Method and apparatus for disseminating topology information and for discovering new neighboring nodes

• US 20030179742A1
• Filed: 11/29/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SRI International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SRI International, Inc.
• Inventors: Ogier, Richard G., Templin, Fred L., Lewis, Mark G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,327,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1614 using bitmaps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/26 Route discovery packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/251 between different IP versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/30 for proactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A proactive link-state routing protocol designed for mobile ad-hoc networks is disclosed, which provides hop-by-hop routing along shortest paths to each destination. Each node running the present protocol will compute a source tree (providing paths to all reachable nodes) based on partial topology information stored in its topology table. To minimize overhead, each node reports only “part” of its source tree to neighbors. The present invention employs a combination of periodic and differential updates to keep all neighbors informed of the reportable part of its source tree. The present invention performs neighbor discovery using “differential” HELLO messages that report only “changes” in the status of neighbors. This results in HELLO messages that are much smaller than those of other link-state routing protocols.

Claims

1. Method for communicating between a plurality of nodes, said method comprising the steps of:

a) allowing a predefined time interval to elapse; and

b) sending a differential message by a sending node to at least one neighboring node of said sending node, wherein said differential message comprises only changes in status of neighboring nodes of said sending node.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

c) sending said differential message for a certain number of times for ensuring that said at least one neighboring node will either receive said differential messages or will deem a link to said sending node is lost for failing to receive said differential messages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said differential message comprises a plurality of message subtypes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said plurality of message subtypes comprise a neighbor request subtype that indicates said sending node'"'"'s presence to a receiving neighbor node.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said plurality of message subtypes further comprise a neighbor reply subtype that indicates a receipt of a neighbor node'"'"'s neighbor request message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said plurality of message subtypes further comprise a neighbor lost subtype that indicates a loss of a neighbor node by said sending node.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said predefined time interval defines a duration between successive differential messages that are sent to one or more neighbor nodes and wherein said predefined time interval is dynamically adjusted.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said predefined time interval is dynamically adjusted in accordance with a current velocity of said sending node.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said predefined time interval is dynamically adjusted in accordance with a bandwidth demand of said sending node.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said predefined time interval is dynamically adjusted in accordance with a measure of network traffic of a network where said plurality of nodes are members of said network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein an adjustment of said predefined time interval is communicated within said differential message.

12. Method for communicating between a plurality of nodes, said method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a differential message from a sending neighbor node, wherein said differential message comprises only changes in status of neighboring nodes of said sending neighbor node; and

b) sending a reply message to said sending neighbor node.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said differential message comprises a plurality of message subtypes.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said plurality of message subtypes comprise a neighbor request subtype that indicates said sending node'"'"'s presence to a receiving neighbor node.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said plurality of message subtypes further comprise a neighbor reply subtype that indicates a receipt of a neighbor node'"'"'s neighbor request message.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said plurality of message subtypes further comprise a neighbor lost subtype that indicates a loss of a neighbor node of said sending neighbor node.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

c) waiting for a predefined time interval for a subsequent message from said sending neighbor node.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said predefined time interval is dynamically adjusted.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said predefined time interval is dynamically adjusted in accordance with a current velocity of said sending neighbor node.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said predefined time interval is dynamically adjusted in accordance with a bandwidth demand of said sending neighbor node.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said predefined time interval is dynamically adjusted in accordance with a measure of network traffic of a network where said plurality of nodes are members of said network.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein an adjustment of said predefined time interval is communicated within said differential message.

23. Apparatus for communicating with a plurality of nodes, said apparatus comprising:

means for allowing a predefined time interval to elapse; and

means for sending a differential message to at least one neighboring node of said apparatus, wherein said differential message comprises only changes in status of neighboring nodes of said apparatus.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said differential message is sent for a certain number of times for ensuring that said at least one neighboring node will either receive said differential messages or will deem a link to said apparatus is lost for failing to receive said differential messages.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said differential message comprises a plurality of message subtypes.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said plurality of message subtypes comprise a neighbor request subtype that indicates said apparatus presence to a receiving neighbor node.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said plurality of message subtypes further comprise a neighbor reply subtype that indicates a receipt of a neighbor node'"'"'s neighbor request message.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said plurality of message subtypes further comprise a neighbor lost subtype that indicates a loss of a neighbor node by said apparatus.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said predefined time interval defines a duration between successive differential messages that are sent to one or more neighbor nodes and wherein said predefined time interval is dynamically adjusted.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said predefined time interval is dynamically adjusted in accordance with a current velocity of said apparatus.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said predefined time interval is dynamically adjusted in accordance with a bandwidth demand of said apparatus.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said predefined time interval is dynamically adjusted in accordance with a measure of network traffic of a network where said apparatus is a member of said network.

33. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein an adjustment of said predefined time interval is communicated within said differential message.

34. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said apparatus is a router.

35. Apparatus for communicating with a plurality of nodes, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a differential message from a sending neighbor node, wherein said differential message comprises only changes in status of neighboring nodes of said sending neighbor node; and

means for sending a reply message to said sending neighbor node.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said differential message comprises a plurality of message subtypes.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said plurality of message subtypes comprise a neighbor request subtype that indicates said sending node'"'"'s presence to a receiving neighbor node, a neighbor reply subtype that indicates a receipt of a neighbor node'"'"'s neighbor request message and a neighbor lost subtype that indicates a loss of a neighbor node of said sending neighbor node.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising:

means for waiting for a predefined time interval for a subsequent message from said sending neighbor node.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said predefined time interval is dynamically adjusted.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said predefined time interval is dynamically adjusted in accordance with a current velocity of said sending neighbor node, a bandwidth demand of said sending neighbor node or a measure of network traffic of a network where said apparatus is a member of said network.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein an adjustment of said predefined time interval is communicated within said differential message.

42. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps comprising of:

a) allowing a predefined time interval to elapse; and

b) sending a differential message by a sending node to at least one neighboring node of said sending node, wherein said differential message comprises only changes in status of neighboring nodes of said sending node.

43. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps comprising of:

a) receiving a differential message from a sending neighbor node, wherein said differential message comprises only changes in status of neighboring nodes of said sending neighbor node; and

b) sending a reply message to said sending neighbor node.

44. Method for reporting topology information to one or more neighbor nodes, said method comprising the steps of:

a) computing a source tree;

b) computing a reportable node set;

c) computing a reportable subtree of said source in accordance with said reportable node set; and

d) reporting said reportable subtree to said one or more neighbor nodes.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said reporting step d) reports said reportable subtree to said one or more neighbor nodes in a periodic update, wherein said periodic update is generated in accordance with a periodic time interval.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein said reporting step d) reports said reportable subtree to said one or more neighbor nodes in a differential update, wherein said differential update is generated in accordance with a change in a node'"'"'s topology table.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said change in a node'"'"'s topology table is caused by receiving a topology update from a neighbor node.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein said change in a node'"'"'s topology table is caused by detecting a status change for a link to one of its neighbor nodes.

49. Apparatus for reporting topology information to one or more neighbor nodes, said apparatus comprising:

means for computing a source tree;

means for computing a reportable node set;

means for computing a reportable subtree of said source in accordance with said reportable node set; and

means for reporting said reportable subtree to said one or more neighbor nodes.