Approach for transferring functions between participants in a communications arrangement

• US 20020098841A1
• Filed: 08/24/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bandspeed, LLC
• Original Assignee: Bandspeed, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gan, Hongbing, Skafidas, Efstratios, Treister, Bijan
• Granted Patent: US 7,310,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A novel approach for transferring management functions between participants generally involves the use of an associate master participant that assumes responsibilities for functions assigned to the master participant if the master participant can no longer perform the functions. A participant in a communications arrangement is designated as the master participant and is responsible for performing one or more functions. Another participant from the communications arrangement is designated as an associate master participant. The associate master participant assumes the role of master participant, i.e., performs the functions previously assigned to master participant, if any of a set of handoff criteria are satisfied. The particular handoff criteria used may vary depending upon the requirements of a particular application and the invention is not limited to any particular handoff criteria. After associate master participant assumes the role of master participant, a new associate master participant may be designated. The approach reduces the amount of time required both to determine that the master participant can no longer perform the functions and to assign responsibility for performing the functions to another participant once that determination is made.

Claims

1. A method for assigning functions between participants in a communications arrangement comprising a plurality of participants, the method comprising the steps of:

assigning, to a first participant from the plurality of participants, one or more functions to be performed by the first participant;

prior to a failure of the first participant, designating a second participant from the plurality of participants to perform the one or more functions if any of one or more handoff criteria are satisfied; and

in response to any of the one or more handoff criteria being satisfied, assigning the one or more functions to the second participant.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising unassigning the one or more functions from the first participant.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising

prior to a failure of the second participant, designating a third participant from the plurality of participants to perform the one or more functions if any of one or more handoff criteria are satisfied;

and

in response to any of the one or more handoff criteria being satisfied, assigning the one or more functions to the third participant, and unassigning the one or more functions from the second participant.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more functions include initiating and controlling communications between the plurality of participants.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein communications between the participants are made on different frequencies over time.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein each participant from the plurality of participants communicates with other participants during a particular time range.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each participant from the plurality of participants communicates with other participants during a particular time range.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communications arrangement is a wireless communications arrangement and the plurality of participants is a plurality of wireless devices.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more handoff criteria include a request from the first participant.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more handoff criteria include the first participant not communicating within a specified amount of time.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more handoff criteria include a failure of the first participant.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more handoff criteria include the first participant being out of range of one or more other participants from the plurality of participants.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the first participant is a master participant, the second participant is a slave participant prior to being assigned to perform the one or more functions, and

the second participant is an associate master participant after being designated to perform the one or more functions if any of the one or more handoff criteria are satisfied.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second participant is designated by the first participant.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second participant is designated by one or more participants from the plurality of participants.

17. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, further comprising one or more sequences of additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to unassign the one or more functions from the first participant.

18. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, further comprising one or more sequences of additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to

prior to a failure of the second participant, designating a third participant from the plurality of participants to perform the one or more functions if any of one or more handoff criteria are satisfied;

and

in response to any of the one or more handoff criteria being satisfied, assigning the one or more functions to the third participant, and unassigning the one or more functions from the second participant.

19. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more functions include initiating and controlling communications between the plurality of participants.

20. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein communications between the participants are made on different frequencies over time.

21. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein each participant from the plurality of participants communicates with other participants during a particular time range.

22. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein each participant from the plurality of participants communicates with other participants during a particular time range.

23. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the communications arrangement is a wireless communications arrangement and the plurality of participants is a plurality of wireless devices.

24. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more handoff criteria include a request from the first participant.

25. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more handoff criteria include the first participant not communicating within a specified amount of time.

26. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more handoff criteria include a failure of the first participant.

27. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more handoff criteria include the first participant being out of range of one or more other participants from the plurality of participants.

28. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein:

the first participant is a master participant,

the second participant is a slave participant prior to being assigned to perform the one or more functions, and

the second participant is an associate master participant after being designated to perform the one or more functions if any of the one or more handoff criteria are satisfied.

29. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the second participant is designated by the first participant.

30. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the second participant is designated by one or more participants from the plurality of participants.

16. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for assigning functions between participants in a communications arrangement, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

assigning, to a first participant from the plurality of participants, one or more functions to be performed by the first participant;

prior to a failure of the first participant, designating a second participant from the plurality of participants to perform the one or more functions if any of one or more handoff criteria are satisfied; and

in response to any of the one or more handoff criteria being satisfied, assigning the one or more functions to the second participant.

31. A communications device comprising:

an interface configured to receive data from a plurality of communications devices and to transmit data to other communications devices; and

a mechanism communicatively coupled to the interface and configured to;

perform one or more functions, and

prior to a failure of the communications device, designate a particular communications device from the plurality of communications devices to perform the one or more functions if any of a set of handover criteria are satisfied.

32. The communications device as recited in claim 31, wherein the one or more functions include initiating and controlling communications between the plurality of communications devices.

33. The communications device as recited in claim 31, wherein the communications device is a wireless communications device and the plurality of communications device is a plurality of wireless communications devices.

34. The communications device as recited in claim 31, wherein the one or more handoff criteria include a request from the communications device.

35. The communications device as recited in claim 31, wherein the one or more handoff criteria include a failure of the communications device.

36. The communications device as recited in claim 31, wherein the one or more handoff criteria include the communications device not communicating within a specified period of time.

37. The communications device as recited in claim 31, wherein the one or more handoff criteria include the communications device being out of range of one or more of the plurality of communications devices.

38. The communications device as recited in claim 31, wherein:

the communications device is a master participant, and the particular communications device is an associate master participant.