Multi-hop relay communication system and method of constructing a multi-hop relay communication network

Abstract

The disclosure provides a multi-hop relay communication system and a method for constructing a multi-hop relay communication network. The system comprises a management node and at least one cluster head node and cluster member node in a cluster network; the management node is configured to send network management information in a time slot corresponding to the management node, the network management information comprising time slot allocation information and cluster network indication information, the time slot allocation information being used to indicate a time slot available to a target node, the target node being any one of a node in the system and a node to be networked, and the cluster network indication information being used to indicate a corresponding relationship between the cluster head node and the cluster member node in each cluster network; the cluster head node is configured to send the network management information in a corresponding time slot, and send authentication information received from the node to be networked; and the management node is further configured to determine the cluster network indication information according to a network topology. The system diffuses network control information hop by hop with the management node as the center, and constructs a multi-hop relay communication network in a clustered and layered manner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a method for constructing a multi-hop relay communication system and a multi-hop relay communication network. Background Technology

[0002] A wireless ad hoc network is a communication network that does not require fixed infrastructure. Wireless ad hoc networks are typically multi-hop relay networks, meaning that a source node can transmit data to a target node via one or more hops. Here, the source node and the target node are any two nodes in the multi-hop relay network.

[0003] In related technologies, the basic idea behind establishing a multi-hop relay communication network is to divide a large number of nodes into multiple smaller subnets. Each subnet has a cluster head node, which is responsible for managing all nodes within its subnet. The cluster head nodes of each subnet form the backbone network, and the subnets are interconnected through the backbone network. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides a method for constructing a multi-hop relay communication system and a multi-hop relay communication network. The technical solution is as follows:

[0005] This disclosure provides at least one embodiment of a multi-hop relay communication system, the system comprising multiple nodes, the multiple nodes including a management node and at least one cluster head node and cluster member nodes in a cluster network;

[0006] The management node is used to send network management information in the time slot corresponding to the management node. The network management information includes time slot allocation information, which is used to indicate the time slots that the target node can use. The target node is any one of the management node, the cluster head node, the cluster member node, and the node to be joined to the network.

[0007] The cluster head node is used to receive network management information sent by the previous hop node, which is either the management node or the previous hop cluster head node. Based on the received network management information, the cluster head node sends the network management information in the time slot corresponding to the cluster head node, and also sends the authentication information of the node to be joined to the network. The authentication information is sent by the node to be joined to the network in the time slot corresponding to the node to be joined to the network.

[0008] The management node is also used to determine cluster network indication information based on the network topology, wherein the network topology is determined based on the authentication information received by the management node, wherein the cluster network indication information is used to indicate the correspondence between cluster head nodes and cluster member nodes in each cluster network, the cluster head members indicated by the cluster network indication information form a backbone network, and any node in the system is a node in the backbone network or is connected to a node in the backbone network.

[0009] Optionally, the time slot allocation information includes at least one of the following: management time slot allocation information, backbone network time slot allocation information, and cluster network time slot allocation information;

[0010] The management time slot is used to send the network management information, the backbone network time slot is used to transmit data between cluster head nodes, and the cluster network time slot is used to transmit data between cluster members in the same cluster network.

[0011] Optionally, the management node is used to determine the cluster network indication information in the following manner:

[0012] The management node uses a weighted comparison clustering algorithm to cluster multiple nodes corresponding to the network topology, based on the network topology, and determines the cluster head node in each cluster network.

[0013] Optionally, the cluster head node in the first cluster network is used to transmit data with any cluster member node in the first cluster network during the cluster network time slot corresponding to the first cluster network, wherein the first cluster network is any cluster in the at least one cluster network; and / or,

[0014] The cluster head node in the second cluster network is used to transmit data between the cluster head node in the second cluster network and the cluster head node in the third cluster network in the backbone network time slot corresponding to the cluster head node in the second cluster network, wherein the second cluster network and the third cluster network are any two clusters in the at least one cluster network.

[0015] Optionally, the cluster head node in the first cluster network uses Statistical Priority Multiple Access (SPMA) to transmit data with any cluster member node in the first cluster network; the cluster head node in the first cluster network uses Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) to transmit data with the cluster head node in the second cluster network.

[0016] This disclosure provides at least one embodiment of a method for constructing a multi-hop relay communication network, the method comprising:

[0017] The management node sends network management information in the time slot corresponding to the management node. The network management information includes time slot allocation information, which is used to indicate the time slots that the target node can use. The target node is any one of the management node and other nodes.

[0018] The node to be added to the network receives the network management information and sends authentication information in the corresponding time slot according to the time slot allocation information;

[0019] The management node receives the authentication information;

[0020] The management node generates a network topology based on the authentication information;

[0021] The management node determines cluster network indication information based on the network topology. The cluster network indication information is used to indicate the correspondence between cluster head nodes and cluster member nodes in each cluster network. The cluster head members indicated by the cluster network indication information form a backbone network. Any node in the network is a node in the backbone network or is connected to a node in the backbone network.

[0022] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0023] The first cluster head node receives network management information sent by the previous hop node of the first cluster head node in the backbone network, wherein the previous hop node is another cluster head node in the backbone network or the management node.

