Point coordinator delegation in a wireless network

• US 20040024871A1
• Filed: 07/30/2002
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kitchin, Duncan M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,762,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/00 Network traffic management; Network resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A point coordinator in a wireless network, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN), may have the authority to control access to a channel by nodes in the network. The point coordinator may delegate the authority to a node in the network which requests access. The point coordinator may limit the extent of the delegation to a certain transaction or a predetermined amount of time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

controlling access to a channel by nodes in a wireless network; and

temporarily delegating control of access to the channel to a first node in said plurality of nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising reclaiming the control of access to the channel from the first node.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said reclaiming comprises reclaiming the control of access to the channel after a given transaction performed by the first node.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said reclaiming comprises reclaiming the control of access to the channel after a predetermined time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said delegating comprises:

delegating control of access to the channel to the first node in a first plurality of time intervals; and

delegating control of access to the channel to a second node in said plurality of nodes in a second plurality of time intervals,

wherein the first plurality of time intervals and the second plurality of time intervals are non-overlapping.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising switching the first node and one or more nodes from a first channel to a second channel for a duration of said transaction, wherein said one or more nodes are operative to communicate with the first node in a transaction.

7. An article comprising:

a machine-readable medium which stores machine-executable instructions, the instructions causing a machine to;

control access to a channel by nodes in a wireless network; and

temporarily delegate control of access to the channel to a first node in said plurality of nodes.

8. The article of claim 7, further comprising instructions operative to cause the machine to reclaim the control of access to the channel from the first node.

9. The article of claim 8, wherein the instructions operative to cause the machine to reclaim control include instructions operative to cause the machine to reclaim the control of access to the channel after a given transaction performed by the first node.

10. The article of claim 8, wherein the instructions operative to cause the machine to reclaim control include instructions operative to cause the machine to reclaim the control of access to the channel after a predetermined time period.

11. The article of claim 7, wherein the instructions operative to cause the machine to delegate include instructions operative to cause the machine to:

delegate control of access to the channel to the first node in a first plurality of time intervals; and

delegate control of access to the channel to a second node in said plurality of nodes in a second plurality of time intervals,

wherein the first plurality of time intervals and the second plurality of time intervals are non-overlapping.

12. The article of claim 7, further comprising instructions operative to cause the machine to switch the first node and one or more nodes from a first channel to a second channel for a duration of said transaction, wherein said one or more nodes are operative to communicate,with the first node in a transaction.

13. Apparatus comprising:

a point coordinator operative to control access to a channel by a plurality of nodes in a wireless network;

a point coordination manager operative to delegate control of access to the channel to a first node in said plurality of nodes for a period of delegation.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the period of delegation comprises a predetermined time period.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the period of delegation comprises a transaction.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an access point operative to control admission to the wireless network.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a connection administration controller operative to receive requests for access to the channel from nodes in the network.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN).

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the point coordinator is operative to control access to a plurality of channels in the wireless network.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the point coordination manager is operative to push the first node from a first channel to a second channel during the period of delegation.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the point coordination manager is operative to delegate point coordination authority to the first node in a first plurality of time intervals and delegate point coordination authority to a second node in said plurality of nodes in a second plurality of time intervals, wherein the first plurality of time intervals and the second plurality of time intervals are non-overlapping.

22. A system comprising:

a point coordinator operative to control access to a channel in a wireless network, said point coordinator including

a transceiver operative to communicate over the channel, and

a point coordination manager operative to delegate control of access to the channel for a first period of delegation in response to a request for access to the channel; and

a first node including

transceiver operative to communicate over the channel,

a control unit operative to send a request for access to the point coordinator, and

a point coordination delegate operative to control access to the channel during the first period of delegation.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising a second node, the second node including:

transceiver operative to communicate over the channel;

a control unit operative to send a request for access to the point coordinator; and

a point coordination delegate operative to control access to the channel during the a period of delegation.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the point coordination delegate of the first node is operative to sub-delegate control of access to the channel to the second node for a second period of delegation within said first period of delegation.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the point coordination manager is operative to delegate point coordination authority to the first node in a first plurality of time intervals and delegate point coordination authority to a second node in said plurality of nodes in a second plurality of time intervals, wherein the first plurality of time intervals and the second plurality of time intervals are non-overlapping.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the wireless network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN).