CN107105069A - Device searching processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a device search processing method, which is used for a network system. The method includes generating a search management frame including an identifier of the first communication device and a MAC address; propagating the search management frame; and when a response message which corresponds to the search management frame and comprises an identifier of the second communication device and a media access control address is received from a second communication device, adding an entry to a device directory stored in the first communication device according to the identifier of the second communication device and the media access control address.

Description

How device discovery is handled

This application is a divisional application of a patent application with an application date of July 26, 2012, an application number of 201210262669.9, and an invention title of "processing method for device search".

technical field

The invention relates to a communication system processing method, in particular to a device discovery processing method in a communication device of a network system.

Background technique

With the increasing demands of users for accessing digital content, various communication standards have been formulated for transmitting the digital content. These communication standards are formulated to adapt to different usage environments, different transmission rates and/or different user requirements. In addition, a variety of MAC layer/physical layer protocols will be formulated according to different communication standards, wherein different communication standards will define different communication methods according to different media. For example, the IEEE 1091 communication standard is used for power line communications (power line communications, PLC), the IEEE 802.11 communication standard is used for wireless communication (ie WiFi), the IEEE 802.3 communication standard is used for Ethernet and the Multimedia over Coax Alliance (Multimedia overCoax Alliance, MoCA) communication standard for coaxial cables, and so on.

Therefore, a media access control abstraction sub-layer (MAC abstraction sub-layer) is formulated to integrate multiple communication standards. Please refer to FIG. 1 , which is a schematic diagram of a known communication device 10 on a data platform. The communication device 10 can be a mobile phone, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, an e-book, a modem, or a portable computer system, and can use different communication standards for communication. As shown in Figure 1, the MAC abstraction sublayer is configured between an upper layer and multiple MAC layers, and the multiple MAC layers are media access control types corresponding to multiple communication standards. control layer. The MAC layer of multiple MAC types includes a power line communication MAC layer, a WiFi MAC layer, a multimedia coax alliance MAC layer or an Ethernet MAC layer. Further, the media access control layer of each media access control type includes a service access point (service access point, SAP), so that the media access control abstraction sublayer can communicate with the media access control layer through the corresponding service access point . The upper layer can be a network layer, a transport layer, an application layer or a communication protocol layer responsible for processing signals and frames received from the MAC abstraction sub-layer and signals and frames to be transmitted through the MAC abstraction sub-layer. In addition, the communication device 10 on the data platform includes a physical layer with multiple physical layer types. The various physical layer types of this physical layer include Ethernet physical layer formulated according to IEEE 802.3 communication standard, WiFi physical layer formulated according to IEEE 802.11 communication standard, power line communication physical layer formulated according to IEEE 1901 communication standard, or based on multimedia The Multimedia Coax Alliance physical layer developed by the Coax Alliance communication standard. Therefore, the power line communication media access control layer, WiFi media access control layer, multimedia coax alliance media access control layer or Ethernet media access control layer can transmit and receive frames through the physical layer of the corresponding physical layer type .

Furthermore, the MAC abstraction sublayer provides management functions between communication devices (such as device management or QoS negotiation). In order to realize these management functions, the communication device should be able to search how many communication devices are included in the network. However, currently there is no clear specification for device search, nor does it describe how to maintain or update a device directory.

Contents of the invention

In view of this, the present invention provides a device search processing method.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a device search processing method is provided, which is used in a network system, and the network system includes at least a first unified terminal device and a second unified terminal device. The method includes generating a search management frame including an identifier of the first unified terminal device and a media access control address; propagating the search management frame; and receiving a search corresponding to the search from a second unified terminal device When the management frame contains an identifier of the second unified terminal device and a response message of a media access control address, according to the identifier of the second unified terminal device and the media access control address, a new entry is added to stored in a device directory of the first unified terminal device.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a processing method for device search is provided, which is used in a network system, and the network system includes at least a first unified terminal device and a second unified terminal device. The method includes judging whether a search management frame including an identifier of the second unified terminal device and a media access control address is received from a second unified terminal device; and when the search management frame is received, according to The obtained identifier and the MAC address of the second unified terminal device are used to update a device directory stored in the first unified terminal device.

The processing method for device search provided by the invention can establish and maintain a device directory of a communication device.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional communication device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a unified network system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a device search processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a transmission timing diagram according to FIG. 5 .

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a device search processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a transmission timing diagram according to FIG. 8 .

