RU2416176C2 - Decentralised information-telecommunication network with identification of elements on location, switched communication channel and device for operation of said network - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: information technology.

SUBSTANCE: invention discloses a peer-to-peer mobile information-communication network, a communication channel and a device which is an element of the said network. The network elements have a self-identification function. The network element identifier contains information on position of that element in coordinates on the location and time for determining these coordinates. Switching in the communication channel takes place in the direction from the position of one network element to another, based on the network identification information.

EFFECT: prevention of identification conflicts in the network.

15 cl, 1 dwg, 3 ex

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Telecommunication technologies are intensively used to provide personal communication services, including services such as SMS, MMS, voice cellular and Internet access. The provision of communication services is carried out using personal mobile devices (hereinafter - MU or device), the mobility of which is ensured by the reception and transmission of information in the broadcast range of electromagnetic waves. The most common mobile communication devices are cell phones and computers with wireless connectivity, and wireless network access points should also be included.

Modern communication systems are centralized. For example, this is how the city telephone network is arranged, where subscribers are switched on the PBX. The organization scheme of mobile communication systems includes base stations that receive and transmit signals to the MU, and a switching center that provides information transfer between base stations (cells). Such networking requires the maintenance of centralized equipment, which is carried out by telecom operators or Internet access service providers.

Currently, there is a tendency to reduce the cost of MU, the consequence of which is an increase in the number of their users. Almost the entire population of large cities have cell phones, therefore the density of MUs, i.e. their number per unit area of the city is comparable to the high population density of megacities.

The basis of the invention is a well-known method of organizing communication through peer-to-peer networks. Peer-to-peer networks are decentralized, that is, they can be formed without base stations, servers, etc. Such networks are known in the field of telecommunications as peer-to-peer networks, from the English term peer - peer.

Peer-to-peer networks were offered in various options for organizing mobile communications. Closest to the proposed invention is the development of the company TerraNet. According to TerraNet technology, each mobile handset can itself become a network node, thus expanding the coverage area of the entire system.

It should be noted that the method of transmitting a broadcast signal from one mobile device to another has already been implemented. To do this, in modern devices, BlueTooth technologies, infrared communication, WiFi and WiMAX wireless networks are used. However, switching of mobile devices takes place as part of a centralized network in which a device identifier is assigned to a central server. An example of such a server is a DHCP server on the Internet.

Due to the equality of all elements of the peer-to-peer network, there is the possibility of a conflict when two devices have assigned the same identifier. Then the transfer of digital data from one device to another is impossible, it is also impossible to distinguish between subscribers whose devices have the same number. International patent publication WO 2005/032058, which is the basis of TerraNet technology, describes a method for resolving conflicts of this kind in a peer-to-peer network. When two or more devices are connected, they exchange information about their identifiers, and if several identifiers are the same, then the corresponding devices are invited to change them to others.

The present invention discloses another method for assigning identifiers for peer-to-peer network devices, the difference of which is that this method cannot lead to the occurrence of identification conflicts, and, accordingly, it is not necessary to exchange information between network elements to resolve these conflicts. The method consists in the fact that the identifier of the device in the network is not formed by the self-assignment of a random number, but contains information about the coordinates of the location of the device at a certain point in time. Conflicts cannot occur due to the fact that two devices at the same time cannot physically occupy the same point in space.

Brief Description of the Drawing

The drawing shows methods for identifying devices in decentralized information and telecommunication networks designed for mobile communications:

(a) TerraNet technology: the method according to the international patent publication WO 2005/032058 is that devices exchange information to resolve a conflict of assigning two devices with the same identifier 01.

(b) Technology according to the present invention: the identification system according to the invention does not allow conflicts, since each identifier contains information about the time (10:45) and the location of each device in coordinates on the ground (3b and 2c).

