Wireless base station neighbor discovery in a communication system, such as a system employing a short-range frequency hopping scheme
First Claim
1. A system for wirelessly exchanging communications with at least one mobile unit, the system comprising:
- a first base station unit coupled to a network;
a second base station unit coupled to the network, wherein the first and second base station units are configured to communicate wirelessly with the mobile unit under a Bluetooth protocol and to automatically handoff the mobile unit from the first base station unit to the second base station unit;
wherein the first and second base station units are configured to;
use a low power class capability to inquire whether Bluetooth compatible devices are within a near communications range;
use a medium power class capability to inquire whether Bluetooth compatible devices are within an intermediate communications range;
use a high power class capability to inquire whether Bluetooth compatible devices are within a far communications range;
store at least one record that identifies any Bluetooth compatible devices are within the near, intermediate and far communications ranges;
identify which devices are base station units capable of accepting the mobile unit during a handoff; and
update the at least one record to reflect changes in base station units capable of accepting the mobile unit during a handoff.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed embodiments include a method performed by a network access point, such as a short-range wireless communications switch or Bluetooth base station unit, to provide a neighbor list for neighboring short-range wireless communications switches or network access points in a communications network. The method includes, at the short-range wireless switch, sending at least one signal to neighboring wireless devices, wherein sending the signal is done without assistance of a mobile unit or a system controller for the communications network. The method further includes receiving a response signal from at least one neighboring short-range wireless switch, and identifying the one neighboring short-range wireless switch based on the received response signal. Additionally, the method includes providing a neighbor list that identifies the one neighboring short-range wireless switch. Numerous alternative embodiments are also described.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A system for wirelessly exchanging communications with at least one mobile unit, the system comprising:
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a first base station unit coupled to a network;
a second base station unit coupled to the network, wherein the first and second base station units are configured to communicate wirelessly with the mobile unit under a Bluetooth protocol and to automatically handoff the mobile unit from the first base station unit to the second base station unit;
wherein the first and second base station units are configured to;
use a low power class capability to inquire whether Bluetooth compatible devices are within a near communications range;
use a medium power class capability to inquire whether Bluetooth compatible devices are within an intermediate communications range;
use a high power class capability to inquire whether Bluetooth compatible devices are within a far communications range;
store at least one record that identifies any Bluetooth compatible devices are within the near, intermediate and far communications ranges;
identify which devices are base station units capable of accepting the mobile unit during a handoff; and
update the at least one record to reflect changes in base station units capable of accepting the mobile unit during a handoff. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 24)
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4. A method of creating a list of neighboring base station units in a wireless communications network, wherein at least one mobile unit communicates with at least a portion of the network, the method of creating the list of neighboring base station units comprising:
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at a stationary base station unit in the communications network, sending at least one inquiry signal to neighboring wireless devices;
at the stationary base station unit in the communications network, receiving at least one response signal from at least one neighboring base station unit in the communications network, wherein the one neighboring base station unit is stationary;
at the stationary base station unit in the communications network, identifying the one neighboring base station unit based in part on the received response signal, wherein identifying the at least one neighboring base station unit is done without involvement of the mobile unit and without involvement of a system controller for the communications network; and
at the stationary base station unit in the communications network, providing a stored neighbor list that identifies the one neighboring base station unit in the communications network. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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12. The method of 4, further comprising updating the stored neighbor list to reflect changes in the one neighboring base station unit, wherein updating the stored neighbor list comprises:
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wirelessly sending periodic signals to neighboring base station units, wherein the periodic signals include information identifying the base station unit;
wirelessly receiving periodic signals from the one neighboring base station unit and another neighboring base station unit;
determining an identity of the another neighboring base station unit based on the received periodic signals; and
updating the stored neighbor list based on the received signal from the another neighboring base station.
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20. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a fixed short-range wireless communications switch to perform a peer-to-peer method to provide a neighbor list for neighboring and fixed short-range wireless communications switches in a communications network, wherein at least one mobile unit communicates with at least a portion of the communications network, the method comprising:
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at the fixed short-range wireless switch in the communications network, sending at least one signal to neighboring wireless devices, wherein sending the signal is done without assistance of the mobile unit and without the assistance of a system controller for the communications network;
at the fixed short-range wireless switch in the communications network, receiving a response signal from at least one neighboring short-range wireless switch;
at the fixed short-range wireless switch in the communications network, identifying the one neighboring short-range wireless switch based on the received response signal, wherein identifying the one neighboring base station is done without assistance of the mobile unit or system controller, and wherein the one neighboring short-range wireless switch is fixed; and
providing a neighbor list that identifies the one neighboring short-range wireless switch. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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25. A computer-readable medium containing a data structure for use by a base station unit in a communications network, the data structure comprising:
at least one record stored at the base station unit, wherein each record comprises;
a Bluetooth device address for a neighboring base station unit, wherein the neighboring base station unit may communicate wirelessly under a Bluetooth protocol to the base station unit;
a category of the neighboring base station unit; and
at least one time and date field. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A computer-readable medium containing a data structure for use by a base station unit in a short-range communications network, the data structure comprising:
at least one record stored at the base station unit in the short-range communications network, wherein each record comprises;
a unique identifier for a neighboring base station unit, wherein the neighboring base station unit may communicate wirelessly under a short-range wireless protocol to the base station unit, wherein the short-range wireless protocol permits the neighboring base station unit to communicate wirelessly with an effective range of less than 500 meters;
a category of the neighboring base station unit; and
at least one time and date field.
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29. In a picocellular communications network, wherein at least one mobile unit communicates with at least a portion of the network, an apparatus comprising:
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a stationary wireless network access point coupled to the picocellular communications network, wherein the base station unit includes a memory and is configured to;
send at least one inquiry signal to neighboring wireless devices;
receive at least one response signal from at least one neighboring network access point in the picocellular communications network;
identify the one neighboring network access point based in part on the received response signal, wherein identifying the at least one neighboring network access point is done without involvement of the mobile unit and without involvement of a system controller for the picocellular communications network, and wherein the at least one neighboring network access point is stationary; and
provide a neighbor list stored in the memory, wherein the neighbor list identifies the one neighboring network access point in the picocellular communications network. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. In a short-range wireless communications network, wherein at least one mobile unit communicates with at least a portion of the network, an apparatus comprising:
fixed means for providing short-range wireless communications within the communications network, wherein the means for providing short-range wireless communications comprises;
means for sending at least one signal to neighboring wireless devices, wherein sending the signal is done without assistance of the mobile unit and without the assistance of a system controller for the communications network;
means for receiving a response signal from at least one neighboring short-range wireless network node;
means, coupled to the means for receiving, for identifying the one neighboring short-range wireless network node based on the received response signal, wherein identifying the one neighboring short-range network node is done without assistance of the mobile unit or system controller, and wherein the neighboring short-range network node is fixed; and
means for providing a neighbor list that identifies the one neighboring short-range network node. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A method of creating a list of neighboring base station units in a wireless communications network, wherein at least one mobile unit communicates with at least a portion of the network, the method of creating the list of neighboring base station units comprising:
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at a base station unit in the communications network, receiving communication signals from one or more mobile units in the communications network during at least one communications session;
at the base station unit in the communications network, handing off the mobile units to one or more neighboring base station units;
at the base station unit in the communications network, exchanging information with one or more neighboring base station units;
at the base station unit in the communications network, recording the presence of the one or more neighboring base station units, without involvement of a wireless communications network controller and not during the communications session; and
at the base station unit in the communications network, providing a stored neighbor list that identifies the one or more neighboring base station units in the communications network. - View Dependent Claims (48)
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Specification