Transmitting Information Across A Communications Network

• US 20160105523A1
• Filed: 04/25/2014
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space Limited
• Original Assignee: Airbus Ds Limited
• Inventors: DOWDELL, John Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,455,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0006 by adapting the transmission format
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0014 by adapting the source coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0023 characterised by the signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/70 Routing based on monitoring results
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/321 Interlayer communication protocols or service data unit [SDU] definitions; Interfaces between layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks

Abstract

Information is transmitted across a wireless data network, comprising a wireless link (100) from a software application module on a computer hardware device (112) to a computer hardware device (110) associated with a destination node in the network. The application requests (114) the status of the route across the network, such information being optionally provided by a decision engine (104) which has access to network status parameters, such as bandwidth, latency and link quality. The application receives (118) the status information and then, and preferably only then, transmits (120) the data in a format chosen from a plurality of different formats (of differing richness of information represented by the date in each such format) in dependence on the indication of the status so received.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting information across a data network comprising at least one wireless network node,

the information being capable of being transmitted across the network by means of data in a plurality of different formats including a first format and a second format, the second format being less demanding of the network than the first format by means of compromising, on the way in which the information is represented by the data,

wherein the method comprises the steps of:

a software application module running on computer hardware having information for transmission across a data network requesting the status of at least part of a route from a local node in the network to a destination node in the network, the route comprising at least one wireless link between the? two nodes within the network;

the software application module receiving an indication of the status of said at least part of the route; and

the software application module transmitting the data in a format chosen from the plurality of different formats in dependence on the indication of the status so received;

wherein the step of the software application module requesting the status of the route is performed before any attempt is made by the software application module to initiate the sending of the data to the destination node.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes an analysis step in which a processor analyses one or more characteristics of said at least part of the route, and responds to the status request sent by the software application module by sending said indication of the status received by software application module.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the indication of the status received by software application module includes an indication of which of the plurality of different formats of data is suitable for transmitting the information.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the indication of the status received by software application module includes an indication of not only the current status but also information from which a prediction of the future status can be made.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes steps of:

the software application module receiving a further indication of the status of said at least part of the route whilst data in the initially chosen format is being transmitted,

in dependence on the further indication of the status so received, choosing from the plurality of different formats, a format different from the initially chosen format, and

subsequently transmitting the data in that different format.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes a step in which at least one node in the network publishes to all of its neighbouring nodes values of parameters which represent one or more characteristics of a link established with that node, and at least one such neighbouring node re-publishes such information to one or more other nodes in the network.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein before the step of the software application module transmitting the data across the network is performed, the information is represented by data in the first format, that being in the form of video of a given quality, and

wherein in view of the indication of the route status so received the software application module chooses to transmit the data in the second format, that being in the form of information of a lower quality, and, as a result, the software application module provides the data in the second format before it is transmitted.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein before the step of the software application module transmitting the data across the network is performed, the information is represented by data in the first format and comprises audio data, and

wherein in view of the indication of the route status so received the software application module chooses to transmit the data in the second format, in which at least part of the audio is converted to text by means of the software application module before it is transmitted.

11. A mobile ad hoc network comprising at least one computer hardware device connected to the network on which there is installed a software application module being arranged to function in accordance with the method of claim 1.

13. A mobile ad hoc network in accordance with claim 11.

14. A computer software product for loading onto a computer hardware device, wherein the software product is configured to perform the steps instructed by the software application module in accordance with the method of claim 1.

9. A method of transmitting information across a data network comprising at least one wireless network node,

the information being capable of being transmitted across the network by means of data in a plurality of different formats including a first format and a second format, the second format being less demanding of the network than the first format by means of compromising on the way in which the information is represented by the data,

wherein the method comprises the steps of:

a processor analysing one or more characteristics of the status of at least part of a route from one node in the network to another node in the network, the route comprising at least one wireless link between two nodes within the network;

the processor receiving a request from a software application module for an indication of which of the plurality of different formats data can be sent over said at least part of the route,

in response, and in dependence on said one or more characteristics analysed by the processor, the processor indicates which format or formats, if any, of data that can be supported by said at least part of the route.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the method includes performance of a step which generates said request from the software application module.

12. A mobile ad hoc network comprising at least one wireless network node associated with a processor programmed with route status software so as to perform the method of claim 9.

15. A computer software product for loading onto a computer processor, wherein the software product is configured to cause the processor to perform the steps performed by the processor in accordance with the method of claim 9.

16. A mobile ad hoc network comprising at least one wireless network node associated, with a processor programmed with route status software so as to perform the method of claim 10.

17. A mobile ad hoc network in accordance with claim 12.

18. A computer software product for loading onto a computer processor, wherein the software product is configured to cause the processor to perform the steps performed by the processor in accordance with the method of claim 10.