METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSMISSION OF NODE LINK STATUS MESSAGES

摘要

The present invention transmits Link-State Advertisement (LSA) type or database update messages or packets of an internetworking protocol within a wireless communication system or network via insertion of the packet within packets of an intranet protocol. The wireless network includes a plurality of nodes arranged into clusters having cluster member nodes and a designated cluster head node. The nodes communicate with each other via an intranet protocol, while the network may communicate with other external networks in accordance with an internetworking protocol a Radio Open Shortest Path First (ROSPF) protocol). A database within each network node contains link information for that node, while the ROSPF LSA type packets contain information to update the node databases. The ROSPF LSA type packets are transmitted to neighbors of each node to enable each database to maintain current information. In order to reduce overhead of transmitting numerous LSA type packets. the present invention transmits the ROSPF LSA type packet within an intranet protocol beacon type or node status packet that is periodically broadcasted within the network.