[0024] The first cluster head node is used to send the network management information in the time slot corresponding to the first cluster head node according to the received network management information, and to send the authentication information of the node to be joined to the network, wherein the authentication information is sent by the node to be joined to the network in the time slot corresponding to the node to be joined to the network according to the network management information.

[0025] Optionally, the management node clusters the nodes corresponding to the network topology according to the network topology, including:

[0026] The management node uses a weighted comparison clustering algorithm to cluster multiple nodes corresponding to the network topology, based on the network topology, and determines the cluster head node in each cluster network.

[0027] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0028] In the first cluster network, the cluster head node transmits data with any cluster member node in the corresponding cluster network time slot, where the first cluster network is any cluster in the network; and / or

[0029] The cluster head node in the second cluster network transmits data with the cluster head node in the third cluster network in the backbone network time slot corresponding to the cluster head node in the second cluster network. The second cluster network and the third cluster network are any two clusters in the network.

[0030] Optionally, the cluster head node in the first cluster network uses Statistical Priority Multiple Access (SPMA) to transmit data with any cluster member node in the first cluster network; the cluster head node in the first cluster network uses Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) to transmit data with the cluster head node in the second cluster network.

[0031] The beneficial effects of the technical solutions provided in this disclosure are:

[0032] In this embodiment, a management node sends network management information, including time slot allocation information. This time slot allocation information indicates the time slots available to a target node. The target node can be any one of the management node, the cluster head node, the cluster member node, or a node awaiting network access. This allows each node to send data in an orderly manner under the control of the management node, enabling node network access and data transmission between already connected nodes, thus facilitating rapid network access.

[0033] Furthermore, the cluster head node is used to receive network management information sent by the previous hop node, which is either the management node or the previous hop cluster head node. Based on the received network management information, the cluster head node sends the network management information in the time slot corresponding to the cluster head node, as well as the authentication information of the nodes to be joined, so that the nodes to be joined connected to each hop cluster head node join the network in sequence, thereby realizing the establishment of a communication network hop by hop with the management node as the center.

[0034] Furthermore, the management node is also used to determine cluster network indication information based on the network topology. The cluster head members indicated by the cluster network indication information form the backbone network, and any node in the system is a node in the backbone network or is connected to a node in the backbone network. Compared with the unordered competition among cluster nodes to elect cluster head nodes in related technologies, this method can quickly determine cluster head nodes and construct the backbone network, thereby enabling the rapid construction of a multi-hop relay communication network. Attached Figure Description

[0035] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-hop relay communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a method for constructing a multi-hop relay communication network provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0038] Figures 3-9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of constructing a multi-relay communication network according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0039] Figure 10 This is a structural block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0040] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” and similar words used in this patent application specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms “an” or “a” and similar words do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms “comprising” or “including” and similar words mean that the elements or objects preceding “comprising” or “including” encompass the elements or objects listed following “comprising” or “including” and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects. “A and / or B” indicates that three cases are included: A, B, or A and B.

[0042] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-hop relay communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, the communication system includes multiple nodes, with each circle in the figure representing a node. Each node is connected to at least one other node via wireless communication technology. This disclosure does not limit the type of wireless communication technology; it can be selected according to actual needs. For example, wireless communication technologies include, but are not limited to, Zigbee, Bluetooth, etc.

[0043] This node can be integrated into electronic devices or connected to electronic devices via a communication interface. Electronic devices include, but are not limited to, drones, unmanned vehicles, or unmanned boats.

[0044] In this embodiment of the disclosure, these nodes include management nodes, at least one cluster head node in a cluster network, and cluster member nodes. Each cluster network includes one cluster head node and at least one member node. The cluster head nodes in all cluster networks constitute the backbone network. The nodes in the backbone network can completely cover the entire network. That is, any node in this multi-hop relay communication system is either a cluster head node or connected to a cluster head node in the backbone network.

[0045] For example, such as Figure 1 As shown, node a is the management node, and nodes b, c, d, e, and f are cluster head nodes. Nodes a to f form the backbone network. Nodes b and n belong to one cluster, nodes c and o belong to one cluster, nodes d, g, and h belong to one cluster, nodes e, i, and j belong to one cluster, and nodes f, k, l, and m belong to one cluster.

[0046] In this embodiment, the management node is used to send network management information in the time slot corresponding to the management node. The network management information includes time slot allocation information, which indicates the time slots available to a target node. The target node is any one of the management node, the cluster head node, the cluster member node, and a node awaiting network access. The cluster head node is used to receive network management information sent by the previous hop node (either the management node or the previous cluster head node). Based on the received network management information, the cluster head node sends the network management information in the time slot corresponding to its own time slot, and also sends the received authentication information of the node awaiting network access. The authentication information is sent by the node awaiting network access in the time slot corresponding to its own time slot. The management node is also used to determine cluster network indication information based on the network topology. The cluster network indication information indicates the correspondence between cluster head nodes and cluster member nodes in each cluster network. The cluster head members indicated by the cluster network indication information form the backbone network. The network topology is determined based on the authentication information received by the management node.

[0047] In this embodiment, the wireless channel is divided into periodic frames, each frame including multiple time slots of equal duration. These time slots include management time slots, backbone time slots, and cluster time slots. Management time slots are used for security authentication, network management and control, and network topology awareness. Backbone time slots are used for communication between backbone network members. Cluster time slots are used for communication between cluster members, where cluster members include cluster head nodes and cluster member nodes.

