Wireless communication methods and apparatus using beacon signals
First Claim
1. A method of operating a base station, comprising:
- transmitting a beacon signal, said beacon signal including at least one beacon signal burst, said beacon signal conveying information about a peer to peer frequency band, andreceiving data from a plurality of wireless terminals using said base station as an access node for communication through said access node.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus supporting peer to peer communications are discussed. A base station, serving as an access node for wireless terminals also communicates information supporting peer to peer communications. A base station transmits a beacon signal conveying information about a peer to peer frequency band and also receives user data from a plurality of wireless terminals, using the base station as a current point of network attachment. In some embodiments, the beacon signal is transmitted into the same frequency band being used for access node based communications and identifies a different frequency band which is to be used as a peer to peer frequency band. Alternatively, or in addition, in support of peer to peer communications, a beacon signal transmission apparatus, a free standing device which doesn'"'"'t transmit user data, transmits a sequence of beacon signal bursts, each beacon signal burst including at least one high power beacon symbol.
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Citations
88 Claims
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1. A method of operating a base station, comprising:
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transmitting a beacon signal, said beacon signal including at least one beacon signal burst, said beacon signal conveying information about a peer to peer frequency band, and receiving data from a plurality of wireless terminals using said base station as an access node for communication through said access node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A base station, comprising:
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a beacon signal generation module for generating a beacon signal, said beacon signal including at least one beacon signal burst, said beacon signal burst conveying information about a peer to peer frequency band; a transmitter for transmitting the generated beacon signal, and a receiver for receiving signals including user data signals from a plurality of wireless terminals using said base station as an access node for communication through said access node. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A base station, comprising:
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beacon signal generation means for generating a beacon signal, said beacon signal including at least one beacon signal burst, said beacon signal burst conveying information about a peer to peer frequency band; transmission means for transmitting the generated beacon signal, and receiver means for receiving signals including user data signals from a plurality of wireless terminals using said base station as an access node for communication through said access node. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for controlling a base station to implement a method of communicating with another communications device, the method comprising:
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transmitting a beacon signal, said beacon signal including at least one beacon signal burst, said beacon signal conveying information about a peer to peer frequency band, and receiving data from a plurality of wireless terminals using said base station as an access node for communication through said access node. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An apparatus comprising:
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a base station processor configured to; generate a beacon signal, said beacon signal including at least one beacon signal burst, said beacon signal burst conveying information about a peer to peer frequency band; transmit the generated beacon signal, and receive signals including user data signals from a plurality of wireless terminals using said apparatus as an access node for communication through said access node. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A beacon signal transmission apparatus, comprising:
a beacon signal transmitter for transmitting a sequence of beacon signal bursts each beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol, said beacon transmission signal apparatus being a free standing device not including any transmitter used to transmit data to an individual user device. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method of transmitting beacon signals, comprising:
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operating a beacon signal transmission apparatus comprising a beacon signal transmitter, to transmit a sequence of beacon signal bursts, each beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol, wherein said beacon transmission signal apparatus is a free standing device; and wherein said beacon signal transmission apparatus does not include any transmitter used to transmit data to an individual user device. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A beacon signal transmission apparatus, comprising:
beacon signal transmitter means for transmitting a sequence of beacon signal bursts, each beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol, said beacon transmission signal apparatus being a free standing device not including any transmitter used to transmit data to an individual user device. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for transmitting beacon signals, the method comprising:
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operating a beacon signal transmission apparatus comprising a beacon signal transmitter, to transmit a sequence of beacon signal bursts, each beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol, wherein said beacon transmission signal apparatus is a free standing device; and wherein said beacon signal transmission apparatus does not include any transmitter used to transmit data to an individual user device. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. An apparatus comprising:
a beacon signal transmitter processor configured to; transmit a sequence of beacon signal bursts, each beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol, said apparatus being a free standing device not including any transmitter used to transmit data to an individual user device. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77, 78)
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79. A communications system comprising:
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a plurality of base stations coupled to a communications network, said base stations being wireless access nodes coupled to a communications network by at least one of a fiber optic connection and a wired connection, at least some said plurality of base stations for transmitting beacon signals including beacon signal bursts; and at least one non-access beacon signal transmitter node for transmitting a beacon signal including at least one beacon signal burst, said non-access beacon signal transmitter node not relaying user data. - View Dependent Claims (80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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Specification