METHOD FOR ALLOCATING AN ADDRESS OF DEVICE IN WIRELESS PERSONAL AREA NETWORK (WPAN) AND WPAN DEVICE

• US 20100110931A1
• Filed: 02/13/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Jeon, Ho In, Yu, Jae Hwang, Shin, Young Sik, Shim, Woo Jin, Ihm, Jong Tae, Park, Yong Gil
• Granted Patent: US 7,995,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of efficiently assigning addresses in a WPAN and a WPAN device. The address assignment method of the present invention is performed by a higher device. Address assignment information for determining an address to be assigned to a lower device, is managed. An address is assigned to a lower device that requests connection from the higher device based on the address assignment information. The address assignment information is updated to a address value as the address value is assigned, and the updated address assignment information is transmitted to lower devices. If an update of address assignment information is requested by the lower device that assigned an address value to a device lower thereto, the address assignment information is updated and the updated address assignment information is transmitted to lower devices.

Claims

1. A method of efficiently assigning addresses in a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) supporting a tree structure, the method being performed by a highest device, comprising:

a first step of managing an address assignment information, for determining an address to be assigned;

a second step of assigning an address based on the address assignment information to a lower device that requests connection;

a third step of updating the address assignment information as the address of the second step is assigned, and transmitting the updated address assignment information to lower devices; and

a fourth step of, if an update of the address assignment information is requested by at least one of the lower devices that assigned an address to a device lower thereto, updating the address assignment information, and transmitting the updated address assignment information to the lower devices.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the address assignment information managed at the first step is a final address value of assigned addresses or an address to be assigned next.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fourth step comprises the step of, if the address assigned by at least one of the lower devices is duplicated, transmitting an address reassign command to reassign the duplicated address to an address value included therein.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the address assignment information is a final value of assigned addresses or an address to be assigned next.

3. (canceled)

5-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A method of efficiently assigning addresses of devices in a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) supporting a tree structure, comprising:

a first step of receiving an address assigned by a higher device and being connected to the higher device, and managing an address assignment information for determining an address to be assigned to a lower device, which is received from the higher device;

a second step of, in response to a connection request from a lower device, assigning an address to the lower device, based on the address assignment information; and

a third step of transmitting an update information for the address assignment information, which includes the address assigned at the second step, to the higher device.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising, after the third step, a fourth step of updating the address assignment information when the updated address information is received from the higher device;

and

a fifth step of transmitting the updated address assignment information to the lower device.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising steps of:

receiving an address reassign command, which includes a reassigned address, from the higher device; and

reassigning the address of the lower device to the reassigned value.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein, the update information of the third step includes a route information for unicast communication.

12-13. -13. (canceled)

16. A Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) device, comprising:

a communication unit for data transmission and reception between devices; and

a control unit for managing an address assignment information for determining an address to be assigned

receiving, through the communication unit, a connection request from a lower device, assigning an address to the lower device, and updating the address assignment information,

transmitting, through the communication unit, the updated address assignment information to lower devices,

receiving, through the communication unit, an update request of the address assignment information from at least one of the lower devices that assigned an address to a device lower thereto, updating the address assignment information; and

transmitting, through the communication unit, the address assignment information, updated in response to the request, to the lower devices.

17. The WPAN device according to claim 16, wherein address assignment information is a final value of assigned addresses or an address to be assigned next.

19. The WPAN device according to claim 16, wherein the control unit determines whether the address assigned by at least one of the lower devices is duplicated, and transmits, through the communication unit, an address reassign command to reassign the duplicated address to an address value included therein.

18. (canceled)

20. A Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) device, comprising:

a communication unit for data transmission and reception between devices; and

a control unit for

through the communication unit, requesting a connection to a higher device and receiving an address assigned by the higher device,

managing an address assignment information for determining an address to be assigned to a lower device, which is received from the higher device,

receiving, through the communication unit, a connection request from a lower device, and assigning an address to the lower device, based on the address assignment information, and

transmitting, through the communication unit, an update information for the address assignment information, which includes the address assigned to the lower device, to the higher device.

26. The WPAN device according to claim 20, wherein the address assignment information is a final value of assigned addresses or an address to be assigned next.

27. The WPAN device according to claim 20, wherein the control unit updates the address assignment information when the updated address information is received from the higher device, and transmits the updated address assignment information through the communication unit to the lower device.

28. The WPAN device according to claim 20, wherein the control unit receives an address reassign command, which includes an reassigned address, through the communication unit from the higher device, and reassigns the address of the lower device to the reassigned value.

21-24. -24. (canceled)