[0048] Optionally, the time slot type may also include topology maintenance time slots. Topology maintenance time slots are used after network construction is completed, when the network topology changes due to node movement or channel changes, and the management node needs to readjust the cluster head nodes. For example, if the management node does not receive data from a cluster head node within a set time period (e.g., multiple consecutive time slots), it determines that the cluster head node is faulty, recalculates the cluster head nodes according to the network topology, and sends new cluster network indication information.

[0049] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the proportion of various time slots in each frame can be dynamically updated by the management node based on the network scale. In some examples, the management node can determine the proportion of the four types of time slots based on information such as the number of clusters, the number of cluster member nodes in each cluster network, node number, service type, channel quality, and connectivity. For example, the more clusters and / or the more cluster member nodes in the cluster network, the larger the proportion of cluster network time slots. As another example, if the number of clusters is small and the number of cluster member nodes in the cluster network is also small, indicating that the network is still in the networking stage, the proportion of management time slots is larger. Furthermore, nodes corresponding to channels with good channel quality can be allocated fewer time slots (including cluster network time slots or backbone network time slots), while channels with poor channel quality can be allocated more time slots to facilitate data retransmission. For example, if the connectivity information indicates a large number of hops in the network topology, then there will be more network management information and service data between nodes that need to be forwarded, so more management time slots and backbone network time slots need to be allocated. Conversely, if the connectivity information indicates a small number of hops in the network topology, then there will be less network management information and service data between nodes that need to be forwarded, so fewer management time slots and backbone network time slots need to be allocated.

[0050] For example, the time slot allocation information includes at least one of management time slot allocation information, backbone network time slot allocation information, and cluster network time slot allocation information. The management time slot is used to send the network management information, the backbone network time slot is used for data transmission between cluster head nodes, and the cluster network time slot is used for data transmission between cluster members within the same cluster network.

[0051] Optionally, the management node is used to determine the cluster network indication information in the following manner: the management node uses a weighted comparison clustering algorithm to cluster multiple nodes corresponding to the network topology according to the network topology to obtain the nodes in each cluster network, and determines the cluster head node in each cluster network to obtain the cluster network indication information.

[0052] Optionally, the cluster head node in the first cluster network is used to transmit data with any cluster member node in the first cluster network in the cluster network time slot corresponding to the first cluster network, wherein the first cluster network is any cluster in the at least one cluster network.

[0053] For example, the cluster head node in the first cluster network uses Statistical Priority Multiple Access (SPMA) to transmit data with any cluster member node in the first cluster network.

[0054] Optionally, the cluster head node in the second cluster network is used to transmit data between the cluster head node in the second cluster network and the cluster head node in the third cluster network in the backbone network time slot corresponding to the cluster head node in the second cluster network, wherein the second cluster network and the third cluster network are any two clusters in the at least one cluster network.

[0055] For example, the cluster head node in the first cluster network uses Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) to transmit data with the cluster head node in the second cluster network.

[0056] In this embodiment, a management node sends network management information, including time slot allocation information. This time slot allocation information indicates the time slots available to a target node. The target node can be any one of the management node, the cluster head node, the cluster member node, or a node awaiting network access. This allows each node to send data in an orderly manner under the control of the management node, enabling node network access and data transmission between already connected nodes, thus facilitating rapid network access.

[0057] Furthermore, the cluster head node is used to receive network management information sent by the previous hop node, which is either the management node or the previous hop cluster head node. Based on the received network management information, the cluster head node sends the network management information in the time slot corresponding to the cluster head node, as well as the authentication information of the nodes to be joined, so that the nodes to be joined connected to each hop cluster head node join the network in sequence, thereby realizing the establishment of a communication network hop by hop with the management node as the center.

[0058] Furthermore, the management node is also used to determine cluster network indication information based on the network topology. The cluster head members indicated by the cluster network indication information form the backbone network, and any node in the system is a node in the backbone network or is connected to a node in the backbone network. Compared with the unordered competition among cluster nodes to elect cluster head nodes in related technologies, this method can quickly determine cluster head nodes and construct the backbone network, thereby enabling the rapid construction of a multi-hop relay communication network.

[0059] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for constructing a multi-hop relay communication network according to an embodiment of this disclosure. See also... Figure 2 The method includes:

[0060] 201: Each node receives configuration information.

[0061] The configuration information is used to initialize the node. For example, the node's configuration information includes at least one of the following parameters: node number, network access frequency, security key related information, and identity information. Here, identity information refers to the node's identity in the communication network, such as whether it is a management node or a cluster head node.

[0062] In this embodiment of the disclosure, a node whose identity information indicates it is a management node will be referred to as a management node below. A management node can be either a cluster head node or a cluster head node.

[0063] This configuration information can be received via the node's input device after the node is powered on. In some examples, the input device can be integrated into the node, such as a touchscreen within the node. In other examples, the input device is external, connected to the node via wired or wireless means, such as a mouse and / or keyboard connected to the node via wired means, or a mobile terminal connected to the node via wireless means.

[0064] 202: Each node obtains its own location information through a positioning system and synchronizes its time with the positioning system. Optionally, each node can obtain its own location information through a positioning system such as BDS (BeiDou Navigation Satellite System) or GPS (Global Positioning System) and synchronize its time with the positioning system. In this embodiment of the disclosure, each node uses a high-precision clock, which allows synchronization to be maintained for a relatively long time after one synchronization.

[0065] 203: The management node sends network management information in the management time slot.

[0066] The management node sends the network management information at the aforementioned network access frequency so that other nodes (including nodes waiting to join the network and nodes already joined the network) can receive the network management information.

[0067] The network management information includes at least one of time slot allocation information, cluster network indication information, connectivity information, and routing information.

[0068] The time slot allocation information includes attribute information for each time slot in the current frame. The attribute information includes the allocation object and usage method of the time slot. The allocation object refers to which node can use the time slot, and the usage method indicates how the allocation object uses the time slot, such as receiving or transmitting, and the data transmission rate. Optionally, the allocation object of a time slot can be represented by the node number of one or more nodes. In this case, only the node corresponding to the node number can use the time slot to transmit data. Alternatively, the allocation object of a time slot can be empty. In this case, nodes not yet connected to the network can use the time slot to transmit data. For example, in Table 1 below, node 1 can use time slot 1 to transmit data, and node 3 can use time slot 2 to transmit data. Time slot M can be used by nodes not yet connected to the network.

[0069] Table 1 is the time slot allocation table.

[0070] Time slot number Assign object Time slot type How to use Time slot 1 Node 1 Management slots send Time slot 2 Node 3 Management slots send …… …… …… Time slot M null Management slots send …… …… …… …… Time slot N Node M Backbone network time slots send …… …… …… …… Time slot K Node N Cluster network time slots send

[0071] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the management node can allocate one or more time slots to a node, and a time slot can also be allocated to one or more nodes.

[0072] Cluster identification information is used to indicate the cluster head node and its corresponding cluster member nodes. The cluster head node identification information can include the node number and an indicator of the node belonging to a cluster. For example, when the indicator is 1, it indicates that the node with the corresponding node number is the cluster head node; when the indicator is 0, it indicates that the node with the corresponding node number is a member node. A node receiving network control information can determine whether it is a cluster head node based on its own node number, and if it is not a cluster head node, determine the cluster head node of its own cluster.

[0073] Connectivity information is used to indicate two nodes that are connected. For example, a connection between two nodes can be represented as an array {a, b}, where a and b are the node numbers of the two nodes, respectively.

[0074] Routing information is used to indicate the data transmission path between the source node and the destination node. The source node and the destination node can be any two nodes that are already in the network.

[0075] It should be noted that in the network management information sent by the management node for the first time, the cluster network indication information, connectivity information, and routing information are empty.

[0076] In step 203, the management node broadcasts network management information. The management node's one-hop nodes (i.e., nodes within the management node's coverage area) receive this network management information.

[0077] 204: Unregistered nodes among the one-hop nodes of the management node send authentication information based on the network management information.

[0078] This authentication information is used to request network access. For example, the authentication information includes at least one of the following: node number, node location information, node coverage area, and identifier of the node's cluster head node.

[0079] In this embodiment, the node number is used to uniquely identify a node; that is, different nodes have different node numbers. In other examples, node numbers can be assigned based on the importance of the node. For example, important nodes are assigned node numbers from the first set of node numbers, while less important nodes are assigned node numbers from the second set of node numbers. The node numbers in the first set of node numbers are less than the node numbers in the second set of node numbers. In other examples, the node number can be the node's IP (Internet Protocol) address or MAC (Media Access Control) address, etc. This disclosure does not limit the type of node number, as long as it can distinguish each node.

[0080] The location information of a node can be its coordinates. The coverage area of ​​a node is the range that its transmitted signal can reach, which can be represented by the radiation radius of its omnidirectional antenna. When a node does not yet have a cluster head node, the corresponding cluster head node identifier is empty.

[0081] In this step, nodes not yet connected to the network can randomly select a time slot from those without a specified node number to broadcast authentication information. During network construction, since a large number of nodes are not yet connected, a significant number of idle time slots will be allocated. Therefore, allowing nodes not yet connected to the network to randomly select a time slot reduces collisions.

[0082] The authentication information also includes information about neighboring nodes. Before a node joins the network and sends its own authentication information, if it receives authentication information broadcast by other nodes, it will consider the node corresponding to the received authentication information as its neighbor and send it along with the neighbor's identifier. In this way, the management node can obtain the connectivity relationships between nodes after they join the network, i.e., obtain the aforementioned connectivity information.

[0083] After obtaining connectivity information and cluster network indication information, the routing information of the entire network can be calculated based on the connectivity information and cluster network indication information.

[0084] If the management node's one-hop nodes include nodes already in the network, the method further includes: the nodes already in the network among the management node's one-hop nodes sending data to the destination node using the allocated cluster network time slots.

[0085] In some examples, when the network-connected node is connected to the destination node, the cluster head node of the network-connected node does not need to forward the data; when the network-connected node is not connected to the destination node, the cluster head node of the network-connected node receives the data and forwards it to the destination node.

