Link manager and link management method

• US 20020120766A1
• Filed: 02/27/2002
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Shinozaki, Takuya, Okajima, Ichiro, Ikeda, Takehiro, Omae, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

There is disclosed a link manager comprises detecting unit for detecting what link is installed; managing unit for defining a plurality of link metrics indicating characteristics of each link detected and managing data corresponding to the respective link metrics on a table; and selecting unit for selecting a link having link metrics complying with a given condition.

Claims

1. A link manager comprising:

detecting means for detecting what link is installed;

managing means for defining a plurality of link metrics indicating characteristics of each said link detected and managing data corresponding to said respective link metrics on a table; and

selecting means for selecting a link having link metrics complying with a given condition.

2. The link manager according to claim 1, wherein said managing means generates a record comprised of the data corresponding to said respective link metrics, for each link on said table.

3. The link manager according to claim 2, wherein when a new link corresponding to neither said record is detected, said managing means generates a record corresponding to said new link and records data corresponding to link metrics of said link and wherein when a link corresponding to either said record becomes undetectable, said managing means deletes said record.

4. The link manager according to either one of claim 1 to claim 3, which comprises:

link metric rank assigning means for assigning ranks to said respective link metrics, based on a predetermined preference; and

data rank assigning means for assigning ranks to the data corresponding to said respective link metrics,

wherein when said predetermined preference is given, said selecting means selects a link corresponding to a record having data with a highest rank thus assigned, at a link metric with a highest rank.

5. The link manager according to claim 4, wherein when there exist a plurality of records having data with the highest rank thus assigned, said selecting means selects a link corresponding to a record having data with a highest rank thus assigned, at a link metric with a next highest rank.

6. A link management method comprising:

a detecting step of detecting what link is installed;

a managing step of defining a plurality of link metrics indicating characteristics of each said link detected and managing data corresponding to said respective link metrics on a table; and

a selecting step of selecting a link having link metrics complying with a given condition.

7. The link management method according to claim 6, which comprises a step of generating a record comprised of the data corresponding to said respective link metrics, for each link on said table.

8. The link management method according to claim 7, which comprises a step wherein when a new link corresponding to neither said record is detected, a record corresponding to said new link is generated and data corresponding to link metrics of said link is recorded and wherein when a link corresponding to either said record becomes undetectable, said record is deleted.

9. The link management method according to either one of claim 6 to claim 8, which comprises:

a step of assigning ranks to said respective link metrics, based on a predetermined preference; and

a step of assigning ranks to the data corresponding to said respective link metrics,

wherein said selecting step comprises a step of, when said predetermined preference is given, selecting a link corresponding to a record having data with a highest rank thus assigned, at a link metric with a highest rank.

10. The link management method according to claim 9, wherein said selecting step comprises a step of, when there exist a plurality of records having data with the highest rank thus assigned, selecting a link corresponding to a record having data with a highest rank thus assigned, at a link metric with a next highest rank.

11. A program configured to effect execution of the following processes:

a process of detecting what link is installed;

a process of defining a plurality of link metrics indicating characteristics of each said link detected and managing data corresponding to said respective link metrics on a table;

a process of generating a record comprised of the data corresponding to said respective link metrics, for each link on said table;

a process of assigning ranks to said respective link metrics, based on a predetermined preference;

a process of assigning ranks to the data corresponding to said respective link metrics; and

a process of, when said predetermined preference is given, selecting a link corresponding to a record having data with a highest rank thus assigned, at a link metric with a highest rank.

12. The program according to claim 11, which comprises a process of, when there exist a plurality of records having data with the highest rank thus assigned, selecting a link corresponding to a record having data with a highest rank thus assigned, at a link metric with a next highest rank.

13. The program according to claim 11 or claim 12, which comprises a process wherein when a new link corresponding to neither said record is detected, a record corresponding to said new link is generated and data corresponding to link metrics of said link is recorded and wherein when a link corresponding to either said record becomes undetectable, said record is deleted.

14. A computer-readable memory in which the program as set forth in either one of claim 11 to claim 13 is recorded.