Method and apparatus for engaging in a service or activity using an ad-hoc mesh network

摘要

An approach is provided for discovering a location-based service over an ad-hoc mesh network. A location-based service is discovered sending an anonymous flooding message including a query over the ad-hoc mesh network. A wireless node replies to the flooding message over the ad-hoc mesh network with a pointer to the discovered location-based service.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
discovering local information by broadcasting an anonymous propagating multi-hop flooding message including a query over a wireless ad-hoc mesh network without the use of internet protocols; and receiving a reply to the anonymous propagating multi-hop flooding message from a wireless node, which receives the anonymous propagating multi-hop flooding message, over the ad-hoc mesh network without the use of internet protocols, wherein the wireless node receiving the anonymous propagating multi-hop flooding message includes a message table containing flooding messages the wireless node has scheduled to be transmitted, the message table is updated to include the received anonymous propagating multi-hop flooding message that the wireless node has scheduled to be transmitted, each entry in the message table contains the anonymous propagating multi-hop flooding message, the time when the anonymous propagating multi-hop flooding message is scheduled to be sent, and a number of receptions of a same anonymous propagating multi-hop flooding message by the wireless node, the anonymous propagating multi-hop flooding message is removed from the message table at a time a maximum number of receptions of the same anonymous propagating multi-hop flooding message is reached, the reply includes a pointer or small-volume data related to the discovered local information, the anonymous propagating multi-hop flooding message is transmitted to the neighboring nodes in connectionless manner without the need to send any prior control signals or messages to the neighboring nodes before the transmission or without knowledge of the addresses of the neighboring nodes, and the neighboring nodes to which the anonymous propagating multi-hop flooding message is transmitted include one or more nodes that are different from node from which the anonymous propagating multi-hop flooding message is received.