Method and device for wireless network formation

• US 20050180343A1
• Filed: 03/12/2002
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Van Valkenburg, Sander
• Application Number:
  US10/507,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20050180343A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and network device for forming a wireless network, by a first network device 6 and a second network device 4 in a wireless personal area network (PAN) environment, by the steps of connecting said first network device 6 with said second network device 4; determining at least one service provided by said second network device 4, said determining step being carried out by said first network device 6; and implementing said determined service in said first network device 6.

Claims

1. A method of forming a wireless network, by a first network device (6) and a second network device (4) in a wireless personal area network (PAN) environment, by the steps of:

connecting said first network device (6) with said second network device (4);

determining at least one service provided by said second network device (4), said determining step being carried out by said first network device (6); and

being characterized by,

implementing said determined service in said first network device (6).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein first network device (6) is searching for a desired service,

said determining at least one service provided by said second network device (4) is performed by checking if said second network device (4) provides said desired service;

and

said implementing said determined service in said first network device (6) is performed if said second device (4) is found to provide said desired service.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said connecting step comprises the steps of:

searching said PAN environment for network devices by applying an inquiry procedure by said first network device (6);

selecting network devices recited in an information obtained during said inquiry procedure by said first network device (6); and

connecting said first network device (6) with said selected network devices, said selected network devices being designated as second network devices (4).

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of connecting said first network device (6) to at least one third network device (8).

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of relaying said service from said second network device (4) to said third network device (8), via said first network device (6).

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of forwarding data according to said relayed service from said second network device (4) to said third network device (8), via said first network device (6), and vice versa.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said wireless PAN environment is a Bluetooth environment.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said first network device (6) is connected to said second network device (4) via a first piconet (26), according to the Bluetooth standard.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said first network device (6) is connected to said third network device (8) via a second piconet (28), according to the Bluetooth standard.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the determination of provided services is executed by querying a Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) database of said second network device (4).

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the implementation of said service in said first network device (6) is executed by storing said service in a SDP database of said first network device (6).

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein said first network device (6) is advertising said service to establish said first network device as a master of said second piconet.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein said first network device (6) is forming said second piconet by connecting third network devices (8) in said PAN environment.

14. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of transferring connection related data from said first piconet to said second piconet, and vice versa.

15. A computer program product comprising program code means stored on a computer readable medium for performing each of the steps of the method of claim 1 when said program product is run on a network device.

16. A network device capable of inter piconet communication, comprising:

at least one transmitting and at least one receiving means,

operating means connected to said transmitting and receiving means, wherein said operating means is configured to connect the device with at least a first piconet and a second piconet simultaneously, and

determining means to determine a service provided by a connected second network device, and means to implement said service in said network device.

17. The network device according to claim 16, further comprising means to relay data traffic from said first piconet to said second piconet.

18. The network device according to claim 16, further comprising a service discovery protocol database.

19. A network, comprising network devices as claimed in claim 16.