Packet data network having distributed database

• US 6,519,248 B1
• Filed: 07/24/1998
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonktiebolaget L.M. Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Valkó, András
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang Bin
• Application Number:
  US09/121,993
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/336, 370/338, 370/345, 370/349, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/401, 370/402, 370/403, 370/404, 370/405, 370/395.3, 370/395.31, 455/422, 455/432, 455/433, 455/435, 455/445, 455/456, 455/457
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/087 for preserving data network PoA address despite hand-offs
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Communication networks and network nodes for carrying packet data traffic have architectures that give large freedom in network topology and simplify network extensions, accompanied by a lightweight but robust protocol. A network may be a cellular network that handles packet data traffic and voice traffic. Location information relating to terminals in a network may be determined through terminal-originated packets or control messaging. Stored location information may be cleared by elapse of time or specific messaging. Location information for different kinds of terminals may be stored in a centralized or distributed database.

Claims

1. A communication network for exchanging data packets with a wireline network, comprising:

a plurality of nodes, wherein at least one node includes a database for storing location information, and each node includes means for forwarding data packets arriving at the respective node;

at least one remote terminal for communicating with at least one of the nodes; and

a gateway node in communication with the wireline network and with the nodes;

wherein remote terminals periodically send control packets to at least one of the nodes for updating respective location information relating to the remote terminals in the database;

wherein the database comprises a connection management database for storing location information relating to the remote terminals that are exchanging data packets with the wireline network; and

the database further comprises a location management database for storing respective location information relating to remote terminals that are in a service area of a node but are not exchanging data packets with the wireline network; and

wherein each node includes a root-port for sending data packets to the gateway node and at least one of the following ports;

a leaf-port for receiving data packets from a root-port of another node and a port for exchanging packets with a remote terminal; and

data packets sent from the wireline communication network are directed to the remote terminals based on the location information in the database.

2. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the control packets include show-up packets and opposite packets, the control packets are muted from root-port to root-port toward the gateway node, the show-up packets update location information in the connection management database, and the opposite packets remove location information in the connection management database.

3. The communication network of claim 2, wherein the connection management database comprises entries relating to respective remote terminals, and each entry includes remote terminal identification information and a list of at least one port through which a control packet has arrived from the respective remote terminal.

4. The communication network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the gateway node and the nodes includes a macrodiversity combiner for detecting duplicate arrived data packets and for discarding duplicate arrived data packets.

5. The communication network of claim 4, wherein remote terminals add control information to duplicate data packets sent by the remote terminals for use by the macrodiversity combiner in discarding duplicate arrived data packets.

6. The communication network of claim 5, wherein the macrodiversity combiner includes a timer for determining periods between duplicate arrived data packets and a duplicate arrived data packet is discarded if the period from a previously arrived duplicate data packet exceeds a predetermined period.

7. The communication network of claim 4, wherein the macrodiversity combiner buffers arriving data packets, waits until a duplicate of an arrived date packet has arrived, then compares the duplicate arrived data packets, and selects one that is more likely to be error-free.

8. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the location information has a limited lifetime, the control packets include show-up packets, the control packets are routed I, rom root-port to root-port toward the gateway node, and the show-up packets update the location information in the connection management database.

9. The communication network of claim 8, wherein the connection management database comprises entries relating to respective remote terminals, and each entry includes remote terminal identification information and a list of at least one port through which a control packet has arrived from the respective remote terminal within a predetermined time period.

10. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the control packets include show-up packets, keep-alive packets, and respective opposite packets, the control packets are routed from root-port to root-port toward the gateway node, the keep-alive packets update location information in the location management database, the show-up packets update location information in the connection management database, and the respective opposite packets remove location information in the respective database.

11. The communication network of claim 10, wherein the location management database and the connection management database each comprise entries relating to respective remote terminals, and each entry includes remote terminal identification information and a list of at least one port through which a control packet has arrived from the respective remote terminal.

12. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the location information has limited lifetime, the control packets include keep-alive packets and show-up packets, the control packets are routed from root-port to root-port toward the gateway node, the keep-alive packets update the location Information in the location management database, and the showup packets update the location information in the connection management database.

13. The communication network of claim 12, wherein the location management database and the connection management database each comprise entries relating to respective remote terminals, and each entry includes remote terminal identification information and a list of at least one port through which a control packet has arrived from the respective remote terminal within a predetermined time period.

14. The communication network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the nodes is a base station node that includes an air interface port for exchanging packets with remote terminals.

15. The communication network of claim 14, wherein at least one base station node includes a connection management database.

16. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the control packets include keepalive packets and opposite packets, the control packets are routed from root-port to root-port toward the gateway node, the keep-alive packets update location information in the location management database, and the opposite packets remove location information in the location management database.

