Method and device for distributing communication signals

• US 20040208152A1
• Filed: 04/16/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Perkins, Matthew R., Kyperountas, Spyros
• Granted Patent: US 7,388,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A communications network (100) has coordinator devices (10) each transmitting a beacon message in a cluster area (30). Neighboring coordinator devices (1, 2) define overlap areas (60) in which each beacon message of the neighboring coordinator devices is present. Neighboring coordinator devices (1, 2) may also define non-overlap areas (204) in which each beacon message is present. A method for distributing communication signals includes providing nodes (50), (51,52) within a transmission region (30) of the coordinator devices (1, 2). The node (50) or nodes (51, 52) detect at least one beacon message of the neighboring coordinator devices (1, 2), determine the existence of a condition (302), and warn neighboring coordinator devices of the condition. The condition (302) is corrected by making an adjustment to the communication signal (such as beacon timing) by a correction amount (304).

Claims

1. A method for detecting communications signals, which comprises:

detecting at least one beacon message of neighboring coordinator devices in a cluster overlap area with at least one border node.

2. A method for detecting communications signals in a network of clusters, which comprises:

detecting a beacon message of a first coordinator device utilizing a first node;

detecting a beacon message of a second coordinator device utilizing a second node, the first and second nodes being in at least two different clusters; and

determining if an overlap warning condition exists.

3. The method according to claim 2, which further comprises:

determining at least one of an overlap, a drift, a proximity, and a drift rate of beacon messages of the first and second coordinator devices with at least one of the first and second nodes and determining if an overlap warning condition exists based upon at least one of the overlap, the drift, the proximity, and the drift rate of the beacon messages; and

correcting the overlap warning condition by adjusting a timing of a beacon message of the at least one of the first and second coordinator devices by a correction amount.

4. A method for analyzing communications signals, which comprises:

determining at least one of an overlap, a drift, a proximity, and a drift rate of beacon messages of neighboring coordinator devices utilizing at least one agent.

5. A method for distributing communications signals, which comprises:

correcting at least one of a beacon drift, a beacon proximity, and a beacon overlap of a beacon message of at least one of neighboring coordinator devices by adjusting a timing of the beacon message by a correction amount.

6. A method for controlling communication signals within a network, comprising:

detecting at least one beacon message of neighboring coordinator devices in overlap areas with at least one border node and determining, with the at least one border node, if an overlap warning condition exists; and

correcting the overlap warning condition by adjusting a timing of a beacon message of at least one of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices by a correction amount.

7. A method for controlling communication signals, which comprises:

warning, with at least one border node, at least one of neighboring coordinator devices of;

impending beacon overlap before the beacon overlap occurs;

or

currently occurring beacon overlap.

8. A method for controlling communication signals, which comprises:

warning, utilizing at least two nodes from different neighboring clusters, at least one of neighboring coordinator devices of;

impending beacon overlap before the beacon overlap occurs;

or

currently occurring beacon overlap.

9. A method for controlling communication signals, which comprises:

detecting at least one beacon message of neighboring coordinator devices in overlap areas with at least one border node and determining, with the at least one border node, if an overlap warning condition exists for at least two of the neighboring coordinator devices;

warning, with the at least one border node, at least one of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices of an existing overlap warning condition; and

correcting the overlap warning condition of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices by adjusting a timing of a beacon message of the at least one neighboring coordinator device by a correction amount.

10. A method for distributing communication signals, which comprises:

providing an ad-hoc mesh network of communications coordinator devices each transmitting a beacon message in a transmission range defining a cluster area, defining a transmission region with a sum of all cluster areas, defining respective cluster overlap areas with neighboring coordinator devices in which overlap areas each beacon message of the neighboring coordinator devices is present;

providing mobile communications nodes within the transmission region, the nodes defining at least one border node when at least one of the nodes is positioned in a cluster overlap area;

detecting the at least one beacon message of the neighboring coordinator devices in a cluster overlap area with the at least one border node and determining, with the at least one border node, if an overlap warning condition exists for at least two of the neighboring coordinator devices;

warning, with the at least one border node, at least one of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices of an existing overlap warning condition; and

correcting the overlap warning condition of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices by adjusting a timing of the beacon message of the at least one neighboring coordinator device by a correction amount.

11. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises correcting currently occurring beacon overlap or impending beacon overlap of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices by adjusting the timing of the beacon message of the at least one neighboring coordinator device by the correction amount.

12. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises:

determining an overlap, a drift, a proximity, and a drift rate of beacon messages of the neighboring coordinator devices with the at least one border node; and

determining the overlap warning condition dependent upon at least one of the overlap, the drift, the proximity, and the drift rate.

13. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises defining the overlap warning condition as an impending beacon overlap or a currently occurring beacon overlap.

14. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises carrying out the warning step by transmitting the warning only to one of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices having a beacon message initiation time later than a beacon message initiation time of another one of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices.

15. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises carrying out the correcting step by correcting the overlap warning condition with only one of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices, the one of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices being a neighboring coordinator device having a beacon message initiation time later than a beacon message initiation time of another one of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices.

16. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises carrying out the correcting step by:

defining a beacon guarding time; and

running a distributing algorithm comprising the steps of;

determining beacon message initiation times for each of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices;

determining a latest one of the beacon message initiation times;

setting a difference sum by subtracting an earlier one of the beacon message initiation times from the latest one of the beacon message initiation times;

setting a beacon adjust sum to be at least as great as a sum of the difference sum and the beacon guarding time; and

adjusting the latest one of the beacon message initiation times by the beacon adjust sum.

17. The method according to claim 16, which further comprises:

defining a superframe of the ad-hoc mesh network; and

individually running the distribution algorithm during each superframe with at least one of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices receiving the warning of the existing overlap warning condition.

18. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises:

defining a superframe of the ad-hoc mesh network; and

performing the detecting, determining, warning, and correcting steps with each border node during a superframe.

19. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises transmitting each beacon message at a randomly selected time.

20. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises transmitting each beacon message with a beacon having a given beacon message rate.

21. The method according to claim 20, which further comprises providing each beacon of the at least two coordinator devices with an individual beacon message rate.

22. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises disposing each of the coordinator devices outside a transmission range of another neighboring one of the coordinator devices.

23. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises permitting two of the at least two communications coordinator devices to share the same beacon message transmitting time when cluster areas of the two communications coordinator devices do not physically overlap.

24. A method for carrying out wireless communications, which comprises:

applying the method for distributing communication signals of claim 10 in a wireless electronic communications network selected from the group consisting of a logistics network, an asset management network, an inventory management network, a building management network, a home automation network, a disaster recovery network, and a wartime intelligence network.

25. A device for detecting communications signals in a network of coordinator devices having cluster overlap areas, comprising:

an agent having;

a beacon message detector adapted to detect a beacon message of a coordinator device; and

a processor connected to said detector, said processor programmed to determine if an overlap warning condition exists.

26. The device according to claim 25, wherein said processor is programmed to determine if an overlap warning condition exists for at least two neighboring coordinator devices.

27. The device according to claim 25, wherein:

said agent is to be disposed in a cluster overlap area; and

said beacon message detector is adapted to detect a beacon message of the coordinator device within the cluster overlap area.

28. A device for detecting communications signals in a network of coordinator devices having cluster overlap areas, comprising:

an agent having;

means for detecting at least one beacon message of a coordinator device; and

a processor connected to said detecting means, said processor programmed to determine if an overlap warning condition exists.

29. A device for detecting communications signals in a network of coordinator devices transmitting beacon messages and defining clusters, comprising:

a first node adapted to detect a beacon message of a first coordinator device; and

a second node adapted to detect a beacon message of a second coordinator device, said first and second nodes being in at least two different clusters, at least one of said first and second nodes determining if an overlap warning condition exists.

30. The device according to claim 29, wherein at least one of said first and second nodes:

determines at least one of an overlap, a drift, a proximity, and a drift rate of the beacon messages of the first and second coordinator devices;

determines if an overlap warning condition exists based upon at least one of the overlap, the drift, the proximity, and the drift rate of the beacon messages; and

forms a message for correcting the overlap warning condition to be transmitted to at least one of the coordinator devices.