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method for updating a timer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a transmission timing diagram according to FIG. 10 .

detailed description

Certain terms are used throughout the specification and claims to refer to particular components. Those skilled in the art should understand that hardware manufacturers may use different terms to refer to the same component. The specification and claims do not use the difference in name as a way to distinguish components, but use the difference in function of components as a criterion for distinguishing. "Includes" mentioned throughout the specification and claims is an open-ended term, so it should be interpreted as "including but not limited to". In addition, the term "coupled" herein includes any direct and indirect means of electrical connection. Therefore, if it is described that the first device is coupled to the second device, it means that the first device may be directly electrically connected to the second device, or indirectly electrically connected to the second device through other devices or connection means.

Please refer to FIG. 2 , which is a schematic diagram of a unified network system 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2 , the unified network system 20 includes network terminals 1 - 4 and network bridges 201 - 203 . The network terminals 1-4 are respectively compatible with a communication standard, such as IEEE1901, IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.3 or Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA). The network bridges 201-203 are used for communication between the network terminals 1-4. Each communication standard defines a communication method according to a medium. For example, IEEE 1901 is used for power line communications (PLC), IEEE 802.11 is used for wireless communication (ie, WiFi), IEEE 802.3 is used for Ethernet, and MMCA is used for coaxial cables. Therefore, in the network terminal 1 , unified terminal devices (unified terminal devices, UTDs) a1 and a2 communicate with each other or with the network terminal 1 through a medium a. In the network terminal 2, the unified terminal devices b1 and b2 communicate with each other or with the network terminal 2 through a medium b, and so on. Further, unified terminal devices a1 , a2 , b1 , b2 , c1 , c2 , d1 , and d2 using different media communicate with each other through the network bridges 201 - 203 . For example, the unified terminal devices b1 and b2 communicate with the unified terminal devices a1 and a2 through the network bridge 201 , and communicate with the unified terminal devices c1 and c2 through the network bridge 202 . The unified terminal devices d1 and d2 communicate with the unified terminal devices c1 and c2 through the network bridge 203 . It should be noted that the unified terminal devices a1, a2, b1, b2, c1, c2, d1, d2 can be electronic devices such as mobile phones, notebook computers, tablet computers, e-books, modems, and portable computer systems.

Please refer to FIG. 3 , which is a schematic diagram of a communication device 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication device 30 may be the unified terminal device shown in FIG. 2 , but is not limited thereto. The communication device 30 includes a processing device 300 , a storage unit 310 and a communication interface unit 320 . The processing device 300 may be a microprocessor or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The storage unit 310 can be any data storage device that can be accessed by the processing device 300 for storing a program code 314 , and the processing device 300 can read and execute the program code 314 . For example, the storage unit 310 may be a subscriber identity module (SIM), a read-only memory (ROM), a flash memory (flash memory), a random-access memory (random-access memory, RAM), CD-ROM/DVD-ROM, magnetic tape, hard disk, optical data storage device, etc., but not limited thereto. The communication interface unit 320 can be a transceiver, which is used to exchange signals with a unified terminal device or a network terminal according to the processing result of the processing device 300 .

It should be noted that the main feature of the present invention is to provide a device discovery method in the MAC abstraction sub-layer of a unified terminal device. Please refer to FIG. 4 , which is a flowchart of a device discovery (Device Discovery) processing method 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method 40 is applied to a first unified terminal device shown in FIG. 2 (and any unified terminal device) for processing device search. The method 40 can be compiled as the program code 314 in FIG. 3, and includes the following steps:

Step 400: start.

Step 402: Generate a search management frame including an identifier of the first communication device and a MAC address.

Step 404: Propagate the search management frame.

Step 406: When a response message corresponding to the search management frame (which includes an identifier of the second communication device and a MAC address) is received from a second communication device, according to the second communication device An entry is added to a device directory stored in the first communication device for the identifier and the MAC address.

Step 408: end.

According to method 40, the unified terminal device transmits at least one search management frame including its own device identifier and media access control address, and according to the device identifier and media access control address in the response message received from other unified terminal devices, Create a device directory.

