Method and apparatus for adaptive network allocation

• US 20060221999A1
• Filed: 03/29/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Bachrach, Yuval, Ginzburg, Boris
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for adaptive network allocation are described herein.

Claims

1. A method of operation for a first network node comprising:

receiving by the first network node first network allocation information and a first signal over a medium, the first signal having a first signal strength;

comparing the first signal strength to a value; and

selectively updating second network allocation information with the first network allocation information based at least in part upon the result of said comparing of the first signal strength to the value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second network allocation information includes information relating to an availability state of the medium for a transmission from the first network node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first signal comprises the first network allocation information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first network node is of a first service set, the first signal is transmitted by a second network node, and the first signal comprises an indication of a second service set having a third network node that is an intended participant in a communicative exchange with the second network node, the method further comprising:

selectively updating the second network allocation information based at least in part upon whether the first service set is the second service set.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first signal is a frame selected from the group consisting of a request-to-send frame, a clear-to-send frame, and a poll frame.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the first signal comprises a request-to-send frame and the method further comprising:

receiving by the first network node a clear-to-send frame over the medium, the clear-to-send frame having third network allocation information and a second signal strength;

comparing the second signal strength to the value; and

selectively updating the second network allocation information with third network allocation information based at least in part upon the result of said comparing of the second signal strength to the value.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the first signal comprises an indication of a transmission opportunity for a second network node, the method further comprising:

receiving by the first network node a second signal over the medium from the second network node, the second signal having a second signal strength;

comparing the second signal strength to the value; and

selectively updating the second network allocation information based at least in part upon the result of said comparing of the second signal strength to the value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said receiving of the second signal is done prior to said receiving of the first signal, the method further comprises:

storing the second signal strength in a storage medium; and

said comparing of the second signal strength to the value is performed after said receiving of the first signal.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver to receive first network allocation information and a first signal over a medium, the first signal having a first signal strength; and

a controller, coupled to the receiver,

to compare the first signal strength to a value; and

to selectively update second network allocation information with the first network allocation information based at least in part upon the result of said comparing of the first signal strength to the value.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first signal comprises the first network allocation information.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus further comprises a transmitter, coupled to the controller, to transmit a second signal over the medium, and the controller is to control the transmitter to transmit the second signal based at least in part upon the second network allocation information.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a transceiver having said transmitter and receiver.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first network node is of a first service set, the first signal is transmitted by a second network node, and the first signal comprises an indication of a second service set having a third network node that is an intended participant in a communicative exchange with the second network node, the controller is to:

selectively update the second network allocation information based at least in part upon whether the first service set is the second service set.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the receiver is to receive a second signal over the medium from the third network node, the second signal having third network allocation information and a second signal strength;

to compare the second signal strength to the value; and

to selectively update the second network allocation information with third network allocation information based at least in part upon the result of said comparison of the second signal strength to the value.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first signal includes an indication of a transmission opportunity for a second network node, the receiver is to receive a second signal, having a second signal strength, over the medium from the second network node, and the controller is to compare second signal strength to the value and to selectively update the second network allocation information based at least in part upon the result of said comparison of the second signal strength to the value.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus further comprises a storage medium coupled to the controller, and the controller is to store the second signal strength.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first signal comprises a frame selected from the group consisting of a request-to-send frame;

a clear-to-send frame; and

a poll frame.

18. A system comprising:

a network interface controller having

a physical-signaling block, and

a media-access control block, coupled to the physical-signaling block, to cooperate with the physical-signaling block to receive first network allocation information and a first signal over a medium, the first signal having a first signal strength, the media-access control block to compare the first signal strength to a value and to selectively update second network allocation information with the first network allocation information based at least in part upon the result of said comparison of the first signal strength to the value; and

a dipole antenna coupled to the network interface controller to facilitate said receiving of the first signal over the medium.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the media-access control block is to cooperate with the physical-signaling block to transmit a signal over the medium based at least in part upon the second network allocation information.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the network interface controller and the dipole antennae are of a first network node that is of a first service set, the first signal is transmitted by a second network node, the first signal comprises an indication of a second service set having a third network node that is an intended participant in a communicative exchange with the second network node, and the media-access control block is to selectively update the second network allocation information based at least in part upon whether the first service set is the second service set.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

a storage medium, coupled to the media-access control block, to store a first set of information relating to the second network node, the first set of information at least including an address for the second network node, the first signal strength, or a service set identifier indicating the second service set.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first signal comprises the first network allocation information.

23. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a processor coupled to the network interface controller.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the system is a network node selected from the group consisting of a palm-sized computing device, a tablet computing device, a wireless internet protocol phone, a network access device, a router, a hub, and a switch.