Disclosure of the present invention

The drawing shows the disclosure of the invention in comparison with the closest analogue. Initially, two devices are located outside of each other's broadcast signal access area. According to the method described in international patent publication WO 2005/032058, each of the devices independently assigns an identifier, and, as shown in the drawing, it can be the same identifier, for example, equal to 01. If the devices are in each other's access area, they exchange information about their identifiers. Having established that there is a conflict (since both devices have the same identifier), one of the devices changes its identifier to 02 and now both devices can coexist on the same network.

The invention consists in the fact that in advance or, as shown in the drawing, at the time of overlapping access areas (for example, at 10 hours 45 minutes), the location of the devices on the ground is determined. The time in all cases considered indicates the time of day and the date of identification, or universal synchronized time of the network. The first device fixes its coordinate 3b at 10:45, and the second at the same time - coordinate 2c. (Time synchronization is used as an example, the coordinates on the plane are also indicated for the example, while in reality coordinates in three-dimensional space should be used.) The identifier of each device includes the time and place of identification. Since two (or more) devices, obviously, cannot occupy the same physical space at the same time, the identifiers are, by definition, different and the devices can communicate immediately.

The inventive method for identifying MUs is advantageous when switching communication channels in a mobile peer-to-peer network. Each of the MUs tracks its movements and, with a significant (more than coverage area) change in its location, transmits its new identifier to the network. Other devices on the network update local databases containing information about the location of other devices. Then, when it becomes necessary to connect one subscriber to another, those devices that are located in the direction from one subscriber to another are included in the formed communication channel. Due to this, the number of service packets transmitted between devices in a peer-to-peer network during switching is reduced.

A communication device capable of operating as an element of a peer-to-peer network includes components standard for digital communication systems (transceiver module, decoder, router, processor, timer, etc.) and additional software and (or) hardware for geolocation. The binding can be carried out in relative coordinates, by taking a bearing from two or more devices located in the access area of the identifiable device. If there is a navigation system module in the device, terrain referencing is carried out autonomously.

Using the MU described above, provided that the density of such devices in a certain area exceeds the limit determined by the range of stable reception / transmission of the radio signal, it is possible to form autonomous mobile communication networks. Such networks are decentralized, that is, they do not need the services of a telecommunications operator, since instead of the stationary base stations and the switching system connecting them, the MUs themselves are used as signal repeaters. The signal is transmitted from one device MU to another in the direction from the caller to the callee. The direction is determined due to the fact that the relative geographical location of all mobile network subscribers is known. Due to this, during signal propagation, a repeater subscriber is selected, which is located in the access area of the broadcasting MU, and at the same time, when relaying, it can expand this zone towards the receiving MU.

The location of the subscriber can be determined by dynamic coordinates, the binding to which is carried out at short intervals using satellite navigation systems such as GLONASS or GPS, or static coordinates, where the binding is made once. A dynamic location reference, for example, can be used for MUs such as mobile phones, PDAs and laptops, and static - for WiFi / WiMAX access points.

The established communication channel between subscribers is dynamic. If the subscriber unit participating in the communication channel changes its coordinates and approaches the boundary of stable reception, then a switch is made to an alternative repeater located in a more optimal location. In addition, in order to ensure channel bandwidth, several transponders can be used in parallel either throughout the channel or in areas of “problematic” transmission of information packets.

Switching between MU repeaters within the same communication channel is also carried out to distribute the load according to energy consumption between network subscribers. For example, after lowering the charge level of the batteries of a personal MU below a certain level, the device blocks calls to service communication channels.

The invention is intended to expand the scope of mobile communications through the formation of peer-to-peer networks. Moreover, communication devices compatible with peer-to-peer networks can combine the functions of an ordinary cell phone and the functions for operating in a decentralized communication mode. If it is not possible to establish a connection in a peer-to-peer network, the device establishes it in a cellular communication network through an operator. This combination reduces the load on mobile operators and provides local communication channels in crowded places, for example, in supermarkets, stadiums, traffic jams, during holiday greetings, when the increased load on the communication channels of cellular operators leads to a network failure, and so on. .P.

