Three-Address Scheme for Wireless Mesh Frame Forwarding

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Solution Overview

Problem

The IEEE 802.11 standard does not provide a clear method for access points to interact and exchange 4-address frame formats, leading to incompatibility between different products, making wireless distribution systems (WDS) incompatible even between products from the same vendors.

Innovation Solution

A three-address scheme is introduced for forwarding frames in wireless mesh networks, where an Ethernet packet is encapsulated into a second Ethernet packet and then into an IEEE 802.11 frame, using address schemes that include destination, source, recipient, and transmitter addresses, along with a routing protocol field, to facilitate frame forwarding through multiple nodes based on forwarding tables.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the IEEE 802.11 standard uses a 4-address frame format for wireless communication between access points, then data transmission can occur over wireless mesh networks, but incompatibility arises between different products from different vendors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility between access pointsVSAvoidinteroperability of wireless distribution systems

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary addressing scheme that mediates between the source/destination addresses and the immediate transmitter/recipient addresses. This intermediary layer (using recipient and transmitter addresses) resolves the incompatibility by providing a standardized interface for frame forwarding between different access points, allowing various vendor implementations to interoperate reliably

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the addressing function into multiple components: source address, destination address, recipient address, and transmitter address. This segmentation allows each component to serve a specific purpose in the frame forwarding process, enabling clear distinction between end-point identification and immediate communication partners, thereby resolving compatibility issues

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If a clear address scheme is defined for frame forwarding in wireless mesh networks, then interoperability between access points is improved, but the device complexity increases due to multiple address fields and encapsulation processes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinteroperability of access pointsVSAvoidcomplexity of address handling and frame encapsulation

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal frame format that can handle multiple addressing scenarios (direct communication, mesh forwarding, different network topologies) through a single standardized structure. The recipient and transmitter address fields serve multiple functions including identification, routing, and compatibility assurance, reducing the need for multiple specialized handling procedures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11405775B2Three-address scheme for forwarding frames in a wireless mesh network

Publication Date: 2022.08.02 HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEV LP

AI summary

Some examples relate to use of a three-address scheme for forwarding frames in a wireless mesh network (WMN). In an example, a node in a WMN may receive an Ethernet packet from a station outside of the WMN. The Ethernet packet may include a first address scheme comprising a destination address (DA) field, and a source address (SA) of the Ethernet packet. The Ethernet packet may be encapsulated in a second Ethernet packet comprising second address scheme. The second Ethernet packet may be encapsulated in an IEEE 802.11 frame comprising a third address scheme.