TSCH Network Node Aggregates Routing Reports
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Solution Overview
Problem
Deterministic networking in low power and lossy networks (LLNs) faces challenges such as lossy links, low bandwidth, and resource constraints, which affect packet delivery and routing stability, particularly in IoT applications like Smart Grids and Smart Cities, where precise timing and low jitter are critical.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a time slotted channel hopping (TSCH) schedule with mandatory and non-mandatory routing protocol report time slots, allowing for aggregated routing protocol reports from child nodes to a parent node, which are then sent to a higher parent during subsequent time slots, optimizing reporting schedules to adapt to network changes and constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If routing protocol reports are sent individually by each child node, then routing information is updated frequently, but control traffic increases and packet losses occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual routing protocol reports from child nodes into a single aggregated routing protocol report. The parent node collects routing information from multiple child nodes and merges them into one consolidated report that is then sent to the parent's parent node, reducing the total number of control messages in the network while maintaining complete routing information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary aggregation of routing reports at the parent node before forwarding to the upper level. By collecting and consolidating reports from multiple child nodes in advance, the system prevents duplicate transmissions and reduces overall control traffic volume while ensuring routing information is ready for timely propagation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If routing reports are sent immediately upon network changes, then routing stability is improved, but packet losses increase due to lossy links
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple routing reports that would otherwise be sent separately into a single aggregated report. This consolidation reduces the number of transmissions over lossy links while maintaining routing stability, as the aggregated report contains all necessary routing information from multiple child nodes in one reliable transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The parent node acts as an intermediary that collects routing reports from multiple child nodes, aggregates them, and then forwards the consolidated report upward. This intermediary function reduces the number of direct transmissions over lossy links, thereby reducing packet losses while maintaining routing stability through reliable aggregation at the intermediate node.
3Loss of information
If more time slots are allocated for routing reports, then routing information is more complete, but network latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines routing information from multiple child nodes into a single aggregated report that is transmitted in one time slot. This merging approach ensures complete routing information is conveyed without requiring multiple sequential time slots, thereby reducing network latency while maintaining information completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The parent node performs preliminary aggregation of routing information from multiple child nodes before the upward transmission to the parent's parent node. This preliminary consolidation ensures that all routing information is ready in advance, allowing complete routing data to be transmitted in a single time slot rather than requiring multiple time slots for individual reports.
4Measurement precision
If deterministic networking is implemented in LLNs, then packet delivery precision is improved, but network complexity increases due to resource constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the routing report function into two parts: local aggregation at the parent node and upward propagation to the parent's parent node. This segmentation simplifies the deterministic networking implementation by handling complexity locally at each node while maintaining precise packet delivery timing through structured time slot allocation for aggregated report transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The parent node performs multiple functions: it acts as a child node receiving reports from its children, serves as an aggregator combining routing information, and functions as a parent node transmitting the aggregated report upward. This multi-functionality reduces overall network complexity by eliminating the need for separate dedicated aggregation nodes, while maintaining deterministic timing through unified time slot management.
Data Source
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AI summary
In one embodiment, a network node provides a time slotted channel hopping (TSCH) schedule to one or more child nodes of the network node. The TSCH schedule includes one or more mandatory routing protocol report time slots. The network node receives routing protocol reports from the one or more child nodes according to the TSCH schedule. The network node aggregates the received routing protocol reports into an aggregated routing protocol report. The network node provides the aggregated routing protocol report to a parent of the network node during a time slot that is subsequent to the one or more mandatory time slots for the one or more child nodes.