U.S. patent application number 17/659709 was filed with the patent office on 2022-07-28 for efficient network stack for wireless application protocols.
This patent application is currently assigned to Google LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Google LLC. Invention is credited to Grant Michael Erickson, Jonathan Wing-Yan Hui, Martin A. Turon.
Application Number | 20220239622 17/659709 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000006272253 |
Filed Date | 2022-07-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220239622 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Erickson; Grant Michael ; et
al. |
July 28, 2022 |
Efficient Network Stack for Wireless Application Protocols
Abstract
In embodiments of efficient network stack for wireless
application protocols, a network stack receives an
application-layer message in a first wireless application protocol
that includes a source address and a destination address, maps the
source address to an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) source
address, and maps the destination address to an IPv6 source
address. The source node transmits the application-layer message to
a destination node in a mesh network using a network stack that
implements a second wireless application protocol using the IPv6
source address, and maps the destination address to an IPv6 source
address.
Inventors: |
Erickson; Grant Michael;
(Sunnyvale, CA) ; Turon; Martin A.; (Berkeley,
CA) ; Hui; Jonathan Wing-Yan; (Belmont, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Google LLC |
Mountain View |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Google LLC
Mountain View
CA
|
Family ID: |
1000006272253 |
Appl. No.: |
17/659709 |
Filed: |
April 19, 2022 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15767115 |
Apr 9, 2018 |
11343222 |
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PCT/US2016/025526 |
Apr 1, 2016 |
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17659709 |
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62141853 |
Apr 2, 2015 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 61/256 20130101;
H04L 61/5038 20220501; H04L 2101/659 20220501; H04W 4/06 20130101;
H04W 4/027 20130101; H04W 40/24 20130101; H04W 80/02 20130101; H04L
61/103 20130101; H04W 80/12 20130101; H04W 4/029 20180201; H04L
61/4511 20220501; H04L 2101/681 20220501; H04W 4/80 20180201; H04W
84/18 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04L 61/103 20060101
H04L061/103; H04W 4/029 20060101 H04W004/029; H04L 101/659 20060101
H04L101/659; H04L 101/681 20060101 H04L101/681; H04W 4/80 20060101
H04W004/80; H04L 61/256 20060101 H04L061/256; H04W 40/24 20060101
H04W040/24; H04W 80/12 20060101 H04W080/12 |
Claims
1. A method of communicating an application-layer message by a
source node over a mesh network, the method comprising, by an
application-layer translation application of a dual-stack router:
receiving, from the source node using a first network stack that
implements a first network protocol, the application-layer message
that includes a source address and a destination address; mapping
the source address to an Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) source
address; mapping the destination address to an IPv6 destination
address; transmitting the application-layer message by the source
node to a destination node in the mesh network using a second
network stack implementing a second network protocol, the IPv6
source address, and the IPv6 destination address, the second
network stack comprising: a transport layer configured to transport
the application-layer message using User Datagram Protocol (UDP); a
network layer configured to communicate the application-layer
message using IPv6; a data link layer configured to encode the
application-layer message for transmission, the data link layer
comprising a 6LoWPAN adaptation layer and a Media Access Control
(MAC) layer; and a physical layer configured to transmit the
encoded application-layer message with a wireless transceiver in
the mesh network.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second network stack further
comprises a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) layer.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second network stack further
comprises a Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) layer.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: serializing the
application-layer message; or in response to said transmitting the
application-layer message, receiving an application-layer response
message from the destination node using the second network stack;
and communicating the received application-layer response message
to an application of the source node.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the application is one of: a
ZigBee application; a Z-Wave application; an Open Interconnect
Consortium (OIC) application; an AllJoyn application; or a fabric
network application.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical layer is an IEEE
802.15.4 Physical (PHY) layer.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the MAC layer is an IEEE 802.15.4
MAC layer.
8. A mesh network device implemented as a dual-stack router, the
mesh network device comprising: a mesh network interface configured
for communication in a mesh network; a memory and processor system
that are to implement an application-layer translation application
that is configured to: receive, using a first network stack that
implements a first network protocol, an application-layer message
that includes a source address and a destination address; map the
source address to an Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) source
address; map the destination address to an IPv6 destination
address; transmit the application-layer message to a destination
mesh network device using a second network stack implementing a
second network protocol, the mapped source address, and the mapped
destination address, the second network stack comprising: a
transport layer configured to transport the application-layer
message using User Datagram Protocol (UDP); a network layer
configured to communicate the application-layer message using IPv6;
a data link layer configured to encode the application-layer
message for transmission, the data link layer comprising a 6LoWPAN
adaptation layer and a Media Access Control (MAC) layer; and a
physical layer configured to transmit the encoded application-layer
message over the mesh network.
9. The mesh network device of claim 8, wherein the second network
stack further comprises a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS)
layer.
10. The mesh network device of claim 8, wherein a Constrained
Application Protocol (CoAP) layer.
11. The mesh network device of claim 8, wherein the second network
stack is configured to: serialize the application-layer message; or
in response to the transmission of the application-layer message,
receive an application-layer response message from the destination
mesh network device; and communicate the received application-layer
response message to an application of the mesh network device.
12. The mesh network device of claim 11, wherein the application is
one of: a ZigBee application; a Z-Wave application; an Open
Interconnect Consortium (OIC) application; an AllJoyn application;
or a fabric network application.
13. The mesh network device of claim 8, wherein the physical layer
is an IEEE 802.15.4 Physical (PHY) layer.
14. The mesh network device of claim 8, wherein the MAC layer is an
IEEE 802.15.4 MAC layer.
15. The mesh network device of claim 8, wherein the first network
stack comprises one or more layers of a Z-Wave network stack, and
the mesh network device comprises a Z-Wave network interface
configured for communication in a Z-Wave network.
16. A mesh network system, comprising: a source node configured to
communicate using a first wireless application protocol; and a
dual-stack router, comprising: a mesh network interface configured
for communication in a mesh network; a memory and processor system
that are to implement an application-layer translation application
that is configured to: receive, from the source node and using a
first network stack that implements a first network protocol, an
application-layer message that includes a source address and a
destination address; map the source address to an Internet Protocol
Version 6 (IPv6) source address; map the destination address to an
IPv6 destination address; transmit the application-layer message to
a destination node using a second network stack implementing a
second network protocol, the mapped source address, and the mapped
destination address, the second network stack comprising: a
transport layer configured to transport the application-layer
message using User Datagram Protocol (UDP); a network layer
configured to communicate the application-layer message using IPv6;
a data link layer configured to encode the application-layer
message for transmission, the data link layer comprising a 6LoWPAN
adaptation layer and a Media Access Control (MAC) layer; and a
physical layer configured to transmit the encoded application-layer
message over the mesh network.
17. The mesh network system of claim 16, wherein the second network
stack further comprises a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS)
layer or a Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) layer.
18. The mesh network system of claim 16, wherein the second network
stack is configured to: serialize the application-layer message; or
in response to the transmission of the application-layer message,
receive an application-layer response message from the destination
node; and communicate the received application-layer response
message to an application of the source node.
19. The mesh network system of claim 18, wherein the application is
one of: a ZigBee application; a Z-Wave application; an Open
Interconnect Consortium (OIC) application; an AllJoyn application;
or a fabric network application.
20. The mesh network system of claim 16, wherein the physical layer
is an IEEE 802.15.4 Physical (PHY) layer and wherein the MAC layer
is an IEEE 802.15.4 MAC layer.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of and claims priority to
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/767,115, filed on Apr. 9, 2018,
which in turn is a National Stage Entry of International Patent
Application No. PCT/US2016/025526, filed on Apr. 1, 2016, which in
turn claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
62/141,853, filed on Apr. 2, 2015, the disclosures of which are
incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Using wireless mesh networking to connect devices to each
other, and to cloud-based services, is increasingly popular for
sensing environmental conditions, controlling equipment, and
providing information and alerts to users. There are legacy
wireless application protocols that have large deployments of
devices, as well as newer wireless application protocols that offer
enhanced features and better connectivity for distributed
applications. However, the evolution and proliferation of various
wireless application protocols has led to incompatibilities in home
automation networks, even though the various wireless application
protocols use networking stacks that are similar in function. In
many cases various wireless application protocols use the same
standardized technologies at various layers of their network
stacks, but are not compatible or interoperable.
SUMMARY
[0003] This summary is provided to introduce simplified concepts of
efficient network stack for wireless application protocols. The
simplified concepts are further described below in the Detailed
Description. This summary is not intended to identify essential
features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for use
in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0004] Efficient network stack for wireless application protocols,
generally related to communicating application-level messages using
a network stack, in a mesh network, is described. In embodiments, a
network stack of a source node can receive an application-layer
message that includes a source address and a destination address,
map the source address to an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)
source address, and map the destination address to an IPv6 source
address. The source node transmits the application-layer message to
a destination node in the mesh network using the IPv6 source
address and the IPv6 address, and using the network stack. The
network stack includes a transport layer configured to transport
the application-layer message using User Datagram Protocol (UDP), a
network layer configured to communicate the application-layer
message using IPv6, a data link layer configured to encode the
application-layer message for transmission, the data link layer
including a 6LoWPAN adaptation layer and a Media Access Control
(MAC) layer, and a physical layer configured to transmit the
encoded application-layer message with a wireless transceiver in
the mesh network.
[0005] Efficient network stack for wireless application protocols,
generally related to communicating application-level messages using
a network stack, in a mesh network, is described. In embodiments, a
dual-stack router can receive an application-layer message, which
includes a source address and a destination address, using a first
network stack that implements a first network protocol, map the
source address to an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) source
address, and map the destination address to an IPv6 source address.
The dual-stack router transmits the application-layer message to a
destination node using a second network stack that implements a
second network protocol, and using the IPv6 source address and the
IPv6 destination address. The second network stack includes a
transport layer configured to transport the application-layer
message using User Datagram Protocol (UDP), a network layer
configured to communicate the application-layer message using IPv6,
a data link layer configured to encode the application-layer
message for transmission, the data link layer including a 6LoWPAN
adaptation layer and a Media Access Control (MAC) layer, and a
physical layer configured to transmit the encoded application-layer
message via the mesh network.
[0006] Efficient network stack for wireless application protocols,
generally related to service discovery across multiple mesh
networks, is described. In embodiments, a computing device can
establish communication with multiple mesh networks over a
communication network and transmit a discovery message for a
service to the multiple mesh networks, which causes the discovery
message to propagate to nodes in the multiple mesh networks. The
computing device can receive a response message from each node in
the multiple mesh networks that supports the service, the response
message indicating that the service is supported and an address of
the node that supports the service.
[0007] Efficient network stack for wireless application protocols,
generally related to translating application-level messages using a
cloud-based translation service, is described. In embodiments, a
gateway receives an application-layer message, which includes a
source address and a destination address, via a mesh network
interface. The gateway forwards the received application-layer
message over an external network to a translation service where the
translation service maps the source address to an Internet Protocol
Version 6 (IPv6) source address and maps the destination address to
an IPv6 destination address. The gateway receives a translated
application-layer message from the translation service, which
includes the IPv6 source address and the IPv6 destination address
and transmits the translated application-layer message over the
mesh network interface using a network stack. The network stack
includes a transport layer configured to transport the
application-layer message using User Datagram Protocol (UDP), a
network layer configured to communicate the application-layer
message using IPv6, a data link layer configured to encode the
application-layer message for transmission, the data link layer
including a 6LoWPAN adaptation layer and a Media Access Control
(MAC) layer, and a physical layer configured to transmit the
encoded application-layer message via the mesh network.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Embodiments of efficient network stack for wireless
application protocols are described with reference to the following
drawings. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to
reference like features and components:
[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates an example mesh network system in which
various embodiments of the efficient network stack for wireless
application protocols can be implemented.
[0010] FIG. 2 illustrates an example environment in which various
embodiments of the efficient network stack for wireless application
protocols can be implemented.
