Network array, forwarder device and method of operating a forwarder device

• US 9,119,227 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2005
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Habetha, Jorg, Roque, Adolfo Jose, Dalmases, Francesc
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, HOANG-CHUONG Q
• Application Number:
  US11/575,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20080062878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,625 Days
• Field of Search: 370/235, 370400-405
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A network array (100) comprises a first network (101) having a plurality of first nodes (103, 104, 109), comprises a second network (102) having a plurality of second nodes (106, 109), and comprises a forwarder node (109). The forwarder node (109) constitutes one of the first nodes (103, 104, 109) and constitutes one of the second nodes (106, 109) to form a communication interface between the first network (101) and the second network (102). The forwarder node (109) has an implemented data transmission scheduling management function capable of distinguishing between data to be transmitted between the first network (101) and the second network (102) and data to be transmitted within the first network (101) or within the second network (102). The forwarder node (109) is adapted to communicate with the first network (101) using a first operation frequency and is adapted to communicate with the second network (102) using a second operation frequency which is different from the first operation frequency.

Claims

1. A network array comprising:

a first network having a plurality of first nodes, wherein the first network is an infrastructure network;

a second network having a plurality of second nodes, wherein the second network is an ad-hoc network; and

a forwarder node configured to operate as a slave in the first network and as a master in the second network;

wherein the forwarder node constitutes one of the first nodes and constitutes one of the second nodes to form a communication interface between the first network and the second network;

wherein the forwarder node is configured to distinguish between data for transmission between the first and second networks and data for transmission within the first network and data for transmission within the second network;

wherein the forwarder node comprises an implemented data transmission scheduling management function for controlling and regulating data to be transmitted between the first network and the second network and data to be transmitted within the first network or within the second network; and

wherein the forwarder node communicates with the first network using a first operation frequency and communicates with the second network using a second operation frequency which is different from the first operation frequency.

2. The network array according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first nodes include a communication hub which functions as a master in the first network.

3. The network array according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first nodes include at least one node which functions as a further slave in the first network.

4. The network array according to claim 1, wherein the forwarder node is a Hybrid Coordinator in the second network.

5. The network array according to claim 1, wherein the forwarder node switches between a first operation state in which the forwarder node is communicatively coupled with the first network and is free of a communication with the second network, and a second operation state in which the forwarder node is communicatively coupled with the second network and is free of a communication with the first network.

6. The network array according to claim 1, wherein the forwarder node is realized as a single transceiver.

7. The network array according to claim 1, wherein the forwarder node communicates with the first network and with the second network according to the IEEE 802.11e standard.

8. The network array according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the plurality of first nodes and/or of the plurality of second nodes is realized as a computer device.

9. The network array according to claim 1, wherein the forwarder node forwards a data packet from the first network to the second network or forwards a data packet from the second network to the first network.

10. The network array according to claim 9, wherein the forwarder node, prior to forwarding a data packet from the first network to the second network or to forwarding a data packet from the second network to the first network, estimates a bandwidth necessary for transmitting the data packet.

11. The network array according to claim 9, wherein the forwarder node, prior to forwarding a data packet from the first network to the second network or to forwarding a data packet from the second network to the first network, accepts or denies a data packet transmission request based on an estimated bandwidth necessary for transmitting the data packet.

12. The network array according to claim 9, wherein the forwarder node, prior to forwarding a plurality of data packets from the first network to the second network or to forwarding a plurality of data packets from the second network to the first network, determines a chronological order of transmission of the plurality of data packets based on a predetermined traffic policy.

13. The network array according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first network and the second network is a wireless network.

14. The network array according to claim 1, wherein the data transmission scheduling management function distinguishes between multi-hop transmission data and single-hop transmission data.

15. The network array according to claim 1, wherein the data transmission scheduling management function distinguishes between multi-hop transmission data to be transmitted from a communication hub of the first network to one of the plurality of second nodes of the second network on the one hand and multi-hop transmission data to be transmitted from one of the plurality of second nodes of the second network to a communication hub of the first network on the other hand.

16. The network array according to claim 1, wherein the data transmission scheduling management function is realized as a round-robin scheduling scheme.

17. A forwarder device for forming a communication interface between a first network and a second network of a network array and for managing data transmission scheduling, comprising:

one of a plurality of first nodes of a first network, wherein the first network is an infrastructure network; and

one of a plurality of second nodes of a second network to form a communication interface between the first network and the second network, wherein the second network is an ad-hoc network;

wherein the forwarder node is configured to operate as a slave in the first network and as a master in the second network, and wherein the forwarder device is configured for;

distinguishing between data for transmission between the first and second networks and data for transmission within the first network and data for transmission within the second network;

having an implemented data transmission scheduling management function for controlling and regulating data to be transmitted between the first network and the second network and data to be transmitted within the first network or within the second network; and

communicating with the first network using a first operation frequency and communicating with the second network using a second operation frequency which is different from the first operation frequency.

