Method of operating a media access controller

• US 20030063619A1
• Filed: 10/03/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: North Star Innovations Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Apisdorf, Joel Z., Shvodian, William M., Odman, Knut T., Dowe, Russell G., Montano, Sergio T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,280,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/443
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method is provided for a remote device to monitor and communicate with a wireless network using cyclic beacons. The remote device receives a beacon, which beacon includes beacon information that defines a superframe. From the beacon information, the remote device determines whether the received beacon and the associated superframe are assigned to a network device or are unassigned. By receiving as many beacons as there are allowable devices in the network, the remote device can determine if the network is full. If the remote device runs through all of the beacons and all indicate that their associated superframes are assigned, then the remote device determines that the network is full and performs a network-full function. If the remote device receives a beacon that indicates that its associated superframe is unassigned, it determines that the network is not full and performs an association request during the unassigned superframe.

Claims

1. A method for a remote device to monitor and communicate with a wireless network, comprising:

receiving a beacon at the remote device, the beacon including beacon information that defines a superframe;

determining from the beacon information whether the received beacon and the associated superframe are assigned to a network device or are unassigned;

repeating the steps of receiving and determining until the remote device either receives M assigned beacons or one unassigned superframe;

performing an association request if the remote device receives an unassigned superframe;

performing a network-full function if the remote device receives M assigned superframes,

wherein M is an integer greater than one.

2. A method for a remote device to monitor and communicate with a wireless network, as recited in claim 1, wherein the beacon information includes superframe assignment information that indicates whether the superframe is assigned or unassigned.

3. A method for a remote device to monitor and communicate with a wireless network, as recited in claim 2, wherein the superframe assignment information comprises a single bit indicative of whether the superframe is assigned or unassigned.

4. A method for a remote device to monitor and communicate with a wireless network, as recited in claim 2, wherein the superframe assignment information includes device identification (ID) information.

5. A method for a remote device to monitor and communicate with a wireless network, as recited in claim 4,

wherein the device ID information is a device ID of an associated network device if the superframe is assigned, and

wherein the device ID is a set unassigned value that does not correspond to any network device but is indicative of an unassigned superframe if the superframe is unassigned.

6. A method for a remote device to monitor and communicate with a wireless network, as recited in claim 1, wherein the network-full function includes sending an error message to a higher layer.

7. A method for a remote device to monitor and communicate with a wireless network, comprising:

receiving a beacon at the remote device, the beacon including beacon information that defines a superframe;

determining from the beacon information whether the received beacon and the superframe are fully assigned to N network devices or are unassigned;

repeating the steps of receiving and determining until the remote device either receives M fully assigned superframes or one unassigned superframe;

performing an association request if the remote device receives an unassigned superframe;

performing a network-full function if the remote device receives M fully assigned superframes,

wherein M is an integer greater than one, and

wherein N is an integer greater than one.

8. A method for a remote device to monitor and communicate with a wireless network, as recited in claim 7, wherein the value of N can vary for each superframe.

9. A method for a remote device to monitor and communicate with a wireless network, as recited in claim 7, wherein the beacon information includes superframe assignment information that indicates whether the superframe is fully assigned or unassigned.

10. A method for a remote device to monitor and communicate with a wireless network, as recited in claim 9, wherein the superframe assignment information includes first through N^th device identification (ID) information.

11. A method for a remote device to monitor and communicate with a wireless network, as recited in claim 10,

wherein each of the first through N^th device ID information is one of:

a device ID of an associated network device, and a set unassigned value that does not correspond to any network device but is indicative of an unassigned superframe, and

wherein the superframe is considered to be fully assigned if all of the first through N^th device information are device IDs, and the superframe is considered to be unassigned if any of the first through N^th device information are the set unassigned value.

12. A method for a remote device to monitor and communicate with a wireless network, as recited in claim 7, wherein the network-full function includes sending an error message to a higher layer.

13. A method for a coordinator to communicate information in a wireless network that employs a superframe structure, comprising:

generating M beacons, each including beacon information that defines one of M respective superframes; and

sequentially transmitting the M beacons during the M respective superframes,

wherein the beacon information includes data indicative of whether the beacon is assigned to a device in the network or unassigned, and

wherein M is an integer greater than one.

14. A method for a coordinator to communicate information with a wireless network that employs a superframe structure, as recited in claim 13, wherein the steps of generating M beacons and sequentially transmitting the M beacons are continually repeated throughout operation of the network.

15. A method for a coordinator to communicate information with a wireless network that employs a superframe structure, as recited in claim 13, wherein M is equal to the maximum number of devices allowable in the network.

16. A method for a coordinator to communicate information with a wireless network that employs a superframe structure, as recited in claim 13, wherein M is equal to the number of assigned devices in the network plus a set value.

17. A method for a coordinator to communicate information with a wireless network that employs a superframe structure, as recited in claim 16, wherein the set value is one.

18. A method for a coordinator to communicate information in a wireless network that employs a superframe structure, comprising:

generating M beacons, each including beacon information that defines one of M respective superframes; and

sequentially transmitting the M beacons during the M respective superframes,

wherein the beacon information includes data indicative of whether the beacon is assigned to N devices in the network or is unassigned, and

wherein M is an integer greater than one, and

wherein N is an integer greater than one.

19. A method for a coordinator to communicate information with a wireless network that employs a superframe structure, as recited in claim 18, wherein the steps of generating M beacons and sequentially transmitting the M beacons are continually repeated throughout operation of the network.

20. A method for a coordinator to communicate information with a wireless network that employs a superframe structure, as recited in claim 18, wherein (M×

N) is equal to the maximum number of devices allowable in the network.