[0011] FIG. 3 illustrates an Open Systems Interconnection (OSI)
model that in which various embodiments of the efficient network
stack for wireless application protocols techniques can be
implemented.
[0012] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of protocols used in a mesh
network environment in accordance with embodiments of the efficient
network stack for wireless application protocols.
[0013] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of the stack architecture of
the ZigBee wireless application protocol with which embodiments of
efficient network stack for wireless application protocols can be
implemented.
[0014] FIG. 6 illustrates an example embodiment of the efficient
network stack for wireless application protocols with ZigBee as the
application protocol in accordance with embodiments of efficient
network stack for wireless application protocols.
[0015] FIG. 7 illustrates an example embodiment of the efficient
network stack for wireless application protocols with ZigBee as the
application protocol in accordance with embodiments of efficient
network stack for wireless application protocols.
[0016] FIG. 8 illustrates an example embodiment of the efficient
network stack for wireless application protocols with Z-Wave as the
application protocol in accordance with embodiments of efficient
network stack for wireless application protocols.
[0017] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of the efficient network stack
for wireless application protocols with AllJoyn as the application
protocol in accordance with embodiments of efficient network stack
for wireless application protocols.
[0018] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of the efficient network
stack for wireless application protocols with OIC as the
application protocol in accordance with embodiments of efficient
network stack for wireless application protocols.
[0019] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of the efficient network
stack for wireless application protocols with the fabric network as
the application protocol in accordance with embodiments of
efficient network stack for wireless application protocols.
[0020] FIG. 12 illustrates an example embodiment of a dual-stack
router in accordance with embodiments of efficient network stack
for wireless application protocols.
[0021] FIG. 13 illustrates an example embodiment of a gateway and a
translation service in accordance with embodiments of efficient
network stack for wireless application protocols.
[0022] FIG. 14 illustrates an example embodiment of service
discovery in accordance with embodiments of efficient network stack
for wireless application protocols.
[0023] FIG. 15 illustrates an example method of efficient network
stack for wireless application protocols as generally related to
application-layer message translation in accordance with
embodiments of the techniques described herein.
[0024] FIG. 16 illustrates another example method of efficient
network stack for wireless application protocols as generally
related to application-layer message translation in accordance with
embodiments of the techniques described herein.
[0025] FIG. 17 illustrates another example method of efficient
network stack for wireless application protocols as generally
related to application-layer message translation in accordance with
embodiments of the techniques described herein.
[0026] FIG. 18 illustrates an example method of efficient network
stack for wireless application protocols as generally related to
service discovery in accordance with embodiments of the techniques
described herein.
[0027] FIG. 19 illustrates an example environment in which a mesh
network can be implemented in accordance with embodiments of the
techniques described herein.
[0028] FIG. 20 illustrates an example mesh network device that can
be implemented in a mesh network environment in accordance with one
or more embodiments of the techniques described herein.
[0029] FIG. 21 illustrates an example system with an example device
that can implement embodiments of efficient network stack for
wireless application protocols.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] A number of application protocols exist for wireless
communication among devices in a home environment. However, the
evolution and proliferation of various wireless application
protocols has led to incompatibilities in home automation networks.
For example, a homeowner installs a lighting control network that
uses a first application protocol and later decides to automate
HVAC controls. The first application protocol may only support
lighting control, leading the homeowner to install a system using a
second application protocol for the HVAC control. The two different
application protocols may have many similar features, may share a
common radio spectrum, and may even have similar network stacks,
but the two application protocols operate as separate, incompatible
networks that the user must individually maintain and operate.
[0031] To effectively and efficiently communicate data between
devices within the home environment, multiple wireless application
protocols are adapted to communicate using a common, efficient
network stack, such as the Thread.RTM. network stack. The efficient
network stack is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
13/926,312 entitled "Efficient Network Layer for IPv6 Protocol"
filed Jun. 25, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by
reference herein in its entirety. A fabric network, using the
efficient network stack, may enable numerous devices within a home
to communicate with each other using one or more logical networks.
The fabric network is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
13/926,335 entitled "Efficient Communication for Devices of a Home
Network" filed Jun. 25, 2013, the disclosure of which is
incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
[0032] The efficient network stack provides reliable,
cost-effective, low power, wireless, device-to-device communication
using IP-based, mesh networking. By running the multiple
application protocols over the efficient network stack, the
multiple application protocols utilize common transport and
networking protocols for network operation, routing, security, and
reliability, as described in detail below.
[0033] The efficient network stack establishes a communication
network in which numerous devices within a home may communicate
with each other via a wireless mesh network. The communication
network supports Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) communication
such that each connected device has a unique Internet Protocol (IP)
address. Moreover, to enable each device to integrate with a home,
it may be useful for each device to communicate within the network
using low amounts of power. By enabling devices to communicate
using low power, the devices may be battery-powered and placed
anywhere in a home without being coupled to a continuous power
source.
[0034] The efficient network stack establishes a procedure in which
data is transferred between two or more devices such that the
establishment of the communication network involves little user
input, the communication between devices involves little energy,
and the communication network, itself, is secure. In one
embodiment, the efficient network stack is an IPv6-based
communication network that employs Routing Information
Protocol-Next Generation (RIPng) as its routing mechanism and a
Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol as its security
mechanism. As such, the efficient network stack provides a simple
means for adding or removing devices to a home while protecting the
information communicated between the connected devices. The adding
of devices to a mesh network in a home includes commissioning
devices to join the mesh network and optionally provisioning the
devices to update and/or configure the device to operate as part of
an application or service. The commissioning of mesh network
devices is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/749,616
entitled "Mesh Network Commissioning" filed Jun. 24, 2015, the
disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
[0035] While features and concepts of the described systems and
methods for the efficient network stack for wireless application
protocols can be implemented in any number of different
environments, systems, devices, and/or various configurations,
embodiments of the efficient network stack for wireless application
protocols are described in the context of the following example
devices, systems, and configurations.
[0036] FIG. 1 illustrates an example mesh network system 100 in
which various embodiments of the efficient network stack for
wireless application protocols can be implemented. The mesh network
100 (i.e., the fabric network) is a wireless mesh network that
includes routers 102, a router-eligible end device 104, and end
devices 106. The routers 102, the router-eligible end device 104,
and the end devices 106, each include a mesh network interface for
communication over the mesh network. The routers 102 receive and
transmit packet data over the mesh network interface. The routers
102 also route traffic across the mesh network 100. The routers 102
and the router-eligible end devices 104 can assume various roles,
and combinations of roles, within the mesh network 100, as
discussed below.
[0037] The router-eligible end devices 104 are located at leaf
nodes of the mesh network topology and are not actively routing
traffic to other nodes in the mesh network 100. The router-eligible
device 104 is capable of becoming a router 102 when the
router-eligible device 104 is connected to additional devices. The
end devices 106 are devices that can communicate using the mesh
network 100, but lack the capability, beyond simply forwarding to
its parent router 102, to route traffic in the mesh network 100.
For example, a battery-powered sensor is one type of end device
106.
[0038] The routers 102, the router-eligible end device 104, and the
end devices 106 include network credentials that are used to
authenticate the identity of these devices as being a member of the
mesh network 100. The routers 102, the router-eligible end device
104, and the end devices 106 also use the network credentials to
encrypt communications in the mesh network.
[0039] FIG. 2 illustrates an example environment 200 in which
various embodiments of the efficient network stack for wireless
application protocols can be implemented. The environment 200
includes the mesh network 100, in which some routers 102 are
performing specific roles in the mesh network 100. The devices
within the mesh network 100, as illustrated by the dashed line, are
communicating securely over the mesh network 100, using the network
credentials. Devices shown outside the mesh network 100 do not have
a copy of the network credentials for the mesh network 100 and
cannot use mesh network layer security to securely communicate.
[0040] A border router 202 (also known as a gateway and/or an edge
router) is one of the routers 102. The border router 202 includes a
second interface for communication with an external network,
outside the mesh network 100. The border router 202 connects to an
access point 204 over the external network. For example, the access
point 204 may be an Ethernet router, a Wi-Fi access point, or any
other suitable device for bridging different types of networks. The
access point 204 connects to a communication network 206, such as
the Internet. A cloud service 208, which is connected via the
communication network 206, provides services related to and/or
using the devices within the mesh network 100. By way of example,
and not limitation, the cloud service 208 provides applications
that include connecting end user devices, such as smart phones,
tablets, and the like, to devices in the mesh network 100,
processing and presenting data acquired in the mesh network 100 to
end users, linking devices in one or more mesh networks 100 to user
accounts of the cloud service 208, provisioning and updating
devices in the mesh network 100, and so forth.
[0041] A user choosing to control devices in the mesh network 100
can use a mobile device 210, which connects to the border router
202 via the external network technology of the access point 204, to
commission the new device. The mobile device 210 may be any
computing device, such as a smart phone, tablet, notebook computer,
and so forth, with a suitable user interface and communication
capabilities to execute applications that control devices to the
mesh network 100.
[0042] One of the routers 102 performs the role of a leader 216 for
the mesh network 100. The leader 216 manages router identifier
assignment and the leader 216 is the central arbiter of network
configuration information for the mesh network 100. The leader 216
also controls which commissioning device is accepted as a sole,
active commissioner for the mesh network 100, at any given
time.
[0043] The Efficient Network Stack
[0044] FIG. 3 illustrates an example block diagram of an Open
Systems Interconnection (OSI) model 300 that characterizes a
communication system for the example environments 100, 200 in which
various embodiments of the efficient network stack for wireless
application protocols techniques can be implemented. Generally, the
efficient network stack may be part of the Open Systems
Interconnection (OSI) model 300. The OSI model 300 illustrates
functions of a communication system with respect to abstraction
layers, in that the OSI model may specify a networking framework or
how communications between devices may be implemented. In one
embodiment, the OSI model includes six layers: a physical layer
302, a data link layer 304, a network layer 306, a transport layer
308, a platform layer 310, and an application layer 312. Generally,
each layer in the OSI model 300 serves the layer above it and is
served by the layer below it. In at least some embodiments, a
higher layer is agnostic to technologies used in lower layers. For
example, the platform layer 310 is agnostic to the network type
used in the network layer 306.
[0045] The physical layer 302 provides hardware specifications for
devices that communicate with each other. As such, the physical
layer 302 establishes how devices connect to each other, assists in
managing how communication resources are shared between devices,
and the like.
[0046] The data link layer 304 specifies how data is transferred
between devices. Generally, the data link layer 304 provides a way
in which data packets being transmitted are encoded and decoded
into bits as part of a transmission protocol.
[0047] The network layer 306 specifies how the data being
transferred to a destination node is routed. The network layer 306
also provides a security protocol that maintains the integrity of
the data being transferred.
[0048] The transport layer 308 specifies a transparent transfer of
the data from a source node to a destination node. The transport
layer 308 also controls how the transparent transfer of the data
remains reliable. As such, the transport layer 308 is used to
verify that data packets intended to transfer to the destination
node indeed reached the destination node. Example protocols that
may be employed in the transport layer 308 include Transmission
Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP).
[0049] The platform layer 310 (also known as an application
sublayer, an application interface layer, and/or an application
framework) establishes connections between devices according to the
protocol specified within the transport layer 308. The platform
layer 310 also translates the data packets into a form that the
application layer 312 may use. The application layer 312 supports a
software application that may directly interface with the user. As
such, the application layer 312 implements protocols defined by the
software application. For example, the software application may
provide services such as file transfers, electronic mail, and the
like.
[0050] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of protocols used in an
embodiment of an efficient network stack 400 as part of the OSI
stack 300 shown and described with reference to FIG. 3. In an
embodiment, the physical layer 302 of the efficient network stack
400 includes an IEEE 802.15.4 Physical (PHY) layer 402 to transmit
and receive mesh network communications in the mesh network
100.