31. The device according to claim 30, wherein said message is an instruction to adjusting a timing of a beacon message by a correction amount.

32. A device for analyzing communications signals in a network of coordinator devices having cluster overlap areas, said device comprising:

an agent having;

a beacon message detector adapted to detect beacon messages of coordinator devices; and

a processor connected to said detector, said processor being programmed to determine at least one of an overlap, a drift, a proximity, and a drift rate of beacon messages of neighboring coordinator devices.

33. The device according to claim 32, wherein said processor is programmed to form a message correcting at least one of a beacon drift, a beacon proximity, and a beacon overlap of a beacon message of at least one of the neighboring coordinator devices by adjusting a timing of the beacon message by a correction amount.

34. The device according to claim 32, wherein:

said agent is to be disposed in a cluster overlap area; and

said beacon message detector is adapted to detect beacon messages of coordinator devices within the cluster overlap area.

35. A device for analyzing communications signals in a network of coordinator devices having cluster overlap areas, comprising:

an agent having;

means for detecting beacon messages of coordinator devices; and

a processor connected to said detecting means, said processor being programmed to determine at least one of an overlap, a drift, a proximity, and a drift rate of the beacon messages of neighboring coordinator devices.

36. A device for warning coordinator devices having cluster overlap areas, said device comprising:

an agent having;

a beacon message detector adapted to detect beacon messages of coordinator devices; and

a processor connected to said detector, said processor being programmed to determine if beacon messages of neighboring coordinator devices are currently overlapping or will be overlapping.

37. The device according to claim 36, wherein:

said agent is to be disposed in a cluster overlap area; and

said beacon message detector is adapted to detect beacon messages of coordinator devices within the cluster overlap area.

38. A device for warning coordinator devices having cluster overlap areas, comprising:

at least two communications nodes to be disposed in different clusters, said node having;

a beacon message detector adapted to detect beacon messages of coordinator devices; and

a processor connected to said detector, said processor being programmed to determine if beacon messages of neighboring coordinator devices are currently overlapping or will be overlapping.

39. The device according to claim 38, wherein:

said at least two communications devices are to be disposed in different neighboring clusters; and

said beacon message detector is adapted to detect beacon messages of coordinator devices within the cluster overlap area.

40. A device for distributing communication signals in a network of coordinator devices each transmitting a beacon message, comprising:

an agent disposed in a transmission area of a coordinator device;

said agent being adapted to detect the beacon message of the coordinator device;

said agent determining if an overlap warning condition exists for the coordinator device; and

said agent being adapted to communicate an existing overlap warning condition to at least one neighboring coordinator device.

41. A device for distributing communication signals in a network of coordinator devices each transmitting a beacon message, comprising:

at least one border node to be disposed in overlap areas of neighboring coordinator devices;

said at least one border node being adapted to detect beacon messages of the neighboring coordinator devices;

said at least one border node determining if an overlap warning condition exists for at least two of the neighboring coordinator devices; and

said at least one border node being adapted to communicate an existing overlap warning condition to at least one of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices.

42. The device according to claim 41, wherein the communication from said at least one border node is a command to the at least one neighboring coordinator device to adjust an initiation timing of a respective beacon message by a correction amount.

43. In an ad-hoc mesh network of communications coordinator devices each transmitting a beacon message in a transmission range defining a cluster area, a sum of all cluster areas defining a transmission region, neighboring coordinator devices defining respective cluster overlap areas containing each beacon message of the neighboring coordinator devices, and mobile communications nodes being within the transmission region, a device for distributing communication signals, comprising:

an agent disposed in a cluster area of a coordinator device;

said agent;

detecting at least one beacon message of the coordinator device;

determining if an overlap warning condition exists for the coordinator device; and

communicating an existing overlap warning condition to at least one neighboring coordinator device.

44. The device according to claim 43, wherein said agent signals the at least one neighboring coordinator device to adjust an initiation timing of a respective beacon message by a correction amount.

