Method and apparatus for end node assisted neighbor discovery

• US 9,078,084 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Laroia, Rajiv, Anigstein, Pablo, Mazik, David R., Parizhsky, Vladimir, Park, Vincent, Srinivasan, Murari, Tsirtsis, George
• Primary Examiner(s): CASCA, FRED A
• Application Number:
  US11/316,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20070147283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,484 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/351, 370/395.3, 370/315, 370/331, 370/329, 370/230.1, 370/400, 370/241, 370/230, 370/310.2, 455/7, 455/437, 455/509, 455/561, 455/404.2, 455/422.1, 455/438, 455/445, 455/446, 455/450, 455/452.1, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/440, 455/452.2, 455/456.5, 455/507, 455/517
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for using end nodes, e.g., wireless terminals, to discover base stations and communicate information about discovered access nodes, e.g., base stations, to other access nodes in a system are described. As the wireless terminal roams in the system and new access nodes are encountered, one or more physically adjacent access nodes will be informed of the presence of the new access node as a result of communications with the wireless terminal. A message indicating an access node'"'"'s inability to route a message to another access node which is known to a wireless terminal may trigger the wireless terminal to begin the process of updating access node routing and neighbor information.

Claims

1. A method of operating an end node, the method comprising:

transmitting, by the end node, a first message to a first access node over a first wireless communications link, wherein the first message comprises a destination identifier that identifies a second access node as a destination of the first message, wherein the second access node is configured to establishing a direct communications link with the end node without use of an intermediary node;

receiving a signal from said first access node indicating that routing information is unavailable to said first access node for routing said first message using the destination identifier included in said first message;

establishing a second wireless communications link with said second access node in response to receiving the signal from the first access node;

and

transmitting, after the second wireless communication link is established, a neighbor notification to the second access node corresponding to said destination identifier, said neighbor notification including identification information corresponding to said first access node, wherein transmitting said neighbor notification message includes transmitting said neighbor notification message through said first access node to said second; and

wherein said neighbor notification message includes at least one of i) a link layer attachment point identifier corresponding to said second access node and ii) a network layer IP address corresponding to the second access node.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after transmitting said neighbor notification message, transmitting a second message to said first access node, the second message including said destination identifier that identifies the second access node as a destination of the second message, wherein the second message is transmitted to the first access node after the second access node has provided the first access node with the routing information that enables the first access node to route the second message to the second access node.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a response to said second message from said second access node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said destination identifier is a physical attachment point identifier that identifies a physical attachment point at said second access node.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said identification information corresponding to the first access node includes at least one of:

i) a physical attachment point identifier corresponding to the first access node,

ii) a link layer attachment point identifier corresponding to the first access node; and

iii) a network layer IP address corresponding to the first access node.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said physical attachment point is a wireless link attachment point.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said physical attachment point identifier includes at least two of:

a cell identifier,

a carrier identifier; and

a sector identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said destination identifier is a link layer identifier that identifies a link layer attachment point at said second access node.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said identification information corresponding to the first access node includes at least one of:

i) a physical attachment point identifier corresponding to the first access node,

ii) a link layer attachment point identifier corresponding to the first access node; and

iii) a network layer IP address corresponding to the first access node.

10. A wireless terminal, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

transmit a first message to a first access node over a wireless communications link, wherein the first message comprises a destination identifier that identifies a second access node as a destination of the first message, wherein the second access node is configured to establishing a direct communications link with the wireless terminal without use of an intermediary node;

receive a signal from the first access node indicating that routing information is unavailable to the first access node for routing the first message using the destination identifier included in the first message;

establish a second wireless communications link with said second access node in response to receiving the signal from the first access node; and

transmit, after the second wireless communication link is established, a neighbor notification message to the second access node corresponding to the destination identifier in response to receiving the signal from the first access node, wherein the neighbor notification message includes identification information corresponding to the first access node, wherein transmitting said neighbor notification message includes transmitting said neighbor notification message through said first access node to said second; and

wherein said neighbor notification message includes at least one of i) a link layer attachment point identifier corresponding to said second access node and ii) a network layer IP address corresponding to the second access node.

11. The wireless terminal of claim 10, wherein said destination identifier is a physical attachment point identifier that identifies a physical attachment point at said second access node.

12. The wireless terminal of claim 11, wherein said identification information corresponding to the first access node includes at least one of:

i) a physical attachment point identifier corresponding to the first access node,

ii) a link layer attachment point identifier corresponding to the first access node; and

iii) a network layer IP address corresponding to the first access node.