[0051] In an embodiment, the data link layer 304 of the efficient
network stack 400 includes an IEEE 802.15.4 Media Access Control
(MAC) layer 404 to specify how data is transferred between devices,
including MAC security, and a 6LoWPAN adaptation layer 406 to adapt
IPv6 addresses to IEEE 802.15.4 addressing. In an embodiment, the
network layer 306 of the efficient network stack 400 uses IPv6, at
408, and a routing protocol 410, such as Distance Vector Routing,
to specify how the data being transferred to a destination node is
routed.
[0052] In an embodiment, the transport layer 308 of the efficient
network stack 400 uses User Datagram Protocol (UDP), at 412, to
specify a transparent transfer of the data from a source node to
the destination node. The transport layer 308 uses a Datagram
Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol 414 as its security
mechanism for the data transfer from the source node to the
destination node. Alternatively, the transport layer 308 can use
Transport Control Protocol (TCP) and Transport Layer Security (TLS)
for the data transfer from the source node to the destination
node.
[0053] Application Protocols Using the Efficient Network Stack
[0054] A number of wireless network standards define application
protocols and frameworks for device to device communication, such
as ZigBee.RTM., Dust Networks.RTM., Z-Wave.RTM., Open Interconnect
Consortium (OIC), IoTivity, AllJoyn.TM., ISA100, WirelessHART, and
so forth. These wireless standards are typically defined in terms
of a layered model that specifies services and/or technologies that
provide the functions described with respect to the OSI model 300,
above.
[0055] The various application protocols and frameworks may specify
portions of their respective layered models by selecting
standardized technologies. For example, ZigBee specifies IEEE
802.15.4 for its physical and data link layers, AllJoyn specifies
TCP/UDP and IP for its transport and network layers, and OIC
specifies DTLS/UDP and IPv6 for its transport and network layers.
As a result, the various application protocols and frameworks
utilize networking protocols that are similar, or identical, to the
networking protocols included in the efficient network stack 400.
The various application protocols and frameworks encode and
interpret application-level messages in varying manners at the
application layer 312, but the various application protocols and
frameworks rely on similar or identical services from the transport
layer 308 through the physical layer 302. Thus, the upper layers of
the various application protocols and frameworks can be adapted to
use the transport layer 308 through the physical layer 302 of the
efficient network stack 400.
[0056] An addressing scheme specific to any application layer
protocol is mapped to IPv6 addressing for the source and
destination addresses of the application-level messages and the
application-level messages are transported between source and
destination nodes using the efficient network stack 400. IPv6
addressing expands the logical and physical span of the network
running the application protocol, as described in detail below. For
example, the mapping of addresses to IPv6 may be done by the
efficient network stack 400, by a layer, sub-layer, or a shim layer
inserted between the application layer and the efficient network
stack 400, or by a layer, sub-layer, or a shim layer inserted into
the efficient network stack 400.
[0057] A formatting scheme specific to any application layer
protocol, such as the fixed, binary formatting in the ZigBee
Cluster Library (ZCL), may be serialized (or marshalled) for
transmission. For example, application layer messages are
serialized using Concise Binary Object Representation (CBOR),
Protocol Buffers, or any other suitable serialization format. For
example, the serialization may be done by the efficient network
stack 400, by a layer, sub-layer, or a shim layer inserted between
the application layer and the efficient network stack 400, or by a
layer, sub-layer, or a shim layer inserted into the efficient
network stack 400.
[0058] The following sections provide an overview of ZigBee, a
detailed example, using ZigBee, of the application layer 312 of a
wireless application protocol operating over the efficient network
stack 400, and examples of the adaptation of other wireless
application protocols over the efficient network stack 400.
Although aspects of the efficient network stack 400 are described
in examples of specific wireless application protocols and/or
application profiles, the concepts apply equally to any wireless
application protocol and/or application profile.
[0059] ZigBee
[0060] ZigBee is a specification for a suite of communication
protocols used to create personal area networks built using
low-power radios. Though its low power radios limit transmission
distances, ZigBee devices can transmit data over long distances by
passing data through a mesh network of intermediate devices to
reach more distant ones. ZigBee is typically used in low data-rate
applications that require long battery life and secure networking.
Applications include wireless light switches, home automation,
smart energy, and other consumer and industrial applications.
[0061] FIG. 5 illustrates the ZigBee stack architecture 500. The
main functions of a ZigBee network layer 502 are to enable the
correct use of the IEEE 802.15.4 MAC layer 404 and provide a
suitable interface for use by the ZigBee application layer 504. The
ZigBee network layer 502 includes two service access points (SAPs)
for the ZigBee application layer 504. A network layer data entity
SAP creates and manages network layer data units from the payload
of the ZigBee application layer 504 and performs routing according
to a current ZigBee network topology. A network layer management
entity SAP is used to handle configuration of new devices and
establish new networks. The network layer management entity SAP
determines whether a neighboring device belongs to the network and
discovers new neighbors and routers.
[0062] The routing protocol used by the ZigBee network layer 502 is
Ad-hoc On-demand Distance Vector (AODV) routing. In order to find a
destination device, a source device broadcasts a route request to
all of its neighbors. The neighbors then broadcast the request to
their neighbors, flooding the network until the destination device
is reached. Once the destination device is reached, the destination
device sends a route reply via unicast transmission following the
lowest cost path back to the source device. Once the source device
receives the reply, the source device updates its routing table for
the destination address with a next hop in the path and a path
cost.
[0063] The ZigBee application layer 504 is the highest-level layer
defined by the ZigBee specification, and is the effective interface
of the ZigBee system to its end users. The ZigBee application layer
504 includes a ZigBee Device Object 506, an application sublayer
508, and an application framework 510 that includes a number of
application objects 512.
[0064] The ZDO 506 is responsible for overall device management,
security keys, and policies. The ZDO 506 is responsible for
defining the role of a device as either a coordinator or an end
device, discovery of new devices on the network, and identification
of services offered by the new devices. The ZDO 506 then
establishes secure links with external devices and replies to
binding requests.
[0065] The application support sublayer (APS) 508 works as a bridge
between the ZigBee network layer 502 and the other components of
the ZigBee application layer 504. The APS 508 maintains up-to-date
binding tables in the form of a database, which can be used to find
appropriate devices depending on the services that are needed by an
application and offered by the devices in the network.
[0066] A ZigBee application may consist of communicating objects
which cooperate to carry out desired tasks. The application object
512 comprises clusters that define specific functionality used by
the application. ZigBee clusters are used to encode and interpret
messages at the application layer and are described in greater
detail in the section "ZigBee Cluster Library," below. The clusters
in the application objects 512 communicate using the facilities
provided by the APS 508 and are supervised by the ZDO 506.
[0067] Addressing is also part of the ZigBee application layer 504.
A network node consists of an IEEE 802.15.4-conformant radio
transceiver and one or more device descriptions, which are
collections of attributes which can be polled or set, or which can
be monitored through events. The transceiver is the base for
addressing, and devices within a node are specified by an endpoint
identifier in the range 1-240 that is associated with the base
address of the transceiver.
[0068] ZigBee Device and Service Discovery
[0069] In order for applications to communicate, their comprising
devices use a common application protocol that includes application
profiles. The application profiles group together conventions for
each application profile, such as types of messages, formats,
attributes, and so forth. Devices that collaborate in an
application are bound together by matching input and output cluster
identifiers that are unique within the context of a given
application profile and are associated to an incoming or outgoing
data flow in a device. Binding defines relationships between two
devices, specific endpoints, and a cluster ID. Binding provides a
mechanism for attaching an endpoint on one node to one or more
endpoints on another node. The bindings are stored in binding
tables of the bound devices and the tables contain source and
destination pairings.
[0070] Device address and service discovery is performed by unicast
and broadcast messaging. A coordinator in a ZigBee network assigns
16-bit network addresses to devices in the ZigBee network. When the
16-bit network address of a device is known, the unique, 64-bit,
IEEE 802.15.4 address of the node address can be obtained using a
unicast request. When the 16-bit network address of the device is
not known, a petition is broadcast to obtain the IEEE address. The
IEEE address of the device is included in the payload of a response
to the broadcast petition. In response to receiving the broadcast
petition, an end device responds with the IEEE address of the end
device, while a network coordinator or a router will also send the
addresses of all the devices associated with the network
coordinator or router.
[0071] The discovery of services in a ZigBee network is performed
by unicast and broadcast messaging. When the address of a device is
known, descriptors of the services provided by the device can be
directly requested using a unicast command to the device. To
discover servers for particular services, a source device
broadcasts a command to the ZigBee network to request locations of
servers that provide the particular service. The servers that
support the requested service respond with unicast messages to the
source device indicating support for the requested service.
[0072] ZigBee Cluster Library
[0073] In ZigBee, related application-level commands and attributes
are collected together in clusters that define an interface to
specific functionality. ZigBee clusters are used to encode and
interpret messages at the application layer Servers store the
attributes of a cluster and a node that affects or manipulates the
attributes of the cluster stored in a server is considered a client
of that cluster. A client device sends commands to manipulate
attributes of the server device. The server device sends responses
for the commands to the client device.
[0074] The ZigBee Cluster Library (ZCL) is a repository for a
number of clusters that define specific functionality. Some
clusters are provided as a part of the ZigBee standard and provide
commonly used functionality across application profiles or within a
particular domain, such as a lighting control profile. Other
clusters are created by product vendors to incorporate
vendor-specific functionality. The clusters in the ZCL may be
subdivided into functional domains, such as HVAC, lighting,
security, and so forth. Profiles (or application profiles) are
created by incorporating various clusters from the ZCL. For
example, profiles may include Home Automation, Commercial Building
Automation, Smart Energy, Telecommunication Applications, and the
like.
[0075] During service discovery, a simple descriptor in a server is
queried to obtain information about the server and what clusters
the server supports. The clusters supported by an application
object within an application profile are identified through the
simple descriptor. In the simple descriptor, the application input
cluster list contains the list of server clusters supported on the
server device and an application output cluster list contains a
list of client clusters supported on the server device.
[0076] ZigBee Over the Efficient Network Stack
[0077] FIG. 6 illustrates an example 600 of the efficient network
stack 400 for wireless application protocols with ZigBee as the
application protocol using the efficient network stack. As
previously discussed, the ZigBee application objects 512 include
clusters that encode and interpret messages at the ZigBee
application layer 504. Incoming messages are received at a physical
radio in the IEEE 802.15.4 physical (PHY) layer 402 layer, are
processed upward through the layers of the efficient network stack
400 to the ZigBee application layer 504, where the messages are
interpreted using clusters in the ZCL.
[0078] To send and receive messages, ZigBee devices use 802.15.4
16-bit network addresses for source addresses and destination
addresses. When a message is passed down from a cluster in the
ZigBee application layer 504, the efficient network stack 400
converts the 802.15.4 16-bit network addresses to IPv6 addresses
that maps to the 802.15.4 16-bit network addresses.
[0079] Alternatively, the clusters in the ZigBee application layer
504 may use 64-bit IEEE addresses for source addresses and
destination addresses. When a message is passed down from a cluster
in the ZigBee application layer 504, the efficient network stack
400 converts the 64-bit IEEE addresses to IPv6 addresses that maps
to the 64-bit IEEE addresses.
[0080] FIG. 7 illustrates an example 700 of the efficient network
stack for wireless application protocols with ZigBee as the
application protocol using the efficient network stack 400.
Alternatively, reliable messaging with retry, for messages from the
ZigBee application layer 504 uses a Constrained Application
Protocol (CoAP) layer 702. CoAP provides reliable messaging over
UDP with confirmable messages, as well as acknowledgement and reset
response messages. CoAP has IANA-assigned port number 5638 and port
number 5684 for CoAP secured by DTLS. Some embodiments of the
devices using CoAP with ZigBee over the efficient network stack 400
may use a predefined port for communication, by way of example and
not limitation, port 6116. For example, a ZigBee server listens to
the predefined port for a message that is a message using CoAP.
