Apparatus, and associated method, for allocating channel capacity in a wireless communication system

• US 20020086678A1
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Reunamaki, Jukka, Palin, Arto, Salokannel, Juha
• Granted Patent: US 6,823,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating inter-slave device communications in a radio communication system, such as a Bluetooth-compatible communication system. Channel allocations to permit the effectuation of the communications between the slave devices are controlled by a master device. Indications of the channel allocations are provided by the master device to the slave devices, and thereafter, a radio link is formed directly between the slave devices and communications therebetween are effectuated.

Claims

1. In a radio communication system having at least a first set of communication stations forming at least a first network set operable to communicate upon a common set of channels, the first set having a master-device station, a first slave-device station and at least a second slave-device stations defined therein, an improvement of apparatus for facilitating communication between the first and at least second slave-device stations, respectively, said apparatus comprising:

a request detector coupled to receive indications of a request for allocation of channel capacity to permit the communications between the first and at least second slave-device stations; and

a channel allocator coupled to said request detector, said allocator for selectably allocating channel capacity for the communications between the first and at least second slave-device stations, allocations made by said channel allocator responsive, at least in part, upon other communications in the radio communication system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said request detector and said channel allocator are located at the master-device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the radio communication system comprises a Bluetooth-compatible communication system, wherein the at least the first network set comprises a first piconet, and wherein the request for the allocation of the channel capacity to which said request detector is coupled to receive comprises a request for at least one time slot of a time frame provided for communication within the first piconet.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the master-device station and the first and at least second slave-device stations are operable to communicate pursuant to the ACL (asynchronous connectionless link) protocol and wherein said channel allocator further allocates channels for communications by stations of the piconet other than the first and at least second slave-device stations, the channels further allocated by said channel allocator excluding the channel capacity allocated for the communications between the first and at least second slave-device stations.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the channels further allocated by said allocator are allocated pursuant to a hopping scheme, the hopping scheme excluding the channel capacity allocated for the communications between the first and at least second slave-device stations.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the hopping scheme comprises a RHS (reduced hopping sequence).

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least the first set of communication stations forming the at least the first network set comprises a first set of communication stations forming the first network set and at least s second set of communication stations forming at least a second network set, the master-device station additionally forming a portion of the second network set, the master-device station further operable to communicate in the second network set, and wherein allocations made by said channel allocator and responsive, in part, upon communications of the master-device station in the second network set.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the radio communication system comprises a Bluetooth-compatible communication system, wherein the first network set comprises a first piconet and the second network set comprises a second piconet, and wherein the request for allocation of the channel capacity to which said request detector is coupled to receive a request for at least one time slot of a time frame provided for communication within the first piconet.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the master-device station is operable to communicate pursuant to a SCO (synchronous connection) link at least with the second piconet, and wherein said channel allocator allocates the channel capacity for the communications between the first and at least second slave-device stations responsive, at least in part, to the SCO link pursuant to which the master-device station is operable to communicate with the second piconet.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the channel capacity allocated by said channel allocator permits communications between the first and at least second slave-device stations only when the SCO link is absent.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the master-device station is operable to communicate pursuant to a SCO link with a selected communication station and wherein allocations made by said channel allocator are made responsive, at least in part, upon communications by the master-device station pursuant to the SCO link.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the request for allocation of channel capacity, indications of which said request detector is coupled to receive is generated by a selected one of the first and at least second slave-device stations.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said operations of detecting and selectably allocating are performed at the master-device station.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the operation, prior to said operation of detecting, of requesting the allocation of the channel capacity, said operation of requesting performed by a selected one of the first and at least second slave-device stations.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the radio communication system comprises a Bluetooth-compatible communication system, wherein the at least the first network set comprises a first piconet, and wherein the request generated during said operation of requesting comprises a request for at least one time slot of time frame provided for communications within the first piconet.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the master-device station and the first and at least second slave-device stations are operable to communicate pursuant to ACL (asynchronous connectionless link) protocol and wherein allocation of the channel capacity during said operation of selectably allocating comprises allocating channels for communications by stations of the piconet other than the first and at least second slave-device stations, the channels further allocated to exclude the channel capacity allocated for the communication between the first and at least second slave-device stations.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the channels allocated during said operation of selectably allocating are allocated pursuant to a hopping scheme.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least the first set of communication stations forming the at least the first network set comprises a first set of communication stations forming the first network set and at least a second set of communication stations forming at least a second set, the master-device station further forming a portion of the second network set and operable to communicate therein, and wherein allocations made during said operation of selectably allocating are responsive, in part, upon communications of the master-device station in the second network set.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the master-device station is operable to communicate pursuant to a SCO (synchronous connection) link with at least the second piconet, and wherein the allocations made during said operation of selectably allocating allocates channels responsive, in part, to the SCO link.

13. In a method for communicating in a radio communication system having at lest a first set of communication stations forming at least a first network set operable to communicate upon a common set of channels, the first set having a master-device station, and at least a second slave-device station, and improvement of a method for facilitating communication between the first and at least second slave-device stations, respectively, said method comprising:

detecting a request for allocation of channel capacity to permit the communication between the first and at least second slave-device stations; and

selectably allocating channel capacity for the communication between the first and at least second slave-device stations, allocations made responsive, at least in part, upon other communications in the radio communication system.