17. The communication network of claim 16, wherein the location management database comprises entries relating to respective remote terminals, and each entry includes remote terminal identification information and a list of at least one port through which a control packet has arrived from the respective remote terminal.

18. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the location information has limited lifetime, the control packets include keep-alive packets, the control packets are routed from root-port to root-port toward the gateway node, and the keep-alive packets update the location information in the location management database.

19. The communication network of claim 18, wherein the location management database comprises entries relating to respective remote terminals, and each entry includes remote terminal identification information and a list of at least one port through which a control packet has arrived from the respective remote terminal within a predetermined time period.

20. A node in a communication network for exchanging data packets with a wireline network, the communication network including at least one remote terminal, and the node comprising:

a connection management database for storing location information relating to remote terminals that are exchanging data packets with the wireline network;

a location management database for storing location information relating to remote terminals that are in a service area of the node but are not exchanging data packets with the wireline network;

means for forwarding data packets arriving at the node;

a root-port for sending data packets toward the wireline network; and

at least one of the following ports;

a leaf-port for receiving data packets from a rootport of another node and a port for exchanging packets with a remote terminal;

wherein a remote terminal periodically sends control packets to the node for updating its respective location information in the database; and

data packets sent from the wireline network are directed to a remote terminal based on the location information in the database.

21. The node of claim 20, wherein the control packets include show-up packets and opposite packets, the control packets are forwarded from the root-port toward the wireline network, the show-up packets update location information in the connection management database, and the opposite packets remove location information in the connection management database.

22. The node of claim 21, wherein the connection management database comprises entries relating to respective remote terminals, and each entry includes remote terminal identification information and a list of at least one port through which a control packet has arrived from the respective remote terminal.

23. The node of claim 20, further comprising a macrodiversity combiner for detecting duplicate arrived data packets and for discarding duplicate arrived data packets.

24. The node of claim 23, wherein the macrodiversity combiner discards duplicate arrived data packets based on control information added by a remote terminal to duplicate data packets sent by the remote terminal.

25. The node of claim 24, wherein the macrodiversity combiner includes a timer for determining periods between duplicate arrived data packets and a duplicate arrived data packet is discarded if the period from a previously arrived duplicate data packet exceeds a predetermined period.

26. The node of claim 23, wherein the macrodiversity combiner buffers arriving data packets, waits until a duplicate of an arrived data packet has arrived, then compares the duplicate arrived data packets, and selects one that is more likely to be error-free.

27. The node of claim 20, wherein the location information has a limited lifetime, and the control packets include show-up packets for updating location information in the connection management database, and the control packets are forwarded from the root-port toward the wireline network.

28. The node of claim 27, wherein the connection management database comprises entries relating to respective remote terminals, and each entry includes remote terminal identification information and a list of at least one port through which a control packet has arrived from the respective remote terminal within a predetermined time period.

29. The node of claim 20, wherein the control packets include show-up packets, keep-alive packets, and respective opposite packets, the control packets are forwarded from the root-port toward the wireline network, the keep-alive packets update location information in the location management database, the show-up packets update location information in the connection management database, and the respective opposite packets remove location information in the respective database.

30. The node of claim 29, wherein the location management database and the connection management database each comprise entries relating to respective remote terminals, and each entry includes remote terminal identification information and a list of at least one port through which a control packet has arrived from the respective remote terminal.

31. The node of claim 20, wherein the location information has limited lifetime, the control packets Include keep-alive packets and show-up packets, the control packets are forwarded from the root-port toward the wireline network, the keep-alive packets update the location information in the location management database, and the show-up packets update the location information in the connection management database.

32. The node of claim 31, wherein the location management database and the connection management database each comprise entries relating to respective remote terminals, and each entry includes remote terminal identification information and a list of at least one port through which a control packet has arrived from the respective remote terminal within a predetermined time period.

33. The node of claim 20, further comprising an air interface port for exchanging packets with remote terminals.

34. The node of claim 20, wherein the control packets include keep-alive packets and opposite packets, the control packets are forwarded from the root-port to root-port toward the wireline network, the keep-alive packets update location information in the location management database, and the opposite packets remove location information in the location management database.

35. The node of claim 34, wherein the location management database comprises entries relating to respective remote terminals, and each entry includes remote terminal identification information and a list of at least one port through which a control packet has arrived from the respective remote terminal.

36. The node of claim 20, wherein the location information has a limited lifetime, the control packets include keep-alive packets, the control packets are forwarded from the rootport toward the wireline network, and the keep-alive packets update the location information In the location management database.

37. The node of claim 36, wherein the location management database comprises entries relating to respective remote terminals, and each entry includes remote terminal identification information and a list of at least one port through which a control packet has arrived from the respective remote terminal within a predetermined time period.