AUTOMATIC AD-HOC NETWORK CREATION AND COALESCING USING WPS

• US 20080172491A1
• Filed: 10/04/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Marvell Semiconductor (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Kopikare, Milind, Kopikare, Rohul, Chhabra, Kapil
• Granted Patent: US 8,732,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0091 Signaling for the administration of the divided path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A device previously configured as a registrar and that has established an independent ad-hoc network is automatically discovered by another device also previously configured as a registrar. To form an ad-hoc wireless network between these two devices, each device periodically enters a scanning mode to scan for and intercept beacons transmitted by the other device. Upon such interception, one of the devices becomes an enrollee in accordance with a predefined condition and in response to a user selected option. Subsequently, the enrollee modifies its beacons to include an attribute, such as the MAC address, associated with the other device. After intercepting the modified beacon, the remaining registrar prompts it user to decide whether to allow the enrollee to join the registrar'"'"'s network. If the user responds affirmatively, a handshake is performed between the two devices and a subsequent attempt is made by the enrollee to join the registrar'"'"'s network.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a first device to join an ad-hoc network previously established by a second device, the method comprising:

placing the first device in a scanning mode during one of each N beacon transmission periods to scan for beacons transmitted by the second device, said first device being previously configured as a registrar; and

prompting a user of the first device to join the ad-hoc network if said first device intercepts a beacon of the second device during the scanning mode.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

enabling the first device to join the ad-hoc network previously established by the second device without requiring the first and second devices to be powered off.

2. The method of claim I further comprising:

modifying beacons of the first device to include an attribute associated with the second device if the user responds affirmatively to the option; and

attempting to reconfigure the first device as an enrollee if the user responds affirmatively to the option.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

modifying the beacons if a condition is satisfied.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said condition is defined by a comparison of time stamps.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said condition is defined by a comparison of media access controller (MAC) addresses.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein prompting the user comprises:

presenting an option via a text displayed on an LCD panel.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein prompting the user comprises:

presenting an option via an audible sound.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein modifying beacons of the first device to include an attribute associated with the second device comprises:

modifying beacons of the first device to include the MAC address of the second device.

10. A method of adding a first device to an ad-hoc network previously established by a second device, said first and second devices being previously configured as registrars, the method comprising:

placing the second device in a scanning mode during one of each N beacon transmission periods to scan for beacons transmitted by the first device;

intercepting a beacon of the first device during one of the scan periods;

verifying whether the intercepted beacon includes an attribute of the second device; and

prompting a user to decide whether to allow the first device to be added to the ad-hoc network if the intercepted beacon includes the attribute.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

performing a handshake if the user responds affirmatively to the option.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein prompting the user comprises:

presenting an option via a text displayed on an LCD panel.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein prompting the user comprises:

presenting an option via an audible sound.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein said attribute is the MAC address of the second device.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

adding the first device to an ad-hoc network previously established by the second device without requiring the first and second devices to be powered off.

15. The method of claim IO further comprising:

modifying beacons of the first device to include the attribute associated with the second device.

17. A device adapted to participate in a wireless ad-hoc network session, the device being initially configured to operate as a registrar, the device being operative to operate in a scanning mode during one of each N beacon transmission periods to scan for beacons transmitted by another device, said device being further operative to prompt a user to join the ad-hoc network of the other device if said device intercepts a beacon of the other device during the scanning mode.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein said device is further operative to modify its beacons to include an attribute associated with the other device if the user responds affirmatively to the option, said device being configured as an enrollee if the user responds affirmatively to the option.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein said device is further operative to modify the beacons if a condition is satisfied.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein said condition is defined by a comparison of time stamps.

21. The device of claim 19 wherein said condition is defined by a comparison of media access controller (MAC) addresses.

22. The device of claim 18 wherein said device comprises an LCD panel to display the option.

23. The device of claim 18 wherein said device comprises a speaker adapted to audibly broadcast the option.

24. The device of claim 18 wherein said attribute is the MAC address of the other device.

25. The device of claim 17 wherein said device is adapted to participate in the wireless ad-hoc network session without being turned off.

26. A device adapted to be placed in a scanning mode during one of each N beacon transmission periods to scan and intercept a beacon transmitted by anther device, the device further adapted to verify whether the intercepted beacon includes an attribute of the device and to prompt a user to decide whether to allow the other device to be added to the ad-hoc network previously established by the device.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein said device is further adapted to initiate a handshake if the user responds affirmatively to an option to allow the device to be added to the ad-hoc network.

28. The device of claim 26 wherein said device comprises an LCD panel to display the option.

29. The device of claim 26 wherein said device comprises a speaker adapted to audibly broadcast the option.

30. The device of claim 26 wherein said attribute is the MAC address of the device.

31. The device of claim 26 wherein said device is further operative to modify beacons thereof to include the attribute associated with the other device.

32. The device of claim 26 whether said device is further operative to allow the other device to be added to the ad-hoc network without being powered off.