The method 40 is illustrated as follows. Please refer to FIG. 5 , which is a schematic diagram of a device search method 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The first unified terminal device generates a management frame including a frame type, a source device identity (SDID) and a destination device identity (DDID) and other elements (step 502 ). In FIG. 5, the frame type of the management frame is set to device identifier search frame (DID_DISCOVERY), the source device identifier SDID is set to the device identifier DID of the first unified terminal device, and the target device identifier DDID is set to broadcast model. Through the medium (or interface) of the lower layer of the media access control abstraction sublayer of the first unified terminal device, the first unified terminal device will transmit the device identifier search frame multiple times, and start the device identifier search frame corresponding to the instruction for receiving A timer during receipt of the response message (step 504). The response message corresponding to the device identifier search frame includes elements such as device type, source MAC address, and source device identifier. Wherein, the frame type of the response message is set as a device identifier reply frame (DID_REPORT). If the first unified terminal device receives at least one device identifier reply frame from other unified terminal devices before the receiving timer expires, the first unified terminal device processes each device identifier reply frame (steps 506, 508). For example, when the first unified terminal device receives a device identifier reply frame from the second unified terminal device, the first unified terminal device responds to the source MAC address and the source device identifier of the frame based on the device identifier, A MAC address and a device identifier of the second unified terminal device are obtained. Next, the first unified terminal device adds an entry in the device directory according to the device identifier and the MAC address of the second unified terminal device. In this way, the second unified terminal device is regarded as a new entry of the first unified terminal device. Further, the first unified terminal device can start a timer for this entry. It should be noted that if the first unified terminal device does not receive any device identifier reply frame, the device searching method 50 ends (step 510 ).

In addition, please refer to FIG. 6 , which is a transmission timing diagram according to the device search method 50 . In FIG. 6, the first unified terminal device UTD1 transmits a device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY three times, wherein the source device identifier SDID of the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY is set as the device identifier of the first unified terminal device UTD1, And the target device identifier DDID of the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY is set to broadcast mode. If the second unified terminal device UTD2 recognizes the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY, the second unified terminal device UTD2 responds to the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY through a device identifier reply frame DID_REPORT. Wherein, the source device identifier SDID of the device identifier reply frame DID_REPORT is the device identifier of the second unified terminal device UTD2, and the destination device identifier DDID of the device identifier reply frame DID_REPORT is the device identifier of the first unified terminal device UTD1 . It should be noted that the device identifier reply frame DID_REPORT is unicast to the first unified terminal device UTD1 according to the media access control address of the first unified terminal device UTD1 (that is, the second unified terminal device UTD2 unicasts the The destination MAC address dest and the source MAC address src of the device identifier reply frame DID_REPORT are respectively the MAC address of the first unified terminal device UTD1 and the MAC address of the second unified terminal device UTD2). Similarly, if a third unified terminal device UTF3 recognizes the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY, the third unified terminal device UTD3 responds to the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY through another device identifier reply frame DID_REPORT. Wherein, the source device identifier SDID of the device identifier reply frame DID_REPORT is set as the device identifier of the third unified terminal device UTD3, and the target device identifier DDID of the device identifier reply frame DID_REPORT is set as the first unified terminal device Device identifier for UTD1. After the first unified terminal device UTD1 receives the device identifier reply frame DID_REPORT from the second and third unified terminal devices UTD2 and UTD3, the first unified terminal device UTD1 establishes the entry of the second and third unified terminal devices UTD2 and UTD3 in In the device directory (that is, the first unified terminal device UTD1 adds the device identifiers of the second and third unified terminal devices UTD2 and UTD3 to the device directory of the first unified terminal device UTD1). However, if a device (such as a non-unified terminal device) in the network system cannot recognize the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY, the device will not reply the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY.

Please refer to FIG. 7 , which is a flowchart of a method 70 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The method 70 is used in a first unified terminal device shown in FIG. 2 for processing device search. The method 70 can be compiled into the program code 314 shown in FIG. 3, and includes the following steps:

Step 700: start.

Step 702: Determine whether a search management frame including an identifier of the second communication device and a MAC address is received from a second communication device.

Step 704: When the search management frame is received, update a device directory stored in the first communication device according to the obtained identifier and the MAC address of the second communication device.

Step 706: end.

According to the method 70, the unified terminal device maintains a device directory according to the search management frame received from other unified terminal devices. Specifically, the unified terminal device obtains the MAC address and device identifier of another unified terminal device from the search management frame, thereby updating the device list by searching the MAC address and device identifier of the management frame.

The method 70 is illustrated as follows. Please refer to FIG. 8 , which is a schematic diagram of a device search method 80 according to an embodiment of the present invention. If the first unified terminal device receives a device identifier search frame from the second unified terminal device, the first unified terminal device processes the device identifier search frame (steps 802-804). Specifically, the first unified terminal device obtains the MAC address and device identifier of the second unified terminal device through the device identifier search frame, thereby updating the Device directory. In this case, the second unified terminal device is regarded as a portal of the first unified terminal device. Further, the first unified terminal device starts a timer, and the timer is used to confirm the validity period of the entry. On the contrary, if the first unified terminal device does not receive any device identifier search frame, the device search method 80 ends.

