Decentralized Track Reservation in 6TiSCH Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing networking protocols for low-power and lossy networks (LLNs) face challenges such as high traffic load and transmission delays due to centralized resource management, inefficient routing protocols, and lack of decentralized track reservation capabilities in 6TiSCH networks, leading to energy consumption, delay, and overhead issues.
Innovation Solution
A method for reserving a track between a source and a destination device in a decentralized system, involving sending a path computation request to a backbone router, receiving a computation reply, assigning soft cells, and confirming track reservations through unscheduled slot information, allowing for efficient resource allocation and reduced overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If centralized resource management is used, then resource allocation can be coordinated, but traffic load around the central controller increases and track reservation requests are not delivered promptly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized resource management into distributed components where each LLN device independently performs track reservation. Instead of all devices reporting to a central controller, devices exchange routing information and reserve tracks peer-to-peer through RPL protocol messages, eliminating the bottleneck at the central controller while maintaining coordinated resource allocation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces RPL routing protocol messages as intermediaries to facilitate track reservation. These messages carry both routing information and track reservation requests, enabling indirect communication and coordination between LLN devices without requiring direct central controller involvement for each reservation request.
2Ease of operation
If conventional routing protocols like RPL are used, then a path can be found between source and destination, but transmission delays increase and backbone router channels become saturated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the RPL routing protocol multi-functional by enabling it to simultaneously perform routing and track reservation. The same RPL messages used for path finding also carry track reservation information, eliminating the need for separate routing and resource management protocols and reducing overall transmission delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs track reservation as a preliminary action during the path finding process. Instead of finding a path first and then separately reserving tracks, the reservation is embedded in the routing message exchange, so tracks are reserved concurrently with path establishment, reducing total time and preventing backbone router channel saturation.
3Productivity
If decentralized track reservation is implemented, then overhead is reduced and throughput improves, but requires new procedures not existing in current 6TiSCH protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges track reservation procedures with existing RPL routing protocols. By combining resource management functions with established routing messages, the implementation leverages existing protocol infrastructure and processing logic, reducing the complexity burden despite adding decentralized functionality. This integration approach maintains throughput improvements while minimizing the learning curve and implementation complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present application is directed to a computer-implemented device for reserving a path in a network. The device includes a non-transitory memory operably coupled to a processor. The processor is configured to perform the instruction of sending a path computation request to a backbone router via a routing protocol path. The processor is also configured to perform the instruction of receiving a computation reply from the backbone router path based upon the request. The processor is also configured to perform the instruction of assigning a soft cell on the path between the source and the destination device. The application is also directed to a computer-implemented device for reserving a path between a source device and destination device.