[0086] In other examples, regardless of whether the joined node and the destination node are connected, data is sent to the cluster head node of the joined node, which then forwards it to the destination node. When the joined node and the destination node belong to the same cluster, the cluster head node of the joined node directly forwards the data to the destination node. When the joined node and the destination node belong to different clusters, the cluster head node directly forwards the data to the cluster head node corresponding to the destination node, which then forwards the data to the destination node.

[0087] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the cluster head node exchanges information with each other in the time slots corresponding to the backbone network time slot table in the TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) mode, and the members within each cluster exchange information with each other in the time slots corresponding to the cluster network time slot table in the SPMA (Statistical Priority-based Multiple Access) mode.

[0088] 205: The management node determines the first-hop cluster head node among the first-hop nodes based on the information of the first-hop nodes.

[0089] In some examples, the information of a one-hop node includes one or more of the following: node number, node location information, node signal quality, and the number of connected nodes.

[0090] The management node can cluster the one-hop nodes using a weighted comparison clustering algorithm based on the information from the one-hop nodes, and calculate the cluster head node among the one-hop nodes. Here, the clustering of nodes and the calculation of the cluster head node are implemented based on the connected dominating set algorithm. That is, it ensures that the cluster head node belongs to the connected dominating set, and that each cluster member node is adjacent to a node in the connected dominating set.

[0091] For example, in the weight comparison clustering algorithm, if the information of a one-hop node includes X types of information, where X is an integer and X > 1, then each of these X types of information corresponds to a weight coefficient, and the sum of the weight coefficients corresponding to these X types of information is equal to 1; the sum of the products of the parameter value corresponding to each type of information of the node and the corresponding weight coefficient is used as the weight of the node; the Y nodes with the largest weights in the Y clusters are determined as the head nodes of the one-hop clusters, where Y is a positive integer.

[0092] The parameter value corresponding to each piece of information can be either the value of the information or the reciprocal of that value. When the parameter value corresponding to the information is the value of the information, the weight of the node is directly proportional to the value of that information; when the parameter value corresponding to the information is the reciprocal of that value, the weight of the node is inversely proportional to the value of that information.

[0093] For example, suppose the information of a one-hop node includes two types: node number and number of connected nodes, and the corresponding weight coefficient is 0.5. The weight of a node is inversely proportional to the node number and directly proportional to the number of connected nodes. Then, the node with the smaller node number and the more connected nodes is the cluster head node.

[0094] For example, suppose a node's information includes the number of connected nodes and the node's location information, with a corresponding weight coefficient of 0.5. The node's weight is directly proportional to the number of connected nodes and inversely proportional to the distance between the node and the management node (which can be calculated based on the node's location information and the management node's location information). Then, the node with the smaller distance and the more connected nodes is the cluster head node.

[0095] 206: The management node allocates the first management time slot to the cluster head node in the one-hop node, and allocates cluster network time slots to each one-hop node.

[0096] In some examples, when allocating the first management time slot to cluster head nodes, the management node allocates different first management time slots to two cluster head nodes with overlapping coverage areas, and allocates the same first management time slot to two cluster head nodes with non-overlapping coverage areas. This allows two cluster head nodes with non-overlapping coverage areas to forward network management information in the same first management time slot, thereby improving the efficiency of forwarding network management information.

[0097] Here, whether the coverage areas overlap can be determined based on the location information and coverage range of any two cluster head nodes.

[0098] In other examples, the management node assigns a different first management slot to all cluster head nodes to simplify the allocation algorithm.

[0099] 207: The management node sends network management information again, which includes updated time slot allocation information and updated cluster network indication information.

[0100] The management node rebroadcasts network management information on the access frequency, and the one-hop node of the management node receives the updated network management information. The updated network management information includes the management time slot allocated to the first cluster head node and the cluster network time slot allocated to the cluster to which the first cluster head node belongs. The first cluster head node can be any cluster head node among the one-hop nodes of the management node.

[0101] The first node determines whether it has successfully joined the network based on the cluster network indication information in the network management information. If the cluster network indication information contains the first node's identifier, it indicates that the first node has successfully joined the network. If the cluster network indication information does not contain the first node's identifier, it indicates that the first node has not successfully joined the network. Here, the first node can be any one of the first-hop nodes of the management node.

[0102] The updated cluster network indication information is used to indicate the cluster head node and the corresponding cluster member node in a one-hop node.

[0103] 208: The first cluster head node sends network management information in the first management time slot allocated to it.

[0104] In step 208, the first cluster head node broadcasts the network management information.

[0105] Accordingly, the first-hop node of the first cluster head node receives the network management information.

[0106] Among the first-hop nodes of the first cluster head node, the second-hop nodes that belong to the management node send authentication information to the first cluster head node. This authentication information is used to request network access.

[0107] A node can receive network management information forwarded by multiple cluster head nodes and can choose one of them to send authentication information. That is, the authentication information includes the node number of the selected cluster head node. The cluster head node can compare its own node number with the node number in the authentication information. If they match, it forwards the authentication information; otherwise, it does not forward it. This avoids duplicate transmission of the same information, reducing network overhead. Furthermore, it prevents the same node from belonging to two cluster networks simultaneously during cluster head calculation.

[0108] 209: After receiving the authentication information from the first node, the first cluster head node sends the authentication information of the first node to the management node in the management time slot of the first cluster head node.

