Beacon frame

• US 20070086425A1
• Filed: 10/17/2005
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Inventors: Zeng, Zhaozhen, Tong, Vincent, Lim, Song, Leow, Siew
• Granted Patent: US 7,751,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/350
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0638 Clock or time synchronisation among nodes; Internode synchronisation synchronization for ring networks H04L12/422; data switching networks with synchronous transmission H04L12/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements

Abstract

A beacon frame (5) for transmission during a beacon period for a wireless device to maintain synchronization with other wireless devices of a community in a wireless communications network, the frame (5) comprising: a header (8) containing routing information for the frame (5); beacon parameters (9) to indicate signaling methods in use by the wireless devices; at least one information element (7) comprising at least one identifier to identify the wireless device; wherein the at least one identifier comprises a signature identifier (104) for the frame (5), an interface version, and a name and unique identifier for the device.

Claims

1. A beacon frame for transmission during a beacon period for a wireless device to maintain synchronization with other wireless devices of a community in a wireless communications network, the frame comprising:

a header containing routing information for the frame;

beacon parameters to indicate signaling methods in use by the wireless devices;

at least one information element comprising at least one identifier to identify the wireless device;

wherein the at least one identifier comprises a signature identifier for the frame, an interface version, and a name and unique identifier for the device.

2. The frame according to claim 1, wherein the information element further comprises:

(a) a shared object handler and date and time identifier to indicate the last update made to a shared object for indicating content available to the other wireless devices;

(b) a community identifier to identify the community;

(c) a popularity score to indicate the popularity of the wireless device and its priority in the community;

(d) a community clock to synchronise community activities;

(e) community gathering time period to detect the existence of the community and predetermined time intervals to join the community activities;

(f) device joint time community time indicator to indicate when the wireless device joined the community; and

(g) device status indicator to indicate whether the wireless device is active or passive.

3. The frame according to claim 1, wherein the community is ad hoc.

4. The frame according to claim 1, wherein the header is a Media Access Control (MAC) header.

5. The frame according to claim 1, wherein the beacon parameters include:

a channel number that an access point is using, hopping pattern and dwell time.

6. The frame according to claim 2, wherein the shared object is part of a database to improve searching for content.

7. The frame according to claim 2, wherein the shared object is part of a database to minimise redundancy of duplicated content.

8. The frame according to claim 2, wherein the shared object comprises:

an object header, and variables relating to audio items, audio reference table, picture items, picture reference table, video items and video reference table.

9. A method for forming a community in a wireless communications network to share information, the method comprising:

transmitting a beacon frame to a plurality of wireless devices in the network; and

at least one information element comprising at least one identifier to identify the wireless device;

wherein the beacon frame comprises;

a header containing routing information for the frame; and

beacon parameters to indicate signaling methods in use by the wireless devices; and

wherein the at least one identifier comprises a signature identifier for the frame, an interface version, and a name and unique identifier for the device.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the information element comprises:

(a) a shared object handler and date and time identifier to indicate the last update made to a shared object for indicating content available to the other wireless devices;

(b) a community identifier to identify the community;

(c) a popularity score to indicate the popularity of the wireless device and its priority in the community;

(d) a community clock to synchronise community activities;

(e) community gathering time period to detect the existence of the community and predetermined time intervals to join the community activities;

(f) device joint time community time indicator to indicate when the wireless device joined the community; and

(g) device status indicator to indicate whether the wireless device is active or passive.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the community is ad hoc.

12. A method for saving power in a mobile device of a wireless network, the method comprising:

checking whether a community of mobile devices is being created, and if not, deactivating a radio frequency transceiver of the mobile devices, otherwise, activating the radio frequency transceiver of the mobile devices and joining the community;

wherein joining the community comprises;

transmitting information related to the mobile device and receiving information related to other mobile devices in the community;

synchronizing all mobile devices in the community to a community clock; and

for each new mobile device in the community, requesting a list of available content that the new mobile device will share with the mobile devices in the community.

13. A method for prioritizing access to content stored on a mobile device in a wireless network of mobile devices, the method comprising:

allocating a priority code to each mobile device;

checking for any new file transfer request from a third mobile device to a first mobile device while the first mobile device is in a first file transfer session with a second mobile device; and

determining whether the third mobile device has a higher priority than the second mobile device,

wherein if the third mobile device has a higher priority than the second mobile device, interrupting the first file transfer session and commencing a second file transfer session between the first and third mobile devices and after the second file transfer session is complete, the first file transfer session is resumed; and

wherein if the third mobile device has a lower priority than the second mobile device, continuing the first file transfer session between the first and second mobile devices, and after the first file transfer session is complete, commencing a second file transfer session between the first and third mobile devices.