Alternatively to a predefined port, the devices may use a multicast
domain name system (mDNS) to resolve port numbers to host names by
broadcasting a request for port addresses for ZigBee applications
using CoAP with ZigBee over the efficient network stack 400. Thus,
each host device may assign its own ports and may use different
ports than other devices in the network. In some embodiments, there
may be a parent router for a sleepy, child end device that response
for the sleepy, child end device when the mDNS broadcast arrives
during a sleep state of the child end device.
[0081] Additionally in an embodiment, messages from the ZigBee
application layer 504 are serialized before transmission. For
example, messages from the from the ZigBee application layer 504
are serialized using Concise Binary Object Representation (CBOR),
Protocol Buffers, or any other suitable serialization format.
[0082] Additionally or alternatively, devices may also respond with
messages that indicate whether the devices support ZigBee over the
efficient network stack 400. Such polling may be used to determine
a device description for the devices rather than only what device
ports correspond to ZigBee over the efficient network stack 400. In
some embodiments, a response to the mDNS polling may be used as an
indication that the device supports ZigBee over the efficient
network stack 400 along with the port that is used during such
communications.
[0083] The ZigBee coordinator is a unique device in each ZigBee
network that establishes the ZigBee network and stores network
information including network keys. The leader 216 in a fabric
network performs similar services for the fabric network. In an
embodiment, when ZigBee devices communicate using the efficient
network stack 400, the leader 216 of the fabric network also acts
as the coordinator for the ZigBee devices.
[0084] Z-Wave Over the Efficient Network Stack
[0085] Z-Wave's.RTM. is a protocol for a wireless network for
communication among home automation devices. The MAC and PHY layers
of the Z-Wave.RTM. standard are specified in International
Telecommunication Union Recommendation ITU-T G9959. The Network
layer and Application interface sublayer are proprietary and
specified by Sigma Designs of Milpitas, CA.
[0086] The Z-wave network operates as a mesh network that can
contain up to two-hundred, thirty two (232) nodes. A central,
network controller, manages, and is used to setup, each Z-wave
network. Each node added to a Z-wave network is "included" in the
Z-wave network before it can operate in the Z-wave network. Each
Z-wave network is identified by a Network ID and each device is
further identified by a Node ID. The Network ID or Home ID is the
common identification of all nodes belonging to one logical Z-wave
network. In an embodiment, when Z-Wave devices communicate using
the efficient network stack 400, the leader 216 of the fabric
network also acts as the controller for the Z-Wave network.
[0087] FIG. 8 illustrates an example 800 of the efficient network
stack for wireless application protocols with Z-Wave as the
application protocol using the efficient network stack 400. The
efficient network stack 400 replaces the physical layer 302, data
link layer 304, network layer 308, and transport layer 308 of
Z-wave to transport Z-wave application frames over an IPv6, fabric
network. In an example, the Z-Wave application interface sublayer
802 and Z-Wave applications 804 communicate using the efficient
network stack 400. Optionally, the CoAP layer 702 may be included
to provide reliable messaging for Z-Wave transfer
acknowledgments.
[0088] AllJoyn Over Thread
[0089] AllJoyn.RTM. is a system that provides a software framework
and core set of system services for client-server communication
among devices using a distributed software bus (D-Bus) over IP
networks. Applications use the distributed software bus to
communicate via published application program interfaces (APIs).
Applications that publish APIs are producers (servers) and
applications consuming the APIs are consumers (clients). AllJoyn
bus formation is ad-hoc and is independent of the underlying
(typically IP-based) network.
[0090] Nodes in an AllJoyn network can be applications, routers, or
applications that contain a router. Applications can only connect
to routers, and routers can connect to other routers, to form a
mesh network topology.
[0091] FIG. 9 illustrates an example 900 of the efficient network
stack for wireless application protocols with AllJoyn as the
application protocol using the efficient network stack 400. The
efficient network stack 400 provides the physical layer 302, data
link layer 304, network layer 308, and transport layer 308 over
which applications using an AllJoyn transport layer 902, an AllJoyn
routing node layer 904, an AllJoyn messaging layer 906, and an
AllJoyn bus attachment layer 908 communicate between devices.
[0092] OIC Over Thread
[0093] The Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) specification defines
a framework for interaction among devices and applications
(entities) for multiple application-specific profiles. Each entity
may expose resources, with unique identifiers (URIs) and operations
associated with each resource. Each operation can have an initiator
(client) of the operation and a responder (server) for the
operation.
[0094] FIG. 10 illustrates an example 1000 of an efficient network
stack for wireless application protocols with OIC as the
application protocol using the efficient network stack 400. The
efficient network stack 400 provides the physical layer 302, data
link layer 304, network layer 308, and transport layer 308 over
which the OIC application profile 1002 communicates using the OCI
framework services 1004. The OCI framework services 1004, includes
the CoAP layer 702, a Concise Binary Object Representation (CBOR)
encoding layer 1006, and an OIC Resource Model.
[0095] Examples of OIC application profiles are a smart home
profile, a connected health profile, an automotive profile, and so
forth. An OIC application profile 1002 uses a set of OIC framework
services 1004 to communicate between OIC devices. The OIC framework
services 1004 connect OIC devices over the physical layer 302, data
link layer 304, network layer 308, and transport layer 308.
[0096] The OIC framework services 1004 consists of functions which
provide core functionalities for OIC operation. Identification and
Addressing defines the identifier and addressing capability.
Discovery defines the process for discovering available OIC Devices
and OIC Resources. Resource model specifies the capability for
representation of the entities in terms of resources and defines
mechanisms for manipulating the resources. Create, Read, Update,
Delete, and Notify (CRUDN) provides a generic scheme for the
interactions between an OIC Client and OIC Server. Messaging
provides specific message protocols for RESTful operation, i.e.
CRUDN interactions. Device management specifies the discipline of
managing the capabilities of an OIC Device and includes device
provisioning and initial setup as well as device monitoring and
diagnostics. Security includes authentication, authorization, and
access control mechanisms required for secure access to the
entities.
[0097] The Fabric Network Over the Efficient Network Stack
[0098] The fabric network, as described above, comprises an
efficient platform layer, and/or an efficient application layer
that use the efficient network stack 400. The fabric network
enables numerous devices within a home to communicate with each
other using one or more logical networks, as well as communicate
over the Internet to services, such as the cloud service 208.
[0099] FIG. 11 illustrates an example 1100 of the efficient network
stack for wireless application protocols with the fabric network
application layer 1102 as the application protocol using the
efficient network stack 400. The efficient fabric network stack 400
provides the physical layer 302, data link layer 304, network layer
308, and transport layer 308, over which the fabric network
application layer 1102 communicates. The platform layer 310 of the
fabric network is the CoAP layer 702 that provides the messaging
connectivity between devices in the fabric network.
[0100] Migration Process
[0101] To transition a network running a wireless application
protocol to run the wireless application protocol using the
efficient network stack 400, there are several methods of
transitioning the devices in the network based on the capabilities
of each device. In the case where every network device has
sufficient resources (e.g. memory, processor power, a compatible
radio transceiver) the entire network can be transitioned at once,
such as by an out-of-band upgrade of each node or propagating a
firmware upgrade over the network to each node. For example,
devices in a ZigBee network are upgraded by using the ZigBee OTA
Upgrade Cluster Interface to install a new firmware image in the
devices that replaces the lower layers of the ZigBee protocol stack
with the efficient network stack 400.
[0102] There are cases where some network nodes lack sufficient
resources to upgrade to the efficient network stack 400. For
example, a ZigBee end device with insufficient memory may not be
able to accept the upgrade. In this case, routers in the network
are upgraded to support dual-stack operation. The dual-stack router
supports both the original wireless application protocol stack and
the wireless application protocol running on the efficient network
stack 400.
[0103] FIG. 12 illustrates an example 1200 of a dual-stack router
1202 using the efficient network stack 400 for wireless application
protocols. Although the dual-stack router 1202 is shown with a
ZigBee stack, any wireless protocol stack may be used along with
the efficient network stack 400. The dual-stack router 1202
includes the IEEE 802.15.4 PHY layer 402, the IEEE 802.15.4 MAC
layer 404, and the ZigBee network layer 502 for ZigBee
communication using the first network stack, shown at 1204. The
dual-stack router 1202 also includes the efficient network stack
400 and the CoAP layer 702 for fabric network communication using
the second network stack, shown at 1206. The two network stacks,
1204 and 1206, are connected to an application-layer translation
application 1208 that maps addresses between the two wireless
application protocols, relays discovery messages and responses, and
the like. For example, the dual stack router 1202 enables a
resource-limited ZigBee end device to communicate as a part of the
fabric network by translating communication between the
resource-limited ZigBee end device and fabric-network devices in
the dual-stack router 1202.
[0104] Additionally, the dual-stack router 1202 enables two
networks to run in parallel over mesh network nodes. The dual-stack
router 1202 uses each stack independently to route packets for each
network. For example, one set of nodes in the network operates as a
ZigBee network and another set of nodes operates as a fabric
network. Some nodes may participate in only one network, while
other nodes may participate in both networks.
[0105] Alternatively, the dual-stack router 1202 may include two
radio transceivers, one for each stack, to bridge between different
networks. For example, a bridge device may have two radio
transceivers to bridge a Z-Wave network, which operates in the 915
MHz ISM band, to a fabric network, which operates in the 2.4 GHz
ISM band. In another alternative, a single radio is shared between
the two stacks on a time-sliced schedule to allocate the radio to
each network stack for alternating periods of time.
[0106] Application Profile Gateway
[0107] FIG. 13 illustrates an example environment 1300 illustrating
the operation of a gateway and a translation service using the
efficient network stack for wireless application protocols. The
function of the application-layer translation application 1208 need
not be located within the mesh network 100. A mesh network device,
such as the border router 202, is used as a gateway 1302 to forward
application-layer messages, via the communication network 206, to a
translation service 1304. For example, a ZigBee application-layer
message an IEEE 802.15.4 network is forwarded through the gateway
1302 to the translation service 1304, which performs the function
of the application-layer translation application 1208. At the
translation service 1304, the ZigBee application-layer message is
translated for transmission using the efficient network stack 400.
The translation service 1304 forwards the translated
application-layer message to the gateway 1302. The gateway 1302
then transmits the translated message using the efficient network
stack 400 over the mesh network 100.
[0108] The availability and address of the gateway 1302 may be
included in network data that is maintained and propagated by the
leader 216 in the mesh network 100. Alternatively the availability
and address of the gateway 1302 is discovered using as service
discovery protocol, for example mDNS. For example, any router 102
that receives a ZigBee message uses the address of the gateway 1302
to forward the received ZigBee message over the fabric network to
the gateway 1302. The gateway 1302 forwards the received ZigBee
message over the communication network 206 to the translation
service. The gateway receives the response from the translation
service 1304 and forwards the translated message in the response
over the fabric network to its destination. Alternatively, the
gateway 1302 forwards the response from the translation service
1304 to the router 102 that forwarded the ZigBee message to the
gateway 1302.
[0109] While the translation service 1304 may translate all
received messages, the application service can be associated with a
particular application profile. For example, a ZigBee message
carrying a payload that is associated with the home automation
profile is sent to a translation service 1304 that only translates
messages for the home automation profile. Another translation
service 1304 may be associated with smart energy, commercial
building automation, and so forth. The gateway 1302 identifies the
application profile from the received ZigBee message and forwards
received ZigBee message to the appropriate translation service
1304. The translation service 1304 may be associated with a
standard application profile or a vendor-specific profile.