18. The forwarder device according to claim 17, functioning as a Hybrid Coordinator in the second network.

19. The forwarder device according to claim 17, switching between a first operation state in which it is communicatively coupled with the first network and is free of a communication with the second network, and a second operation state in which it is communicatively coupled with the second network and is free of a communication with the first network.

20. The forwarder device according to claim 17, communicating with the first network and with the second network according to the IEEE 802.11e standard.

21. The forwarder device according to claim 17, forwarding a data packet from the first network to the second network or forwarding a data packet from the second network to the first network.

22. The forwarder device according to claim 21, prior to forwarding a data packet from the first network to the second network or to forwarding a data packet from the second network to the first network, estimating a bandwidth necessary for transmitting the data packet.

23. The forwarder device according to claim 21, prior to forwarding a data packet from the first network to the second network or to forwarding a data packet from the second network to the first network, accepting or denying a data packet transmission request based on an estimated bandwidth necessary for transmitting the data packet.

24. The forwarder device according to claim 21, wherein the forwarder node, prior to forwarding a plurality of data packets from the first network to the second network or to forwarding a plurality of data packets from the second network to the first network, determines a chronological order of transmission of the plurality of data packets based on a predetermined traffic policy.

25. The forwarder device according to claim 17, communicating wirelessly with the first network and/or with the second network.

26. The forwarder device according to claim 17, wherein the data transmission scheduling management function distinguishes between multi-hop transmission data and single-hop transmission data.

27. The forwarder device according to claim 17, wherein the data transmission scheduling management function distinguishes between multi-hop transmission data to be transmitted from a communication hub of the first network to one of the plurality of second nodes of the second network on the one hand and multi-hop transmission data to be transmitted from one of the plurality of second nodes of the second network to a communication hub of the first network on the other hand.

28. The forwarder device according to claim 17, wherein the data transmission scheduling management function is a round-robin scheduling scheme.

29. The forwarder device according to claim 17, wherein the data transmission scheduling management function aggregates the streams related to multi-hop traffic.

30. The forwarder device according to claim 17, wherein single-hop traffic in the second network is allocated in direct links during an absence of a forwarder device in the second network.

31. A method of operating a forwarder device for forming a communication interface between a first network and a second network of a network array and for managing data transmission scheduling, comprising:

forming a communication interface between the first network and the second network using the forwarder device as one of a plurality of first nodes of the first network and as one of a plurality of second nodes of the second network, wherein the first network is an infrastructure network and the second network is an ad-hoc network, and wherein the forwarder device is configured to operate as a slave in the first network and as a master in the second network; and

distinguishing, in the forwarder device, between data for transmission between the first and second networks and data for transmission within the first network and data for transmission within the second network;

implementing, in the forwarder device, a data transmission scheduling management function for controlling and regulating data to be transmitted between the first network and the second network and data to be transmitted within the first network or within the second network;

communicating by the forwarder device with the first network using a first operation frequency and communicating by the forwarder device with the second network using a second operation frequency which is different from the first operation frequency.

32. A method of operating a forwarder device for forming a communication interface between a first network and a second network of a network array and for managing data transmission scheduling, comprising:

forming a communication interface between the first network and the second network using the forwarder device as one of a plurality of first nodes of the first network and as one of a plurality of second nodes of the second network; and

implementing, in the forwarder device, a data transmission scheduling management function for controlling and regulating data to be transmitted between the first network and the second network and data to be transmitted within the first network or within the second network;

communicating by the forwarder device with the first network using a first operation frequency and communicating by the forwarder device with the second network using a second operation frequency which is different from the first operation frequency;

wherein multi-hop-uplink requests are negotiated including;

checking, using the second operation frequency, at least one traffic request from at least one of the second nodes using an Admission Control Unit provided in the forwarder device;

refusing a traffic request, if it is determined that no sufficient capacity is available in the forwarder device;

in case that a traffic request is not refused, waiting to switch from the second operation frequency to the first operation frequency and forwarding the request to a communication hub forming one of the first nodes of the first network using the first operation frequency;

checking a response from the communication hub in the Admission Control Unit in the forwarder device;

waiting to switch from the first operation frequency to the second operation frequency and forwarding the response to the at least one of the second nodes.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein multi-hop-downlink requests are negotiated including

responding to at least one Schedule request from a communication hub forming one of the first nodes by sending at least one Traffic Stream Request using the first operation frequency;

waiting for a reception of a traffic stream request from the communication hub using the first operation frequency and checking a capacity using an Admission Control Unit in the forwarder device;

deleting the traffic stream using the first operation frequency, if it is determined that there is no sufficient capacity available;

in case that the traffic stream is not deleted, waiting to switch from the first operation frequency to the second operation frequency and sending a schedule request to one of the second nodes using the second operation frequency.