Method and system for providing credit for participation in an ad hoc network
View Patent ↗A method and system for providing credit for participation in an ad hoc wireless communication network is useful for improving network efficiency. The method includes receiving at a first network node a first data packet transmitted from a second network node (step 305 ). The first data packet includes payload data and credit claim data. The first node then determines that the credit claim data should be forwarded to a credit accounting authority (step 310 ), so a second data packet is then transmitted from the first node to the credit accounting authority (step 315 ). The second data packet includes some of the credit claim data. The first node then transmits a third data packet to a third network node, where the third data packet includes the payload data (step 320 ).
1. A method for providing credit for participation in an ad hoc wireless communication network, the method comprising:
receiving at a first network node a first data packet transmitted from a second network node, the first data packet including payload data and credit claim data;
determining at the first network node that the credit claim data should be forwarded to a credit accounting authority;
transmitting, from the first network node, a second data packet to the credit accounting authority, where the second data packet includes some of the credit claim data; and
transmitting, from the first network node, a third data packet to a third network node, where the third data packet includes the payload data.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining at the first network node that the credit claim data should be forwarded to the credit accounting authority is based on a total size of the credit claim data.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second data packet that includes some of the credit claim data comprises an aggregate summary of the credit claim data.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining at the first network node that the credit claim data should be forwarded to the credit accounting authority is based on a status of the first network node.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the credit claim data comprise an authentication digest that is based on some of the credit claim data.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the credit accounting authority is a AAA (Authentication, Authorization, Accounting) server associated with the network.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third data packet comprises additional credit claim data for providing credit to the first network node.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the additional credit claim data comprises an identification of the first network node and verification credentials of the first network node.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third network nodes are each an intermediate node used for transmission of the payload data from a source node to a destination node in the network.
10. A system for providing credit for participation in an ad hoc wireless communication network, comprising:
computer readable program code components configured to receive at a first network node a first data packet transmitted from a second network node, the first data packet including payload data and credit claim data;
computer readable program code components configured to determine at the first network node that the credit claim data should be forwarded to a credit accounting authority;
computer readable program code components configured to transmit, from the first network node, a second data packet to the credit accounting authority, where the second data packet includes some of the credit claim data; and
computer readable program code components configured to transmit, from the first network node, a third data packet to a third network node, where the third data packet includes the payload data.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein determining at the first network node that the credit claim data should be forwarded to the credit accounting authority is based on a total size of the credit claim data.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second data packet that includes some of the credit claim data comprises an aggregate summary of the credit claim data.
13. The system of claim 10 , wherein determining at the first network node that the credit claim data should be forwarded to the credit accounting authority is based on a status of the first network node.
14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the credit claim data comprise an authentication digest that is based on some of the credit claim data.
15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the credit accounting authority is a AAA (Authentication, Authorization, Accounting) server associated with the network.
16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the third data packet comprises additional credit claim data for providing credit to the first network node.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the additional credit claim data comprises an identification of the first network node and verification credentials of the first network node.
18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first, second, and third network nodes are each an intermediate node used for transmission of the payload data from a source node to a destination node in the network.
19. A system for providing credit for participation in an ad hoc wireless communication network, the system comprising:
means for receiving at a first network node a first data packet transmitted from a second network node, the first data packet including payload data and credit claim data;
means for determining at the first network node that the credit claim data should be forwarded to a credit accounting authority;
means for transmitting, from the first network node, a second data packet to the credit accounting authority, where the second data packet includes some of the credit claim data; and
means for transmitting, from the first network node, a third data packet to a third network node, where the third data packet includes the payload data.