[0110] A mapping of application profiles to translation services
1304 is maintained by the leader 216, the gateway 1302, and/or by
one or more border routers 202, for example in a table, database,
and so forth. The mapping may be provisioned into the leader 219,
the gateway 1302, and/or the one or more border routers 202 during
commissioning by a network commissioner either executing a
provisioning application on the commissioning device or by a
provisioning service in the cloud.
[0111] Service and Address Discovery
[0112] Service discovery in a mesh network may only extend locally
within the mesh network. A node in a mesh network 100 may broadcast
or flood the mesh network to request for any nodes providing a
particular service or supporting a particular application profile
to respond with a message that identifies the node providing the
service. For example, the ZigBee Device Object (ZDO) 506 supports
device (address) and/or service discovery one ZigBee devices within
the address scope of a single ZigBee mesh network.
[0113] This type of service discovery mechanism is effective within
a single mesh network but does not scale well outside local address
scope of the mesh network. For example, a user may want to use an
application on a mobile device to control devices at multiple
locations, such as home, an office, and/or a vacation home, which
are on isolated mesh networks. The fabric network has a mesh-local
scope that is based on IPv6 addressing of nodes in a fabric network
that can be used with the efficient network stack 400 to extend
service discovery beyond a mesh network in a single, physical
location. The mesh-local scope of the fabric network is described
in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/798,448 entitled "Mesh
Network Addressing" filed Jul. 13, 2015, the disclosure of which is
incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
[0114] FIG. 14 illustrates an environment 1400 for service
discovery across multiple mesh networks. A mobile device 1402
connects via a communication network 206 to a first mesh network
1404 and to a second mesh network 1406. The mesh networks 1404,
1406 can be logically-separate mesh networks and/or
physically-separate mesh networks, for example at different
geographic locations. The mobile device includes a discovery
application 1408 for control of mesh network devices that share a
common application profile. Some of the mesh network devices in the
mesh networks 1404, 1406 and the discovery application 1408
supports the common application profile, such as a ZigBee lighting
control profile. In the mesh network devices of the mesh networks
1404 and 1406, the application profile and associated ZCLs run on
the efficient network stack 400 within a common mesh-local address
scope, using any of the embodiments described above. The discovery
application 1408 initiates service discovery for a service using
the services of the ZDO in the mobile device 1402. A service
discovery message is sent over the fabric network using broadcast
or multicast messaging to the mesh networks 1404 and 1406, causing
the service discovery message to propagate or flood through the
nodes of the mesh networks 1404 and 1406. Any devices supporting
the requested service respond to the discovery application 1408.
Following the completion of the service discovery process, the
discovery application 1408 can communicate with the discovered
nodes and control devices in both mesh networks 1404 and 1406.
[0115] Example methods 1500 through 1800 are described with
reference to respective FIGS. 15-18 in accordance with one or more
embodiments of the efficient network stack for wireless application
protocols. Generally, any of the components, modules, methods, and
operations described herein can be implemented using software,
firmware, hardware (e.g., fixed logic circuitry), manual
processing, or any combination thereof. Some operations of the
example methods may be described in the general context of
executable instructions stored on computer-readable storage memory
that is local and/or remote to a computer processing system, and
implementations can include software applications, programs,
functions, and the like. Alternatively or in addition, any of the
functionality described herein can be performed, at least in part,
by one or more hardware logic components, such as, and without
limitation, Field-programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs),
Application-specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs),
Application-specific Standard Products (ASSPs), System-on-a-chip
systems (SoCs), Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs), and the
like.
[0116] FIG. 15 illustrates example method(s) 1500 of the efficient
network stack for wireless application protocols as generally
related to communicating application messages using a network stack
in a mesh network. The order in which the method blocks are
described are not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any
number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order
to implement a method, or an alternate method.
[0117] At block 1502, a network stack in a mesh network device
receives an application-layer message for an application, at an
application layer. For example, the efficient network stack 400
receives an application-layer message from an application in the
application layer 312.
[0118] At block 1504, the network stack maps a source address in
the application-layer message to an IPv6 source address. For
example, the efficient network stack 400 determines a mapping of a
source address included in the application-layer message to a
corresponding IPv6 source address.
[0119] At block 1506, the network stack maps a destination address
in the application-layer message to an IPv6 destination address.
For example, the efficient network stack 400 determines a mapping
of a destination address included in the application-layer message
to a corresponding IPv6 destination address.
[0120] At block 1508, the mesh network device transmits the
application-layer message using the IPv6 source address and the
IPv6 destination address and using the network stack. For example,
the efficient network stack 400 transmits the application-layer
message using the IPv6 source address and the IPv6 destination
address over the mesh network 100.
[0121] FIG. 16 illustrates example method(s) 1600 of the efficient
network stack for wireless application protocols as generally
related to communicating application messages using a network stack
in a mesh network. The order in which the method blocks are
described are not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any
number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order
to implement a method, or an alternate method.
[0122] At block 1602, a first network stack in a mesh network
device receives a packet including an application-layer message.
For example, an application-specific network stack 1204 receives a
packet over the mesh network 100 that includes an application-layer
message and passes the application-layer message to the
application-layer translation application 1208.
[0123] At block 1604, a translation application maps a source
address in the application-layer message to an IPv6 source address.
For example, the application-layer translation application 1208,
determines a mapping of a source address included in the
application-layer message to a corresponding IPv6 source
address.
[0124] At block 1606, the translation application maps a
destination address in the application-layer message to an IPv6
destination address. For example, the application-layer translation
application 1208 determines a mapping of a destination address
included in the application-layer message to a corresponding IPv6
destination address.
[0125] At block 1608, the mesh network device transmits the
application-layer message using the IPv6 source address and the
IPv6 destination address and using the second network stack. For
example at 1206, the efficient network stack 400 receives the
translated application layer-message from application-layer
translation application 1208 and transmits the application-layer
message using the IPv6 source address and the IPv6 destination
address.
[0126] FIG. 17 illustrates example method(s) 1700 of efficient
network stack for wireless application protocols as generally
related to using a gateway for translating application messages
using a network stack in a mesh network. The order in which the
method blocks are described are not intended to be construed as a
limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be
combined in any order to implement a method, or an alternate
method.
[0127] At block 1702, a gateway receives an application-layer
message in a packet via a mesh network interface. For example, a
gateway 1302 receives a packet over mesh network 100 that includes
an application-layer message.
[0128] Optionally, at block 1704, the gateway selects a translation
service based on an application profile. For example, the gateway
1302 determines a type of application profile from the contents of
the received application-layer message and selects the translation
service 1304 that is mapped to the application profile.
[0129] At block 1706, the gateway forwards the received
application-layer message to a translation service. For example,
the gateway 1302 forwards the received application-layer message
over an external network interface to a translation service 1304.
The translation service 1304 determines mappings of a source
address and a destination address included in the application-layer
message to a respective IPv6 source address and IPv6 destination
address.
[0130] At block 1708, the gateway receives a translated
application-layer message from the translation service. For
example, the gateway 1302 receives a translated application-layer
message, which includes the IPv6 source address and the IPv6
destination address, from the translation service 1304.
[0131] At block 1710, the gateway transmits the translated
application-layer message using the IPv6 source address and the
IPv6 destination address and using a network stack. For example,
the gateway 1302 transmits the translated application-layer message
over the mesh network 100 using the efficient network stack
400.
[0132] FIG. 18 illustrates example method(s) 1800 of efficient
network stack for wireless application protocols as generally
related to service discovery in a mesh network. The order in which
the method blocks are described are not intended to be construed as
a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be
combined in any order to implement a method, or an alternate
method.
[0133] At block 1802, a computing device establishes communication
to multiple mesh networks. For example, the mobile device 1402
establishes communication via the communication network 206 to the
mesh network 1404 and the mesh network 1406, such as through the
border routers 202.
[0134] At block 1804, the computing device transmits a service
discovery message through the mesh networks. For example, the
service discovery application 1408 transmits a service discovery
message from the mobile device 1402 to the mesh networks 1404 and
1406, which is effective to propagate the service discovery message
to the nodes of the mesh networks 1404 and 1406.
[0135] At block 1806, the computing device receives a response
message from each node in the mesh networks that supports the
service. For example, the mobile device 1402 receives a response
message from each node in the mesh networks 1404 and 1406 that
support the service indicated in the service discovery message.
[0136] FIG. 19 illustrates an example environment 1900 in which the
mesh network 100 (as described with reference to FIG. 1), and
embodiments of efficient network stack for wireless application
protocols can be implemented. Generally, the environment 1900
includes the mesh network 100 implemented as part of a smart-home
or other type of structure with any number of mesh network devices
that are configured for communication in a mesh network. For
example, the mesh network devices can include a thermostat 1902,
hazard detectors 1904 (e.g., for smoke and/or carbon monoxide),
cameras 1906 (e.g., indoor and outdoor), lighting units 1908 (e.g.,
indoor and outdoor), and any other types of mesh network devices
1910 that are implemented inside and/or outside of a structure 1912
(e.g., in a smart-home environment). In this example, the mesh
network devices can also include any of the previously described
devices, such as a gateway device 1302, a border router 202, a
dual-stack router 1202, as well as any of the devices implemented
as a router 102, and/or an end device 106.
[0137] In the environment 1900, any number of the mesh network
devices can be implemented for wireless interconnection to
wirelessly communicate and interact with each other. The mesh
network devices are modular, intelligent, multi-sensing,
network-connected devices that can integrate seamlessly with each
other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to
provide any of a variety of useful smart-home objectives and
implementations. An example of a mesh network device that can be
implemented as any of the devices described herein is shown and
described with reference to FIG. 20.
[0138] In implementations, the thermostat 1902 may include a
Nest.RTM. Learning Thermostat that detects ambient climate
characteristics (e.g., temperature and/or humidity) and controls a
HVAC system 1914 in the smart-home environment. The learning
thermostat 1902 and other smart devices "learn" by capturing
occupant settings to the devices. For example, the thermostat
learns preferred temperature set-points for mornings and evenings,
and when the occupants of the structure are asleep or awake, as
well as when the occupants are typically away or at home.
[0139] A hazard detector 1904 can be implemented to detect the
presence of a hazardous substance or a substance indicative of a
hazardous substance (e.g., smoke, fire, or carbon monoxide). In
examples of wireless interconnection, a hazard detector 1904 may
detect the presence of smoke, indicating a fire in the structure,
in which case the hazard detector that first detects the smoke can
broadcast a low-power wake-up signal to all of the connected mesh
network devices. The other hazard detectors 1904 can then receive
the broadcast wake-up signal and initiate a high-power state for
hazard detection and to receive wireless communications of alert
messages. Further, the lighting units 1908 can receive the
broadcast wake-up signal and activate in the region of the detected
hazard to illuminate and identify the problem area. In another
example, the lighting units 1908 may activate in one illumination
color to indicate a problem area or region in the structure, such
as for a detected fire or break-in, and activate in a different
illumination color to indicate safe regions and/or escape routes
out of the structure.
[0140] In various configurations, the mesh network devices 1910 can
include an entryway interface device 1916 that functions in
coordination with a network-connected door lock system 1918, and
that detects and responds to a person's approach to or departure
from a location, such as an outer door of the structure 1912. The
entryway interface device 1916 can interact with the other mesh
network devices based on whether someone has approached or entered
the smart-home environment. An entryway interface device 1916 can
control doorbell functionality, announce the approach or departure
of a person via audio or visual means, and control settings on a
security system, such as to activate or deactivate the security
system when occupants come and go. The mesh network devices 1910
can also include other sensors and detectors, such as to detect
ambient lighting conditions, detect room-occupancy states (e.g.,
with an occupancy sensor 1920), and control a power and/or dim
state of one or more lights. In some instances, the sensors and/or
detectors may also control a power state or speed of a fan, such as
a ceiling fan 1922. Further, the sensors and/or detectors may
detect occupancy in a room or enclosure, and control the supply of
power to electrical outlets or devices 1924, such as if a room or
the structure is unoccupied.
