Personal area network implementation within an infrastructure network

• US 20080159242A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ratner, Miri, Rayzman, Giora
• Granted Patent: US 8,077,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A wireless device is capable of communicating within a local area network (LAN) and a personal area network (PAN) concurrently, using a single wireless networking module or circuit. A wireless access point within an infrastructure-based network is used to manage the creation, maintenance, and termination of PANs within the LAN framework.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining at a wireless device that a personal area network (PAN) needs to be established;

transmitting a PAN segment establishment request to a wireless access point (AP), said AP including logic for providing access to a local area network (LAN);

receiving a PAN segment establishment response from said AP indicating that a PAN segment has been established;

waiting for at least one other wireless device to join said established PAN segment; and

transmitting a PAN segment packet to another wireless device within said PAN segment, said PAN segment packet including a PAN segment ID field identifying said established PAN segment, wherein said PAN segment is different from said LAN.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said AP requires user authentication for a wireless device to access said LAN but does not require user authentication for a wireless device to communicate within said PAN segment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said AP requires a different level of user authentication for a wireless device to access said LAN than to communicate within said PAN segment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said wireless device can have access to said LAN at the same time that it is a part of said PAN segment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said wireless device and said AP are each configured in accordance with an IEEE 802.11x wireless networking standard, wherein said PAN segment packet is an IEEE 802.11x packet that is modified to include said PAN segment ID field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

transmitting a PAN segment packet to another wireless device within said PAN segment includes sending said PAN segment packet via said AP.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

transmitting a PAN segment packet to another wireless device within said PAN segment includes sending said PAN segment packet to said another wireless device via direct wireless link.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver subsystem; and

a controller coupled to said RF transceiver subsystem, said controller to;

determine that a personal area network (PAN) needs to be established;

cause a PAN segment establishment request to be transmitted, via said RF transceiver subsystem, to a wireless access point (AP), said AP including logic for providing access to a local area network (LAN);

process a PAN segment establishment response received from said AP indicating that a PAN segment has been established;

wait for at least one other wireless device to join said established PAN segment; and

cause a PAN segment packet to be transmitted to another wireless device within said PAN segment, via said RF transceiver subsystem, said PAN segment packet including a PAN segment ID field identifying said established PAN segment, wherein said PAN segment is different from said LAN.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

said apparatus can maintain a connection to said LAN at the same time that it is part of said PAN segment.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

said apparatus can communicate within said LAN and said PAN segment using a common wireless networking module.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

said apparatus and said AP are each configured in accordance with an IEEE 802.11x wireless networking standard, wherein said PAN segment packet is an IEEE 802.11x packet that is modified to include said PAN segment ID field.

12. An article comprising a computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing platform, operate to:

determine that a personal area network (PAN) needs to be established for a wireless device;

cause a PAN segment establishment request to be transmitted, via said RF transceiver subsystem, to a wireless access point (AP), said AP including logic for providing access to a local area network (LAN);

process a PAN segment establishment response received from said AP indicating that a PAN segment has been established;

wait for at least one other wireless device to join said established PAN segment; and

cause a PAN segment packet to be transmitted to another wireless device within said PAN segment, via said RF transceiver subsystem, said PAN segment packet including a PAN segment ID field identifying said established PAN segment, wherein said PAN segment is different from said LAN.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein:

operation to cause a PAN segment packet to be transmitted to another wireless device within said PAN segment includes operation to send said PAN segment packet to said another wireless device via said AP.

14. The article of claim 12, wherein:

operation to cause a PAN segment packet to be transmitted to another wireless device within said PAN segment includes operation to send said PAN segment packet to said another wireless device via direct wireless link.

15. A system comprising:

at least one dipole antenna;

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver subsystem coupled to said at least one dipole antenna; and

a controller coupled to said RF transceiver subsystem, said controller to;

determine that a personal area network (PAN) needs to be established;

cause a PAN segment establishment request to be transmitted, via said RF transceiver subsystem, to a wireless access point (AP), said AP including logic for providing access to a local area network (LAN);

process a PAN segment establishment response received from said AP indicating that a PAN segment has been established;

wait for at least one other wireless device to join said established PAN segment; and

cause a PAN segment packet to be transmitted to said other wireless device, via said RF transceiver subsystem, said PAN segment packet including a PAN segment ID field identifying said established PAN segment, wherein said PAN segment is different from said LAN.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

said system can maintain a connection to said LAN at the same time that it is part of said PAN segment.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein:

said system can communicate within said LAN and said PAN segment using a common wireless networking module.

18. A method comprising:

receiving a PAN segment establishment request from a wireless device at a wireless access point (AP), said AP including logic for providing access to a local area network (LAN);

initiating a new PAN segment in response to said PAN segment establishment request;

transmitting a PAN segment establishment response to said wireless device from said AP indicating that said new PAN segment has been established; and

transmitting a beacon signal from said AP having identification information relating to said new PAN segment;

wherein said PAN segment is different from said LAN.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a PAN segment join request from another wireless device at said AP requesting that said another wireless device be permitted to join said new PAN segment.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

adding said another wireless device to said new PAN segment in response to said PAN segment join request; and

transmitting a PAN segment join response to said another wireless device indicating that said another wireless device has been added to said new PAN segment.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein:

said AP requires user authentication for a wireless device to access said LAN, but does not require user authentication for a wireless device to communicate within said PAN segment.