# US 2017/0289846 A1 · Insertion of management packet into a deterministic track > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0289846 A1 - Document ID: US20170289846A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/089,711 - Filed: 2016-04-04 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-04 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: PATRICK WETTERWALD; PASCAL THUBERT; ERIC MICHEL LEVY-ABEGNOLI; JEAN-PHILIPPE VASSEUR - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170289846A1 ## CPC - H04W 40/02: Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing - H04B 1/713: using frequency hopping - H04L 41/34: Signalling channels for network management communication - H04L 69/323: in the physical layer [OSI layer 1] - H04W 28/065: {using assembly or disassembly of packets} - H04W 52/0203: {in the radio access network or backbone network of wireless communication networks} - H04L 25/0218: {with detection of nulls} - H04L 2101/659: Internet protocol version 6 [IPv6] addresses - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract In one embodiment, a method comprises: a first network device in a deterministic network identifying first and second slots for transmission of a data packet toward a destination device along a deterministic track of the deterministic network, the first slot reserved for the first network device receiving the data packet from a second network device and the second slot reserved for transmission by the first network device of the data packet toward the destination device along the deterministic track; the first network device detecting, in the first slot, an absence of receiving the data packet from the second network device; and the first network device selectively generating and transmitting in the second slot, in response to the absence of receiving the data packet, a management packet along the deterministic track. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: a first network device in a deterministic network identifying first and second slots for transmission of a data packet toward a destination device along a deterministic track of the deterministic network, the first slot reserved for the first network device receiving the data packet from a second network device and the second slot reserved for transmission by the first network device of the data packet toward the destination device along the deterministic track; the first network device detecting, in the first slot, an absence of receiving the data packet from the second network device; and the first network device selectively generating and transmitting in the second slot, in response to the absence of receiving the data packet, a management packet along the deterministic track. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, the management packet identifying one or more attributes associated with the absence of receiving the data packet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the management packet specifies any one of a transmission time of the first slot relative to a prescribed time domain of the deterministic network (ASN), a frequency channel allocated for the transmission of the data packet at the first slot, a detected (ambient) wireless energy level detected by the first network device during the first slot, a detected wireless channel characteristic associated with the frequency channel, one or more physical layer (PHY) transceiver parameters, or one or more media access (MAC) parameters. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the attributes include an event severity describing the absence of receiving the data during the first slot. ### Claim 5 The method 4, wherein the event severity specifies at least one of a statistically expected loss, an anomalous loss, or a severe loss. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the deterministic track comprises a first deterministic segment and a second deterministic segment, the absence of receiving the data packet detected on the first deterministic segment, the method further comprising: the first network device identifying a third slot reserved for reception of a replicated copy of the data packet, by the first network device, from a third network device associated with forwarding the data packet along the second deterministic segment; the first network device forwarding the replicated copy of the data packet, in the second slot along the deterministic track toward the destination, in response to receiving the replicated copy of the data packet in the third slot; the first network device sending the management packet via a path distinct from the deterministic track. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the management packet includes aggregated data for multiple absences of receiving the data packet relative to multiple instances of the first slot in a repeating deterministic schedule for the deterministic network. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the deterministic track is a 6TiSCH track, the first slot based on a first 6TiSCH cell specifying a first channel offset and a corresponding first timeslot offset, and the second slot based on a second 6TiSCH cell specifying a second channel offset and a corresponding second timeslot offset. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying includes receiving a message, identifying the first and second slots for transmission of the data packet, from a management entity. ### Claim 10 An apparatus comprising: a device interface circuit; and a processor circuit configured for identifying first and second slots for transmission of a data packet toward a destination device along a deterministic track of a deterministic network, the first slot reserved for the apparatus, operating as a first network device, receiving the data packet from a second network device and the second slot reserved for transmission by the apparatus of the data packet toward the destination device along the deterministic track; the processor circuit further configured for detecting, in the first slot, an absence of receiving the data packet from the second network device, and in response to the detected absence selectively generating a management packet and causing transmission, by the device interface circuit, of the management packet along the deterministic track in the second slot. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the management packet identifies one or more attributes associated with the absence of receiving the data packet. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the management packet specifies any one of a transmission time of the first slot relative to a prescribed time domain of the deterministic network (ASN), a frequency channel allocated for the transmission of the data packet at the first slot, a detected (ambient) wireless energy level detected by the first network device during the first slot, a detected wireless channel characteristic associated with the frequency channel, one or more physical layer (PHY) transceiver parameters, or one or more media access (MAC) parameters. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the attributes include an event severity describing the absence of receiving the data during the first slot. ### Claim 14 The apparatus 13, wherein the event severity specifies at least one of a statistically expected loss, an anomalous loss, or a severe loss. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the deterministic track comprises a first deterministic segment and a second deterministic segment, the absence of receiving the data packet detected on the first deterministic segment, the processor circuit further configured for: identifying a third slot reserved for reception of a replicated copy of the data packet, by the first network device, from a third network device associated with forwarding the data packet along the second deterministic segment; the processor circuit configured for causing forwarding the replicated copy of the data packet, in the second slot along the deterministic track toward the destination, in response to detecting reception of the replicated copy of the data packet in the third slot; the processor circuit configured for causing the device interface circuit to send the management packet via a path distinct from the deterministic track. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the management packet includes aggregated data for multiple absences of receiving the data packet relative to multiple instances of the first slot in a repeating deterministic schedule for the deterministic network. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the deterministic track is a 6TiSCH track, the first slot based on a first 6TiSCH cell specifying a first channel offset and a corresponding first timeslot offset, and the second slot based on a second 6TiSCH cell specifying a second channel offset and a corresponding second timeslot offset. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor circuit is configured for identify the first and second slots based on receiving a message, identifying the first and second slots for transmission of the data packet, from a management entity. ### Claim 19 One or more non-transitory tangible media encoded with logic for execution by a machine and when executed by the machine operable for: the machine, operating as a first network device, identifying first and second slots for transmission of a data packet toward a destination device along a deterministic track of a deterministic network, the first slot reserved for the first network device receiving the data packet from a second network device and the second slot reserved for transmission by the first network device of the data packet toward the destination device along the deterministic track; the first network device detecting, in the first slot, an absence of receiving the data packet from the second network device; and the first network device selectively generating and transmitting in the second slot, in response to the absence of receiving the data packet, a management packet along the deterministic track. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The one or more non-transitory tangible media of claim 19, wherein the management packet specifies any one of a transmission time of the first slot relative to a prescribed time domain of the deterministic network (ASN), a frequency channel allocated for the transmission of the data packet at the first slot, a detected (ambient) wireless energy level detected by the first network device during the first slot, a detected wireless channel characteristic associated with the frequency channel, one or more physical layer (PHY) transceiver parameters, or one or more media access (MAC) parameters, or an event severity describing the absence of receiving the data during the first slot.