[0109] The first node is any node to be added to the network among the one-hop nodes of the first cluster head node.

[0110] 210: The management node determines the network topology based on the received authentication information.

[0111] 211: The management node determines new cluster network indication information based on the network topology.

[0112] The cluster network indication information is used to indicate the correspondence between the cluster head node and the cluster member node in each cluster network. The cluster head members indicated by the cluster network indication information form the backbone network. Any node in the system is a node in the backbone network or is connected to a node in the backbone network.

[0113] In some examples, cluster head nodes dynamically generated using a weighted comparison clustering algorithm can serve as network backbone nodes, forming the backbone network. For details on how to determine this, please refer to step 206 above; a detailed description is omitted here.

[0114] In this embodiment of the disclosure, after receiving network management information, the cluster head node also calculates the routing path of the nodes in the cluster network based on the connectivity information and routing information in the network management information, and sends the routing path to the cluster member nodes.

[0115] By repeating steps 206 to 211, the network scope can be gradually expanded, and the network topology and time slot allocation information can be updated periodically.

[0116] In other words, for the I-hop node (where I is a positive integer) of the management node, the management node allocates management time slots to the I-hop node and the cluster head nodes among the nodes already in the network before the I-hop node, as well as cluster network time slots to each cluster. Then, the management node sends network management information again, which includes updated time slot allocation information and updated cluster network indication information. The cluster head nodes before the I-hop node of the management node forward this network management information sequentially. The cluster head nodes in the I-hop node receive the network management information sent by the previous hop cluster head node and forward the received network management time slots. Correspondingly, the one-hop nodes of the cluster head nodes in the I-hop node receive this network management information, and the nodes that have not yet joined the network send authentication information to the cluster head nodes in the I-hop node in the corresponding management time slot, so that the authentication information can be sent to the management node through the cluster head nodes in the I-hop node. The management node determines the network topology based on the received authentication information and determines new cluster network indication information based on the network topology.

[0117] The method also includes: when the management node detects an interruption in the backbone network link, it updates the network topology and reselects a cluster head node based on the updated network topology, and then executes steps 206 to 211 again. The selection method is the same as in step 205 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0118] Optionally, to improve network performance, the spatial isolation of each cluster allows cluster head nodes to negotiate the frequency used by their cluster, enabling concurrent communication among clusters. That is, two spatially non-overlapping clusters can use the same frequency, while two spatially overlapping clusters need to use different frequencies.

[0119] Optionally, in some instances, the cluster head node acts like a gateway, identifying the destination address of data packets sent by each node, calculating a path to the destination node based on the backbone network topology, and transmitting the data packet through this path. To ensure that routing is unaffected by factors such as encryption, the source node needs to add an identifiable destination address to the encrypted data packet. For example, this destination address can be an identifier of the destination node, such as a node number or IP address.

[0120] The following is combined Figures 3 to 9 The following is an example illustrating the method for constructing a multi-hop relay communication network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0121] like Figure 3 As shown, initialize the configuration for each node.

[0122] One of the multiple nodes is configured as the management node C0. This management node broadcasts first network management information. This first network management information includes time slot allocation information and cluster network indication information. Since there is only one management node in the network, the number of nodes is relatively small, so the time slot allocation information only includes time slots available to the management node and time slots available to nodes waiting to join the network. For example, to ensure that nodes waiting to join the network can access the network quickly, a larger number of time slots can be allocated to them, such as 80% of the time slots available to them. Similarly, since there are no other nodes in the network, the cluster network indication information is empty.

[0123] like Figure 4 As shown, the management node's one-hop node joins the network and determines the cluster head node.

[0124] The first-hop node of the management node receives the first network management information. Based on the time slots available to the node seeking to join the network as indicated in the first network management information, it randomly selects one time slot to send authentication information. This authentication information includes the geographical location, coverage area, and neighbor node information of the node seeking to join the network. The management node determines the network topology based on the authentication information received from each node and calculates the cluster head node among the first-hop nodes based on the information of the first-hop nodes, such as... Figure 4 The first cluster head node C1 in the cluster.

[0125] like Figure 5 As shown, the second-hop node of the management node enters the network.

[0126] The management node sends a second network management message. This second network management message includes time slot allocation information and cluster network indication information. The time slot allocation information in the second network management message includes the time slots that the management node can use, the time slots that the first-hop nodes can use, and the time slots that nodes waiting to join the network can use. Among them, the time slots that the cluster head nodes in the first-hop nodes can use include management time slots, cluster network time slots, and backbone network time slots. The time slots that non-cluster head nodes in the first-hop nodes can use include cluster network time slots. The cluster network indication information is used to indicate the cluster head nodes and their corresponding cluster member nodes in the first-hop nodes. Figure 5 In this system, a one-hop node is divided into three clusters, each with a cluster head node and a cluster member node. Figure 5 Only three cluster head nodes and three cluster member nodes are shown, and their corresponding relationships are not shown.

[0127] For example, to ensure that nodes waiting to join the network can access the network quickly, a larger number of time slots can still be allocated to these nodes, such as 70% of the time slots available to them. The cluster network indication information in the second network management information includes the identifiers of three cluster head nodes and one cluster member node corresponding to each cluster head node.