In addition, please refer to FIG. 9 , which is a transmission timing diagram according to the device search method 80 . In FIG. 9, the first unified terminal device UTD1 transmits a device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY three times. Wherein, the source device identifier SDID of the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY is set as the device identifier of the first unified terminal device UTD1, and the target device identifier DDID is set as the broadcast mode. If the second and third unified terminal devices UTD2 and UTD3 recognize the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY, then the device identifier reply frame DID_REPORT is sent to the first unified terminal device UTD1 in response to the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY, and according to the device The identifier searches for the information in the frame DID_DISCOVERY (the MAC address and the device identifier of the first unified terminal device UTD1), and updates its own device directory. It is worth noting that when the first unified terminal device UTD1 changes its own device identifier (that is, when the network assigns a new device identifier to the first unified terminal device UTD1), the first unified terminal device UTD1 can start the device search method (that is, start to broadcast the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY), so that other unified terminal devices (ie, the second and third unified terminal devices UTD2, UTD3) can update their own device directories immediately.

As described above, a unified terminal device can start a timer for confirming an entry validity period. Please refer to FIG. 10 , which is a flow chart of a timer checking method 1000 for device directory update. In FIG. 10, the unified terminal device UTD periodically checks the timer of each entry. If the timer for an entry expires, the unified terminal device UTD obtains the device identifier XX and the MAC address YY of the entry, and generates a search management frame (steps 1004-1008). It should be noted that a frame type of the search management frame is set as the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY, a source device identifier SDID of the search management frame is set as the device identifier of the unified terminal device, and the target device identifier DDID is Set to the device identifier XX of this entry. Subsequently, the unified terminal device UTD transmits the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY three times according to the MAC address YY of the entry, and starts a timer ( Step 1010). If the unified terminal device UTD receives a device identifier reply frame DID_REPORT including the device identifier XX before the timer expires, the unified terminal device UTD resets the timer corresponding to this entry to a default value (step 1014). On the other hand, if the unified terminal device UTD does not receive the device identifier reply frame DID_REPORT before the timer expires, the unified terminal device UTD deletes this entry (deletes the device identifier XX from the device directory) (step 1016) . It can be seen from the above that, through the timer checking method 1000, the unified terminal device can delete a unified terminal device that has left the network system from the device directory.

In addition, please refer to FIG. 11 , which is a transmission timing diagram according to the timer checking method 1000 . In FIG. 11 , the first unified terminal device UTD1 determines that the device identifier of the unified terminal device UTD2 in the device directory has expired, so the first unified terminal device UTD1 generates a device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY. Wherein, the source device identifier SDID of the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY is set as the device identifier of the unified terminal device UTD1, and the target device identifier DDID of the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY is set as the device identifier of the unified terminal device UTD2 . According to the MAC address of the second unified terminal device UTD2 in the device directory, the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY is unicast to the second unified terminal device UTD2. If the second unified terminal device UTD2 recognizes the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY, the second unified terminal device UTD2 responds to the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY by sending a device identifier reply frame DID_REPORT to the first unified terminal device UTD1. In this way, the first unified terminal device UTD1 resets the timer corresponding to the entry of the second unified terminal device UTD2 to a default value. Similarly, if the first unified terminal device UTD1 determines that the device identifier of the third unified terminal device UTD3 is expired, the first unified terminal device UTD1 generates a device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY. Wherein, the source device identifier SDID of the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY is set as the device identifier of the first unified terminal device UTD1, and the target device identifier DDID of the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY is set as the third unified terminal The device identifier of the device UTD3. According to the MAC address of the third unified terminal device UTD3 in the device directory, the first unified terminal device UTD1 continuously unicasts the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY to the third unified terminal device UTD3. However, if the third unified terminal device UTD3 has left the network system, the third unified terminal device UTD3 may not be able to respond to the device identifier search frame DID_DISCOVERY. In this case, the first unified terminal device UTD1 deletes the device identifier of the third unified terminal device UTD3 from the device list.

It is worth noting that those skilled in the art can use the methods 40, 70, the device search methods 50, 80, and the timer checking method 1000 through hardware and firmware (that is, the combination of hardware devices and computer instructions, and the data in the hardware devices are only Read software data) or electronic systems. Hardware can include analog, digital, and mixed circuits (ie, microcircuits, microchips, or silicon chips). The electronic system may include a system on chip (SOC), a system in package (Sip), a computer on module (COM) and a communication device 30 .

To sum up, the processing method for device search provided by the present invention can establish and maintain a device directory of a communication device.

Although the present invention has been disclosed above in a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present invention, and any skilled person in the technical field can make some changes without departing from the scope of the present invention, so the protection scope of the present invention The scope defined by the claims shall prevail.

