Methods and devices for expanding the range of a network

• US 20050237956A1
• Filed: 01/25/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wisair Limited (Wisair Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Wisair Limited (Wisair Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kuperschmidt, Yefim, Hay, Ran
• Application Number:
  US11/043,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237956A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/70702 Intercell-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2628 using code-division multiple access [CDMA] or spread spectrum multiple access [SSMA] H04B7/2618 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0041 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/065 using assembly or disassembly of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1263 Mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A method for expanding a range of an ultra wide band wireless network, the method includes: (i) providing a first network and an external device, the first network includes multiple devices that receive ultra wide band wireless transmissions from each other, the external device is capable of receiving a transmission from a first device of the first network but not capable of receiving a transmission from a second device of the first network; and (ii) allowing the first device to relay transmissions between the external device and the second device. An ultra wide band device that includes: (i) a receiver, adapted to receive transmissions from members of a first network and from an external device not capable of receiving transmissions from a second device of the first network, and (ii) a transmitter, adapted to transmit information to members of the first network and to the external device; wherein the device is adapted to relay transmission from the second device of the first network to the external device.

Claims

1. A method for expanding a range of an ultra wide band wireless network, the method comprises:

providing a first network and an external device, the first network comprises multiple devices that receive ultra wide band wireless transmissions from each other, the external device is capable of receiving a transmission from a first device of the first network but not capable of receiving a transmission from a second device of the first network; and

allowing the first device to relay transmissions between the external device and the second device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the stage of allowing is preceded by a stage of informing the second device that the first device is capable of relaying information to the external device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving information from the external device and transmitting the information to the second device at a timing that corresponds to timing constraints of the first network.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising allocating a first destination identification value to transmissions destined to the first device and allocating a second destination identification value to transmissions destined to be relayed by the first device to the external device.

5. The method of claim 1 whereas a relaying of information involves changing destination identification information.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising requesting the remote device to acknowledge a reception of at least one information frame from the second device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising relaying the information at a MAC layer.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising relaying the information at a layer higher than the MAC layer.

9. An ultra wide band device comprising:

(i) a receiver, adapted to receive transmissions from members of a first network and from an external device not capable of receiving transmissions from a second device of the first network, and (ii) a transmitter, adapted to transmit information to members of the first network and to the external device;

wherein the device is adapted to relay transmission from the second device of the first network to the external device.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the device is further adapted to inform the second device that the device is capable of relaying information to the external device.

11. The device of claim 9 further adapted to receive information from the external device and transmit the information to the second device at a timing that corresponds to timing constraints of the first network.

12. The device of claim 9 further adapted to allocate a first destination identification value to transmissions destined to the device and to allocate a second destination identification value to transmissions destined to be relayed by the device to the external device.

13. The device of claim 9 further adapted to change destination identification information.

14. The device of claim 9 further adapted to request the remote device to acknowledge a reception of at least one information frame from the second device.

15. The device of claim 9 further adapted to relay the information at a MAC layer.

16. The device of claim 9 further adapted to relay the information at a layer higher than the MAC layer.

17. A method for expanding a range of first network, the method comprises:

providing a first network and an external device, the first network comprises multiple devices that participate in a first distributed media access control scheme, whereas the external device participates in a second distributed media access control scheme and is capable of receiving a transmission from a first device of the first network but not capable of receiving a transmission from a second device of the first network; and

relaying, by the first device, transmissions between the external device and the second device.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the stage of relaying is preceded by a stage of informing the second device that the first device is capable of relaying information to the external device.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving information from the external device and transmitting the information to the second device over an ultra wide band wireless medium.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising allocating a first destination identification value to transmissions destined to the first device and allocating a second destination identification value to transmissions destined to be relayed by the first device to the external device.

21. The method of claim 17 whereas a relaying of information involves changing destination identification information.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising requesting the remote device to acknowledge a reception of at least one information frame from the second device.

23. The method of claim 17 further comprising relaying the information at a MAC layer.

24. The method of claim 17 further comprising relaying the information at a layer higher than the MAC layer.