Gateway for interconnecting ad-hoc network and infrastructure network, and methods for discovering and registering service provider using gateway

A service provider registration method of a service repository that stores a lookup table having information of at least one service provider information, in an infrastructure network connected to an ad-hoc network through a gateway, the method comprising:

• joining, by a mobile node providing a service, the ad-hoc network;
• generating, by the mobile node, a duplicate address detection (DAD) packet comprising information describing the service and transmitting the DAD packet to the gateway;
• checking, by the gateway, whether an address and the information describing the service of the mobile node are novel;
• transmitting, by the gateway, a registration request packet in which the address and the information describing the service of the mobile node are recorded, to the service repository if at least one of the address and the information describing the service of the mobile node is novel;
• and
• registering, by the service repository, the information describing the service of the mobile node and the service to the lookup table.

A gateway which interconnects an ad-hoc network and an infrastructure network, comprising:

• a memory storing a routing table having communication path information with respect to each mobile node in the ad-hoc network and service information, which describes a service provided by each mobile node, provided from each mobile node;
• a communication section receiving a service request packet (SREQ) packet from a first mobile node in the ad-hoc network;
• a search section discovering a service provider which provides a service requested by the SREQ packet, in the ad-hoc network using the routing table;
• a packet processor updating the SREQ packet according to a protocol used in the infrastructure network;
• and
• a controller controlling the communication section to transmit the packet converted by the packet processor to a service repository in the infrastructure network when a determination is made that the service provider is not in the ad-hoc network,
• wherein the controller, if a service reply packet (SREP) packet is received from the service repository, controls the packet processor and the communication section to update the SREP packet according to a protocol used in the ad-hoc network and to transmit the updated packet to the first mobile node,
• wherein the controller, if the search section discovers the service provider, forwards the SREQ packet to the service provider,
• wherein the controller, if a duplicate address detection (DAD) packet in which address information and service information are recorded is received from a second mobile node joining the ad-hoc network, checks whether an address and the information describing said another service of the second mobile node are novel, and registers the second mobile node to the service repository by controlling the communication section to transmit to the service repository a registration request packet in which the address information and the service information are recorded when at least one of the address and the information describing said another service of the second mobile node is novel.

A service provider discovery method in a wireless network environment comprising an infrastructure network, an ad-hoc network, and a gateway connecting the networks, the method comprising:

• receiving, by the gateway, a service request (SREQ) packet which is broadcasted from a first mobile node in the ad-hoc network;
• updating and transmitting, by the gateway, the SREQ packet to a service repository which stores at least one service provider information, in the infrastructure network;
• receiving, by the gateway, a service reply (SREP) packet comprising information relating to a service provider that provides a service requested by the SREQ packet;
• updating and transmitting, by the gateway, the SREP packet to the first mobile node;
• and
• receiving, by the gateway, a duplicate address detection (DAD) packet broadcasted by a second mobile node comprising information describing another service provided by the second mobile node;
• and
• checking, by the gateway, whether an address and the information describing said another service of the second mobile node are novel.