Artery nodes

• US 7,397,810 B1
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Stevens, James A., Young, C. David
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao; Seema S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Davenport; Mon Cheri S
• Application Number:
  US10/867,481
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 370/431, 370/442, 370/443, 370/447, 370/458, 370/461, 370/468, 370/250
• US Class Current: 370/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06

Abstract

A method of communicating over a network of nodes is disclosed. According to the method, it is determined whether a first node forms part of an interconnected sub-network within the network. Broadcast slots are assigned to the first node if the first node is part of the sub-network. The first node is permitted to use the assigned broadcast slots to broadcast data to other nodes. Nodes within one hop of the first node but not forming part of the sub-network are permitted to use an assigned broadcast slot if the first node is not using the broadcast slot.

Claims

1. A method of communicating over a network of nodes, comprising:

determining whether a first node forms part of an interconnected sub-network within the network; and

assigning broadcast slots to the first node if the first node is part of the sub-network;

permitting the first node to use the assigned broadcast slots to broadcast data to other nodes; and

permitting nodes within one hop of the first node but not forming part of the sub-network to use an assigned broadcast slot if the first node is not using the broadcast slot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step further comprises:

assigning the first node to be part of the sub-network if no node within one hop of the first node is part of the sub-network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining step further comprises:

assigning the first node to be part of the sub-network if a set of nodes in the sub-network known to a first neighbor of the first node is disjoint from a set of nodes in the sub-network known to a second neighbor of the first node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node permits nodes adjacent to the first node and not part of the sub-network to contend for use of one of the assigned broadcast slots if the first node is not using the broadcast slot.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node permits an adjacent node that is not part of the sub-network to use one of the assigned broadcast slots if the first node is not using the broadcast slot.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a random time delay is executed prior to determining whether the first node is part of the Interconnected sub-network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network communicates using a unifying slot assignment protocol.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

ascertaining, prior to the determining step, a level of communication reliability and stability of a link between a node in the sub-network and a neighboring node not in the sub-network; and

permitting the neighboring node to be considered in said determining step only if the level of communication reliability and stability of the link to the neighboring node is above a predetermined level.

9. A method of assigning communication time slots to nodes in a wireless network, comprising:

determining, for each node in the network, whether the node is part of an interconnected sub-network formed within the wireless network, wherein no node in the network is more than one hop away from a node in the sub-network;

assigning time slots to nodes in the sub-network; and

permitting nodes within the sub-network to use the assigned time slots to broadcast data to other nodes in the wireless network;

allowing a node that is not part of the sub-network to use an assigned time slot to broadcast data to other nodes in the network if the nodes that are part of the sub-network are not using the assigned time slot.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a node that is part of the sub-network permits adjacent nodes that are not part of the sub-network to contend for use of one of the assigned broadcast slots if said node that is part of the sub-network is not using the broadcast slot.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a node that is part of the sub-network permits an adjacent node that is not part of the sub-network to use one of the assigned broadcast slots if said node that is part of the sub-network is not using the broadcast slot.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining step further includes assigning the first node to be part of the sub-network when no node within one hop of the first node is part of the sub-network.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining step further includes assigning the first node to be part of the sub-network when a set of nodes in the sub-network known to a first neighbor of the first node is disjoint from a set of nodes in the sub-network known to a second neighbor of the first node.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

broadcasting, from each node, a data packet to adjacent nodes, wherein the data packet identifies

whether a broadcasting node is part of the sub-network, and

whether adjacent nodes to the broadcasting node are part of the sub-network.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless network communicates using a unifying slot assignment protocol.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein a random time delay is executed prior to determining whether each node is part of the interconnected sub-network.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

ascertaining, prior to the determining step, a level of communication reliability and stability of a link between a node in the sub-network and a neighboring node not in the sub-network; and

permitting the neighboring node to be considered in said determining step only if the level of communication reliability and stability of the link to the neighboring node is above a predetermined level.