Temporal transition network protocol (TTNP) in a mobile ad hoc network

A method for managing and controlling the discovery and maintenance of routes in a mobile ad hoc network comprising a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together, the method comprising:

• building and updating route tables at each node with a first route discovery process to define routes in the network, a route comprising a set of links and nodes from a source to a destination;
• collecting and storing route stability information at each node;
• predicting route stability over time based upon the route stability information;
• and
• switching to a second route discovery process when predicted route stability reaches a first transition parameter, the second route discovery process being different from the first route discovery process.

A method for managing and controlling the discovery and maintenance of routes in a mobile ad hoc network comprising a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together, the method comprising:

• at each node, building and updating route tables with a proactive route discovery process to define routes to other nodes in the network, a route comprising a set of links and nodes;
• at each node, collecting and storing route stability information;
• at each node, predicting route stability over time based upon the route stability information;
• and
• at each node, switching to a reactive route discovery process when predicted route stability reaches a first transition parameter.

A method for managing and controlling the discovery and maintenance of routes in a mobile ad hoc network comprising a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together, the method comprising:

• at each nod, building and updating route tables with a reactive route discovery process to define routes to other nodes in the network, a route comprising a set of links and nodes;
• at each node, collecting and storing route stability information;
• at each node, predicting route stability over time based upon the route stability information;
• and
• at each node, switching to a proactive route discovery process when predicted route stability reaches a first transition parameter.

A mobile ad hoc network comprising:

• a plurality of wireless mobile nodes;
• a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together;
• each mobile node comprising
• a communications device to wirelessly communicate with other nodes of the plurality of nodes via the wireless communication links, and
• a controller to route communications via the communications device, and comprising
• route tables defining routes in the network, a route comprising a set of links and nodes from a source to a destination,
• a route discovery module to discover routes and update the route tables with one of a plurality of route discovery processes,
• a route stability profile memory to store route and route segment stability information,
• a route stability predictor to predict route stability over time based upon the route and route segment stability information, and
• a route discovery process selector to select between the plurality of route discovery processes based upon the predicted route stability.