Efficient Network Stack for Wireless Application Protocols

Abstract

In embodiments of efficient network stack for wireless application protocols, a network stack receives an application-layer message in a first wireless application protocol that includes a source address and a destination address, maps the source address to an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) source address, and maps the destination address to an IPv6 source address. The source node transmits the application-layer message to a destination node in a mesh network using a network stack that implements a second wireless application protocol using the IPv6 source address, and maps the destination address to an IPv6 source address.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of communicating an application-layer message by a source node over a mesh network, the method comprising, by an application-layer translation application of a dual-stack router:
 receiving, from the source node using a first network stack that implements a first network protocol, the application-layer message that includes a source address and a destination address;   mapping the source address to an Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) source address;   mapping the destination address to an IPv6 destination address;   transmitting the application-layer message by the source node to a destination node in the mesh network using a second network stack implementing a second network protocol, the IPv6 source address, and the IPv6 destination address, the second network stack comprising:
 a transport layer configured to transport the application-layer message using User Datagram Protocol (UDP); 
 a network layer configured to communicate the application-layer message using IPv6; 
 a data link layer configured to encode the application-layer message for transmission, the data link layer comprising a 6LoWPAN adaptation layer and a Media Access Control (MAC) layer; and 
 a physical layer configured to transmit the encoded application-layer message with a wireless transceiver in the mesh network. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second network stack further comprises a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) layer. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second network stack further comprises a Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) layer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 serializing the application-layer message; or   in response to said transmitting the application-layer message, receiving an application-layer response message from the destination node using the second network stack; and   communicating the received application-layer response message to an application of the source node.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the application is one of:
 a ZigBee application;   a Z-Wave application;   an Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) application;   an AllJoyn application; or   a fabric network application.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the physical layer is an IEEE 802.15.4 Physical (PHY) layer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the MAC layer is an IEEE 802.15.4 MAC layer. 
     
     
         8 . A mesh network device implemented as a dual-stack router, the mesh network device comprising:
 a mesh network interface configured for communication in a mesh network;   a memory and processor system that are to implement an application-layer translation application that is configured to:   receive, using a first network stack that implements a first network protocol, an application-layer message that includes a source address and a destination address;   map the source address to an Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) source address;   map the destination address to an IPv6 destination address;   transmit the application-layer message to a destination mesh network device using a second network stack implementing a second network protocol, the mapped source address, and the mapped destination address, the second network stack comprising:
 a transport layer configured to transport the application-layer message using User Datagram Protocol (UDP); 
 a network layer configured to communicate the application-layer message using IPv6; 
 a data link layer configured to encode the application-layer message for transmission, the data link layer comprising a 6LoWPAN adaptation layer and a Media Access Control (MAC) layer; and 
 a physical layer configured to transmit the encoded application-layer message over the mesh network. 
   
     
     
         9 . The mesh network device of  claim 8 , wherein the second network stack further comprises a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) layer. 
     
     
         10 . The mesh network device of  claim 8 , wherein a Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) layer. 
     
     
         11 . The mesh network device of  claim 8 , wherein the second network stack is configured to:
 serialize the application-layer message; or   in response to the transmission of the application-layer message, receive an application-layer response message from the destination mesh network device; and   communicate the received application-layer response message to an application of the mesh network device.   
     
     
         12 . The mesh network device of  claim 11 , wherein the application is one of:
 a ZigBee application;   a Z-Wave application;   an Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) application;   an AllJoyn application; or   a fabric network application.   
     
     
         13 . The mesh network device of  claim 8 , wherein the physical layer is an IEEE 802.15.4 Physical (PHY) layer. 
     
     
         14 . The mesh network device of  claim 8 , wherein the MAC layer is an IEEE 802.15.4 MAC layer. 
     
     
         15 . The mesh network device of  claim 8 , wherein the first network stack comprises one or more layers of a Z-Wave network stack, and the mesh network device comprises a Z-Wave network interface configured for communication in a Z-Wave network. 
     
     
         16 . A mesh network system, comprising:
 a source node configured to communicate using a first wireless application protocol; and   a dual-stack router, comprising:
 a mesh network interface configured for communication in a mesh network; 
 a memory and processor system that are to implement an application-layer translation application that is configured to:
 receive, from the source node and using a first network stack that implements a first network protocol, an application-layer message that includes a source address and a destination address; 
 map the source address to an Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) source address; 
 map the destination address to an IPv6 destination address; 
 transmit the application-layer message to a destination node using a second network stack implementing a second network protocol, the mapped source address, and the mapped destination address, the second network stack comprising:
 a transport layer configured to transport the application-layer message using User Datagram Protocol (UDP); 
 a network layer configured to communicate the application-layer message using IPv6; 
 a data link layer configured to encode the application-layer message for transmission, the data link layer comprising a 6LoWPAN adaptation layer and a Media Access Control (MAC) layer; and 
 a physical layer configured to transmit the encoded application-layer message over the mesh network. 
 
 
   
     
     
         17 . The mesh network system of  claim 16 , wherein the second network stack further comprises a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) layer or a Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) layer. 
     
     
         18 . The mesh network system of  claim 16 , wherein the second network stack is configured to:
 serialize the application-layer message; or   in response to the transmission of the application-layer message, receive an application-layer response message from the destination node; and   communicate the received application-layer response message to an application of the source node.   
     
     
         19 . The mesh network system of  claim 18 , wherein the application is one of:
 a ZigBee application;   a Z-Wave application;   an Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) application;   an AllJoyn application; or   a fabric network application.   
     
     
         20 . The mesh network system of  claim 16 , wherein the physical layer is an IEEE 802.15.4 Physical (PHY) layer and wherein the MAC layer is an IEEE 802.15.4 MAC layer.