Systems and methods for connecting devices through intermediate nodes
Methods and systems are presented in this disclosure that enable mobile devices without access to an active network connection (e.g. cellular, satellite or Internet network) to communicate between each other by sending and receiving data packets (e.g. text, location, or image) through a mesh of connected devices. A mobile device receives a request to send a packet having an identifier of a recipient device. Based on the identifier, the mobile device determines whether the recipient device is in a list of mobile devices within a wireless range of the mobile device. Based on the determination, the mobile device includes the packet into an outgoing queue having packets for forwarding. The mobile device establishes one or more connections with one or more mobile devices in the list, and forwards one or more packets from the outgoing queue to the one or more mobile devices using the one or more connections.
1. A method for wireless communications, comprising:
receiving, at an apparatus, a request to forward a first packet previously received at the apparatus, the first packet includes a first identifier of a first recipient device of the first packet;
determining, based on the first identifier, whether the first recipient device is in a list of wireless devices within a wireless range of the apparatus;
including, based on the determination, the first packet into an outgoing queue comprising a list of packets to be forwarded;
establishing one or more connections with one or more wireless devices in the list of wireless devices;
upon including the first packet into the outgoing queue, decrementing a value in the first packet indicating a remaining number of times the first packet is allowed to be transferred from one wireless device to another wireless device;
forwarding, in accordance with the decremented value, the first packet from the outgoing queue to the one or more wireless devices via the established one or more connections;
receiving, at the apparatus, a second packet having a second identifier of a second recipient device;
determining, based on the second identifier, that the second recipient device is the same as the apparatus; and
transmitting a reach packet directly to the one or more wireless devices from the list of wireless devices to stop forwarding the second packet.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the apparatus, a third packet having a third identifier of a third recipient device;
determining, based on the third identifier, whether the third recipient device is different from the apparatus; and
including the third packet into the outgoing queue, if the third recipient device is different from the apparatus.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forwarding the first packet within the outgoing queue to the one or more wireless devices, if the first recipient device is in the list of wireless devices and direct transmission of the first packet fails.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining presence of the at least one wireless device within the wireless range of the apparatus based on detecting signaling from the at least one wireless device;
updating the list of wireless devices based on the determining presence of the at least one wireless device within the wireless range of the apparatus; and
establishing at least one connection with the at least one wireless device within the wireless range of the apparatus based on the determining presence of the at least one wireless device.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a size of the outgoing queue; and
discarding at least one packet from the outgoing queue if the size of the outgoing queue is larger than a defined maximum queue size.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
discarding the first packet if an expiration time of the first packet indicated in the first packet is reached or if another reach packet is received indicating the first packet has reached its destination.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
discarding the first packet if the first packet was transferred from one wireless device to another before reaching the apparatus a defined maximum number of times and a defined propagation limit for the first packet is reached.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
including in the first packet one or more identifiers of the one or more wireless devices where the first packet is forwarded and an identifier of the apparatus forwarding the first packet; and
including in the first packet an indication about a number of times the first packet is forwarded from the apparatus.
9. A method for wireless communications, comprising:
receiving, at an apparatus, a request to forward a first packet previously received at the apparatus, the first packet includes a first identifier of a first recipient device of the first packet;
determining, based on the first identifier, whether the first recipient device is in a list of wireless devices within a wireless range of the apparatus;
including, based on the determination, the first packet into an outgoing queue comprising a list of packets to be forwarded;
establishing one or more connections with one or more wireless devices in the list of wireless devices;
upon including the first packet into the outgoing queue, decrementing a value in the first packet indicating a remaining number of times the first packet is allowed to be transferred from one wireless device to another wireless device;
forwarding, in accordance with the decremented value, the first packet from the outgoing queue to the one or more wireless devices via the established one or more connections;
receiving a second packet having a second identifier of a second recipient device; and
discarding the second packet after reaching an expiration time indicated in the second packet, if the list of wireless devices is empty and no connection is established.