[0141] The mesh network devices 1910 may also include connected
appliances and/or controlled systems 1926, such as refrigerators,
stoves and ovens, washers, dryers, air conditioners, pool heaters
1928, irrigation systems 1930, security systems 1932, and so forth,
as well as other electronic and computing devices, such as
televisions, entertainment systems, computers, intercom systems,
garage-door openers 1934, ceiling fans 1922, control panels 1936,
and the like. When plugged in, an appliance, device, or system can
announce itself to the mesh network as described above, and can be
automatically integrated with the controls and devices of the mesh
network, such as in the smart-home. It should be noted that the
mesh network devices 1910 may include devices physically located
outside of the structure, but within wireless communication range,
such as a device controlling a swimming pool heater 1928 or an
irrigation system 1930.
[0142] As described above, the mesh network 100 includes a border
router 202 that interfaces for communication with an external
network, outside the mesh network 100. The border router 202
connects to an access point 204, which connects to the
communication network 206, such as the Internet. A cloud service
208, which is connected via the communication network 206, provides
services related to and/or using the devices within the mesh
network 100. By way of example, the cloud service 208 can include
applications for connecting end user devices 1938, such as smart
phones, tablets, and the like, to devices in the mesh network,
processing and presenting data acquired in the mesh network 100 to
end users, linking devices in one or more mesh networks 100 to user
accounts of the cloud service 208, provisioning and updating
devices in the mesh network 100, and so forth. For example, a user
can control the thermostat 1902 and other mesh network devices in
the smart-home environment using a network-connected computer or
portable device, such as a mobile phone or tablet device. Further,
the mesh network devices can communicate information to any central
server or cloud-computing system via the border router 202 and the
access point 204. The data communications can be carried out using
any of a variety of custom or standard wireless protocols (e.g.,
Wi-Fi, ZigBee for low power, 6LoWPAN, etc.) and/or by using any of
a variety of custom or standard wired protocols (CAT6 Ethernet,
HomePlug, etc.).
[0143] In various configurations, devices inside and/or outside the
structure 1912 may use any of the variety of wireless protocols and
interoperate over the fabric network using the efficient network
stack 400. In an embodiment, a ZigBee device senses a condition and
communicates that condition to a device that operates natively on
the fabric network. For example, the garage door opener 1934 that
supports a ZigBee application profile, such as the home automation
profile, senses that the garage door is opening and/or that there
is a change in occupancy in the garage. The ZigBee application in
the garage door opener 1934 communicates the sensed change over the
fabric network using the efficient network stack 400 to the
learning thermostat 1902. The learning thermostat 1902 responds to
the change sensed by the garage door opener 1934 and adjusts the
temperature set-point for the home.
[0144] Any of the mesh network devices in the mesh network 100 can
serve as low-power and communication nodes to create the mesh
network 100 in the smart-home environment. Individual low-power
nodes of the network can regularly send out messages regarding what
they are sensing, and the other low-powered nodes in the
environment--in addition to sending out their own messages--can
repeat the messages, thereby communicating the messages from node
to node (i.e., from device to device) throughout the mesh network.
The mesh network devices can be implemented to conserve power,
particularly when battery-powered, utilizing low-powered
communication protocols to receive the messages, translate the
messages to other communication protocols, and send the translated
messages to other nodes and/or to a central server or
cloud-computing system. For example, an occupancy and/or ambient
light sensor can detect an occupant in a room as well as measure
the ambient light, and activate the light source when the ambient
light sensor 1940 detects that the room is dark and when the
occupancy sensor 1920 detects that someone is in the room. Further,
the sensor can include a low-power wireless communication chip
(e.g., a ZigBee chip) that regularly sends out messages regarding
the occupancy of the room and the amount of light in the room,
including instantaneous messages coincident with the occupancy
sensor detecting the presence of a person in the room. As mentioned
above, these messages may be sent wirelessly, using the mesh
network, from node to node (i.e., smart device to smart device)
within the smart-home environment as well as over the Internet to a
central server or cloud-computing system.
[0145] In other configurations, various ones of the mesh network
devices can function as "tripwires" for an alarm system in the
smart-home environment. For example, in the event a perpetrator
circumvents detection by alarm sensors located at windows, doors,
and other entry points of the structure or environment, the alarm
could still be triggered by receiving an occupancy, motion, heat,
sound, etc. message from one or more of the low-powered mesh nodes
in the mesh network. In other implementations, the mesh network can
be used to automatically turn on and off the lighting units 1908 as
a person transitions from room to room in the structure. For
example, the mesh network devices can detect the person's movement
through the structure and communicate corresponding messages via
the nodes of the mesh network. Using the messages that indicate
which rooms are occupied, other mesh network devices that receive
the messages can activate and/or deactivate accordingly. As
referred to above, the mesh network can also be utilized to provide
exit lighting in the event of an emergency, such as by turning on
the appropriate lighting units 1908 that lead to a safe exit. The
light units 1908 may also be turned-on to indicate the direction
along an exit route that a person should travel to safely exit the
structure.
[0146] The various mesh network devices may also be implemented to
integrate and communicate with wearable computing devices 1942,
such as may be used to identify and locate an occupant of the
structure, and adjust the temperature, lighting, sound system, and
the like accordingly. In other implementations, RFID sensing (e.g.,
a person having an RFID bracelet, necklace, or key fob), synthetic
vision techniques (e.g., video cameras and face recognition
processors), audio techniques (e.g., voice, sound pattern,
vibration pattern recognition), ultrasound sensing/imaging
techniques, and infrared or near-field communication (NFC)
techniques (e.g., a person wearing an infrared or NFC-capable
smartphone), along with rules-based inference engines or artificial
intelligence techniques that draw useful conclusions from the
sensed information as to the location of an occupant in the
structure or environment.
[0147] In other implementations, personal comfort-area networks,
personal health-area networks, personal safety-area networks,
and/or other such human-facing functionalities of service robots
can be enhanced by logical integration with other mesh network
devices and sensors in the environment according to rules-based
inferencing techniques or artificial intelligence techniques for
achieving better performance of these functionalities. In an
example relating to a personal health-area, the system can detect
whether a household pet is moving toward the current location of an
occupant (e.g., using any of the mesh network devices and sensors),
along with rules-based inferencing and artificial intelligence
techniques. Similarly, a hazard detector service robot can be
notified that the temperature and humidity levels are rising in a
kitchen, and temporarily raise a hazard detection threshold, such
as a smoke detection threshold, under an inference that any small
increases in ambient smoke levels will most likely be due to
cooking activity and not due to a genuinely hazardous condition.
Any service robot that is configured for any type of monitoring,
detecting, and/or servicing can be implemented as a mesh node
device on the mesh network, conforming to the wireless
interconnection protocols for communicating on the mesh
network.
[0148] The mesh network devices 1910 may also include a smart alarm
clock 1944 for each of the individual occupants of the structure in
the smart-home environment. For example, an occupant can customize
and set an alarm device for a wake time, such as for the next day
or week. Artificial intelligence can be used to consider occupant
responses to the alarms when they go off and make inferences about
preferred sleep patterns over time. An individual occupant can then
be tracked in the mesh network based on a unique signature of the
person, which is determined based on data obtained from sensors
located in the mesh network devices, such as sensors that include
ultrasonic sensors, passive IR sensors, and the like. The unique
signature of an occupant can be based on a combination of patterns
of movement, voice, height, size, etc., as well as using facial
recognition techniques.
[0149] In an example of wireless interconnection, the wake time for
an individual can be associated with the thermostat 1902 to control
the HVAC system in an efficient manner so as to pre-heat or cool
the structure to desired sleeping and awake temperature settings.
The preferred settings can be learned over time, such as by
capturing the temperatures set in the thermostat before the person
goes to sleep and upon waking up. Collected data may also include
biometric indications of a person, such as breathing patterns,
heart rate, movement, etc., from which inferences are made based on
this data in combination with data that indicates when the person
actually wakes up. Other mesh network devices can use the data to
provide other smart-home objectives, such as adjusting the
thermostat 1902 so as to pre-heat or cool the environment to a
desired setting, and turning-on or turning-off the lights 1908.
[0150] In implementations, the mesh network devices can also be
utilized for sound, vibration, and/or motion sensing such as to
detect running water and determine inferences about water usage in
a smart-home environment based on algorithms and mapping of the
water usage and consumption. This can be used to determine a
signature or fingerprint of each water source in the home, and is
also referred to as "audio fingerprinting water usage." Similarly,
the mesh network devices can be utilized to detect the subtle
sound, vibration, and/or motion of unwanted pests, such as mice and
other rodents, as well as by termites, cockroaches, and other
insects. The system can then notify an occupant of the suspected
pests in the environment, such as with warning messages to help
facilitate early detection and prevention.
[0151] FIG. 20 illustrates an example mesh network device 2000 that
can be implemented as any of the mesh network devices in a mesh
network in accordance with one or more embodiments of efficient
network stack for wireless application protocols as described
herein. The device 2000 can be integrated with electronic
circuitry, microprocessors, memory, input output (I/O) logic
control, communication interfaces and components, as well as other
hardware, firmware, and/or software to implement the device in a
mesh network. Further, the mesh network device 2000 can be
implemented with various components, such as with any number and
combination of different components as further described with
reference to the example device shown in FIG. 21.
[0152] In this example, the mesh network device 2000 includes a
low-power microprocessor 2002 and a high-power microprocessor 2004
(e.g., microcontrollers or digital signal processors) that process
executable instructions. The device also includes an input-output
(I/O) logic control 2006 (e.g., to include electronic circuitry).
The microprocessors can include components of an integrated
circuit, programmable logic device, a logic device formed using one
or more semiconductors, and other implementations in silicon and/or
hardware, such as a processor and memory system implemented as a
system-on-chip (SoC). Alternatively or in addition, the device can
be implemented with any one or combination of software, hardware,
firmware, or fixed logic circuitry that may be implemented with
processing and control circuits. The low-power microprocessor 2002
and the high-power microprocessor 2004 can also support one or more
different device functionalities of the device. For example, the
high-power microprocessor 2004 may execute computationally
intensive operations, whereas the low-power microprocessor 2002 may
manage less complex processes such as detecting a hazard or
temperature from one or more sensors 2008. The low-power processor
2002 may also wake or initialize the high-power processor 2004 for
computationally intensive processes.
[0153] The one or more sensors 2008 can be implemented to detect
various properties such as acceleration, temperature, humidity,
water, supplied power, proximity, external motion, device motion,
sound signals, ultrasound signals, light signals, fire, smoke,
carbon monoxide, global-positioning-satellite (GPS) signals,
radio-frequency (RF), other electromagnetic signals or fields, or
the like. As such, the sensors 2008 may include any one or a
combination of temperature sensors, humidity sensors,
hazard-related sensors, other environmental sensors,
accelerometers, microphones, optical sensors up to and including
cameras (e.g., charged coupled-device or video cameras, active or
passive radiation sensors, GPS receivers, and radio frequency
identification detectors. In implementations, the mesh network
device 2000 may include one or more primary sensors, as well as one
or more secondary sensors, such as primary sensors that sense data
central to the core operation of the device (e.g., sensing a
temperature in a thermostat or sensing smoke in a smoke detector),
while the secondary sensors may sense other types of data (e.g.,
motion, light or sound), which can be used for energy-efficiency
objectives or smart-operation objectives.
[0154] The mesh network device 2000 includes a memory device
controller 2010 and a memory device 2012, such as any type of a
nonvolatile memory and/or other suitable electronic data storage
device. The mesh network device 2000 can also include various
firmware and/or software, such as an operating system 2014 that is
maintained as computer executable instructions by the memory and
executed by a microprocessor. The device software may also include
a networking application 2016 that implements embodiments of
efficient network stack for wireless application protocols. The
mesh network device 2000 also includes a device interface 2018 to
interface with another device or peripheral component, and includes
an integrated data bus 2020 that couples the various components of
the mesh network device for data communication between the
components. The data bus in the mesh network device may also be
implemented as any one or a combination of different bus structures
and/or bus architectures.