[0128] The first cluster head node forwards the second network management information in its corresponding management time slot. The neighboring nodes of the first cluster head node receive this second network management information. If a neighboring node of the first cluster head node is already in the network, it does not send information in its management time slot. If a neighboring node of the first cluster head node is a node awaiting network entry, it sends authentication information in the management time slot corresponding to the node awaiting network entry. After receiving this authentication information, the first cluster head node sends it to the management node in its management time slot, thus completing the two-hop node network entry for the management node.

[0129] like Figure 6 As shown, after the two-hop node joins the network, the management node determines the cluster head node.

[0130] The management node updates the network topology based on the received authentication information, and calculates the cluster head node based on the updated network topology, such as... Figure 6 The second cluster head node C2 in the example. Figure 6 As shown, the second cluster head node C2 has 3 nodes.

[0131] like Figure 7 As shown, the three-hop nodes of the management node enter the network.

[0132] The management node sends third-party network management information. This third-party network management information includes time slot allocation information and cluster network indication information. The time slot allocation information includes the time slots available to the management node, the time slots available to already joined nodes, and the time slots available to nodes awaiting joining. Specifically, the time slots available to cluster heads among already joined nodes include management time slots, cluster network time slots, and backbone network time slots. The time slots available to non-cluster head nodes among already joined nodes include cluster network time slots. The cluster network indication information is used to indicate the cluster head nodes and their corresponding cluster member nodes among already joined nodes. Figure 7 The network members have been divided into 6 clusters.

[0133] For example, to ensure that nodes waiting to join the network can quickly access the network, a larger number of time slots can still be allocated to them, such as 50% of the time slots available to them. As the number of nodes already in the network increases, it is necessary to increase the proportion of cluster network time slots and backbone network time slots to meet the data transmission needs of these nodes. The cluster network indication information in this second network management information includes six cluster head nodes and the identifiers of the cluster member nodes corresponding to each cluster head node.

[0134] The first cluster head node forwards the third network management information in its corresponding management time slot. If any of the first cluster head node's neighboring nodes are still nodes that have not yet joined the network, then the authentication information can be sent again in the management time slot corresponding to the node waiting to join the network.

[0135] After receiving the third network management time slot forwarded by the first cluster head node, the second cluster head node forwards the third network management time slot in its corresponding management time slot. The neighboring nodes of the second cluster head node receive this third network management information. If a neighboring node of the second cluster head node is already in the network, it does not send any information in its management time slot. If a neighboring node of the second cluster head node is a node awaiting network access, it sends authentication information in the management time slot corresponding to the node awaiting network access. After receiving this authentication information, the second cluster head node sends it to the first cluster head node in its own management time slot. The first cluster head node then forwards the authentication information to the management node, thus completing the three-hop node network access for the management node.

[0136] like Figure 8 As shown, after a three-hop node joins the network, the management node determines the cluster head node.

[0137] The management node updates the network topology based on the received authentication information, and calculates the cluster head node based on the updated network topology, such as... Figure 8 The third cluster head node C3 in the example. Figure 8 As shown, the third cluster head node C3 has 3 nodes.

[0138] like Figure 9 As shown, the three-hop nodes of the management node enter the network.

[0139] See related processes Figure 7 Detailed descriptions of related content are omitted here.

[0140] As can be seen, the embodiments of this disclosure take the management node as the center and adopt an orderly hop-by-hop diffusion to build a multi-hop relay communication network, which can shorten the network construction time and facilitate network maintenance.

[0141] To verify the implementation effect of the multi-hop relay communication network construction method centered on the management node provided by the present invention, the embodiments of this disclosure used network simulation software (OPNET) to simulate the construction time of a 6-hop lattice topology network containing 32 nodes. The simulation parameters are shown in Table 2, and the simulation results are shown in Table 3.

[0142] Table 2 Simulation parameters of 32-node 6-hop lattice topology

[0143]

[0144]

[0145] Table 3 Simulation results of 32-node 6-hop lattice topology

[0146] index numerical values Average network setup time 12.1297s Maximum networking time 15.8209s Total routing cost 263279 Bytes Routing overhead per unit time 2632.79 Bytes / s Average number of packets forwarded 2269.7 Average size of routing packets 115.99 Bytes

[0147] As can be seen from Table 2, the network setup time is short when constructing a multi-hop relay communication network using the method provided in this embodiment, indicating that the method can quickly construct a multi-hop relay communication network. Furthermore, the routing overhead is low, indicating that the proportion of overhead used for network maintenance is small, making the multi-hop relay communication network easy to maintain.

[0148] Figure 10 This is a structural block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Typically, this communication device can be any of the aforementioned nodes. For example... Figure 10 As shown, the communication device 400 includes a processor 401 and a memory 402.

[0149] Processor 401 may include one or more processing cores, such as a quad-core processor or an octa-core processor. Processor 401 may be implemented using at least one of the following hardware forms: DSP (Digital Signal Processing), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or PLA (Programmable Logic Array). Processor 401 may also include a main processor and a coprocessor. The main processor, also known as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), is used to process data in the wake-up state; the coprocessor is a low-power processor used to process data in the standby state.

