METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING A COMMUNICATION STATION

• US 20080153502A1
• Filed: 12/23/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Guoqing, Park, Minyoung, Yang, Liuyang Lily
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/446
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A method for operating a communication station in a communicating environment includes: (a) monitoring the environment to ascertain whether the station is receiving an unintended sensed signal not intended for the station from at least one signal source; (b) if the station has not received a predetermined number of unintended sensed signals during a predetermined time interval, operating the station in an omni-directional mode; and (c) if the station has received a predetermined number of sensed signals during the predetermined time interval, saving an indication of a reception direction from which arrived each unintended sensed signal; and operating the station in a directional mode. While in the directional mode, the station is sensitive to receiving signals arriving from a sensing direction other than from a reception direction, and the station transmits signals toward the sensing direction.

Claims

1. A method operating a communication station in a communicating environment;

the method comprising;

(a) monitoring said communicating environment to ascertain whether said communication station is receiving at least one unintended sensed signal not intended for said communication station from at least one signal source;

(b) if said communication station has not received a predetermined number of said at least one unintended sensed signal during a predetermined time interval, operating said communication station in an omni-directional mode; and

(c) if said communication station has received said predetermined number of said at least one unintended sensed signal during said predetermined time interval, saving an indication of a respective reception direction from which arrived each said respective unintended sensed signal of said at least one unintended sensed signal; and

(d) operating said communication station in a directional mode;

said communication station being sensitive to receiving signals arriving from a sensing direction other than from each said respective reception direction, and said communication station transmitting signals toward said sensing direction while in said directional mode.

2. A method operating a communication station in a communicating environment as recited in claim 1 wherein said monitoring is effected using a sweeping directional reception receiver apparatus.

3. A method operating a communication station in a communicating environment as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one unintended sensed signal includes data conveying signals and interference signals.

4. A method operating a communication station in a communicating environment as recited in claim 1 wherein each said respective reception direction is recognized by said communication station as a sector having an angular dimension in at least one plane.

5. A method operating a communication station in a communicating environment as recited in claim 2 wherein said at least one unintended sensed signal includes data conveying signals and interference signals.

6. A method operating a communication station in a communicating environment as recited in claim 2 wherein each said respective reception direction is recognized by said communication station as a sector having an angular dimension in at least one plane.

7. A method operating a communication station in a communicating environment as recited in claim 5 wherein each said respective reception direction is recognized by said communication station as a sector having an angular dimension in at least one plane.

8. A method operating a communication system in a communicating environment;

said communication system including a plurality of communication stations;

the method comprising;

(a) operating at least one selected communication station of said plurality of communication stations to monitor said communicating environment to ascertain whether said at least one selected communication station is receiving at least one unintended sensed signal not intended for said at least one selected communication station from at least one signal source;

(b) if said at least one selected communication station has not received a predetermined number of said at least one unintended sensed signal during a predetermined time interval, operating said at least one selected communication station in an omni-directional mode to transmit data in a plurality of data packets;

said at least one selected communication station transmitting an indication of expected time required for effecting transfer of a respective data transfer in said omni-directional mode; and

(c) if said at least one selected communication station has received said predetermined number of said at least one unintended sensed signal during said predetermined time interval, saving a direction indication for at least one respective reception direction from which said at least one unintended sensed signal arrived and saving said time indication for each omni-directional signal of said at least one unintended sensed signal and operating said at least one selected communication station in a directional mode to avoid interference from said at least one respective reception direction.

9. A method operating a communication system in a communicating environment as recited in claim 8 wherein a first said selected communication station of said at least one selected communication station engaged in directional-mode communicating with a first communication station of said plurality of communication stations terminates said directional mode communicating a predetermined time before expiration of said expected time relating to an omni-directional communication by at least one second communication station of said plurality of communication stations.

10. A method operating a communication system in a communicating environment as recited in claim 8 wherein said monitoring is effected using a sweeping directional reception receiver apparatus.

11. A method operating a communication station in a communicating environment as recited in claim 8 wherein said at least one unintended sensed signal includes data conveying signals and interference signals.

12. A method operating a communication station in a communicating environment as recited in claim 8 wherein each said respective reception direction is recognized by said communication station as a sector having an angular dimension in at least one plane.

13. A method operating a communication system in a communicating environment as recited in claim 9 wherein said monitoring is effected using a sweeping directional reception receiver apparatus.

14. A method operating a communication station in a communicating environment as recited in claim 13 wherein said at least one unintended sensed signal includes data conveying signals and interference signals.

15. A method operating a communication station in a communicating environment as recited in claim 14 wherein each said respective reception direction is recognized by said communication station as a sector having an angular dimension in at least one plane.

16. An apparatus operating a communication station in a communicating environment;

the apparatus comprising;

(a) a monitoring unit for monitoring said communicating environment;

said monitoring unit ascertaining whether said communication system is receiving at least one unintended sensed signal not intended for said communication station from at least one signal source;

(b) a communication mode unit coupled with said monitoring unit;

said communication mode unit configuring said communication station for operation in an omni-directional mode if said communication station has not received a predetermined number of said at least one unintended sensed signal during a predetermined time interval;

said communication mode unit configuring said communication station for operation in a directional mode if said communication station has received said predetermined number of said at least one unintended sensed signal during said predetermined time interval; and

(c) a storing unit coupled with said monitoring unit and with said communication mode unit;

said storing unit saving an indication of a respective reception direction from which arrived each said respective received unintended sensed signal of said at least one unintended sensed signal;

said communication station being configured in said directional mode to receive signals arriving from a sensing direction other than from each said respective reception direction;

said communication station being configured in said directional mode to transmit signals toward said sensing direction.

17. An apparatus operating a communication station in a communicating environment as recited in claim 16 wherein said monitoring is effected using a sweeping directional reception receiver apparatus.

18. An apparatus operating a communication station in a communicating environment as recited in claim 16 wherein said at least one unintended sensed signal includes data conveying signals and interference signals.

19. An apparatus operating a communication station in a communicating environment as recited in claim 18 wherein each said respective reception direction is recognized by said communication station as a sector having an angular dimension in at least one plane.

20. An apparatus operating a communication station in a communicating environment as recited in claim 17 wherein said at least one unintended sensed signal includes data conveying signals and interference signals.