Richard Powell Draves, Jr

Title: Richard Powell Draves, Jr.: Networking Inventions and Patent Contributions.

Introduction

Richard Powell Draves, Jr. is an inventor associated with Seattle, Washington. His work includes systems and methods for routing packets through ad hoc networks using link-quality information. He is associated with Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC, and has 12 patents.

Latest Patents

One of Draves’s listed patents is “System and Method for Link Quality Source Routing.” The invention describes a protocol for routing packets through nodes in an ad hoc network while measuring and maintaining information about the quality of network links.

Its methods cover route discovery, route maintenance, and the updating of link-quality metrics. Metric maintenance uses a reactive approach for links currently carrying traffic and a proactive mechanism for monitoring all links. The described nodes may include send and maintenance buffers, a request table, link-quality metric modules, and neighbor and link caches.

The system accommodates asymmetric links and may operate in a virtual protocol interlayer between the link and network layers. It can use different link-quality metrics, including measurements based on probing or information obtained through other means.

Career Highlights

Draves’s patent work addresses challenges in routing across ad hoc networks, where connections can vary in quality and may not be symmetrical. The described approach combines route management with mechanisms for keeping link-quality information current.

Collaborations

Draves’s listed coworkers include Michael B. Jones and Brian Don Zill. His company affiliation is Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC.

Conclusion

Richard Powell Draves, Jr.’s patent contributions focus on link-quality-aware source routing, offering methods for discovering and maintaining routes in ad hoc networks.