COEXISTANCE OF ACCESS PROVIDER AND IN-HOME NETWORKS

• US 20070025244A1
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Qualcomm Atheros Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm Atheros Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ayyagari, Deepak, Chan, Wai-Chung, Yonge, Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/545 Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and devices that coordinate access to a common medium between two networks. Typically, a gateway is employed that requests resources from a home central coordinator and/or access coordinator. If resources are not available from the home central coordinator and the access coordinator, a neighbor network protocol is performed to obtain additional resources.

Claims

1. A method of sharing resource in a data communication system, the system including a first centralized network (FCN), a second centralized network (SCN), and a gateway, the FCN including a first central coordinator (CCO) managing the activities of the FCN and the gateway, and the SCN including a second CCO managing the activities of the SCN and the gateway, the method comprising the steps of:

requesting, by the gateway, resource allocation from the first CCO;

determining, by the first CCO, availability of at least one first CCO CFP time slot;

if the at least one first CCO CFP time slot is available;

allocating to the gateway, by the first CCO, the at least one first CCO CFP time slot; and

transmitting by the first CCO allocation information related to the allocated at least one first CCO CFP time slot; and

if the at least one first CCO CFP time slot is unavailable;

transmitting by the first CCO allocation unavailability information;

requesting, by the gateway, resource allocation from the second CCO;

determining, by the second CCO, availability of at least one second CCO CFP time slot;

if the at least one second CCO CFP time slot is available;

allocating to the gateway, by the second CCO, the at least one second CCO CFP time slot; and

transmitting by the second CCO allocation information related to the allocated at least one second CCO CFP time slot; and

if the at least one second CCO CFP time slot is unavailable;

transmitting, by the second CCO, allocation unavailability information; and

performing a neighbor network coordination protocol to obtain additional resource for the gateway.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting data by the gateway at the allocated at least one first CCO time slot when the at least one first CCO time slot is available.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting data by the gateway at the allocated at least one second CCO time slot when the at least one second CCO time slot is available.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting by the gateway to the first CCO the allocation information related to the allocated at least one second CCO CFP time slot.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of registering by the first CCO the allocation to the gateway of the at least one second CCO CFP time slot in a stayout region of the first CCO.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of scheduling transmission by the access CCO at the allocated at least one second CCO time slot.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the performing the neighbor coordination protocol is initiated by at least one of the following:

the access CCO and the home CCO.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of performing the neighbor coordination protocol results to a resource allocation allocated to the gateway.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the data communication system is a power line communication system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of performing the neighbor coordination protocol further comprises modifying a beacon schedule of the first CCO and a beacon schedule of the second CCO.

11. A method of sharing resource in a data communication system, the system including a first centralized network (FCN), a second centralized network (SCN), and a gateway, the method comprising the steps of:

requesting, by the gateway, resource allocation from a first CCO, wherein the first CCO controls network activities of the FCN, and the gateway interfaces with both the FCN and the SCN;

requesting, by the gateway, resource allocation from a second CCO when the first CCO has unavailable resource, wherein the second CCO controls network activities of the SCN; and

performing a network neighbor coordination protocol process between at least the first CCO and the second CCO to obtain resource allocation—

when the first CCO has unavailable resource and the second CCO has unavailable resource, and wherein the network neighbor coordination protocol process generates compatible beacon schedule for the first CCO and the second CCO.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the data communication system is a power line communication system.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the resource allocation requested by the gateway is for resource to access the Internet.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

transmitting data within the FCN at a stayout region time slot of the first CCO, wherein the stayout region time slot has been registered by the first CCO to be allocated to the gateway by the second CCO.

15. A system having a common communication medium, the system comprising:

an access centralized network (ACN) operably coupled to a data communication network, the ACN comprising an access central coordinator (CCO) managing network activities of the ACN and a gateway;

a home centralized network (HCN) operably coupled to the gateway, the HCN comprising a home CCO managing network activities of the HCN and the gateway; and

the gateway operably coupled to both the access CCO and the home CCO, the gateway adapted to;

request resource from the access CCO; and

request resource from the home CCO;

wherein the access CCO and the home CCO are each adapted to perform a neighbor network coordinator protocol to share resources over the common communication medium; and

wherein the access CCO is adapted to schedule transmission at a stayout region time slot of the access CCO and wherein the stayout region time slot has been registered by the access CCO to be allocated to the gateway by the home CCO.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the common communication medium is a power line communication medium.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the data communication network is the Internet.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the access CCO is further adapted to schedule transmission by the gateway at the stayout region time slot of the access CCO.

19. A device adapted to be operably coupled to a data communication system, the system including a first central coordinator (CCO) and a second CCO, the device comprising:

an allocation request module adapted to;

request resource allocation from the first CCO;

request resource allocation from the second CCO;

receive allocation information from the first CCO and the second CCO;

inform the first CCO and the second CCO of the received allocation information; and

determine whether to request resource allocation from the second CCO based on the allocation information received from the first CCO;

wherein the first CCO and the second CCO are of different CCO types, wherein the CCO types comprise a home CCO and an access CCO;

wherein the allocation information comprises one of the following information;

resource-allocation availability information, and

resource-allocation unavailability information;

a first CCO interface module operably coupled to the allocation request module, the first CCO interface adapted to;

enable the device to communicate with the first CCO; and

a second CCO interface module operably coupled to the allocation request module, the second CCO adapted to;

enable the device to communicate with the second CCO.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the allocation request module is further adapted to request a neighbor network coordinator protocol based on the received resource allocation information comprising resource-allocation unavailability from the first CCO and the second CCO.

21. The device of claim 19 wherein the data communication system is a power line communication system.

22. An access central coordinator (CCO) device adapted to be operably coupled to a data communication system, the system including the access CCO, a home CCO, and a gateway, the access CCO comprising:

a gateway coordination module adapted to;

receive a resource allocation request from the gateway;

transmit a resource allocation information responsive to the received resource allocation request;

allocate the requested resource allocation to the gateway;

receive, from the gateway, a resource allocation allocated by the home CCO for the gateway; and

schedule one or more transmissions based on at least one of the following;

the allocated requested resource allocation; and

the received resource allocation allocated by the home CCO; and

a centralized network management module operably coupled to the gateway coordination module, the centralized management module adapted to;

schedule resource allocation for stations controlled by the access CCO wherein the stations controlled comprise the gateway, and the resource allocation schedule is contained in one or more beacons.

23. The access CCO of claim 22 wherein the gateway coordination module is further adapted to initiate a neighbor network coordinator protocol with the home CCO.

24. The access CCO of claim 22 wherein the wherein the data communication system is a power line communication system.

25. A home central coordinator (CCO) device adapted to be operably coupled to a data communication system, the system including an access CCO, the home CCO, and a gateway, the home CCO comprising:

a gateway coordination module adapted to;

receive a resource allocation request from the gateway;

transmit a resource allocation information responsive to the received resource allocation request;

allocate the requested resource allocation to the gateway;

receive, from the gateway, a resource allocation allocated by the access CCO for the gateway; and

schedule one or more transmissions based on at least one of the following;

the allocated requested resource allocation; and

the received resource allocation allocated by the access CCO; and

a centralized network management module operably coupled to the gateway coordination module, the centralized management module adapted to;

schedule resource allocation for stations controlled by the home CCO, wherein the stations controlled comprise the gateway, and the resource allocation schedule is contained in one or more beacons.

26. The home CCO of claim 25 wherein the gateway coordination module is further adapted to initiate a neighbor network coordinator protocol with the access CCO.

27. The home CCO of claim 25 wherein the wherein the data communication system is a power line communication system.