Method and apparatus for coordinating a wireless PAN network and a wireless LAN network
First Claim
1. A method of communicating between devices of a personal area network (PAN) using a wireless medium that is shared with a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein WLAN devices communicate using protocols of the WLAN and PAN devices communicate using PAN protocols allowing for lower power transmissions over the wireless medium relative to transmissions over the WLAN, the method comprising:
- obtaining access to the wireless medium for a PAN coordinator device, wherein transmission access to the wireless medium is allocated to the PAN coordinator device to allow it to transmit while other devices defer;
signalling a reservation of the medium by the PAN coordinator device, such that the other devices defer use of the wireless medium, including at least one WLAN device, for a reservation period; and
communicating between the PAN coordinator device and a PAN device over the wireless medium during the reservation period, wherein communication is done using the PAN protocol.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Devices of a personal area network (PAN) use a wireless medium that is shared with a wireless local area network (WLAN). WLAN devices communicate using protocols of the WLAN and PAN devices communicate using PAN protocols allowing for lower power transmissions over the wireless medium relative to transmissions over the WLAN. A PAN coordinator device obtains access to the wireless medium for the PAN devices by signalling a reservation of the medium by the PAN coordinator device, such that the other devices defer use of the wireless medium, including at least one WLAN device, for a reservation period. During the reservation period, the communication is done using the PAN protocol. The signalling can be implicit in that the PAN coordinator device transmits one or more frame using the PAN protocol but that is at least partially understandable by WLAN devices such that they defer upon receipt of one or more of the PAN protocol frames, which may be a standard or modified HCCA-CF poll frame, a CTS frame with an increased duration field, or other variation. A PAN coordinator might also signal an access point to set up a DLS link between the PAN coordinator and itself and use the DLS period for PAN traffic.
232 Citations
46 Claims
-
1. A method of communicating between devices of a personal area network (PAN) using a wireless medium that is shared with a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein WLAN devices communicate using protocols of the WLAN and PAN devices communicate using PAN protocols allowing for lower power transmissions over the wireless medium relative to transmissions over the WLAN, the method comprising:
-
obtaining access to the wireless medium for a PAN coordinator device, wherein transmission access to the wireless medium is allocated to the PAN coordinator device to allow it to transmit while other devices defer;
signalling a reservation of the medium by the PAN coordinator device, such that the other devices defer use of the wireless medium, including at least one WLAN device, for a reservation period; and
communicating between the PAN coordinator device and a PAN device over the wireless medium during the reservation period, wherein communication is done using the PAN protocol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A wireless network interface circuit adapted to be coupled to a wireless network for communicating, the wireless network interface circuit comprising:
-
circuitry for conveying signals between the network interface circuit and a computing device to which the network interface circuit is electrically coupled;
logic for determining a length of time for PAN-computing device communication; and
logic for reserving the wireless medium for the length of time by signalling from the network interface circuit using a protocol of a PAN network, wherein the PAN network protocol is adapted such that devices operable in a second network will defer use of a shared wireless medium even without being able to completely interpret frames sent from the network interface circuit according to the PAN network protocol logic for wirelessly communicating with a PAN device using the wireless medium and the PAN network protocol during the time, thereby allowing communication between the wireless network interface circuit and the PAN device without traffic expected from the second network.
-
-
21. A wireless network interface circuit adapted to be coupled to a wireless network for communicating, the wireless network interface circuit comprising:
-
circuitry for conveying signals between the network interface circuit and a computing device to which the network interface circuit is electrically coupled;
logic for wirelessly communicating with a network coordinator of a first network;
logic for wirelessly communicating with a node of a second network, wherein an effective broadcast range of the node of the second network is expected to be insufficient to communicate directly with the network coordinator of the first network;
logic for determining a length of time for PAN-computing device communication; and
logic for reserving the wireless medium with the network coordinator of the first network for the length of time, thereby allowing communication from the node without traffic expected from the network coordinator of the first network.
-
-
22. A method of interfacing a computing device to a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a wireless personal area network (PAN), wherein the WLAN is characterized by a plurality of nodes intercommunicating over a wireless medium and the wireless PAN is characterized by lower power transmissions over a wireless medium relative to transmissions over the WLAN, the method comprising:
-
adapting a network circuit, comprising logic and at least one antenna, for interfacing the computing device to the WLAN and to the wireless PAN;
setting up associations and communicating with devices over the WLAN and the wireless PAN using at least one common modulation scheme and at least one common frame formatting layer; and
coordinating with the WLAN coordinator and the wireless PAN device, usage of the WLAN such that the wireless PAN device and computing device can communicate without interference. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A method of interacting with a primary network and a secondary network, wherein a plurality of wireless local area network (WLAN) devices communicate using protocols of the primary network and a wireless medium and wherein one or more personal area network (PAN) devices communicate using the protocols of the secondary network and the wireless medium using lower power transmissions over the wireless medium relative to transmissions over the WLAN, the method comprising:
-
configuring a dual-net device that is capable of communicating over the primary network using its protocols and over the secondary network using its protocols;
determining, at the dual-net device, that a reservation of the wireless medium is needed for a PAN device that is not also a dual-net device;
signalling a request for a reservation of the wireless medium from the dual-net device such that the request can be received and understood by at least one other WLAN device;
determining, at the dual-net device, if the reservation was successful;
if the reservation was successful, signalling, using the protocols of the secondary network, to the PAN device that is not also a dual-net device that the wireless medium is reserved for that device for communications using the protocols of the secondary network. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
-
-
40. A method of communicating in a wireless network between a device as a station and an access point over a first network and between the device as a coordinator and a peripheral over a second network, comprising:
-
communicating with the access point over the first wireless network being an 802.11x network;
communicating with the peripheral over the second wireless network, wherein the second wireless network operates using protocols are only partially compliant with protocols of the first wireless network;
transmitting a first frame transmitted by the coordinator with increased duration field, thereby reserving a wireless medium for transmissions in the second network. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
-
-
45. A method of communicating in a wireless network between a device as a station and an access point over a first network and between the device as a coordinator and a peripheral over a second network, comprising:
-
communicating with the access point over the first wireless network, wherein the first wireless network is an 802.11x network;
signalling, from the device to the access point, for the use of DLS, DLS being a protocol that allows for two stations associated with the access point to communicate directly; and
signalling, from the device to a second device, using DLS, wherein the second device is not a device associated with the access point. - View Dependent Claims (46)
-
Specification