METHODS AND APPARATUS RELATING TO TIMING AND/OR SYNCHRONIZATION INCLUDING THE USE OF WIRELESS TERMINALS BEACON SIGNALS
First Claim
1. A method of operating a communications device, the method comprising:
- during a beacon receive time period performing a beacon signal detection operation to detect receipt of at least a portion of a beacon signal; and
during a beacon transmission time period, transmitting at least a portion of a beacon signal, said transmitted portion including at least one beacon symbol.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Wireless terminal beacon signaling is used to achieve timing synchronization between two wireless terminals in a wireless communication system, e.g., in an ad hoc network lacking a centralized timing reference. An exemplary timing structure used by an individual wireless terminal includes a beacon transmission time interval, a beacon monitoring time interval and a silence time interval. A first wireless terminal monitoring for beacon signals from other wireless terminals, detects a beacon signal portion from a second wireless terminal and determines a timing adjustment as a function of the detected beacon signal portion. The first wireless terminal applies the determined timing adjustment, e.g., time shifting its timing structure, such that its beacon signal can be detected by the second wireless terminal. Implementation of the determined timing adjustment sets the timing structures of the two wireless terminals to have a fixed relationship thereby allowing for coordinated communications including a peer-to-peer communications session.
159 Citations
49 Claims
-
1. A method of operating a communications device, the method comprising:
-
during a beacon receive time period performing a beacon signal detection operation to detect receipt of at least a portion of a beacon signal; and
during a beacon transmission time period, transmitting at least a portion of a beacon signal, said transmitted portion including at least one beacon symbol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A communications device comprising:
-
a beacon signal detection module for performing a beacon signal detection operation during a beacon receive time period to detect receipt of at least a portion of a beacon signal; and
a transmission module for transmitting during a beacon transmission time period at least a portion of a beacon signal, said transmitted portion including at least one beacon symbol. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A communications device comprising:
-
means for performing a beacon signal detection operation during a beacon receive time period to detect receipt of at least a portion of a beacon signal; and
means for transmitting during a beacon transmission time period at least a portion of a beacon signal, said transmitted portion including at least one beacon symbol;
- View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
-
-
38. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instruction for controlling a communications device to implement a method, the method comprising:
-
during a beacon receive time period performing a beacon signal detection operation to detect receipt of at least a portion of a beacon signal; and
during a beacon transmission time period, transmitting at least a portion of a beacon signal, said transmitted portion including at least one beacon symbol. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
-
-
44. An apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to;
perform a beacon signal detection operation to detect receipt of at least a portion of a beacon signal during a beacon receive time period; and
control transmission of at least a portion of a beacon signal during a beacon transmission time period, said transmitted portion including at least one beacon symbol. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 49)
-
47. The apparatus of 46, wherein said processor is further configured to:
neither control transmission of beacon signals nor operate to detect beacon signals during a silence period occurring between said beacon receive and beacon transmission time periods. - View Dependent Claims (48)
Specification