13. The wireless terminal of claim 11, wherein said physical attachment point is a wireless link attachment point.

14. The wireless terminal of claim 13, wherein said physical attachment point identifier includes at least two of:

a cell identifier,

a carrier identifier; and

a sector identifier.

15. The wireless terminal of claim 10, wherein said destination identifier is a link layer identifier that identifies a link layer attachment point at said second access node.

16. The wireless terminal of claim 15, wherein said identification information corresponding to the first access node includes at least one of:

i) a physical attachment point identifier corresponding to the first access node,

ii) a link layer attachment point identifier corresponding to the first access node; and

iii) a network layer IP address corresponding to the first access node.

17. A wireless terminal, comprising:

means for transmitting a first message to a first access node over a wireless communications link, wherein the first message comprises a destination identifier that identifies a second access node as a destination of the first message, wherein the second access node is configured to establishing a direct communications link with the wireless terminal without use of an intermediary node;

means for receiving a signal from the first access node indicating that routing information is unavailable to the first access node for routing the first message using the destination identifier included in the first message;

means for establishing a second wireless communications link with said second access node in response to receiving the signal from the first access node; and

means for transmitting, after the second wireless communication link is established, a neighbor notification to the second access node corresponding to the destination identifier, the neighbor notification including identification information corresponding to the first access node, wherein transmitting said neighbor notification message includes transmitting said neighbor notification message through said first access node to said second; and

wherein said neighbor notification message includes at least one of i) a link layer attachment point identifier corresponding to said second access node and ii) a network layer IP address corresponding to the second access node.

18. The wireless terminal of claim 17, wherein the destination identifier is a physical attachment point identifier that identifies a physical attachment point at the second access node.

19. The wireless terminal of claim 17, wherein the destination identifier is a link layer identifier that identifies a link layer attachment point at the second access node.

20. The wireless terminal of claim 17, wherein the first access node comprises a node capable of establishing a direct communications link with an end node without use of an intermediary node.

21. The wireless terminal of claim 17, wherein the end node comprises a mobile node.

22. The wireless terminal of claim 17, wherein the second access node comprises a base station.

23. The wireless terminal of claim 17, wherein the first and second access nodes each comprise a base station.

24. The wireless terminal of claim 17, wherein the second access node is capable of establishing a direct wireless communications link with an end node without use of an intermediary node.

25. A wireless terminal, comprising:

circuitry configured to;

transmit a first message to a first access node over a wireless communications link, wherein a destination identifier in the first message identifies a second access node as a destination of the first message,

receive a signal from the first access node indicating that routing information is unavailable to the first access node for routing the first message using a destination identifier included in the first message wherein the second access node is configured to establishing a direct communications link with the wireless terminal without use of an intermediary node,

establish a second wireless communications link with said second access node in response to receiving the signal from the first access node, and

transmit, after the second wireless communication link is established, a neighbor notification to a second access node corresponding to the destination identifier, wherein the neighbor notification includes identification information corresponding to the first access node, wherein transmitting said neighbor notification message includes transmitting said neighbor notification message through said first access node to said second, and

wherein said neighbor notification message includes at least one of i) a link layer attachment point identifier corresponding to said second access node and ii) a network layer IP address corresponding to the second access node.

26. The wireless terminal of claim 25, wherein the destination identifier is a physical attachment point identifier that identifies a physical attachment point at the second access node.

27. The wireless terminal of claim 25, wherein the destination identifier is a link layer identifier that identifies a link layer attachment point at the second access node.

28. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions that are executable to:

transmit, by an end node, a first message to a first access node over a wireless communications link, wherein the first message comprises a destination identifier that identifies a second access node as a destination of the first message, wherein the second access node is configured to establishing a direct communications link with the end node without use of an intermediary node;

receive a signal from the first access node indicating that routing information is unavailable to the first access node for routing the first message using the destination identifier included in the first message;

establishing a second wireless communications link with said second access node in response to receiving the signal from the first access node; and

transmit, after the second wireless communication link is established, a neighbor notification to the second access node corresponding to the destination identifier, the neighbor notification including identification information corresponding to the first access node, wherein transmitting said neighbor notification message includes transmitting said neighbor notification message through said first access node to said second; and

wherein said neighbor notification message includes at least one of i) a link layer attachment point identifier corresponding to said second access node and ii) a network layer IP address corresponding to the second access node.