Method and system for optimization of data transfer between networked devices

• US 8,451,848 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Stirbu, Vlad, Saaranen, Mika
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): AGA, SORI A
• Application Number:
  US10/587,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20070127394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,035 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• 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: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of arranging communication in a local area networking system comprising a first device, a second device and an intermediate node for arranging data transmission between the first device and the second device. The second device is arranged to multicast and/or broadcast messages to devices in the system. The transmission of multicast and/or broadcast messages to the first device is prevented by the interworking means.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

checking, at an intermediate node configured to arrange data transmission between first and second devices, a destination address of a packet received from the second device;

comparing at the intermediate node the destination address of the packet with at least one predetermined multicast and/or broadcast address;

preventing at the intermediate node the transmission of the packet to the first device in response to the addresses matching; and

forwarding at the intermediate node the packet to at least the first device in response to the addresses not matching.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises connecting a first network comprising the first device to a second network comprising the second device, and wherein the first and second networks use different data transmission protocols.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the destination address is an internet protocol address.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first device belongs to a mobile handheld subcommittee domain of a universal plug and play system and the second device belongs to a home network version 1 domain of the universal plug and play system.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein transmission of universal plug and play discovery multicast packets to the first device is prevented.

6. A system comprising:

a first device;

a second device; and

an intermediate node configured to arrange data transmission between the first device and the second device;

wherein at least the second device is configured to multicast and/or broadcast packets to devices in the system, wherein the intermediate node is configured to check a destination address of a packet received from the second device, the intermediate node is configured to compare the destination address of the packet with at least one predetermined multicast and/or broadcast address, and wherein the intermediate node is configured to prevent the transmission of the packet to the first device in response to the addresses matching, and wherein the intermediate node is configured to forward the packet to at least the first device in response to the addresses not matching.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to

check, at an intermediate node configured to arrange data transmission between first and second devices, a destination address of a packet received from the second device;

compare at the intermediate node the destination address of the packet with at least one predetermined multicast and/or broadcast address;

prevent at the intermediate node the transmission of the packet to a first device in response to the address matching; and

forward at the intermediate node the packet to at least the first device in response to the address not matching.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to connect a first network comprising the first device to a second network comprising the second device and the first and second networks use different data transmission protocols.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to perform data transmission between an IEEE 802-based network to which the second device belongs and a bluetooth network to which the first device belongs.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the destination address is an internet protocol address.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to provide data transmission between the first device belonging to a mobile handheld subcommittee domain of a universal plug and play system and the second device belonging to a home network version 1 domain of the universal plug and play system.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the processor is configured to prevent transmission of universal plug and play discovery multicast packets to the first device.

13. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to check, in addition to the comparison of the destination address of the packet with at least one predetermined multicast and/or broadcast address, if the packet complies with one or more further message transmission conditions, and the processor is configured to allow forwarding of the packet to the first device in response to the packet complying with the one or more further message transmission conditions.

17. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to check whether the first device is in sleep mode and, when the first device is in sleep mode, the processor is configured to wake up the first device before forwarding the packet to the first device.

18. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to forward at least broadcast packets relating to address acquisition to the first device.

14. A memory storing a computer program, the computer program configured to control a processor to perform the following:

check, at an intermediate node configured to arrange data transmission between first and second devices, a destination address of a packet received from the second device;

comparing at the intermediate node the destination address of the packet with at least one predetermined multicast and/or broadcast address;

preventing at the intermediate node transmission of the packet in the system to a first device in response to the addresses matching; and

forwarding at the intermediate node the packet to at least the first device in response to the addresses not matching.

15. A memory according to claim 14, wherein the computer program is further configured to control the processor to prevent transmission of universal plug and play discovery multicast packets to the first device.

16. A memory according to claim 14, wherein the computer program is further configured to control the processor to compare one or more properties of the packet to properties specified in predetermined transmission conditions to determine whether the packet should be forwarded to the first device.