[0155] The device interface 2018 may receive input from a user
and/or provide information to the user (e.g., as a user interface),
and a received input can be used to determine a setting. The device
interface 2018 may also include mechanical or virtual components
that respond to a user input. For example, the user can
mechanically move a sliding or rotatable component, or the motion
along a touchpad may be detected, and such motions may correspond
to a setting adjustment of the device. Physical and virtual movable
user-interface components can allow the user to set a setting along
a portion of an apparent continuum. The device interface 2018 may
also receive inputs from any number of peripherals, such as
buttons, a keypad, a switch, a microphone, and an imager (e.g., a
camera device).
[0156] The mesh network device 2000 can include network interfaces
2022, such as a mesh network interface for communication with other
mesh network devices in a mesh network, and an external network
interface for network communication, such as via the Internet. The
mesh network device 2000 also includes wireless radio systems 2024
for wireless communication with other mesh network devices via the
mesh network interface and for multiple, different wireless
communications systems. The wireless radio systems 2024 may include
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.TM., Mobile Broadband, and/or point-to-point IEEE
802.15.4. Each of the different radio systems can include a radio
device, antenna, and chipset that is implemented for a particular
wireless communications technology. The mesh network device 2000
also includes a power source 2026, such as a battery and/or to
connect the device to line voltage. An AC power source may also be
used to charge the battery of the device.
[0157] FIG. 21 illustrates an example system 2100 that includes an
example device 2102, which can be implemented as any of the mesh
network devices that implement embodiments of efficient network
stack for wireless application protocols as described with
reference to the previous FIGS. 1-20. The example device 2102 may
be any type of computing device, client device, mobile phone,
tablet, communication, entertainment, gaming, media playback,
and/or other type of device. Further, the example device 2102 may
be implemented as any other type of mesh network device that is
configured for communication on a mesh network, such as a
thermostat, hazard detector, camera, light unit, commissioning
device, router, border router, joiner router, joining device, end
device, leader, access point, and/or other mesh network
devices.
[0158] The device 2102 includes communication devices 2104 that
enable wired and/or wireless communication of device data 2106,
such as data that is communicated between the devices in a mesh
network, data that is being received, data scheduled for broadcast,
data packets of the data, data that is synched between the devices,
etc. The device data can include any type of communication data, as
well as audio, video, and/or image data that is generated by
applications executing on the device. The communication devices
2104 can also include transceivers for cellular phone communication
and/or for network data communication.
[0159] The device 2102 also includes input/output (I/O) interfaces
2108, such as data network interfaces that provide connection
and/or communication links between the device, data networks (e.g.,
a mesh network, external network, etc.), and other devices. The I/O
interfaces can be used to couple the device to any type of
components, peripherals, and/or accessory devices. The I/O
interfaces also include data input ports via which any type of
data, media content, and/or inputs can be received, such as user
inputs to the device, as well as any type of communication data, as
well as audio, video, and/or image data received from any content
and/or data source.
[0160] The device 2102 includes a processing system 2110 that may
be implemented at least partially in hardware, such as with any
type of microprocessors, controllers, and the like that process
executable instructions. The processing system can include
components of an integrated circuit, programmable logic device, a
logic device formed using one or more semiconductors, and other
implementations in silicon and/or hardware, such as a processor and
memory system implemented as a system-on-chip (SoC). Alternatively
or in addition, the device can be implemented with any one or
combination of software, hardware, firmware, or fixed logic
circuitry that may be implemented with processing and control
circuits. The device 2102 may further include any type of a system
bus or other data and command transfer system that couples the
various components within the device. A system bus can include any
one or combination of different bus structures and architectures,
as well as control and data lines.
[0161] The device 2102 also includes computer-readable storage
memory 2112, such as data storage devices that can be accessed by a
computing device, and that provide persistent storage of data and
executable instructions (e.g., software applications, modules,
programs, functions, and the like). The computer-readable storage
memory described herein excludes propagating signals. Examples of
computer-readable storage memory include volatile memory and
non-volatile memory, fixed and removable media devices, and any
suitable memory device or electronic data storage that maintains
data for computing device access. The computer-readable storage
memory can include various implementations of random access memory
(RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, and other types of
storage memory in various memory device configurations.
[0162] The computer-readable storage memory 2112 provides storage
of the device data 2106 and various device applications 2114, such
as an operating system that is maintained as a software application
with the computer-readable storage memory and executed by the
processing system 2110. The device applications may also include a
device manager, such as any form of a control application, software
application, signal processing and control module, code that is
native to a particular device, a hardware abstraction layer for a
particular device, and so on. In this example, the device
applications also include a networking application 2116 that
implements embodiments of efficient network stack for wireless
application protocols, such as when the example device 2102 is
implemented as any of the mesh network devices described
herein.
[0163] The device 2102 also includes an audio and/or video system
2118 that generates audio data for an audio device 2120 and/or
generates display data for a display device 2122. The audio device
and/or the display device include any devices that process,
display, and/or otherwise render audio, video, display, and/or
image data, such as the image content of a digital photo. In
implementations, the audio device and/or the display device are
integrated components of the example device 2102. Alternatively,
the audio device and/or the display device are external, peripheral
components to the example device. In embodiments, at least part of
the techniques described for efficient network stack for wireless
application protocols may be implemented in a distributed system,
such as over a "cloud" 2124 in a platform 2126. The cloud 2124
includes and/or is representative of the platform 2126 for services
2128 and/or resources 2130.
[0164] The platform 2126 abstracts underlying functionality of
hardware, such as server devices (e.g., included in the services
2128) and/or software resources (e.g., included as the resources
2130), and connects the example device 2102 with other devices,
servers, etc. The resources 2130 may also include applications
and/or data that can be utilized while computer processing is
executed on servers that are remote from the example device 2102.
Additionally, the services 2128 and/or the resources 2130 may
facilitate subscriber network services, such as over the Internet,
a cellular network, or Wi-Fi network. The platform 2126 may also
serve to abstract and scale resources to service a demand for the
resources 2130 that are implemented via the platform, such as in an
interconnected device embodiment with functionality distributed
throughout the system 2100. For example, the functionality may be
implemented in part at the example device 2102 as well as via the
platform 2126 that abstracts the functionality of the cloud
2124.
[0165] Although embodiments of efficient network stack for wireless
application protocols have been described in language specific to
features and/or methods, the subject of the appended claims is not
necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described.
Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as example
implementations of efficient network stack for wireless application
protocols, and other equivalent features and methods are intended
to be within the scope of the appended claims. Further, various
different embodiments are described, and it is to be appreciated
that each described embodiment can be implemented independently or
in connection with one or more other described embodiments.
[0166] A method of communicating an application-layer message by a
source node over a mesh network comprises receiving the
application-layer message that includes a source address and a
destination address; mapping the source address to an Internet
Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) source address; mapping the destination
address to an IPv6 destination address; transmitting the
application-layer message by the source node to a destination node
in the mesh network using a network stack, the IPv6 source address,
and the IPv6 destination address, the network stack comprising: a
transport layer configured to transport the application-layer
message using User Datagram Protocol (UDP); a network layer
configured to communicate the application-layer message using IPv6;
a data link layer configured to encode the application-layer
message for transmission, the data link layer comprising a 6LoWPAN
adaptation layer and a Media Access Control (MAC) layer; and a
physical layer configured to transmit the encoded application-layer
message with a wireless transceiver in the mesh network.
[0167] Alternatively or in addition to the above described method,
any one or combination of: the network stack further comprises a
Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) layer; the network stack
further comprises a Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) layer;
serializing the application-layer message; in response to said
transmitting the application-layer message, receiving an
application-layer response message from the destination node using
the network stack, and communicating the received application-layer
response message to an application of the source node; wherein the
application is one of: a ZigBee application, a Z-Wave application,
an Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) application, an AllJoyn
application, or a fabric network application; and wherein the
physical layer is an IEEE 802.15.4 Physical (PHY) layer and the MAC
layer is an IEEE 802.15.4 MAC layer.
[0168] A mesh network device comprises a mesh network interface
configured for communication in a mesh network; a memory and
processor system to implement a network stack configured to:
receive an application-layer message that includes a source address
and a destination address; map the source address to an Internet
Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) source address; map the destination
address to an IPv6 destination address; transmit the
application-layer message to a destination mesh network device
using the network stack, the mapped source address, and the mapped
destination address, the network stack comprising: a transport
layer configured to transport the application-layer message using
User Datagram Protocol (UDP); a network layer configured to
communicate the application-layer message using IPv6; a data link
layer configured to encode the application-layer message for
transmission, the data link layer comprising a 6LoWPAN adaptation
layer and a Media Access Control (MAC) layer; and a physical layer
configured to transmit the encoded application-layer message over
the mesh network.
[0169] Alternatively or in addition to the above described mesh
network device, any one or combination of: the network stack
further comprises a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) layer;
the network stack further comprises a Constrained Application
Protocol (CoAP) layer; the network stack is configured to:
serialize the application layer message; the network stack is
configured to: in response to the transmission of the
application-layer message, receive an application-layer response
message from the destination mesh network device, and communicate
the received application-layer response message to an application
of the mesh network device; wherein the application is one of: a
ZigBee application, a Z-Wave application, an Open Interconnect
Consortium (OIC) application, an AllJoyn application, or a fabric
network application; and wherein the physical layer is an IEEE
802.15.4 Physical (PHY) layer and the MAC layer is an IEEE 802.15.4
MAC layer.
[0170] A mesh network system comprises a destination node
configured to receive a packet over a mesh network; and a source
node of the mesh network configured to: receive an
application-layer message that includes a source address and a
destination address; map the source address in the
application-layer message to an Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)
source address; map the destination address in the
application-layer message to an IPv6 destination address; transmit
the application-layer message to the destination node using a
network stack, the IPv6 source address, and the IPv6 destination
address, the network stack comprising: a transport layer configured
to transport the application-layer message using User Datagram
Protocol (UDP); a network layer configured to communicate the
application-layer message using IPv6; a data link layer configured
to encode the application-layer message for transmission, the data
link layer comprising a 6LoWPAN adaptation layer and a Media Access
Control (MAC) layer; and a physical layer configured to transmit
the encoded application-layer message over the mesh network to the
destination node.
[0171] Alternatively or in addition to the above described mesh
network system, any one or combination of: the network stack
further comprises a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) layer;
the network stack further comprises a Constrained Application
Protocol (CoAP) layer; the source node is configured to: in
response to the transmission of the application-layer message,
receive an application-layer response message from the destination
node at the physical layer of the network stack, and communicate
the received application-layer response message to an application
of the source node; wherein the application is one of: a ZigBee
application, a Z-Wave application, an Open Interconnect Consortium
(OIC) application, an AllJoyn application, or a fabric network
application; and wherein the physical layer is an IEEE 802.15.4
Physical (PHY) layer and the MAC layer is an IEEE 802.15.4 MAC
layer.
[0172] A method of communicating an application-layer message of a
first network protocol over a mesh network using a second network
protocol comprises receiving the application-layer message from a
source node by a dual-stack router using a first network stack that
implements the first network protocol; mapping a source address in
the application-layer message to an Internet Protocol Version 6
(IPv6) source address; mapping a destination address in the
application-layer message to an IPv6 destination address;
transmitting the application-layer message to a destination node
using the IPv6 source address and the IPv6 destination address, and
using a second network stack that implements the second network
protocol, the second network stack comprising: a transport layer
configured to transport the application-layer message using User
Datagram Protocol (UDP); a network layer configured to communicate
the application-layer message using IPv6; a data link layer
configured to encode the application-layer message for
transmission, the data link layer comprising a 6LoWPAN adaptation
layer and a Media Access Control (MAC) layer; and a physical layer
configured to transmit the encoded application-layer message via
the mesh network.
