Short-range RF access point design enabling services to master and slave mobile devices

• US 20040221046A1
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Laitinen, Timo M., Heinonen, Tomi
• Granted Patent: US 7,602,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/16 Performing reselection for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A short-range RF access point contains two Bluetooth devices. The first device is programmed to remain a master device. The second device is programmed to remain a scanning slave device. The two devices are connected to exchange clock, address, and synchronization information. The access point master device transmits inquiry and paging packets and establishes connections with potential slave devices that respond to inquiries from the master device. The master device'"'"'s clock is the piconet clock for the resulting connections. The access point slave device primarily remains in an inquiry scanning mode, searching for inquiry packets from mobile devices that are potential master devices. When the access point slave device receives the inquiry packets and paging packets from a mobile device, it then passes control to the access point master device. Several embodiments are disclosed for passing control from the access point slave to the access point master.

Claims

1-31. -31. (canceled)

32. A short-range RF access point for establishing connections with mobile devices, comprising:

at least one first wireless transceiver module operating as an access point slave device for scanning packets initiated by mobile devices within a coverage area of the access point and in response to a packet, outputting a control signal; and

at least one second wireless transceiver module coupled to the first module, operating as an access point master device for transmitting messages in response to the control signal, for establishing wireless connections with mobile devices.

33. The short-range RF access point of claim 32 wherein the access point master device transmits device detection and connection establishment messages.

34. The short-range RF access point of claim 32 wherein the access point slave device receives scanning device detection packets.

35. The short-range RF access point of claim 32 wherein the scanning device detection packets are initiated by mobile devices within the coverage area of the access point.

36. The short-range RF access point of claim 32 wherein the access point slave device passes control to the access point master device upon receiving connection establishment messages from a particular mobile device.

37. The short-range RF access point of claim 32 further comprising:

at least one third wireless transceiver operating as an inquiring/paging master device for establishing a connection with mobile devices that respond to its inquiries.

38. The short-range RF access point of claim 37 further comprising:

at least one hybrid device periodically performing the functions of the access point slave device and the inquiring/paging master device

40. The short-range RF access point of claim 32 further comprising:

at least one third wireless transceiver operating as an inquiring/paging master device for establishing a connection with mobile devices that respond to its inquiries.

41. The short-range access point of claim 40 further comprising:

at least one hybrid device periodically performing the functions of the access point slave device and the inquiring/paging master device

39. A short-range RF access point for establishing connections with mobile devices, comprising:

at least one first wireless transceiver module operating as an access point master device for transmitting device detection and connection establishment messages for establishing wireless connections with mobile devices responding to the messages within the coverage area of the access point; and

at least one second wireless transceiver modules operating as an access point slave device for scanning device detection packets initiated by mobile devices within the coverage area of the access point and passing control to the access point master device upon receiving connection establishment message from a particular mobile device.

42. A short-range RF access point for establishing connections with mobile devices, comprising:

at least one first wireless transceiver module operating as an access point master device for transmitting messages for establishing wireless connections with mobile devices responding to the messages within the coverage area of the access point;

at least one second wireless transceiver module coupled to the access point master device and operating as an access point slave device for scanning packets initiated by mobile devices within the coverage area of the access point; and

wherein there is common control among the master and slave devices.

43. The short-range RF access point of claim 42 wherein the access point master device transmits device detection and connection establishment messages.

44. The short-range RF access point of claim 42 wherein the access point slave device receives scanning device detection packets.

45. The short-range RF access point of claim 42 wherein the scanning device detection packets are initiated by mobile devices within the coverage area of the access point.

46. The short-range RF access point of claim 42 wherein the access point slave device passes control to the access point master device upon receiving connection establishment messages from a particular mobile device.

47. The short-range RF access point of claim 42 further comprising:

at least one third wireless transceiver operating as an inquiring/paging master device for establishing a connection with mobile devices that respond to its inquiries.

48. The short-range RF access point of claim 47 further comprising:

at least one hybrid device periodically performing the functions of the access point slave device and the inquiring/paging master device.

