Patent ID: 7801042
Filing Date: 2010-09-21
Classification: H04L,H04W,Y02D

Abstract:
1. A method for routing packets in a distributed network including a plurality of nodes, the nodes being coupled via links and the nodes having queues associated with the links, the method comprising the steps of: injecting a packet flow into the distributed network at a corresponding source node, wherein the packet flow is stored in an overflow buffer of the source node in response to a height of at least a given queue of the source node exceeding a threshold; equalizing the queues at each node of the distributed network wherein an integer number of packets in each queue is maintained; pushing the packet flow in the distributed network such that packets are moved from a queue with a higher height to a queue with a lower height in a manner that substantially minimizes power dissipation at affected nodes in order to prevent exhaustion of any energy reserve associated with an affected node; and absorbing the packet flow at a corresponding sink node such that heights of queues at the sink node are set to zero; wherein each queue has a potential function associated therewith, the potential function of a given queue being a function of the height of the given queue, and wherein packets are routed so as to minimize the sum of the potential functions of the queues of the nodes of the distributed network wherein the potential function comprises a constraint based at least in part on respective energy reserves associated with affected nodes and an amount of energy required to move packets between the affected nodes.