2011
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teknologian tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy
• Original Assignee: Teknologian tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy
• Inventors: Latvakoski, Juhani
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUDA, ADAM K
• Application Number:
  US13/522,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20120287820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/389, 370/395.31, 370/395.32, 370/254, 370/310, 709/239, 709/242, 709/243, 709/238, 455/455, 455/422.1, 455/403
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/08 based on transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for optimizing data transfer in a wireless communication network is presented. A routing protocol is run for enabling data transmission devices (101-06) to form the wireless communication network. If routing information indicates that a route from a first data transmission device (101) to a second data transmission device (104) goes via at least one third data transmission (102, 103) device, it is checked whether a direct radio link (110) from the first data transmission device to the second data transmission device could be possible. If the direct radio link is possible, a message receivable by the at least one third data transmission device is sent. The message informs the third data transmission device that data transfer from the first data transmission device to the second data transmission device is direct radio communication and no forwarding actions are needed from the third data transmission device.

Claims

1. A data transmission device (600) comprising:

a data interface (601) arranged to transmit and receive data, and

a controller (602) connected to the data interface and arranged to run a routing protocol so as to enable the data transmission device to operate as a node of a wireless communication network,

wherein the controller is further arranged to;

check, as a response to a situation in which routing information created or updated with the routing protocol indicates that data transfer from the data transmission device to a first other data transmission device is to be routed via at least one second other data transmission device, whether a direct radio link from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device is possible, and

control, as a response to a situation in which the direct radio link is possible, the data transmission device to send a message which is addressed to the at least one second other data transmission device and which informs the at least one second other data transmission device that the data transfer from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device is arranged to take place as direct radio communication from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device.

2. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to control the data transmission device to transmit, prior to checking whether the direct radio link is possible, to the first other data transmission device first configuration data usable for the direct radio communication, and to use second configuration data received from the first other data transmission device for the direct radio communication, the first and second configuration data being routed via the at least one second other data transmission device.

3. The data transmission device according claim 2, wherein the controller is arranged to support encryption of data transferred through the one or more connection oriented data transfer paths.

4. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to use the direct radio link as a part of one or more connection oriented data transfer paths configured with the routing protocol into the wireless communication network.

5. The data transmission device according to claim 4, wherein the controller is arranged to support encryption of data transferred through the direct radio link.

6. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to use the direct radio link as a single hop in connectionless communication.

7. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to address the message to the at least one second other data transmission device.

8. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to send the message as a part of data transferred through the direct radio link to the first other data transmission device, the at least one second other data transmission device being able to receive the data transferred through the direct radio link.

9. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to run a neighbour discovery process of the routing protocol at predetermined time instants so as to update the routing information.

10. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to run a neighbour discovery process of the routing protocol as a response to a need to transfer data from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device so as to create or update the routing information.

11. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to run a neighbour discovery process of the routing protocol as a response to an indication of a change in the wireless communication network so as to create or update the routing information.

12. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to form an estimate of a distance from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device based on location coordinates of the data transmission device and the first other data transmission device, and to deem the direct radio link to be possible when the distance is below a pre-determined limit value.

13. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to send a test message and to deem the direct radio link to be possible as a response to a situation in which a reply message to the test message is received from the first other data transmission device.

14. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to support at least one of the following routing protocols:

Topology Dissemination Based on Reverse-Path Forwarding (TBRPF), Ad-hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV), Routing Over Low power and Lossy networks (ROLL).

15. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the data transmission device comprises a radio transceiver (603) connected to the data interface.

16. The data transmission device according to claim 15, wherein the radio transceiver is arranged to support at least one of the following:

Bluetooth®

radio protocol, a WLAN-radio protocol (Wireless Local Area Network).

17. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the data interface is capable of being connected to an external radio transceiver.

18. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to control a radio transmitter to use higher radio transmission power for the direct radio communication from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device than for communication from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device taking place via the at least one second other data transmission device.

19. A method for optimizing data transfer in a wireless communication network, the method comprising carrying out the following actions in a data transmission device of the wireless communication network:

running (601), by the data transmission device, a routing protocol so as to enable a data transmission device to operate as a node of the wireless communication network,

checking (603), by the data transmission device and as a response to a situation (602) in which routing information created or updated with the routing protocol indicates that data transfer from the data transmission device to a first other data transmission device is to be routed via at least one second other data transmission device, whether a direct radio link from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device is possible,

sending (605), by the data transmission device and as a response to a situation (604) in which the direct radio link is possible, a message which is addressed to the at least one second other data transmission device and which informs the at least one second other data transmission device that the data transfer from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device is arranged to take place as direct radio communication from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device, and

using (606), by the data transmission device and as a response to the situation in which the direct radio link is possible, the direct radio link for the data transfer from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the method further comprises transmitting, prior to checking whether the direct radio link is possible, from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device first configuration data usable for the direct radio communication, and using at the data transmission device second configuration data received from the first other data transmission device for the direct radio communication, the first and second configuration data being routed via the at least one second other data transmission device.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the direct radio link is used as a part of one or more connection oriented data transfer paths configured with the routing protocol into the wireless communication network.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the method comprises encryption of data transferred through the one or more connection oriented data transfer paths.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the direct radio link is used as a single hop in connectionless communication.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the method comprises encryption of data transferred through the direct radio link.

