System and method for coordinating bandwidth usage of a communication channel by wireless network nodes
First Claim
1. An computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for a control node of a first wireless network to perform steps for coordinating bandwidth usage of a frequency channel by nodes in the first wireless network and nodes in a second wireless network, the first and second wireless networks having overlapping ranges of wireless transmission but being disjoint from each other, the steps comprising:
- receiving registration from nodes of both wireless networks within range of the control node;
sending first poll signals each for signaling a time slot for at least one node in the first wireless network to transmit over the frequency channel;
sending second poll signals each for signaling a time slot for at least one node in the second wireless network to transmit over the frequency channel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method is provided for coordinating wireless bandwidth usage of a common frequency band by wireless nodes in two disjoint networks, such as an infrastructure (“IS”) network and an ad hoc (“AH”) network. When AH nodes move into the transmission range of an access point of the IS network, they register with the access point and listen to the access point to tell them when they are allowed to transmit data over a given transmission channel. The access point coordinates the bandwidth usage by broadcasting ad hoc mode poll signals to indicate that the ad hoc nodes may transmit over the channel, and sending infrastructure mode poll signals to indicate that a wireless node in the IS network can transmit over the given channel. The access point makes a fraction of the bandwidth available for communications by the wireless AH nodes in its transmission range, while guaranteeing the rest of the bandwidth for wireless nodes in the IS network.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. An computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for a control node of a first wireless network to perform steps for coordinating bandwidth usage of a frequency channel by nodes in the first wireless network and nodes in a second wireless network, the first and second wireless networks having overlapping ranges of wireless transmission but being disjoint from each other, the steps comprising:
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receiving registration from nodes of both wireless networks within range of the control node;
sending first poll signals each for signaling a time slot for at least one node in the first wireless network to transmit over the frequency channel;
sending second poll signals each for signaling a time slot for at least one node in the second wireless network to transmit over the frequency channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for a wireless node of an ad hoc network to share a frequency channel with wireless nodes of an infrastructure network, comprising:
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detecting an access point of the infrastructure wireless network;
registering with the access point of the infrastructure wireless network;
listening for a poll signal from the access point signaling a time slot for wireless nodes in the ad hoc network to transmit over the frequency channel;
transmitting communication data over the frequency channel over the ad hoc wireless network within said time slot. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for a wireless node to communicate in an infrastructure network and an ad hoc network over a frequency channel shared by the infrastructure and ad hoc networks, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a first poll signal from an access point of the infrastructure network signaling a time slot for infrastructure network transmission;
switching to an infrastructure mode to operate as a node of the infrastructure network;
transmitting data in the infrastructure mode over the frequency channel;
receiving a second poll signal from the access point signaling a time slot for ad hoc network transmission;
switching to an ad hoc mode to operate as a node of the ad hoc network;
transmitting data in the ad hoc mode over the frequency channel.
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12. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for coordinating usage of a frequency channel, comprising:
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registering, by a first wireless node in an ad hoc network with an access point of an infrastructure network;
sending, by the access point, a first poll signal for signaling time slots for wireless nodes in the ad hoc network to transmit communication data over the frequency channel;
transmitting, by the first wireless node, communication data over the frequency channel within the time slot signaled by the first poll signal;
sending, by the access point, a second poll signal for signaling a time slot for a second wireless node in the infrastructure network to transmit communication data over the frequency channel; and
transmitting, by the second wireless node, communication data over the frequency channel within the time slot signaled by the second poll signal.
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Specification