METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ALLOCATING CHANNELS IN A WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20080159209A1
• Filed: 01/03/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: KIM, BYUNG SEO
• Application Number:
  US11/619,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20080159209A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

A method and system for allocating channels in a wireless network is provided. The wireless network includes a plurality of electronic devices organized into clusters. The plurality of electronic devices communicates with each other through a plurality of channels. The method performed by an electronic device includes scanning the plurality of channels for a frame generated in a first cluster and determining that the frame is a beacon frame transmitted by a first cluster header in the first cluster. Further, the method includes sending a channel request to the first cluster header and receiving a channel request response from the first cluster header. Moreover, the method includes designating the electronic device as a second cluster header for a second cluster.

Claims

1. A method for allocating channels in a wireless network, the wireless network comprising a plurality of electronic devices organized into clusters and communicating with each other through a plurality of channels, the method performed by an electronic device comprising:

scanning the plurality of channels for a frame generated in a first cluster;

determining that the frame is a beacon frame transmitted by a first cluster header in the first cluster;

sending a channel request to the first cluster header;

receiving a channel request response from the first cluster header; and

designating the electronic device as a second cluster header for a second cluster.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising initiating the channel request to the first cluster header when unused channels exist in the first cluster, wherein the unused channels are assigned to the second cluster

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

initiating the channel request to the first cluster when there are no unused channels in the first cluster;

allocating a channel by the first cluster header to the second cluster based upon at least one of a) a traffic load in the first cluster, b) a traffic load in the second cluster, c) a number of channels allocated to the first cluster, and d), a number of channels allocated to the second cluster.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the step of allocating can be described mathematically by a channel allocation equation.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the channel request is sent to the first cluster header via an intermediate electronic device.

6. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising notifying the second cluster header of the allocated channel available for the second cluster.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the frame is a non-beacon frame sent by a second electronic device in the first cluster;

determining the second electronic device to be an intermediate electronic device

selecting an intermediate electronic device as the intermediate electronic device based upon a first predefined criteria,

wherein the selected intermediate electronic device enables the electronic device to communicate with the first cluster header.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein selecting the intermediate electronic device comprises:

sending one or more Intermediate Electronic Device Grant (IEDG) messages to each of the plurality of candidate electronic devices;

receiving one or more IEDG response messages in response to the one or more IEDG messages;

determining the intermediate electronic device based upon comparing a second predefined criteria associated with the received IEDG response messages with the first predefined criteria;

sending an IEDG confirmation message to the determined intermediate electronic device in response to the received one or more IEDG response messages; and

receiving a first acknowledgement message from the intermediate electronic device in response to the IEDG confirmation message.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the second predefined criteria are selected from a group comprising signal strength, channel conditions, and quality of service.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a channel change notification message when a channel allocated to the intermediate electronic device is changed, the channel change notification message being sent by the intermediate electronic device to the second cluster header; and

sending a second acknowledgement message from the second cluster header in response to the channel change notification message.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

at a second electronic device;

scanning the plurality of channels for a frame generated in the first cluster;

determining that the frame is undetected;

selecting at least one channel from the plurality of channels; and

creating a third cluster using the at least one channel, wherein the second electronic device is designated as the third-cluster header.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

negotiating for channels by sending a more channel request (MCR) message from the second cluster header to the first cluster header;

comparing by the first cluster header a traffic load of the first cluster with that of the second cluster;

selecting by the first cluster header a channel for the second cluster; and

receiving a more channel assign (MCA) message comprising the selected channel for the second cluster.

13. A method for allocating channels in a wireless network, the wireless network comprising a plurality of electronic devices organized into clusters and communicating with each other through a plurality of channels, the method performed by an electronic device comprising:

scanning the plurality of channels for a frame generated in a first cluster;

if the frame is not a beacon frame, selecting an intermediate electronic device, wherein the intermediate electronic device allows the electronic device to communicate with a first cluster header of the first cluster;

determining that there are no unused channels in the first cluster;

sending a channel request to the first cluster header;

designating the electronic device as a second cluster header for a second cluster;

negotiating for one or more channels from the first cluster header for allocation to the second cluster; and

receiving a channel request response from the first cluster header.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the channel request is a more channel request (MCR) message.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the channel request response identifies the one or more channels allocated to the second cluster.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the step of negotiating further comprises determining that a traffic load status on the second cluster is more than a traffic load status on the first cluster to allocate the one or more channels from the first cluster to the second cluster.

17. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the channel request response indicates that no channels have been allocated to the second cluster.

18. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising the step of indicating a change in the allocation by sending a channel change notification message.

20. The electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the receiver and the transmitter are integrated together.

19. An electronic device comprising:

a receiver capable of receiving a beacon frame from a first cluster header in a wireless network, wherein the wireless network is organized into one or more clusters; and

;

a transmitter capable of transmitting a channel request in response to receiving the beacon frame; and

a processor capable of creating a second cluster in response to the channel request, wherein the electronic device is designated as a second cluster header.