Six-Address Scheme for Wireless Mesh Network Forwarding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing four address format schemes for wireless mesh networks are inefficient in supporting multiple hop frame forwarding and require substantial memory allocation and maintenance, especially when frames need to be routed to external nodes, as they rely on default routing and proxy tables, which are not effective for all cases and traffic grooming scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A six field address scheme is introduced to identify both the originating and endpoint of data frames, enabling efficient multiple hop forwarding through intermediate nodes in a wireless mesh network by using a proxy address table to convert legacy address schemes and eliminating the need for proxy address lists at each intermediate node, allowing frames to be forwarded using only routing tables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a four address format scheme is used for frame forwarding in wireless mesh networks, then the addressing structure is simple, but it is inefficient for multiple hop forwarding and requires substantial memory allocation for proxy tables at each node
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the addressing function into two distinct parts: a six-byte source address field and a two-byte destination address field. This segmentation allows the destination address to be short and efficient for local routing decisions, while the source address can carry additional information for end-to-end identification. The segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling efficient multiple-hop forwarding through the compact destination field while maintaining simple addressing structure through the standardized six-byte source field format.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an additional dimension to the address structure by using a fixed six-byte source address field that can encode both node identity and contextual information. This dimensional expansion allows the source address to carry sufficient information for routing decisions without requiring separate proxy tables at each node, thereby improving forwarding efficiency while maintaining structural simplicity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If proxy tables are maintained at each intermediate node for routing, then external nodes can be reached, but memory allocation and maintenance overhead become substantial
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the proxy table functionality from individual intermediate nodes and consolidates it into a centralized location or eliminates the need for it entirely by using the six-byte source address to carry sufficient routing information. This extraction removes the memory burden from each node while preserving external node connectivity through the enhanced source address field that can identify external nodes without requiring local proxy tables.
Solution Approach 2:
The six-byte source address field is designed to be self-sufficient, containing all necessary information for routing decisions including external node identification. This self-service approach eliminates the need for each node to maintain proxy tables, as the source address itself provides the routing information needed to reach external nodes, thereby reducing memory allocation while maintaining adaptability.
3Ease of operation
If default routing is used in the four address scheme, then routing is simplified, but it is not effective for all traffic grooming scenarios and multiple hop forwarding cases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic routing capabilities by enabling intermediate nodes to make intelligent forwarding decisions based on the information contained in the six-byte source address and two-byte destination address. Rather than relying on static default routing, nodes can dynamically determine the optimal path by analyzing the address fields, allowing the routing behavior to adapt to different traffic grooming scenarios while maintaining ease of operation through standardized address parsing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the address structure by expanding the source address to six bytes, which enables richer information encoding. This parameter change allows the routing system to distinguish between different traffic types and grooming scenarios, providing the versatility needed for various forwarding cases while maintaining simple operation through the structured address format that nodes can parse consistently.
Data Source
AI summary
A six field address scheme identifies both the originating point and the endpoint of a data frame enabling multiple hop forwarding through a plurality of intermediate mesh points in a wireless mesh network. Data frames originating or ending at a point outside of the wireless mesh network access the wireless network at a mesh access point using a legacy address scheme. The legacy address schemes are converted to a six address scheme using a proxy address table at the access point. Each mesh access point includes not only a routing table but a proxy address table as well as enabling the mesh access point, and/or mesh portal points, to convert address schemes having less than six address fields to the six field format. Subsequent to the conversion, mesh points within the wireless mesh network need only the routing table to facilitate the forwarding of the data frame.