Self-associating wireless personal area network

• US 20050201301A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Bridgelall, Raj
• Granted Patent: US 7,403,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/203 for converged personal network application service interworking, e.g. OMA converged personal network services [CPNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for automatically and autonomously forming a wireless personal area network (WPAN) from an array of intercommunicating personal area network (PAN) devices. The devices comprise first communicators associated with primary functions of the devices and second communicators coupled to the first communicators for determining a subset of the devices meeting predetermined association criteria, from which subset the first communicators form the WPAN. In a preferred embodiment, the second communicators include range measuring transceivers and processors coupled to the transceivers that cooperate to determine range and relative motion of elements within communication range of the first communicators for comparison to range and relative motion association criteria stored in one or more of the devices. Memory is desirably included for storing the association criteria. The subset of devices automatically elects a master device that communicates with the other devices of the subset to form the WPAN.

Claims

1. A Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) forming element, comprising:

a primary user function subsystem; and

a WPAN association function subsystem coupled to the primary user function subsystem, wherein the primary user function subsystem and/or the WPAN association function subsystem interrogate one or more neighboring elements having the same or different primary user functions and automatically form a WPAN with those of the neighboring elements that satisfy predetermined association criteria.

2. The element of claim 1 further comprising memory for storing the predetermined association criteria within the element.

3. The element of claim 1 wherein the WPAN association function subsystem comprises:

a processor;

a unique identification means coupled to the processor; and

a range measuring transceiver coupled to the processor.

4. The element of claim 3 further comprising a WPAN radio coupled to the processor and the primary user function subsystem.

5. The element of claim 3 further comprising a memory coupled to the processor.

6. The element of claim 3 wherein the range measuring transceiver measures range by means of phase difference of arrival of a radio signal.

7. A system of intercommunicating elements adapted to automatically form a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) from all or part of said elements, comprising:

first communicators associated with primary functions of the elements;

second communicators coupled to the first communicators for determining a subset of the elements meeting predetermined association criteria, among which subset the first communicators form the WPAN.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein each second communicator comprises:

a range measuring transceiver;

a processor coupled to the transceiver; and

wherein the range measuring transceiver and processor cooperate to determine range and relative motion of elements within communication range of the first communicators.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising identification means uniquely identifying each intercommunicating element.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising a memory coupled to the processor for storing the predetermined association criteria to which the range and relative motion are compared.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the second communicators determine proximity to and relative motion of the intercommunicating elements.

12. A method for forming a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) from among multiple wireless elements, comprising:

identifying those wireless elements within mutual communication range;

determining a subset of elements meeting predetermined association criteria from among the identified wireless elements;

electing a master element from among the subset of elements; and

forming a WPAN from the subset of elements with the master element.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising before the identifying step, determining whether any wireless elements are within mutual communication range.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the determining step comprises:

measuring range and relative motion of the identified elements; and

comparing the measured range and relative motion to range and relative motion association criteria; and

selecting as the subset those elements whose range and relative motion meet the association criteria.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising, prior to the selecting step, inquiring whether any of the identified elements meet the range and relative motion association criteria and if not, repeating the identifying and determining steps.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising after the forming step, performing an identifying step to determine whether any further elements have appeared within or any previously identified devices have disappeared from mutual communication range.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising after the forming step repeating an identifying step until a further element has appeared within or an existing element has disappeared from communication range, and then repeating the determining, electing and forming steps for the such modified group of elements within communication range.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the comparing step comprises comparing the measured range and relative motion to range and relative motion association criteria stored within the wireless element