25. The method according to claim 19, wherein the message is addressed to the at least one second other data transmission device.

26. The method according to claim 19, wherein the message is a part of data transferred through the direct radio link to the first other data transmission device, the at least one second other data transmission device being able to receive the data transferred through the direct radio link.

27. The method according to claim 19, wherein a neighbour discovery process of the routing protocol is run at predetermined time instants so as to update the routing information.

28. The method according to claim 19, wherein a neighbour discovery process of the routing protocol is run as a response to a need to transfer data from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device so as to create or update the routing information.

29. The method according to claim 19, wherein a neighbour discovery process of the routing protocol is run as a response to an indication of a change in the wireless communication network so as to create or update the routing information.

30. The method according to claim 19, wherein an estimate of a distance from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device is formed based on location co-ordinates of the data transmission device and the first other data transmission device, and the direct radio link is deemed to be possible when the distance is below a pre-determined limit value.

31. The method according to claim 19, wherein a test message is sent and the direct radio link is deemed to be possible as a response to a situation in which a reply message to the test message is received from the first other data transmission device.

32. The method according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the following is used as the routing protocol:

Topology Dissemination Based on Reverse-Path Forwarding (TBRPF), Ad-hoc ON-Demand Distance Vector (AODV), Routing Over Low power and Lossy networks (ROLL).

33. The method according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the following is used for the direct radio communication from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device:

Bluetooth®

radio protocol, a WLAN-radio protocol (Wireless Local Area Network).

34. The method according to claim 19, wherein higher radio transmission power is used for the direct radio communication from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device than for communication from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device taking place via the at least one second other data transmission device.

35. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for optimizing data transfer in a wireless communication network, characterized in that the computer program comprises computer executable instructions for controlling a programmable processor of a data transmission device to:

check, as a response to a situation in which routing information created or updated with a routing protocol indicates that data transfer from the data transmission device to a first other data transmission device is to be routed via at least one second other data transmission device, whether a direct radio link from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device is possible, and

control, as a response to a situation in which the direct radio link is possible, the data transmission device to send a message which is addressed to the at least one second other data transmission device and which informs the at least one second other data transmission device that the data transfer from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device is arranged to take place as direct radio communication from the data transmission device to the first other data transmission device.

36. A wireless communication network (100) comprising:

two or more first data transmission devices (101, 104) for wireless communication, and

one or more second data transmission device (102, 103) for wireless communication,

wherein each of the first data transmission devices and each of the second data transmission devices is arranged to run a routing protocol so as to enable the first data transmission devices and the one or more second data transmission devices to operate as nodes of the wireless communication network,

wherein at least one of the first data transmission devices (101) is further arranged to;

check, as a response to a situation in which routing information (131) created or updated with the routing protocol indicates that data transfer from this first data transmission device (101) to another of the first data transmission devices (104) is to be routed via at least one of the second data transmission devices (102, 103), whether a direct radio link (110) from this first data transmission device to the other first data transmission device is possible,

send, as a response to a situation in which the direct radio link is possible, a message which is addressed to the at least one of the second data transmission devices and which informs the at least one second other data transmission device that the data transfer from this first data transmission device to the other first data transmission device is arranged to take place as direct radio communication from this first data transmission device to the other first data transmission device, and

control, as a response to the situation in which the direct radio link is possible, this first data transmission device to use the direct radio link for the data transfer from this first data transmission device to the other first data transmission device.

37. The wireless communication network according to claim 36, wherein the at least one of the first data transmission devices (101) is arranged to transmit, prior to checking whether the direct radio link is possible, to the other first data transmission device (104) first configuration data usable for the direct radio communication, and to use second configuration data received from the other first data transmission device for the direct radio communication, the first and second configuration data being routed via the at least one second other data transmission device.

38. The wireless communication network according to claim 36, wherein the at least one of the first data transmission devices (101) is arranged to use higher radio transmission power for the direct radio communication from this first data transmission device (101) to the other first data transmission device (104) than for communication from this first data transmission device to the other first data transmission device taking place via the at least one second other data transmission device (102, 103).