Operation method for access point and operation method for relay

• US 10,136,339 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2014
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Lee, Jae Seung, Kwon, Hyoung Jin, Lee, Sok Kyu, Cheong, Min Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Onamuti, Gbemileke J
• Application Number:
  US14/917,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20160219591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0241 where no transmission is received, e.g. out of range of the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/004 in the uplink, i.e. towards network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An operating method of an access point (AP) and an operating method of a relay are disclosed in which the AP may determine whether to associate with the relay based on at least one of first information indicating whether use of an overlapping channel is restricted, second information indicating whether an operation using a non-overlapping channel is supported by the relay, and third information indicating whether use of a channel identical to a channel used by the AP is requested.

Claims

1. An operating method of an access point (AP) extending a basic service set (BSS) of the APP using a relay, comprising:

transmitting, to the relay, a first signal comprising first information indicating whether the relay is allowed to set up a relay BSS using the same channels used in the BSS of the AP;

receiving, from the relay, a second signal comprising second information indicating whether the relay possesses a capability for a channel switch, and third information indicating whether the relay requests the same channel used in the BSS of the AP to set up the relay BSS; and

determining whether to associate with the relay based on at least one of the first information, the second information, and the third information.

2. The operating method of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises a first bit of a predetermined subfield comprised in a relay element to be transmitted by the AP,

the second information comprises a second bit of the predetermined subfield comprised in a relay element to be transmitted by the relay, and

the third information comprises a third bit of the predetermined subfield comprised in a relay element to be transmitted by the relay.

3. The operating method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

determining to reject association with the relay when the first information indicates that the relay is not allowed to set up the relay BSS using the same channels used in the BSS of the AP, the second information indicates that the relay possesses the capability for the channel switch, and the third information indicates that the relay requests the same channel used in the BSS of the AP to set up the relay BSS.

4. The operating method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

determining to accept association with the relay when the second information indicates that the relay does not possess the capability for the channel switch.

5. The operating method of claim 1, wherein the first signal is comprised in at least one of a beacon signal and a probe response signal, and

the second signal is comprised in at least one of an association request signal and a probe request signal.

6. The operating method of claim 5, wherein the at least one of the beacon signal and the probe response signal further comprises channel information on at least one neighboring AP of the AP, and the association request signal further comprises a list of candidate channels desired to be used by the relay, and

the determining comprises determining whether to accept association with the relay based on the channel information and the list of the candidate channels.

7. An operating method of a relay extending a basic service set (BSS) of an access point (AP), comprising:

receiving, from the AP, a first signal comprising first information indicating whether the relay is allowed to set up a relay BSS using the same channels used in the BSS of the AP;

transmitting, to the AP, a second signal comprising second information indicating whether the relay possesses a capability for a channel switch and third information indicating whether the relay requests the same channel used in the BSS of the AP to set up the relay BSS; and

receiving a response signal indicating an acceptance or a rejection of association with the AP, and

wherein whether the association with the AP is accepted or rejected is determined based on at least one of the first information, the second information, and the third information.

8. The operating method of claim 7, wherein the first information comprises a first bit of a predetermined subfield comprised in a relay element to be transmitted by the AP,

the second information comprises a second bit of the predetermined subfield comprised in a relay element to be transmitted by the relay, and

the third information comprises a third bit of the predetermined subfield comprised in a relay element to be transmitted by the relay.

9. The operating method of claim 7, wherein, when the first information indicates that the relay is not allowed to set up the relay BSS using the same channels used in the BSS of the AP, the second information indicates that the relay possesses the capability for the channel switch, and the third information indicates that the relay requests the same channel used in the BSS of the AP to set up the relay BSS, the associated with the AP is rejected.

10. The operating method of claim 7, wherein, when the second information indicates that the relay does not possess the capability for the channel switch, the association with the AP is accepted.

11. The operating method of claim 7, wherein the first signal is comprised in at least one of a beacon signal and a probe response signal, and

the second signal is comprised in at least one of an association request signal and a probe request signal.

12. The operating method of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the beacon signal and the probe response signal further comprises channel information on at least one neighboring AP of the AP, and the association request signal further comprises a list of candidate channels desired to be used by the relay, and

whether the association with the AP is accepted or rejected is further determined based on the channel information and the list of the candidate channels.