49. A short-range RF access point for establishing connections with mobile devices, comprising:

at least one first wireless transceiver module operating as an independent access point master device for transmitting messages for establishing wireless connections with mobile devices responding to the messages within the coverage area of the access point; and

at least one second wireless transceiver module operating as an independent access point slave device coupled to the independent access point master device for scanning packets initiated by mobile devices within the coverage area of the access point wherein there is common control between the master and slave devices.

50. The short-range RF access point of claim 49 wherein the access point master device transmits device detection and connection establishment messages.

51. The short-range RF access point of claim 49 wherein the access point slave device receives scanning device detection packets.

52. The short-range RF access point of claim 49 wherein the scanning device detection packets are initiated by mobile devices within the coverage area of the access point.

53. The short-range RF access point of claim 49 wherein the access point slave device passes control to the access point master device upon receiving connection establishment messages from a particular mobile device.

54. The short-range RF access point of claim 49 further comprising:

at least one third wireless transceiver operating as an inquiring/paging master device for establishing a connection with mobile devices that respond to its inquiries.

55. The short-range RF access point of claim 54 further comprising:

at least one hybrid device periodically performing the functions of the access point slave device and the inquiring/paging master device.

56. A short-range RF access point for establishing connections with mobile devices, comprising:

at least one first wireless transceiver module operating as an access point master device for transmitting device detection and connection establishment messages for establishing wireless connections with mobile devices responding to the messages within the coverage area of the access point; and

at least one second wireless transceiver modules operating as an inquiring/paging master device and passing off to the mobile device the CLK clock timing and access code of the access point master device in establishing a connection with the mobile device.

57. The short-range RF access point of claim 56 wherein the inquiring/paging master device hands off the connection to the access point master device.

58. A method in a short-range RF access point for establishing connections with mobile devices, comprising:

operating at least one first wireless transceiver module as an access point slave device for scanning packets initiated by mobile devices within a coverage area of the access point and in response to a packet, outputting a control signal; and

operating at least one second wireless transceiver module coupled to the first module as an access point master device for transmitting messages in response to the control signal, for establishing wireless connections with mobile devices.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein the access point master device transmits device detection and connection establishment messages.

60. The method of claim 58 wherein the access point slave device receives scanning device detection packets.

61. The method of claim 58 wherein the scanning device detection packets are initiated by mobile devices within the coverage area of the access point.

62. The method of claim 58 wherein the access point slave device passes control to the access point master device upon receiving connection establishment messages from a particular mobile device.

63. The method of claim 58 further comprising:

operating at least one third wireless transceiver as an inquiring/paging master device for establishing a connection with mobile devices that respond to its inquiries.

64. The method of claim 58 further comprising:

periodically performing in at least one hybrid device the functions of the access point slave device and the inquiring/paging master device.

65. A medium in a short-range RF access point, executable in a computer system ,for establishing connections with mobile devices, the medium comprising:

program code for operating at least one first wireless transceiver module as an access point slave device for scanning packets initiated by mobile devices within a coverage area of the access point and in response to a packet, outputting a control signal; and

program code for operating at least one second wireless transceiver module coupled to the first module as an access point master device for transmitting messages in response to the control signal, for establishing wireless connections with mobile devices.

66. The medium of claim 65 further comprising:

program code in the access point master device for transmitting device detection and connection establishment messages.

67. The medium of claim 65 further comprising:

program code in the access point slave device for receiving scanning device detection packets.

68. The medium of claim 65 further comprising:

program code in the access point slave device for passing control to the access point master device upon receiving connection establishment messages from a particular mobile device.

69. The medium of claim 65 further comprising:

program code for operating at least one third wireless transceiver as an inquiring/paging master device for establishing a connection with mobile devices that respond to its inquiries.

70. The medium of claim 65 further comprising:

program code for periodically performing in at least one hybrid device the functions of the access point slave device and the inquiring/paging master device.