Method, apparatus and system for transmitting and receiving data packets

An apparatus in a first communication network comprising a set of apparatuses, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory storing computer program code and information on the number of child nodes of the apparatus,
• wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
• control communication with apparatuses operationally connected to the apparatus by transmitting and receiving data packets, the data packets comprising a recipient identification, a transmission direction indicator, and depending on the transmission direction indicator, a hop count indicator, wherein the apparatus is configured to receive a data packet;
• determine the transmission direction indicator of the data packet;
• determine if the apparatus is the recipient of the data packet and process the packet if so;
• otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to the direction down, determine whether the hop count indicator equals zero and if so, discard the data packet;
• otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction up, transmit the data packet;
• otherwise, reduce the hop count indicator by one;
• and
• if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down and the number of child nodes is larger than one, broadcast the data packet to all apparatuses operationally connected to the apparatus, otherwise if the number of child nodes is one, transmit the data packet to the child node.

A web service system comprising one or more apparatuses in a first communication network comprising a set of apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor, and at least one memory storing computer program code and information on the number of child nodes of the apparatus,
• wherein, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
• control communication with apparatuses operationally connected to the apparatus by transmitting and receiving data packets, the data packets comprising a recipient identification, a transmission direction indicator, and depending on the transmission direction indicator, a hop count indicator, wherein the apparatus is configured to receive a data packet;
• determine the transmission direction indicator of the data packet;
• determine if the apparatus is the recipient of the data packet and process the packet if so;
• otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down, determine whether the hop count indicator equals zero and if so, discard the data packet;
• otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction up, transmit the data packet;
• otherwise, reduce the hop count indicator by one, and
• if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down and the number of child nodes is larger than one, broadcast the data packet to all apparatuses operationally connected to the apparatus, otherwise if the number of child nodes is one, transmit the data packet to the child node;
• and
• an apparatus in the first communication network comprising a set of nodes, the apparatus comprising:
• at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:
• store information regarding nodes of the communication network;
• and
• when transmitting a data packet to a destination node in the communication network,
• determine and include in the data packet the IPv6 address of the recipient;
• determine the branch of the destination node in the network;
• determine and include in the data packet a hop count indicator indicating the number of node-to-node hops to the destination node;
• set and include in the data packet the transmission direction indicator equal to a value corresponding to direction down;
• and
• transmit the packet.

A method in an apparatus, comprising:

• controlling communication with one or more apparatuses;
• transmitting and receiving data packets comprising a recipient identification, a transmission direction indicator, and depending on the transmission direction indicator, a hop count indicator;
• receiving a data packet;
• determine the transmission direction indicator of the data packet;
• determining if the apparatus is the recipient of the data packet and process the packet if so;
• otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down, determining whether the hop count indicator equals zero and if so, discard the data packet;
• otherwise, if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction up, transmitting the data packet;
• otherwise, reducing the hop count indicator by one;
• and
• if the transmission direction indicator equals a value corresponding to direction down and a number of child nodes of the apparatus is larger than one, broadcasting the data packet to all apparatuses operationally connected to the apparatus, otherwise if the number of child nodes of the apparatus is one, transmit the data packet to the child node.