Backward Routing for Low-Power Network Response Messages

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Solution Overview

Problem

Routing in communication networks, particularly in low-power wireless technologies, faces challenges such as complexity, resource inefficiency, and latency due to the need for route discovery and maintenance, especially in constrained resource environments.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of backward routing for response messages, where the response is sent on a route that is the reverse of the forward route established during initial message transmission, reducing the complexity and overhead associated with route discovery and maintenance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If routing is used to forward packets from source to destination via pre-created routes, then network throughput increases and interference is reduced, but device complexity, message overhead, resource consumption, and latency increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork throughputVSAvoidrouting complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs route discovery and establishes forward routes in advance before actual data transmission is needed. Nodes proactively discover routes to neighboring nodes and store routing information beforehand, so that when data needs to be transmitted, the path is already established and ready for immediate use, eliminating the need for real-time route discovery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent inverts the traditional routing approach by establishing routes from destination to source (backward routing) rather than from source to destination. When a node receives data, it uses pre-discovered backward routes to automatically forward data to the previous hop, reversing the conventional direction of route establishment and simplifying the forwarding decision process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Productivity

If routing is implemented in low-power wireless networks, then packet delivery efficiency improves, but resource consumption and latency increase due to route discovery and maintenance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket delivery efficiencyVSAvoidrouting latency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent maintains routing information continuously available through periodic updates and route maintenance mechanisms. Routing tables are kept current with ongoing discoveries and updates, ensuring that valid routes are always available without interruption, allowing continuous data transmission without repeated route discovery delays

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Productivity

If routing is used to reduce unnecessary packets and interference, then network throughput increases, but message overhead increases due to route discovery and maintenance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork throughputVSAvoidmessage overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements routing selectively at different levels of the network. Full routing is applied only where necessary (e.g., from source to first hop, and from last hop to destination), while intermediate hops use simpler forwarding based on pre-established backward routes. This localized application of routing reduces overall message overhead while maintaining throughput benefits in critical sections

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent discards detailed routing information after it has served its purpose of establishing the forward path. Once the forward route is established and data transmission begins, the complex routing tables are discarded or archived, and only simple backward route information is maintained for forwarding responses, reducing memory usage and message overhead while preserving the throughput benefits

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentEP3603199B1Selective backward routing in communication networks

Publication Date: 2023.12.13 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A

AI summary

A node (100) is configured for use in a communication network. The node (100) is configured to obtain a message with a source address and a destination address. The node (100) is also configured to determine whether the message is a type of message that is sent in response to a different message routed from the destination address to the source address, and whether a forward route (16) from the destination address to the source address has been established. The node (100) is also configured to selectively transmit the message on a backward route (18) that is the reverse of the forward route (16), depending on the determining.