Claims (14)

1. the processing method that a kind of device is searched, it is characterised in that visited based on the media with multiple media access control types The abstract sublayer of media access control of key-course is asked, the processing method of the device search includes：

Produce the identifier for including the first unified terminal device and a media access control address one searches management frame；

The search management frame is propagated, wherein the second unified terminal device directly receives the search management frame；And

When being received from the second unified terminal device corresponding to the search management frame and include the second unified terminal device An identifier and a media access control address a response message when, according to the mark of the second unified terminal device Symbol and the media access control address, a newly-increased entrance is to being stored in a device catalogue of the first unified terminal device.

2. the processing method that device as claimed in claim 1 is searched, it is characterised in that the search management frame also includes propagation Target device identifiers, and include the step of propagate the search management frame：

The multiple search management frame of transmission.

3. the processing method that device as claimed in claim 1 is searched, it is characterised in that also include：

Start first timer, the first timer is used to refer to the reception phase of the response message corresponding to the search management frame Between.

4. the processing method that device as claimed in claim 3 is searched, it is characterised in that connect when from the second unified terminal device Receive corresponding to the search management frame and include identifier and the media access control of the second unified terminal device During the response message of address, according to the identifier and the media access control address of the second unified terminal device, newly Increase the entrance in the step being stored in the device catalogue of the first unified terminal device to include：

Before the first timer timing expires, when receiving the return information, according to being somebody's turn to do for the second unified terminal device Identifier and the media access control address, increase the entrance newly in the device catalogue of the first unified terminal device.

5. the processing method that device as claimed in claim 4 is searched, it is characterised in that also include：

Start second timer, the second timer is used for confirming being somebody's turn to do comprising the second unified terminal device in the device catalogue The period of validity of the entrance of identifier.

6. the processing method that device as claimed in claim 5 is searched, it is characterised in that also include：

When the second timer timing expires, according to the media access control address of the second unified terminal device, transmission Second searches management frame to the second unified terminal device；

When receiving the second response message corresponding to the second search management frame from the second unified terminal device, resetting should Second timer；And

When not receiving second response message from the second unified terminal device, delete include in the device catalogue this The entrance of the identifier of two unified terminal devices.

7. the processing method that device as claimed in claim 1 is searched, it is characterised in that each media access control type correspondence In the media specification of the first unified terminal device, the first unified terminal device and the second unified terminal device pass through the matchmaker Body specification is communicated.

8. the processing method that a kind of device is searched, it is characterised in that visited based on the media with multiple media access control types The abstract sublayer of media access control of key-course is asked, the processing method of the device search includes：

Identifier and the media interviews for including the second unified terminal device are directly received from the second unified terminal device Control the search management frame of address；

When receiving the search management frame, visited according to the identifier of the second unified terminal device of acquirement and the media Control address is asked, the device catalogue for being stored in the first unified terminal device is updated；And

To the second unified terminal device unicast response corresponding with the search management frame, the wherein response includes first system The mark and media access control address of one terminal installation.

9. the processing method that device as claimed in claim 8 is searched, it is characterised in that also include：

Start first timer, confirm the period of validity of the identifier of the second unified terminal device in the device catalogue.

10. the processing method that device as claimed in claim 9 is searched, it is characterised in that also include：

When the first timer timing expires, according to the media access control address of the second unified terminal device, transmission Second searches management frame to the second unified terminal device；

When from the second unified terminal device receive corresponding to this second search management frame response message when, reset this first Timer；And

When not receiving the response message from the second unified terminal device, delete and include second system in the device catalogue The entrance of the identifier of one terminal installation.

11. the processing method that device as claimed in claim 10 is searched, it is characterised in that also include：

Start second timer, the second timer is used to refer to correspond to connecing for the return information of the second search management frame During receipts.

12. the processing method that device as claimed in claim 11 is searched, it is characterised in that when from the second unified terminal device When receiving the response message corresponding to the second search management frame, the step of resetting the first timer includes：

Before the second timer timing expires, i.e., received from the second unified terminal device corresponding to the second search pipe When managing the response message of frame, the first timer is reset.

13. the processing method that device as claimed in claim 11 is searched, it is characterised in that when not from second unified terminal dress Put when receiving the response message, this for deleting the identifier that includes the second unified terminal device in the device catalogue enters The step of mouth, includes：

When the second timer expires, when not receiving the response message from the second unified terminal device yet, the dress is deleted Put the entrance for the identifier for including the second unified terminal device in catalogue.

14. the processing method that device as claimed in claim 8 is searched, it is characterised in that each media access control type pair This should be passed through in the media specification of the first unified terminal device, the first unified terminal device and the second unified terminal device Media specification is communicated.