Management of Network Membership

Abstract

Systems and techniques relating to management of membership in mobile, wireless ad hoc networks are described. A described technique includes transmitting, by a device that is not a member of an ad hoc network, a request to join the ad hoc network to a given device of the ad hoc network. The method also includes receiving from the given device information including a set of addresses of devices of the ad hoc network that is locally stored at the given device. In addition, the method includes obtaining an address for the requesting device to be different from any address of the received set of addresses.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A device comprising:
 one or more hardware processors; and   a memory storing instructions that when executed cause the one or more hardware processors to perform operations comprising
 communicating with one or more members of an ad hoc network that includes the device, 
 storing a set of addresses associated with the one or more members of the ad hoc network, 
 receiving a request to join the ad hoc network from a device that is not a member of the ad hoc network, 
 assigning an address for the requesting device that is different from any address of the stored set of addresses, the assigned address to be the requesting device's address as a new member of the ad hoc network, 
 transmitting to the requesting device a response including the assigned address and the stored set of addresses, and 
 notifying the one or more members of the ad hoc network about the address of the newest member of the ad hoc network. 
   
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise
 receiving, from another device that is a member of the ad hoc network, information relating to another set of addresses associated with the ad hoc network, the other set of addresses being locally stored at the other device,   detecting that the other set of addresses is different from the locally stored set of addresses associated with the ad hoc network,   in response to the detection,
 determining that a first portion of the ad hoc network to which the device belongs has been disconnected, prior to said receiving the information relating to the other set of addresses, from a second portion of the ad hoc network to which the other device belongs, and 
 requesting from the other device the other set of addresses, 
   receiving a response from the other device including the other set of addresses, and   generating a set of addresses associated with the coalesced first and second portions of the ad hoc network as a reunion of the locally stored set of addresses and the other set of addresses.   
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise
 determining, from the set of addresses, a subset of addresses that are not locally stored at the other device,   determining, from the other set of addresses, a subset of addresses that are not locally stored at the device,   transmitting, to the other device, the subset of addresses from the locally stored set of addresses that are not locally stored at the other device, and   transmitting, to other devices of the first portion of the ad hoc network, the subset of addresses from the other set of addresses that are not locally stored at the device.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise
 determining a conflicting address belonging to a first device of the first portion of the ad hoc network, and to a second device of the second portion of the ad hoc network,   in response to said determining the conflicting address, assigning a new address to the first device, and   notifying the other devices of the first portion of the ad hoc network of the newly assigned address of the first device.   
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 at a device that is not a member of an ad hoc network,
 transmitting a request to join the ad hoc network to a given device of the ad hoc network; 
 receiving, from the given device, information including a set of addresses of devices of the ad hoc network that is locally stored at the given device; and 
 obtaining an address for the requesting device to be different from any address of the received set of addresses. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein
 said obtaining the address for the requesting device comprises self-assigning an address, and   the method further comprises transmitting the self-assigned address to the given device of the ad hoc network.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said obtaining the address for the requesting device comprises receiving from the given device of the ad hoc network the address assigned by the given device of the ad hoc network. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising randomly selecting, by the requesting device, the given device of the ad hoc network from which to request to join the ad hoc network. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising selecting, by the requesting device based on predefined criteria, the given device of the ad hoc network from which to request to join the ad hoc network. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the information received from the given device further comprises security configuration information corresponding to the set of addresses received from the given device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein each one of the set of addresses received from the given device comprises an IP address of a corresponding device of the ad hoc network. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein each one of the set of addresses received from the given device further comprises a MAC address of the corresponding device of the ad hoc network. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein
 said obtaining the address for the requesting device causes the requesting device to become a new member of the ad hoc network, and   the method further comprises, locally storing at the new member the set of addresses of the devices of the ad hoc network received from the given device.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  comprising
 at the new member of the ad hoc network,
 receiving a request to join the ad hoc network from another device that is not a member of the ad hoc network, and 
 transmitting to the requesting other device a response including the locally stored set of addresses of the ad hoc network. 
 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 assigning an address for the requesting other device that is different from any address of the locally stored set of addresses, the assigned address to be the requesting other device's address as another new member of the ad hoc network,   transmitting the assigned address to the requesting device, and   notifying devices of the ad hoc network about the address of the other new member of the ad hoc network.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 receiving an address self-assigned by the requesting device, the received address to be the requesting other device's address as another new member of the ad hoc network,   storing, as part of the locally stored set of addresses of the ad hoc network, the address of the other new member of the ad hoc network, and   notifying devices of the ad hoc network about the address of the other new member of the ad hoc network.   
     
     
         25 . A system comprising:
 a first device comprising
 one or more first hardware processors; and 
 a first memory storing instructions that when executed cause the first device to perform first operations comprising
 communicating with one or more members of an ad hoc network that includes the first device; 
 
   a second device that is not a member of the ad hoc network, the second device comprising
 one or more second hardware processors; and 
 a second memory storing instructions that when executed cause the second device to perform second operations comprising
 transmitting, to the first device, a request to join the ad hoc network; 
 receiving, from the first device, information including a set of addresses of devices of the ad hoc network that is locally stored at the first device; and 
 obtaining an address for the second device to be different from any address of the received set of addresses. 
 
   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein
 the operation of obtaining the address for the second device comprises self-assigning an address, and   the second operations further comprise transmitting the self-assigned address to the first device of the ad hoc network.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the operation of obtaining the address for the second device comprises receiving from the first device the address assigned by the first device. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the second operations further comprise randomly selecting the first device of the ad hoc network from which to request to join the ad hoc network. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the second operations further comprise selecting, based on predefined criteria, the first device of the ad hoc network from which to request to join the ad hoc network. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the information received from the first device further comprises security configuration information corresponding to the set of addresses received from the first device. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein each one of the set of addresses received from the first device comprises an IP address of a corresponding device of the ad hoc network. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein each one of the set of addresses received from the first device further comprises a MAC address of the corresponding device of the ad hoc network. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein
 the operation of obtaining the address for the second device causes the second device to become a new member of the ad hoc network, and   the second operations further comprise locally storing at the second device the set of addresses of devices of the ad hoc network received from the first device.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , further comprising
 a third device that is not a member of the ad hoc network,   wherein the second operations further comprise
 receiving a request to join the ad hoc network from the third device, and 
 transmitting to the third device a response including the locally stored set of addresses of the ad hoc network. 
   
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the second operations further comprise:
 assigning an address for the third device that is different from any address of the locally stored set of addresses, the assigned address to be the third device's address as another new member of the ad hoc network,   transmitting the assigned address to the third device, and   notifying devices of the ad hoc network about the address of the third device.   
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the second operations further comprise:
 receiving an address self-assigned by the third device, the self-assigned address to be the third device's address as another new member of the ad hoc network,   storing, as part of the locally stored set of addresses of the ad hoc network, the address of the third device, and   notifying devices of the ad hoc network about the address of the third device.