45. The device according to claim 43, wherein:

said agent is at least one border node disposed in at least one overlap area of neighboring coordinator devices, said at least one border node;

detecting at least one beacon message of the neighboring coordinator devices;

determining if an overlap warning condition exists for at least two of the neighboring coordinator devices; and

communicating an existing overlap warning condition to at least one of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices and signaling the at least one neighboring coordinator device to adjust an initiation timing of a respective beacon message by a correction amount.

46. The device according to claim 45, wherein each of the coordinator devices is outside a transmission range of another neighboring one of the coordinator devices.

47. In an ad-hoc mesh network of communications coordinator devices each transmitting a beacon message in a transmission range defining a cluster area, a sum of all cluster areas defining a transmission region, neighboring coordinator devices defining respective cluster overlap areas containing each beacon message of the neighboring coordinator devices, and mobile communications nodes being within the transmission region, a system for distributing communication signals, comprising:

at least one border node disposed in at least one overlap area of neighboring coordinator devices, said at least one border node having;

a detection device;

an agent; and

a processor connected to said detection device and to said agent, said processor programmed to;

detect at least one beacon message of the neighboring coordinator devices with said detection device;

determine if an overlap warning condition exists for at least two of the neighboring coordinator devices dependent upon the beacon messages detected; and

communicate an existing overlap warning condition to at least one of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices through said communications device and signal the at least one neighboring coordinator device to adjust an initiation timing of a respective beacon message by a correction amount.

48. The device according to claim 47, wherein said processor is programmed to communicate the existing overlap warning condition to only one of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices.

49. The device according to claim 47, wherein said processor is programmed to communicate the existing overlap warning condition to only one of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices having a beacon message initiation time later than a beacon message initiation time of another one of the at least two neighboring coordinator devices.

50. The device according to claim 47, wherein:

the ad-hoc mesh network defines a superframe; and

said processor is programmed perform the detection, the determination, and the communication during a superframe.

51. The device according to claim 47, wherein each of the coordinator devices is outside a transmission range of another neighboring one of the coordinator devices.

52. A communications system, comprising:

at least two coordinator devices located within first and second coordinator device coverage areas, the at least two coordinator devices transmitting beacon messages; and

an agent selected from a group consisting of at least two regular nodes and at least one border node, the agent detecting a predetermined characteristic within the beacon message and sending a prompt to at least one of the at least two coordinator devices in response thereto.

53. The communication system of claim 52, wherein the predetermined characteristic is at least one of an overlap, a drift, a proximity, and a drift rate.

54. The communication system of claim 52, wherein the at least one of the at least two coordinator devices makes an adjustment in response to the prompt.

55. The communication system of claim 52, wherein the first and second coverage areas are non-overlapping.

56. The communication system of claim 52, wherein the first and second coverage areas are overlapping.

57. The communication device of claim 52, wherein the agent includes a processor and a detector.

58. A communications system, comprising:

first and second coordinator devices located within first and second non-overlapping coordinator device coverage areas respectively, the at least two coordinator devices transmitting beacon messages; and

at least two regular nodes, each located in the first and second coordinator device coverage areas, the at least two regular nodes detecting a predetermined characteristic within the beacon messages and sending a prompt to at least one of the at least two coordinator devices in response thereto.

59. The communication system of claim 58, wherein the at least one of the first and second coordinator devices makes an adjustment in response to the prompt.

60. A communications system, comprising:

first and second coordinator devices located within first and second overlapping coordinator device coverage areas respectively, the at least two coordinator devices communicating beacon messages; and

at least one border node located in the overlapping coordinator device coverage area, the at least one border node detecting a predetermined characteristic within the beacon messages and sending a prompt to at least one of the at least two coordinator devices in response thereto.

61. The communication system of claim 60, wherein at least one of the first and second coordinator devices make an adjustment in response to the prompt.

62. A method for adjusting communications signals in a communications network, comprising:

detecting a beacon message within the communications network;

determining a characteristic within the beacon message;

sending a prompt in response to the characteristic; and

adjusting the communications signal in response to the prompt.