Method and apparatus for adaptive traffic management in a resource- constrained network

Abstract

An electronic device may utilize or support adaptive traffic management in a resource-constrained network. The adaptive traffic management may comprise applying a multi-stage filtering to packets received by the electronic device, wherein each stage of the multi-stage filtering may comprises a validation check and a failure of any validation check of any stage when handling a packet terminates the handling of the packet. The adaptive traffic management may comprise apply an adaptive search function, whereby when the number of search responses received by the electronic device exceeds a particular maximum response threshold, one or more criteria for modifying search requests may be selected, to reduce number of expected search responses, and the modified search criteria may be applied to generated modified search command(s) that are applied in the search function.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 in an electronic device comprising a communication interface for communicating over a physical medium:   applying multi-stage filtering to packets received by said electronic device, wherein:
 each stage of said multi-stage filtering comprises a validation check, and a failure of any validation check of any stage when handling a packet terminates said handling of said packet; and 
 at least one stage of said multi-stage filtering comprises a check that said packet is destined for said electronic device, and said check that said packet is destined for said electronic device is determined based on subnet masking. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising applying, in a first stage of said multi-stage filtering, an error detection check to determine whether said packet was corrupted during communication over said physical medium. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said error detection check comprises a validation based on cyclic redundancy check (CRC) value associated with said packet. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising applying, in a stage of said multi-stage filtering, a check that communication of said packet meets predetermined energy criteria. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising validating, during said checking of whether said communication of said packet meets predetermined energy criteria, that loss of energy associated with said communication is less than a preconfigured threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , comprising determining said loss of energy based on measurement of received signal strength indication (RSSI) and original transmit power for said packet, said original transmit power being obtained from information embedded in said packet. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising comparing, during said subnet masking based check, subnet-related parameters embedded in said packet with subnet-related parameters in said electronic device. 
     
     
         8 . A system, comprising:
 an electronic device comprising a communication interface for communicating over a physical medium, said electronic device being operable to apply a multi-stage filtering to packets received by said electronic device, wherein:
 each stage of said multi-stage filtering comprises a validation check, and a failure of any validation check of any stage when handling a packet terminates said handling of said packet; and 
 at least one stage of said multi-stage filtering comprises a check that said packet is destined for said electronic device, and said check that said packet is destined for said electronic device is determined based on subnet masking. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said electronic device is operable to apply, in a first stage of said multi-stage filtering, an error detection check to determine whether said packet was not corrupted during communication over said physical medium. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein said error detection check comprises a validation based on cyclic redundancy check (CRC) value associated with said packet. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said electronic device is operable to apply, in a stage of said multi-stage filtering, a check that communication of said packet meets predetermined energy criteria. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said electronic device is operable to validate, during said checking of whether said communication of said packet meets predetermined energy criteria, that loss of energy associated with said communication is less than a preconfigured threshold. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said electronic device is operable to determine said loss of energy based on measurement of received signal strength indication (RSSI) and original transmit power for said packet, said original transmit power being obtained from information embedded in said packet. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said electronic device is operable to compare during said subnet masking based check, subnet-related parameters embedded in said packet with subnet-related parameters in said electronic device. 
     
     
         15 . A system, comprising:
 an electronic device that comprises a communication interface for communicating over a physical medium, said electronic device being operable to:
 determine, after reception of a plurality of search responses from a plurality of other electronic devices, whether the number of search responses exceeds a maximum response threshold, wherein the search responses are triggered by a first search request transmitted by said electronic device; 
 when the number of search responses exceeds said maximum response threshold, generate a modified search request to reduce number of expected search responses; and 
 transmit said modified search request. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein said generating said modified search request comprises adjusting transmit power used when transmitting said modified search request. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein said electronic device is operable to adjust query parameters during said generating of said modified search request such that query parameters embedded in said modified search request are different than query parameters embedded in said first search request. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein said query parameters comprise one or more of: compare length, compare code, compare mask, and compare value. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein said electronic device is operable to adjust subnet-related parameters during said generating of said modified search request such that subnet-related parameters of said modified search request are different than subnet-related parameters of said search request. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said subnet-related parameters comprise a subnet specifier and/or a subnet mask.