Method and apparatus of connectivity recovery in wireless network

• US 20080240145A1
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Adamovsky, Olga, Grabarnik, Maxim
• Granted Patent: US 8,401,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/449
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A wireless communication device and a method of re-establishing a connection with a WPAN master device is presented. The method includes detecting that a first master station of a WPAN session which includes the first master device and one or more stations becomes unavailable, activating a master station application to become a second master station and sending one beacon to notify the stations of the session about the second master station connectivity parameters.

Claims

1. A method of re-establishing a connection comprising:

detecting that a first master station of a session which includes the first master device and one or more stations becomes unavailable;

activating a master station application to become a second master station; and

sending one or more beacons to notify the one or more stations of the F session about the second master station connectivity parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a connection request signal from the one or more stations of the session in order to reestablishing a connection with the one or more stations of the association.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that no other master stations operates on the session; and

becoming the second master.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

detecting that other master stations operates on the session;

receiving timing synchronization function (TSF) values from the other master stations;

comparing the TSF values of the other master stations with an internal TSF value; and

deciding to become the second mater station according to the comparison result.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein deciding comprises:

deciding to permit one of the other stations to become the second master; and

annexing one or more associated stations to the second master.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein annexing comprises:

reporting to the second master station the associated stations;

preventing from the unassociated stations to join the association;

disconnecting the associated station;

becoming a client; and

establishing a connection with the second master as the client.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein annexing comprises:

informing the one or more associated stations on the second master device; and

triggering the one or more associated stations to roam to the second master device

8. A wireless communication device comprising:

a detector to detect that a first master station of an association which includes the first master device and one or more stations becomes unavailable;

a master station module to activate a master station application when a the first master device becomes unavailable to become a second master station; and

a transmitter to send one or more beacons to notify the one or more stations of the association on the second master station connectivity parameters.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 8, further comprising:

a receiver to receive a connection request signal from the one or more stations of the association in order to reestablish a connection with the one or more stations of the association.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the detector is capable of detecting that others master stations operate on the association.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 10, wherein the receiver is able to receive timing synchronization function (TSF) values from the others master stations and the wireless communication device further comprises:

a comparator to compare the TSF values of the others master stations with an internal TSF value; and

a controller to activate the master station module according to the comparison result.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the controller permits one of the other stations to become the second master and annexes one or more associated stations to the second master.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein, while annexing, the controller:

reports to the second master station the associated stations;

prevents from the unassociated stations to join the association;

disconnects the associated station;

becomes a client; and

establishes a connection with the second master as the client.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein while annexing the controller:

informs the one or more associated stations on the second master device; and

triggers the one or more associated stations to roam to the second master device.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the controller includes a medium access controller.