1. A method of enabling a service instance to be applied to an MPLS network, the method comprising the steps of:
exchanging routing advertisements by network elements in the MPLS network to enable the network elements to have a synchronized view of a topology of the MPLS network;
advertising, by a first MPLS network element on the MPLS network, a domain-wide unique service identifier in one of the routing advertisements; and
locally calculating, by a second MPLS network element from the second MPLS network element’s synchronized view of the topology of the MPLS network, whether to install MPLS label forwarding state for the service identifier by determining whether the MPLS network element is on a shortest path tree rooted at the first MPLS network element, the MPLS label forwarding state being locally calculated by the second MPLS network element and including a first computed label to be used by the second MPLS network element to forward traffic on the shortest path tree to a destination, the MPLS label forwarding state further including at least a second computed label that a MPLS neighbor network element will use when forwarding traffic to on the shortest path tree to the destination.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the domain-wide unique service identifier is a domain-wide unique network element node identifier.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the node identifier is a domain-wide unique MPLS label.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the domain-wide unique MPLS label may be used to forward unicast traffic to the first network element on the MPLS network.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein, if the second MPLS network element installs forwarding state for the service identifier, the second MPLS network element will install forwarding state for the domain-wide unique MPLS label such that any packet received by the second MPLS network element containing the domain-wide unique MPLS label will be forwarded toward the first MPLS network element.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computed label is a domain-wide unique MPLS label that may be used to forward traffic associated with the service instance.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the domain-wide unique MPLS label is a unicast label associated with the destination on the MPLS network.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the domain-wide unique MPLS label is a multicast label associated with a source of the multicast.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the MPLS labels are calculated in a deterministic manner.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating whether to install MPLS forwarding state includes determining whether the same service identifier has been advertised by a third MPLS network element on the MPLS network and if so, determining whether the second MPLS network element is on a forwarding path between the first MPLS network element and the third MPLS network element.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the third network element is multicast source associated with the service identifier, and wherein the first network element is a multicast subscriber associated with the service identifier.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the forwarding path is a shortest path between the first MPLS network element and the third MPLS network element.
13. A method of enabling a service instance to be applied to an MPLS network, the method comprising the steps of:
advertising, by a subset of the MPLS network elements on the MPLS network, interest in a multicast service instance, the multicast service instance being a domain-wide unique value;
selectively installing, by each of the other network elements on the MPLS network, MPLS label forwarding state for the multicast service instance, if the other network element is on a shortest path between two network elements advertising common interest in the same multicast service instance;
wherein, at each of the other network elements that installs MPLS label forwarding state, the MPLS label forwarding state is locally calculated by the network element that is installing MPLS forwarding state, and the MPLS label forwarding state includes a first computed label to be used by the network element that is installing MPLS forwarding state to forward traffic associated with the multicast service instance, the MPLS label forwarding state further including at least a second computed label that a MPLS neighbor network element will use when forwarding traffic associated with the multicast service instance;
wherein the step of advertising is implemented via a link state routing system in use on the MPLS network.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the MPLS forwarding state includes a domain-wide unique label associated with the service instance.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the MPLS forwarding state is deterministically calculated by each of the network elements of the MPLS network.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-19. (canceled)
20. A fixing device for a seat belt retractor for attachment to a vehicle part, comprising:
a seat belt retractor housing having a housing plate, wherein the housing plate has at least one fixing opening for receiving a screw connection engaging the vehicle part in a fixing opening formed thereon, wherein the seat belt retractor housing is rotatably disposed relative to the fixing opening of the vehicle part, so that the seat belt retractor is oriented automatically in a direction of a force of a belt which moves at an angle with respect to an axis of a shaft of the seat belt retractor; and
a holder part, wherein the seat belt retractor housing is rotatably held on the holder part wherein the holder part is fixedly connected with the vehicle part wherein the seat belt retractor housing is held by means of the holder part at a distance to the fixing opening wherein the seat belt retractor housing is fixed to the holder part in such a way that the seat belt retractor housing is rotatable relative to the holder part in a direction opposite to a pre-set resistance.
21. The fixing device according to claim 20, wherein the holder part is formed as a flat part with an opening for guiding through of an attachment means, wherein the attachment means serves to attach the holder part to the vehicle part, and wherein the holder part has a further opening for rotatable attachment of the seat belt retractor housing to the holder part.
22. The fixing device according to claim 21, wherein attachment of the seat belt retractor housing to the holder part takes place by means of a rivet penetrating the further opening of the holder part and the fixing opening of the housing plate of the seat belt retractor housing.
