SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DEVICE DISCOVERY IN A WIRELESS NETWORK OF DEVICES HAVING DIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS

• US 20090073942A1
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ngo, Chiu, Qin, Xiangping
• Granted Patent: US 8,265,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A system and method for wireless communication are disclosed. One aspect of the system includes a plurality of wireless devices forming a wireless network. The plurality of wireless devices are configured to wirelessly communicate with one another. Each of the wireless devices includes a device table including a list of one or more of the wireless devices and the directions of the one or more of the wireless devices with respect to the wireless device including the device table. In the wireless system, any one of the plurality of wireless devices is configured to perform device discovery directly with a new wireless device entering the wireless network. The one wireless device is further configured to update the device table therein and to transmit the updated device table to other wireless devices in the wireless network. Other devices in the wireless system can update their device tables, based at least partly on the updated device table without performing device discovery directly with the new wireless device.

Claims

1. A method of device discovery for a wireless network including a plurality of wireless devices, the method comprising:

determining, by a first wireless device in the wireless network, the direction of a second wireless device with respect to the first wireless device;

updating, by the first wireless device, a first device table with the determined direction of the second wireless device, the first device table containing a list of the wireless devices in the wireless network and the directions of the wireless devices with respect to the first wireless device; and

transmitting, by the first wireless device, the updated first device table over the wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless device is a wireless device newly entering the wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless device is a wireless device pre-existing in the wireless network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the direction of the second wireless device comprises using a directional antenna.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the directional antenna comprises at least one of a sector antenna or a beamforming antenna.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless device comprises a directional antenna including a plurality of sectors, wherein the method further comprises:

listening, by the second wireless device, to one of the sectors to determine if there is a signal transmission in the one sector; and

transmitting an announcement signal to the one sector if there is no signal received in the one sector.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first wireless device comprises a directional antenna including a plurality of sectors, wherein determining the direction of the second wireless device comprises listening, by the first wireless device, to one of the sectors to receive the announcement signal from the second wireless device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting an announcement response to the second device if there is an announcement signal received by the first wireless device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by a third wireless device in the wireless network, the updated first device table from the first wireless device, the updated first device table including the directions of the second and third wireless devices with respect to the first device; and

updating, by the third wireless device, a second device table, based at least partly on the updated first device table, the second device table containing a list of the wireless devices in the wireless network and the directions of the wireless devices with respect to the third wireless device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the first and second device tables includes a version number, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining if the version number of the first device table is equal to or higher than the version number of the second device table.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining, by the third wireless device, the direction of the second device with respect to the third device, based at least partly on the directions of the second and third wireless devices with respect to the first device.

12. A method of operation of a wireless network including a plurality of wireless devices, the method comprising:

receiving, by a second wireless device in the wireless network, a first device table generated by a first wireless device in the wireless network, the first device table containing a list of the wireless devices in the wireless network and the directions of the wireless devices with respect to the first wireless device; and

updating, by the second wireless device, a second device table, based at least partly on the first device table, the second device table containing a list of the wireless devices in the wireless network and the directions of the wireless devices with respect to the second wireless device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the first and second device tables includes a version number, wherein the method further comprises determining if the version number of the first device table is equal to or higher than the version number of the second device table.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining the direction of a third wireless device in the wireless network with respect to the second wireless device, based at least partly on the directions of the second and third wireless devices with respect to the first wireless device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the first to third wireless devices comprises a sector antenna including a plurality of sectors;

wherein the first device table indicates that the second wireless device is positioned in a first sector of the first wireless device, and that the third wireless device is positioned in a second sector of the first wireless device;

wherein determining the direction of the third wireless device with respect to the second wireless device comprises determining if the first sector is in the opposite direction to the second sector; and

wherein an estimation of the location of the third wireless device is that the third wireless device is located in the same direction as the second sector of the first wireless device if the first sector is in the opposite direction to the second sector.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the direction of the third wireless device with respect to the second wireless device further comprises:

determining if the first sector is not opposite to the second sector; and

combining the first sector with a third sector of the first wireless device, and the second sector with a fourth sector of the first wireless device, such that a first combination of the first and third sectors is opposite to a second combination of the second and fourth sectors; and

wherein an estimation of the location of the third wireless device is that the third wireless device is located in the same direction as the second combination of the second and fourth sectors of the first wireless device.

17. A wireless device for use in a wireless network, the device comprising:

a first device table including a list of wireless devices in a wireless network, and the directions of the wireless devices in the wireless network with respect to the wireless device;

wherein the wireless device is configured to determine the direction of another wireless device with respect to the wireless device;

wherein the wireless device is further configured to update the first device table with the determined direction of the other wireless device; and

wherein the wireless device is further configured to transmit the updated first device table to at least one of the wireless devices in the wireless network.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the other wireless device is a wireless device newly entering the wireless network.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the other wireless device is a wireless device pre-existing in the wireless network.

20. The device of claim 17, further comprising a directional antenna, wherein the wireless device is configured to determine the direction of the other wireless device using the directional antenna.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the directional antenna comprises at least one of a sector antenna or a beamforming antenna.

22. The device of claim 17, wherein the list includes the name and/or ID of at least one of the wireless devices in the wireless network.

23. The device of claim 17, further comprising a directional antenna including a plurality of sectors, wherein the wireless device is further configured to listen to one of the sectors to determine if there is a signal transmission in the one sector;

and to transmit an announcement signal to the one sector if there is no signal received in the one sector.

24. The device of claim 17, wherein the wireless device is further configured to listen to one of the sectors to receive an announcement signal from the other wireless device.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the wireless device is further configured to transmit an announcement response to the other wireless device if it receives an announcement signal from the other wireless device.

26. The device of claim 17, wherein the wireless device is further configured to receive a second device table from a third wireless device, the second device table including a list of the wireless devices in the wireless network and the directions of the wireless devices in the wireless network with respect to the third wireless device, and to update the first device table, based at least partially on the second device table.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein each of the first device table and the second device table includes a version number, and wherein the wireless device is further configured to determine if the version number of the first device table is equal to or higher than the version number of the second device table.

28. The device of claim 26, wherein the wireless device is further configured to determine the direction of the other wireless device with respect to the wireless device, based at least partly on the directions of the other wireless device and the wireless device with respect to the third wireless device.

29. A wireless device for use in a wireless network, the device comprising:

a first device table including a list of wireless devices in a wireless network, and the directions of the wireless devices in the wireless network with respect to the wireless device;

wherein the wireless device is configured to receive a second device table from another wireless device, the second device table including a list of the wireless devices in the wireless network and the directions of the wireless devices in the wireless network with respect to the other wireless device, and wherein the wireless device is further configured to update the first device table, based at least partially on the second device table.

30. A wireless communication system comprising:

a plurality of wireless devices forming a wireless network, the plurality of wireless devices being configured to wirelessly communicate with one another, each of the wireless devices including a device table including a list of one or more of the wireless devices and the directions of the one or more of the wireless devices with respect to the wireless device including the device table,

wherein any one of the plurality of wireless devices is configured to perform device discovery directly with a new wireless device entering the wireless network,

wherein the one wireless device is further configured to update the device table therein and to transmit the updated device table to other wireless devices in the wireless network.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein at least one of the other wireless devices in the wireless network is configured to update a device table therein, based at least partly on the updated device table transmitted by the one wireless device.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the wireless network comprises an ad-hoc network.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the wireless network comprises an infrastructure network.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the one wireless device is configured to perform device discovery directly with the new device, using beacon signals.