Label Switched Routing for Low Power IoT Domain Interconnection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Low power IoT devices face increased burden on routing infrastructure due to high response rates, which can lead to power and processing demands, especially when deployed in large numbers across vast geographic areas, necessitating optimizations in IPv6 neighbor discovery protocols and addressing mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
Implementing Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) with shortened Media Access Control (MAC) addresses and labels to reduce data packet size, enable on-demand traffic engineering, and minimize power consumption by using 6LoWPAN optimizations such as stateless compression protocols, allowing for efficient routing between low power network domains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If low power IoT devices are deployed in large numbers across vast geographic areas, then network coverage and sensing capability are improved, but power consumption and processing demands on routing infrastructure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network is divided into multiple Low Power Wireless Personal Area Networks (LP-WPANs), each managed by a border router. This segmentation allows devices to communicate locally within domains using shortened addresses, reducing the need for full IPv6 address processing and lowering power consumption while maintaining wide geographic coverage through multiple domains.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the Interface Identifier portion of the full IPv6 address, replacing it with a shortened domain label and local address. This extraction reduces the address size from 128 bits to a much smaller format, decreasing processing requirements and power consumption for address handling while preserving the ability to route packets across vast geographic areas.
2Measurement precision
If devices use full IPv6 addressing and neighbor discovery protocols, then routing precision and device identification are improved, but processing resources and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The IPv6 address structure is segmented into two parts: a shortened domain label (replacing the Interface Identifier) and a local address. This segmentation maintains the precision needed for device identification and routing while significantly reducing the total address size and processing complexity for neighbor discovery protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the Interface Identifier component from the full IPv6 address and replaces it with a compact domain label. This extraction maintains sufficient precision for device identification within domains while reducing processing complexity for address validation, neighbor discovery, and packet routing operations.
3Reliability
If standard IPv6 packets are used for communication between domains, then routing accuracy and protocol compatibility are improved, but packet size and transmission overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The packet addressing is segmented into a shortened domain label and local address components. This segmentation reduces the overall packet size by eliminating redundant Interface Identifier information while maintaining routing accuracy through the domain label, which preserves the ability to accurately route packets between different LP-WPAN domains.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the Interface Identifier from standard IPv6 packets, replacing it with a compact domain label. This extraction reduces packet size and transmission overhead while maintaining routing accuracy through the label switched path mechanism that uses the domain label to determine the appropriate border router for forwarding packets to the destination domain.
Data Source
AI summary
A network element is described. In one embodiment includes receiving a packet from the host in the first domain at the network element in the first domain, the packet including a destination address to the host in the second domain, the destination address being formed by replacing an Interface Identifier of an IP address by a second domain label and a shortened Media Access Control (MAC) address, the second domain label identifying the second domain. A routing label and the shortened MAC address are attached to the received packet, and the packet is sent on a label switched path indicated by the label to the second domain.