Examples of the implementation of the present invention

Example 1

As MU, a GPS-compatible cell phone is used with special software installed. The caller makes an SMS request to the called telephone through a mobile operator. On the called telephone, GPS-location is made and the coordinates are transmitted to the calling subscriber device.

The calling subscriber device determines other MUs within the access range, requests their coordinates and selects the one that is located closer to the called subscriber. The installed MU is switched to the relay mode and searches for the next MU in the direction of the called subscriber, and so on until the called subscriber is reached. Upon reaching the subscriber, a data transmission channel is established through which duplex transmission of GSM packets is carried out through a chain of MUs operating as repeaters.

Example 2

As a MU, a laptop with the ability to connect to wireless WiFi networks is used. If it is necessary to connect to the Internet, the MU determines the coordinates of its location, and also from the database stored on the MU downloads the coordinates of the nearest Internet access point. Among other devices located in the access zone, a device is installed that allows you to expand the communication channel in the direction of the access point. The device found in the access zone receives information about the coordinate of the access point and connects to the next device located in the direction of this point, and so on, until switching is performed. The established channel provides bidirectional data transmission over IP. If it is necessary to increase access bandwidth in a similar way, a parallel channel is formed.

Example 3

An element of a peer-to-peer network is a cell phone with the ability to send SMS text messages to another cell phone directly, without operator intervention. The MU scans the access zone at user-defined time intervals (5-10 minutes) and, when determining in the zone of another MU, transfers its identification information to it. The receiving MU enters this information into its database and passes it on - so the information about the location of all elements is constantly updated on the network. When an SMS message is sent, it begins to be transmitted from device to device in the direction of the destination. If one of the devices does not see other devices located in the access zone closer to the addressee (“breakage” of the communication channel), then information about this is transmitted to other nearby devices or to those devices that, during the relay of the message, have significantly changed their location towards the destination (for example, devices are located in a moving car). When one of the MU devices "carrier" message with the status of "not delivered" reaches the point of stable reception of a network element located closer to the destination, the relay chain resumes.

Claims (15)

1. A peer-to-peer mobile information and telecommunication network, consisting of elements, in which the identifier of the network element contains information about the location of each element in the coordinates on the ground and the time for determining these coordinates. 2. The network according to claim 1, the elements of which are mobile devices operating in the mode of a communication terminal or repeater as part of a communication channel. 3. The network according to claim 1, in which the identifier of the network element includes the coordinate of the element and the time to determine this coordinate according to the time measurement system in the network. 4. The network according to claim 1, in which time synchronization is performed according to the universal time of the network. 5. The network according to claim 1, where the location of the element is determined using the navigation system. 6. The network according to claim 1, where the location of the elements is determined by taking the bearing from other network elements. 7. The network according to claim 1, where information about the identifiers of one or more network elements is stored in a random access memory of a mobile communications device. 8. The network according to claim 1, in which information packets are distributed containing information about identifiers of network elements or information about changes in these identifiers. 9. The network according to claim 1, in which information about the identifiers of network elements is contained in the database of network elements. 10. The network according to claim 2, in which one mobile device serves in the mode of switching or relaying several communication channels. 11. A communication channel, the switching of which occurs in the direction from the location of one subscriber to another on the basis of identification information of network elements containing information about their location, characterized in that the identification time included in the identification information transmitted to subscribers is included. 12. The communication channel according to claim 11, in the process of maintaining which the dynamic routing of information packets is carried out with switching from one network element to another. 13. A device that is a network element according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and characterized by a self-identification function by forming its identifier from information about the location of each network element in coordinates on the ground and the time it takes to determine these coordinates. 14. The device according to item 13, which is a cell phone. 15. The device according to any one of paragraphs.13-14, supporting the ability to work in other networks, including centralized cellular networks.