23. The fixing device according to claim 21, wherein the holder part rests on the flat housing plate of the seat belt retractor housing provided with the fixing opening.
24. The fixing device according to claim 21, wherein the housing plate of the seat belt retractor housing provided for connection of the holder part has an off-set region for receiving an associated end of the holder part, and wherein the off-set region, together with the outer edges of the holder part, form a limitation for rotational movement of the seat belt retractor housing relative to the holder part.
25. The fixing device according to claim 21, wherein the holder part has a fixing shoulder projecting at an angle from the holder part, wherein the fixing shoulder is insertable into a further opening formed in the vehicle part.
26. The fixing device according to claim 20, wherein the holder part comprises a collar screw that penetrates through the fixing opening of the housing plate of the seat belt retractor housing, wherein the collar screw is fixed with an end threading in the fixing opening of the vehicle part, wherein the collar screw has a collar and a screw head, wherein the collar braces against the vehicle part, wherein the seat belt retractor housing sits, via the fixing opening, on the collar of the collar screw and is held by means of the screw head, and wherein a pre-stressed spring element is arranged on the collar of the collar screw between the vehicle part and the seat belt retractor housing.
27. The fixing device according to claim 26, wherein the spring element comprises a plate spring.
28. The fixing device according to claim 20, wherein the holder part is a U-shaped component having U-plates, wherein said U-plates include a plurality of openings, wherein said U-shaped component is attachable onto the housing plate having the fixing opening, wherein the U-shaped component accommodates the housing plate between the U-plates, whereby the openings in the U-plates of the holder part are flush with the fixing opening of the housing plate, wherein one of the U-plates of the holder part, upon mounting of the seat belt retractor onto the vehicle part, rests between the vehicle part and the housing plate.
29. The fixing device according to claim 28, further comprising a fixing nut that can be screwed via a fixing screw into the fixing opening formed in the vehicle part, wherein the fixing screw is a collar nut having a collar, wherein a height of the collar corresponds to a material thickness of the housing plate of the seat belt retractor housing inclusive of a material thickness of the U-plate of the holder part lying between the vehicle part and the housing plate.
30. The fixing device according to claim 28, wherein an intermediate space is formed by the U-plate of the holder part lying between the vehicle part and housing plate of the seat belt retractor housing, and wherein a spring element is disposed in the intermediate space.
31. The fixing device according to claim 30, wherein the spring element is formed as a plate spring.
32. The fixing device according to claim 28, wherein projections are formed on the U-plate of the holder part facing away from the vehicle part, wherein said projections at least partially surround the opening formed therein, and wherein said projections serve as a mounting holder and anti-twist device for a fixing nut.
33. The fixing device according to claim 28, wherein on the U-plate of the holder part facing away from the vehicle part, a fixing nut is fixedly mounted to be oriented with the opening formed thereon.
34. The fixing device according to claim 28, wherein the holder part has a fixing shoulder projecting from the holder part at an angle for engagement in an associated further opening of the vehicle part.
35. The fixing device according to claim 34, wherein the holder part penetrates the housing plate of the seat belt retractor in an associated further recess via the fixing shoulder.
36. The fixing device according to claim 20, wherein the holder part comprises metal, wherein a fixing nut is provided on the holder part, and wherein the fixing nut is formed as a weld nut that is fixedly connected with the holder part.
37. The fixing device according to claim 20, wherein the holder part comprises plastic, wherein a fixing nut is provided on the holder part, and wherein the fixing nut is connected as one piece with the holder part.
38. The fixing device according to claim 20, wherein the holder part comprises a collar nut with a collar, wherein the collar nut penetrates through the fixing opening of the housing plate via the collar and wherein the collar nut can be screwed onto a fixing screw anchored on the vehicle part, wherein the collar abuts the vehicle part or the fixing screw, wherein the seat belt retractor housing sits rotatably with the fixing opening on the collar of the collar nut, and
further comprising a holding sheet, wherein the holding sheet is disposed on a side of the housing plate facing away from the vehicle part and is held on the collar of the collar nut, wherein said holding sheet engages through an associated further recess in the housing plate via a fixing shoulder projecting from the holding sheet at an angle, wherein said fixing shoulder can be fixedly, non-rotatably disposed in a further opening formed in the vehicle part, and further comprising a tongue, wherein the seat belt retractor housing, by means of the tongue projecting into the recess and guided through an aperture formed in the fixing shoulder, is fixed relative to the holding sheet, wherein under a load, the seat belt retractor housing is rotatable as a result of deformation of the tongue engaging through the fixing shoulder.