Method and apparatus for determining a route between a source node and a destination node in a wireless multihopping communication network
View Patent ↗A system and method for controlling the dissemination of Routing packets, and decreasing the latency in finding routes between nodes. The system and method provides message exchanges between wireless devices to determine optimized communication routes with a minimum of overhead messages and buffered data. Exchanged messages are reduced to a specific series of exchanges indicating destination, destination node detection, and route, preferably using a series of IAP devices. Routes are discovered in an efficient manner and latency in finding routes between nodes is reduced, thereby reducing buffered information levels at individual devices.
1. A method for determining a route between a node in a wireless multihopping communication network and a destination, the method comprising:
determining, by the node, whether the destination is within the network;
sending, by the node, a packet for delivery to an intelligent access point of the network with which the node is associated, for further delivery to the destination, when the node determines that the destination is outside the network;
when the node determines that the destination is within the network, locating within a routing table, by the node, an existing route to the destination, and if the node cannot locate the existing route to the destination, further attempting, by the node, to obtain information pertaining to the route to the destination from the intelligent access point;
when the node obtains the information from the intelligent access point, determining, based on the information, whether to further attempt to locate the route; and
when the node determines it will further attempt to locate the route, attempting, by the node, to locate the route by performing an expanded ring search using a maximum time to live (TTL) being a function of a number of hops between the node and the intelligent access point.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
when the node is able to locate a route to the destination, sending, by the node, the packet for delivery to the destination via the route in which the node located.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
when the node locates the route based on the information, sending, by the node, the packet for delivery to the destination via the route.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
when the node is unable to locate the route based on the information, sending, by the node, the packet for delivery to the intelligent access point for further delivery to the destination.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
sending the packet to the intelligent access point, and continuing to send one or more packets to the intelligent access point, while locating the route to the destination by the node.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
refraining from sending the packet to the intelligent access point while locating the route to the destination by the node.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
attempting, by the node, to obtain the information pertaining to the route to the destination from the intelligent access point further comprises sending, by the node, one of an address resolution protocol (ARP) message and a domain name system (DNS) message to the intelligent access point and awaiting from the intelligent access point a reply that is one of an ARP reply message and a DNS reply message.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, by the intelligent access point, a status error message for receipt by the node when the intelligent access point is unable to locate the route to the destination after the node has attempted to obtain information pertaining to the route from the intelligent access point.
9. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, by the node, a route request to attempt to locate the route to the destination when the node determines that the destination is a neighboring node within the network.
10. A method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
refraining, by the node, from sending a status request message for receipt by the intelligent access point while the node attempts to locate the route to the destination using the route request.
11. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
attempting to obtain the information pertaining to the route from the intelligent access point further comprises sending, by the node, a status request message to the intelligent access point, and buffering the packet while awaiting receipt of a status reply or status error message from the intelligent access point in response to the status request message.
12. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
refraining, by the node, from sending a status request message to the intelligent access point while locating the route to the destination.
13. A node operating within a wireless multihopping communication network to send a packet to a destination, the node comprising:
a transceiver; and
a controller, operatively coupled to the transceiver, the controller programmed to:
determine whether the destination is within the network,
when the destination is determined to not be within the network, controlling the transceiver of the node to send a packet for delivery to an intelligent access point of the network with which the node is associated, for further delivery to the destination, and
when the destination is determined to be within the network, controlling the node to locate within a routing table an existing route to the destination, and if an existing route to the destination cannot be located, controlling the node to attempt to obtain information pertaining to a route to the destination from the intelligent access point, and when the node obtains the information from the intelligent access point, controlling the node to determine, based on the information, whether to further attempt to locate the route, and when the node determines it will further attempt to locate the route, controlling the node to locate the route by performing an expanded ring search using a maximum time to live (TTL) being a function of a number of hops between the node and the intelligent access point.
14. A node as claimed in claim 13 , wherein:
the controller further controls the transceiver of the node to send the packet for delivery to the destination via the route in which the node located.
15. A node as claimed in claim 13 , wherein:
the controller is further programmed to attempt to locate the route when the node obtains the information from the intelligent access point.
16. A node as claimed in claim 13 , wherein:
the controller further controls the transceiver of the node to send the packet for delivery to the destination via the route determined based on the information.
17. A node as claimed in claim 13 , wherein:
the controller further controls the transceiver of the node to send the packet for delivery to the intelligent access point for further delivery to the destination when the node is unable to locate the route based on the information.
18. A node as claimed in claim 13 , wherein:
the controller further controls the transceiver of the node to send the packet to the intelligent access point, and to continue to send packets to the intelligent access point, while attempting to locate the route to the destination.
19. A node as claimed in claim 13 , wherein:
the controller further controls the transceiver of the node to refrain from sending the packet to the intelligent access point while operating the node to locate the route to the destination.
20. A node as claimed in claim 13 , wherein:
the controller further controls the node to attempt to obtain the information pertaining to the route to the destination from the intelligent access point by controlling the transceiver of the node to send one of an address resolution protocol (ARP) message and a domain name system (DNS) message to the intelligent access point and await from the intelligent access point a reply that is one of an ARP reply message and a DNS reply message.
21. A node as claimed in claim 13 , wherein:
the controller further controls the transceiver of the node to receive a status error message sent by the intelligent access point when the intelligent access point is unable to locate the route to the destination after the node has attempted to obtain information pertaining to the route from the intelligent access point.
22. A node as claimed in claim 13 , wherein:
the controller further controls the transceiver of the node to send a route request to attempt to locate the route to the destination when the node determines that the destination is a neighboring node within the network.
23. A node as claimed in claim 22 , wherein:
the controller further controls the transceiver of the node to refrain from sending a status request message for receipt by the intelligent access point while the node attempts to locate the route to the destination using the route request.
24. A node as claimed in claim 13 , wherein:
the controller further controls the transceiver of the node to send a status request message to the intelligent access point to attempt to obtain the information pertaining to the route from the intelligent access point, and operates the node to buffer the packet while awaiting receipt of a status reply or status error message from the intelligent access point in response to the status request message.
25. A node as claimed in claim 13 , wherein:
the controller further controls the transceiver of the node to refrain from sending any status request message to the intelligent access point while operating the node to locate the route to the destination.