[0173] Alternatively or in addition to the above described method,
any one or combination of: the second network stack further
comprises a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) layer; the
second network stack further comprises a Constrained Application
Protocol (CoAP) layer; in response to said transmitting the
application-layer message, receiving an application-layer response
message from the destination node using the second network stack,
and forwarding the received application-layer response message to
the source node using the first network stack; wherein the
application is one of: a ZigBee application, a Z-Wave application,
an Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) application, an AllJoyn
application, or a fabric network application; and wherein the
physical layer is an IEEE 802.15.4 Physical (PHY) layer and the MAC
layer is an IEEE 802.15.4 MAC layer.
[0174] A mesh network device implemented as a dual-stack router
comprises a mesh network interface configured for communication in
a mesh network; a memory and processor system to implement an
application-layer translation application that is configured to:
receive an application-layer message from a source node using a
first network stack that implements a first network protocol; map a
source address in the application-layer message to an Internet
Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) source address; map a destination address
in the application-layer message to an IPv6 destination address;
transmit the application-layer message to a destination node using
the IPv6 source address and the IPv6 destination address, and using
a second network stack that implements a second network protocol,
the second network stack comprising: a transport layer configured
to transport the application-layer message using User Datagram
Protocol (UDP); a network layer configured to communicate the
application-layer message using IPv6; a data link layer configured
to encode the application-layer message for transmission, the data
link layer comprising a 6LoWPAN adaptation layer and a Media Access
Control (MAC) layer; and a physical layer configured to transmit
the encoded application-layer message via the mesh network.
[0175] Alternatively or in addition to the above described mesh
network device, any one or combination of: the second network stack
further comprises a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) layer;
the second network stack further comprises a Constrained
Application Protocol (CoAP) layer; the application-layer
translation application is configured to: in response to the
transmission of the application-layer message, receive an
application-layer response message from the destination node; and
forward the received application-layer response message to the
source node using the first network stack; wherein the first
network stack comprises one or more layers of: a ZigBee network
stack, a Z-Wave network stack, an Open Interconnect Consortium
(OIC) network stack, or an AllJoyn network stack; wherein the first
network stack comprises one or more layers of a Z-Wave network
stack, and the mesh network device comprises a Z-Wave network
interface configured for communication in a Z-Wave network; and
wherein the physical layer is an IEEE 802.15.4 Physical (PHY) layer
and the MAC layer is an IEEE 802.15.4 MAC layer.
[0176] A mesh network system comprises a source node configured to
communicate using a first wireless application protocol; and a
dual-stack router configured to: receive an application-layer
message using a first network stack that implements the first
wireless application protocol; map a source address in the
application-layer message to an Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)
source address; map a destination address in the application-layer
message to an IPv6 destination address; transmit the
application-layer message to a destination node using the IPv6
source address and the IPv6 destination address, and using a second
network stack that implements a second wireless application
protocol, the second network stack comprising: a transport layer
configured to transport the application-layer message using User
Datagram Protocol (UDP); a network layer configured to communicate
the application-layer message using IPv6; a data link layer
configured to encode the application-layer message for
transmission, the data link layer comprising a 6LoWPAN adaptation
layer and a Media Access Control (MAC) layer; and a physical layer
configured to transmit the encoded application-layer message via
the mesh network.
[0177] Alternatively or in addition to the above described mesh
network system, any one or combination of: the second network stack
further comprises a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) layer;
the second network stack further comprises a Constrained
Application Protocol (CoAP) layer; the dual-stack router is
configured to: in response to the transmission of the
application-layer message, receive an application-layer response
message from the destination node using the second network stack;
and forward the received application-layer response message to the
source node using the first network stack; wherein the first
wireless application protocol is one of: a ZigBee wireless
application protocol, a Z-Wave wireless application protocol, an
Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) wireless application protocol,
or an AllJoyn wireless application protocol; wherein the first
network stack comprises one or more layers of a Z-Wave network
stack, and the dual-stack router comprises a Z-Wave network
interface configured for communication in a Z-Wave network; and
wherein the physical layer is an IEEE 802.15.4 Physical (PHY) layer
and the MAC layer is an IEEE 802.15.4 MAC layer.
[0178] A method of discovering a service across multiple mesh
networks comprises establishing communication between a computing
device and the multiple mesh networks over a communication network;
transmitting a discovery message for the service from the computing
device to the multiple mesh networks, said transmitting effective
to propagate the discovery message to nodes in the multiple mesh
networks; and receiving a response message from each node in the
multiple mesh networks that supports the service, the response
message comprising an indication of the supported service and an
address of the node.
[0179] Alternatively or in addition to the above described method,
any one or combination of: inserting a binding of the supported
service and the address of each node that supports the service in a
database; wherein the multiple mesh networks are logically
different mesh networks; wherein the multiple mesh networks are
located in geographically different locations; wherein the mesh
networks comprise nodes that include a ZigBee application layer and
an efficient network stack; and wherein the communication network
is the Internet.
[0180] A computing device comprises a network interface configured
for communication over a communication network to multiple mesh
networks; a memory and processor system to implement a discovery
application that is configured to: establish communication between
the computing device and the multiple mesh networks over the
communication network; transmit a discovery message for a service
to the multiple mesh networks, the transmission effective to
propagate the discovery message to nodes in the multiple mesh
networks; and receive a response message from each node in the
multiple mesh networks that supports the service, the response
message comprising an indication of the supported service and an
address of the node.
[0181] Alternatively or in addition to the above described mesh
network device, any one or combination of: wherein the discovery
application is configured to: insert a binding of the supported
service and the address of each node that supports the service in a
database; wherein the multiple mesh networks are logically
different mesh networks; wherein the multiple mesh networks are
located in geographically different locations; wherein the mesh
networks comprise nodes that include a ZigBee application layer and
an efficient network stack; and wherein the communication network
is the Internet.
[0182] A mesh network system comprises multiple mesh networks, each
comprising multiple nodes; a communication network that
communicatively links the multiple mesh networks to a computing
device; and the computing device configured to: establish
communication with the multiple mesh networks over the
communication network; transmit a discovery message for a service
to the multiple mesh networks via the communication network, the
transmission effective to propagate the discovery message to the
nodes in the multiple mesh networks; and receive a response message
from each node in the multiple mesh networks that supports the
service, the response message comprising an indication of the
supported service and an address of the node.
[0183] Alternatively or in addition to the above described mesh
network system, any one or combination of: wherein the computing
device configured to: insert a binding of the supported service and
the address of each node that supports the service in a database;
wherein the multiple mesh networks are logically different mesh
networks; wherein the multiple mesh networks are located in
geographically different locations; wherein the mesh networks
comprise nodes that include a ZigBee application layer and an
efficient network stack; and wherein the communication network is
the Internet.
[0184] A method of translating an application-layer message from a
first wireless application protocol to a second wireless
application protocol comprises receiving an application-layer
message at a gateway via a mesh network interface, the
application-layer message comprising a source address and a
destination address; forwarding the received application-layer
message over an external network to a translation service that
performs: mapping the source address to an Internet Protocol
Version 6 (IPv6) source address; mapping the destination address to
an IPv6 destination address; receiving a translated
application-layer message from the translation service, the
translated application-layer message including the IPv6 source
address and the IPv6 destination address; transmitting the
translated application-layer message over the mesh network
interface using a network stack, the network stack comprising: a
transport layer configured to transport the application-layer
message using User Datagram Protocol (UDP); a network layer
configured to communicate the application-layer message using IPv6;
a data link layer configured to encode the application-layer
message for transmission, the data link layer comprising a 6LoWPAN
adaptation layer and a Media Access Control (MAC) layer; and a
physical layer configured to transmit the encoded application-layer
message over the mesh network interface.
[0185] Alternatively or in addition to the above described method,
any one or combination of: the application-layer message further
includes a profile identifier that identifies an application
profile of the first wireless application protocol, the method
comprising: forwarding the application-layer message over the
external network to the translation service that is associated with
the profile identifier; receiving a mapping of the profile
identifier to the translation service; storing the received mapping
in a database of mappings of profile identifiers to translation
services; and in response to said receiving the application-layer
message, comparing the profile identifier to one or more mappings
in the database to determine the translation service associated
with the profile identifier; wherein the application profile is one
of: a lighting control profile, a home automation profile, a
commercial building automation profile, a smart energy profile, or
a security profile.
[0186] A mesh network device implemented an application gateway
device comprises a mesh network interface configured for
communication in a mesh network; a network interface configured for
communication with an external network; and a memory and processor
system to implement a gateway application that is configured to:
receive an application-layer message via the mesh network
interface, the application-layer message comprising a source
address and a destination address; forward the application-layer
message over the external network to a translation service
implemented to: map the source address to an Internet Protocol
Version 6 (IPv6) source address; map the destination address to an
IPv6 destination address; receive a translated application-layer
message from the translation service, the translated
application-layer message including the IPv6 source address and the
IPv6 destination address; transmit the translated application-layer
message over the mesh network interface using a network stack, the
network stack comprising: a transport layer configured to transport
the application-layer message using User Datagram Protocol (UDP); a
network layer configured to communicate the application-layer
message using IPv6; a data link layer configured to encode the
application-layer message for transmission, the data link layer
comprising a 6LoWPAN adaptation layer and a Media Access Control
(MAC) layer; and a physical layer configured to transmit the
encoded application-layer message over the mesh network
interface.
[0187] Alternatively or in addition to the above described mesh
network device, any one or combination of: the application-layer
message further includes a profile identifier that identifies an
application profile of the first wireless application protocol, and
the gateway application configured to: forward the
application-layer message over the external network to the
translation service that is associated with the profile identifier;
the gateway application is further configured to: receive a mapping
of the profile identifier to the translation service; store the
received mapping in a database of mappings of profile identifiers
to translation services; and in response to the reception of the
application-layer message, compare the profile identifier to one or
more mappings in the database to determine the translation service
associated with the profile identifier; wherein the application
profile is one of: a lighting control profile, a home automation
profile, a commercial building automation profile, a smart energy
profile, or a security profile.
[0188] A mesh network system comprises a translation service
configured to translate application-layer messages of a first
wireless application protocol to a second wireless application
protocol, the translation service configured to: map a source
address in an application-layer message to an Internet Protocol
Version 6 (IPv6) source address; map a destination address in an
application-layer message to an IPv6 destination address; and a
gateway configured to: receive the application-layer message in the
first wireless application protocol via a mesh network interface,
the application-layer message comprising the source address and the
destination address; forward the received application-layer message
over an external network to the translation service; receive a
translated application-layer message from the translation service,
the translated application-layer message including the IPv6 source
address and the IPv6 destination address; transmit the translated
application-layer message over the mesh network interface using a
network stack, the network stack comprising: a transport layer
configured to transport the application-layer message using User
Datagram Protocol (UDP); a network layer configured to communicate
the application-layer message using IPv6; a data link layer
configured to encode the application-layer message for
transmission, the data link layer comprising a 6LoWPAN adaptation
layer and a Media Access Control (MAC) layer; and a physical layer
configured to transmit the encoded application-layer message over
the mesh network interface.
[0189] Alternatively or in addition to the above described mesh
network system, any one or combination of: the application-layer
message further includes a profile identifier that identifies an
application profile of the first wireless application protocol; and
the gateway further configured to forward the application-layer
message over the external network to the translation service that
is associated with the profile identifier; the gateway application
further configured to: receive a mapping of the profile identifier
to the translation service; store the received mapping in a
database of mappings of profile identifiers to translation
services; and in response to the reception of the application-layer
message, compare the profile identifier to one or more mappings in
the database to determine the translation service associated with
the profile identifier; and wherein the application profile is one
of: a lighting control profile, a home automation profile, a
commercial building automation profile, a smart energy profile, or
a security profile.
* * * * *