[0150] Memory 402 may include one or more computer-readable storage media, which may be non-transitory. Memory 402 may also include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as one or more disk storage devices or flash memory devices. In some embodiments, the non-transitory computer-readable storage media in memory 402 is used to store at least one instruction, which is executed by processor 401 to implement the steps performed by any node provided in the method embodiments of this application.

[0151] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above embodiments can be implemented by hardware or by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk.

[0152] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of this disclosure and is not intended to limit this disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this disclosure should be included within the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A multi-hop relay communication system, characterized in that, The system includes multiple nodes, including a management node and at least one cluster head node and cluster member nodes in the cluster network; The management node is used to receive identity information through an input device. The identity information is used to indicate whether the management node is a management node in the communication network. The management node sends network management information in the time slot corresponding to the management node. The network management information includes time slot allocation information. The time slot allocation information is used to indicate the time slots that the target node can use. The target node is any one of the management node, the cluster head node, the cluster member node, and the node to be joined to the network. The cluster head node is used to receive network management information sent by the previous hop node, which is either the management node or the previous hop cluster head node. Based on the received network management information, the cluster head node sends the network management information in the time slot corresponding to the cluster head node, and also sends the authentication information of the node to be joined to the network. The authentication information is sent by the node to be joined to the network in the time slot corresponding to the node to be joined to the network. The management node is also used to cluster multiple nodes corresponding to the network topology using a weighted comparison clustering algorithm, and to determine the cluster head node in each cluster network to obtain cluster network indication information. The network topology is determined based on the authentication information received by the management node. The cluster network indication information is used to indicate the correspondence between the cluster head node and the cluster member node in each cluster network. The cluster head members indicated by the cluster network indication information form a backbone network. Any node in the system is a node in the backbone network or is connected to a node in the backbone network. The time slot allocation information includes management time slot allocation information, backbone network time slot allocation information, and cluster network time slot allocation information. The management time slot is used to send the network management information, the backbone network time slot is used for data transmission between cluster head nodes, and the cluster network time slot is used for data transmission between cluster members in the same cluster network. The proportion of the management time slot, the backbone network time slot, and the cluster network time slot in a frame is dynamically updated according to the network scale.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cluster head node in the first cluster network is used to transmit data with any cluster member node in the first cluster network in the cluster network time slot corresponding to the first cluster network, wherein the first cluster network is any cluster in the at least one cluster network. And / or, The cluster head node in the second cluster network is used to transmit data between the cluster head node in the second cluster network and the cluster head node in the third cluster network in the backbone network time slot corresponding to the cluster head node in the second cluster network, wherein the second cluster network and the third cluster network are any two clusters in the at least one cluster network.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cluster head node in the first cluster network uses Statistical Priority Multiple Access (SPMA) to transmit data with any cluster member node in the first cluster network; the cluster head node in the first cluster network uses Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) to transmit data with the cluster head node in the second cluster network.

4. A method for constructing a multi-hop relay communication network, characterized in that, The method includes: The management node receives identity information through an input device. The identity information is used to indicate whether the management node is a management node in the communication network. The management node sends network management information in the time slot corresponding to the management node. The network management information includes time slot allocation information. The time slot allocation information is used to indicate the time slots that the target node can use. The target node is any one of the management node and other nodes. The node to be connected to the network receives the network management information and sends authentication information in the time slot corresponding to the node to be connected to the network according to the time slot allocation information. The management node receives the authentication information; The management node generates a network topology based on the authentication information; The management node uses a weighted comparison clustering algorithm to cluster multiple nodes corresponding to the network topology according to the network topology, and determines the cluster head node in each cluster network to obtain cluster network indication information. The cluster network indication information is used to indicate the correspondence between the cluster head node and the cluster member node in each cluster network. The cluster head members indicated by the cluster network indication information form the backbone network. Any node in the network is a node in the backbone network or is connected to a node in the backbone network. The time slot allocation information includes management time slot allocation information, backbone network time slot allocation information, and cluster network time slot allocation information. The management time slot is used to send the network management information, the backbone network time slot is used for data transmission between cluster head nodes, and the cluster network time slot is used for data transmission between cluster members in the same cluster network. The proportion of the management time slot, the backbone network time slot, and the cluster network time slot in a frame is dynamically updated according to the network scale.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first cluster head node receives network management information sent by the previous hop node of the first cluster head node in the backbone network, wherein the previous hop node is another cluster head node in the backbone network or the management node. The first cluster head node is used to send the network management information in the time slot corresponding to the first cluster head node according to the received network management information, and to send the authentication information of the node to be joined to the network, wherein the authentication information is sent by the node to be joined to the network in the time slot corresponding to the node to be joined to the network according to the network management information.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: In the first cluster network, the cluster head node transmits data with any cluster member node in the corresponding cluster network time slot, where the first cluster network is any cluster in the network; and / or The cluster head node in the second cluster network transmits data with the cluster head node in the third cluster network in the backbone network time slot corresponding to the cluster head node in the second cluster network. The second cluster network and the third cluster network are any two clusters in the network.

7. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The cluster head node in the first cluster network uses Statistical Priority Multiple Access (SPMA) to transmit data with any cluster member node in the first cluster network; the cluster head node in the first cluster network uses Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) to transmit data with the cluster head node in the second cluster network.

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