System and method for delivering data in an intermittent communication environment

• US 9,014,088 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yamada, Hiroshi, Inoue, Yasuo, Kamada, Masayoshi, Matsumoto, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCALLUM, LATRESA A
• Application Number:
  US13/432,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20120307725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/026 Route selection considering the moving speed of individual devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery

Abstract

Mobile nodes are allowed to move around within an intermittent communication environment. A mobile node wirelessly communicates with an access node when approaching the access node, and stores data. The access node stores an action history for each mobile node, and generates a forwarder list in association with a destination node, based on action histories of the mobile nodes. The forwarder list stores one or more identifies each identifying a first mobile node in the order of an arrival probability indicating a probability that the first mobile node succeeds in delivering the data to the destination node. The access node selects second mobile nodes that are to carry the data to the destination node, based on the forwarder list, and transfers the data to one of the second mobile nodes when a communication link is established between the access node and the one of the second mobile nodes.

Claims

1. A system to deliver data in an intermittent communication environment, the system comprising:

a plurality of mobile nodes each allowed to move around within the intermittent communication environment; and

a plurality of access nodes each connected to one of a plurality of networks; and

an integrated information management database included in one of the plurality of networks, wherein

each of the plurality of access nodes is configured to;

wirelessly communicate with one of the plurality of access nodes and the plurality of mobile nodes upon approach to any node, and

store communication data to be delivered to a destination node included in one of the plurality of networks;

each of the plurality of access nodes is configured to;

store an action history in association with each of the plurality of mobile nodes, the action history including evaluation information on past transfer of communication data between a mobile node and the plurality of access nodes,

generate a forwarder list in association with the destination node, based on action histories of the plurality of mobile nodes, the forwarder list storing one or more forwarder identifiers each identifying a first mobile node, the forward identifiers arranged in an order of an arrival probability indicating a probability that the first mobile node succeeds in delivering the communication data to the destination node, select one or more second mobile nodes that are to carry the communication data to the destination node, based on the forwarder list,

transfer the communication data to one of the one or more second mobile nodes when a communication link is established between each access node and the one of the one or more second mobile nodes so that the communication data is delivered to the destination node via the one of the one or more second mobile nodes,

the action histories of the plurality of mobile nodes are managed by the integrated information management database; and

the action histories managed by the integrated information management database are synchronized, via the plurality of mobile nodes, with the action histories stored in the plurality of access nodes.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein

the action history of each mobile node includes an accessed network identifier identifying one of the plurality of networks that is connected to an access node with which each mobile node communicated, a forwarder identifier identifying each mobile node, and the number of accesses made to the access node connected to the one of the plurality of networks.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein

the action history of each mobile node is recorded in the access node when each mobile node communicates with the access node connected to the one of the plurality of networks.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein

the integrated information management database stores, as a portion of the action history, network configuration information for each of the plurality of networks.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of networks includes the Internet and a sensor network to which one or more sensors are connected.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein

the arrival probability of the first mobile node is determined to be a ratio of the number of times the first mobile node succeeded in delivering the communication data to the destination access node during a given time period, to the number of times the first mobile node received the communication data during the given time period.

7. A method to deliver data in an intermittent communication environment including a plurality of access nodes each connected to one of a plurality of networks and a plurality of mobile nodes each allowed to move around within the intermittent communication environment, the method being performed by each access node, the method comprising:

wirelessly communicating with any one of the plurality of mobile nodes upon approaching any one of the plurality of mobile nodes;

storing an action history in association with each of the plurality of mobile nodes, the action history including evaluation information on past transfer of communication data between a mobile node and the plurality of access nodes;

generating a forwarder list in association with a destination node to which communication data is to be delivered, based on action histories of the plurality of mobile nodes, the forwarder list storing one or more forwarder identifiers each identifying a first mobile node, in an order of an arrival probability indicating a probability that the first mobile node succeeds in delivering the communication data to the destination node;

selecting one or more second mobile nodes that are to carry the communication data to the destination node, based on the generated forwarder list; and

transferring the communication data to one of the one or more second mobile nodes when a communication link is established between each access node and the one of the one or more second mobile nodes so that the communication data is delivered to the destination node via the one of the one or more second mobile nodes, wherein

the action histories of the plurality of mobile nodes are managed by an integrated information management database included in one of the plurality of networks; and

the action histories managed by the integrated information management database are synchronized, via the plurality of mobile nodes, with the action histories stored in the plurality of access nodes.

8. A computer-readable, non-transitory medium storing instructions for allowing a computer system to execute a procedure to deliver data in an intermittent communication environment including a plurality of mobile nodes each allowed to move around within the intermittent communication environment and a plurality of access nodes each connected to one of a plurality of networks, the procedure comprising:

wirelessly communicating with any one of the plurality of mobile nodes upon approaching any one of the plurality of mobile nodes;

storing an action history in association with each of the plurality of mobile nodes, the action history including evaluation information on past transfer of communication data between a mobile node and the plurality of access nodes;

generating a forwarder list in association with a destination node to which communication data is to be delivered, based on action histories of the plurality of mobile nodes, the forwarder list storing one or more forwarder identifiers each identifying a first mobile node, in an order of an arrival probability indicating a probability that the first mobile node succeeds in delivering the communication data to the destination node;

selecting one or more second mobile nodes that are to carry the communication data to the destination node, based on the generated forwarder list; and

transferring the communication data to one of the one or more second mobile nodes when a communication link is established between each access node and the one of the one or more second mobile nodes so that the communication data is delivered to the destination node via the one of the one or more second mobile nodes, and

wherein the action histories of the plurality of mobile nodes are managed by an integrated information management database included in one of the plurality of networks; and

the action histories managed by the integrated information management database are synchronized, via the plurality of mobile nodes, with the action histories stored in the plurality of access nodes.