Patent ID: 6842425
Filing Date: 2005-01-11
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. In a system for managing a communications network comprising a plurality of nodes, a method for determining a communication link between a start-node and an end-node, comprising the steps of: representing each node within said network according to its respective geographic position; defining a window comprising said start-node, said end-node and a plurality of intervening nodes, each of said start-node, end-node and intervening nodes having at least one communication link to a respective adjacent node; and calculating, using said nodes included within said window, a shortest communication path between said start-node and said end-node, wherein; said window is generally defined as a substantially rectangular portion of said network including a predefined percentage of the total geographic area occupied by said network and said window is formed according to the steps of: forming a rectilinear area about said line segment, said rectilinear area comprising those nodes approximately within a perpendicular distance (δ) of said start-node, said end-node, or said line segment between said start-node and said end-node said perpendicular distance (δ) being selected to cause said area defined by said rectilinear window to include said predefined percentage of the total geographic area of said network.