Multi-hop network for transmission of packets whose size is determined by hop count number

1. A network node for a multi-hop network, wherein the network node is one of a plurality of network nodes of the multi-hop network, comprising:

a route table for storing a plurality of routes from the network node to all destination nodes of the network and indicating respective hop count numbers of said routes;

means, responsive to a request for transmission of data, for determining a hop count number from said route table corresponding to a route indicated in said request; and

means for converting said data into at least one packet whose size varies according to the determined hop count number.

2. The network node of claim 1 , wherein said converting means converts said data into at least one data segment whose size varies according to said hop count number and wherein said at least one packet comprises said at least one data segment.

3. The network node of claim 1 , wherein said size of said packet maximizes the throughput of said route indicated in said request.

4. The network node of claim 1 , further comprising a mapping table for mapping a plurality of hop count numbers to a plurality of corresponding packet sizes, wherein each of said packet sizes maximizes the throughput of a route of a corresponding hop count number from said network node,

wherein said determining means further determines a packet size corresponding to the determined hop count number, and

wherein said converting means converts said data according to the determined packet size.

5. The network node of claim 1 , wherein each route stored in the route table is obtained by said network nodes exchanging control packets with each other.

6. The network node of claim 1 , wherein each route stored in the route table represents a route from a next node to a destination node.

7. The network node of claim 1 , wherein,

there are plural packets and each of said packets contains said determined hop count number.

8. The network node of claim 7 ,

wherein there are plural packet, and

further comprising:

a plurality of buffers respectively corresponding to hop count numbers;

means for receiving the packets from the network; and

means for determining a hop count number from the received packets and storing the received packets into one of said buffers corresponding to the determined hop count number.

9. The network node of claim 1 ,

wherein there are plural packet, and

further comprising:

a plurality of buffers respectively corresponding to hop count numbers;

means for receiving the packets from the network;

a second route table for storing a plurality of routes from each of the network nodes to every other nodes of the network and indicating respective hop count numbers of said routes; and

means for determining a route of the received packets from the second route table and a hop count number corresponding to the determined route and storing the received packets into one of said buffers corresponding to the determined hop count number.

10. The network node of claim 9 , wherein packets stored in said buffers are scheduled so that higher hop count packets are transmitted earlier from said buffers than lower hop count packets.

11. The network node of claim 9 , wherein each route stored in said second route table is obtained by said network nodes exchanging control packets with each other.

12. The network node of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless interface for establishing a wireless link with a neighbor network node.

13. The network node of claim 12 , wherein said wireless interface further establishes a wireless link with a mobile terminal.

14. The network node of claim 1 , wherein each of said network nodes is a wireless mobile node.

15. A network node for a multi-hop network, wherein the network node is one of a plurality of network nodes of the multi-hop network, comprising:

a plurality of buffers respectively corresponding to hop count numbers;

means for receiving packets from the network, each packet containing a hop count number of the route of said packets whose packet size corresponds to the hop count number; and

means for determining a hop count number from the received packets and storing the received packets into one of said buffers corresponding to the determined hop count number.

16. The network node of claim 15 , wherein the size of the received packets maximizes the throughput of the route of the packets.

17. A network node for a multi-hop network, wherein the network node is one of a plurality of network nodes of the multi-hop network, comprising:

a plurality of buffers respectively corresponding to hop count numbers;

means for receiving packets from the network, wherein the size of the received packets corresponds to one of said hop count numbers;

a route table for storing a plurality of routes and indicating respective hop count numbers of said routes; and

means for determining a route of the received packets from said route table and a hop count number corresponding to the determined route and storing the received packets into one of said buffers corresponding to the determined hop count number.

18. The network node of claim 17 , wherein packets stored in said buffers are scheduled so that the higher hop count packets are transmitted earlier from said buffers than lower hop count packets.

19. The network node of claim 17 , wherein each route stored in said route table is obtained by said network nodes exchanging control packets with each other.

20. The network node of claim 17 , wherein each route stored in said route table represents a route from each node of the network to every other node of the network.

21. A method of communication for a multi-hop network which comprises a plurality of network nodes, comprising:

a) storing, in a route table, a plurality of routes from a network node to all destination nodes of the network and indicating respective hop count numbers of said routes;

b) responsive to a request for transmission of data, determining a hop count number from said route table corresponding to a route indicated in said request; and

c) converting said data into at least one packet whose size varies according to the determined hop count number.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the step (c) comprises converting said data to at least one data segment whose size varies according to said hop count number and wherein said at least one packet comprises said at least one data segment.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the step (c) comprises converting said data to said at least one packet whose size maximizes the throughput of said route indicated in said request.

24. The method of claim 21 , further comprising mapping a plurality of hop count numbers to a plurality of corresponding packet sizes in a mapping table, wherein each of said packet sizes maximizes the throughput of a route of a corresponding hop count number from said network node,

wherein the step (b) further determines a packet size corresponding to the determined hop count number, and

wherein the step (c) converts said data to said at least one packet according to the determined packet size.

25. The method of claim 21 , further comprising exchanging control packets between said network nodes to obtain said routes of the route table.

26. The method of claim 21 , wherein each route stored in the route table represents a route from a next node to a destination node.

27. The method of claim 21 , wherein there are plural packets and each of said packets contains said determined hop count number.

28. The method of claim 27 ,

wherein there are plural packets, and

further comprising:

receiving the packets from the network; and

determining a hop count number from the received packets and storing the received packets into one of a plurality of buffers corresponding to the determined hop count number.

29. The method of claim 21 ,

wherein there are plural packets, and

further comprising:

storing, in a second route table, a plurality of routes from each of the network nodes to every other nodes of the network and indicating respective hop count numbers of said routes;

receiving packets from the network;

determining a route of the received packets from the second route table and a hop count number corresponding to the determined route and storing the received packets into one of a plurality of buffers corresponding to the determined hop count number.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein packets stored in said buffers are scheduled so that higher hop count packets are transmitted earlier from said buffers than lower hop count packets.

31. The method of claim 29 , further comprising exchanging control packets between said network nodes to obtain said routes of said second route table.

32. A method of communication for a multi-hop network, wherein the network comprises a plurality of network nodes, comprising:

receiving packets from the network, each packet containing a hop count number of the route of said packets whose packet size corresponds to the hop count number;

determining a hop count number from the received packets; and

storing the received packets into one of a plurality of buffers corresponding to the determined hop count number.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the size of the received packets maximizes the throughput of the route of the packets.

34. A method of communication for a multi-hop network, wherein the network comprises a plurality of network nodes, comprising:

receiving packets from the network, wherein the size of the received packets corresponds to one of said hop count numbers;

storing, in a route table, a plurality of routes and indicating respective hop count numbers of said routes; and

determining a route of the received packets from said route table and a hop count number corresponding to the determined route; and

storing the received packets into one of a plurality of buffers corresponding to the determined hop count number.

35. The method of claim 34 , further comprising scheduling packets stored in said buffers so that higher hop count packets are transmitted earlier from said buffers than lower hop count packets.

36. The method of claim 34 , further comprising exchanging control packets between said network nodes to obtain said routes of said route table.

37. The method of claim 34 , wherein each route stored in said route table represents a route from each node of the network to every other node of the network.