MULTI-CHANNEL DIRECTIONAL DEVICES WITH BEACONS

• US 20100111006A1
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Chen, Richard, Chou, Chun-Ting, Zhai, Hong
• Granted Patent: US 8,446,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A communication system includes first and second devices, where a processor of at least one of the first device and the second device is configured to assign a control channel common to the first device and the second device; exchange control information over the control channel; from the control information, find a data channel available to both the first device and the second device for data communications between the first device and the second device; and communicate data over the data channel between the first device and the second device.

Claims

1. A method for communication comprising the acts of:

assigning a control channel common to a first device and a second device;

exchanging control information over the control channel;

from the control information, finding a data channel available to both the first device and the second device for data communications between the first device and the second device; and

communicating data over the data channel between the first device and the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the finding act includes the acts of:

scanning a first set of channels by the first device in a direction towards the second device;

determining first characteristics of the first set of channels by the first device;

including in a first list the first set of channels scanned by the first device and the first characteristics;

scanning a second set of channels by the second device in a direction towards the first device;

determining second characteristics of the second set of channels by the second device;

including in a second list the second set of channels scanned by the second device and the second characteristics;

exchanging the first list and the second list between the first device and the second device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the act of selecting the data channel from available channels that are available and common to the first list and the second list.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the exchanging act is performed over the control channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data channel is at least one of a shared channel and a non-shared channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the control information includes beacons exchanged between the first device and the second device to advertise and detect each other.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the finding act includes selecting an optimal data channel for use in the communicating act, the optimal data channel having optimal characteristics satisfying desired bandwidth, signal to noise ratio, intersymbol interference.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the control information are exchanged during a beacon period of a superframe and the data are exchanged during a data transmission period of the superframe.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of reserving beacon slots in a beacon period of a superframe for exchanging beacons over the control channel.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the beacons include a first beacon transmitted by the first device in a first beacon slot of the beacon period and a second beacon transmitted by the second device in a second beacon slot of the beacon period.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the control channel and data channel is divided into time slots for sharing with further devices.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first device and the second device has a directional antenna and face each other.

13. A communication system comprising a first device and a second device, wherein a processor of at least one of the first device and the second device is configured to:

assign a control channel common to the first device and the second device;

exchange control information over the control channel;

from the control information, find a data channel available to both the first device and the second device for data communications between the first device and the second device; and

communicate data over the data channel between the first device and the second device.

14. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to find the data channel by:

scanning a first set of channels by the first device in a direction towards the second device;

determining first characteristics of the first set of channels;

including in a first list the first set of channels scanned by the first device and the first characteristics;

scanning a second set of channels by the second device in a direction towards the first device;

determining second characteristics of the second set of channels;

including in a second list the second set of channels scanned by the second device and the second characteristics;

exchanging the first list and the second list between the first device and the second device.

15. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to select the data channel from available channels that are available and common to the first list and the second list.

16. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to exchange the first list and the second list over the control channel.

17. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the control information includes beacons exchanged between the first device and the second device to advertise and detect each other.

18. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the control information are exchanged during a beacon period of a superframe and the data are exchanged during a data transmission period of the superframe.

19. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to reserve beacon slots in a beacon period of a superframe for exchanging beacons over the control channel.

20. The communication system of claim 19, wherein the beacons include a first beacon transmitted by the first device in a first beacon slot of the beacon period and a second beacon transmitted by the second device in a second beacon slot of the beacon period.

21. The communication system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the control channel and data channel is divided into time slots for sharing with further devices.

22. The communication system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first device and the second device has a directional antenna and face each other.

23. A communication device comprising a processor configured to:

assign a control channel common to the communication device and a further device;

exchange control information over the control channel;

from the control information, find a data channel available to both the communication device and the further device for data communications between communication device and the further device; and

communicate data over the data channel between the communication device and the further device.

24. The communication device of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured to find the data channel by:

scanning a first set of channels by the communication device in a direction towards the further device;

determining first characteristics of the first set of channels;

including in a first list the first set of channels scanned by the communication device and the first characteristics;

scanning a second set of channels by the further device in a direction towards the communication device;

determining second characteristics of the second set of channels;

including in a second list the second set of channels scanned by the further device and the second characteristics;

exchanging the first list and the second list between the communication device and the further device.

25. The communication device of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured to select the data channel from available channels that are available and common to the first list and the second list.

26. The communication device of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured to exchange the first list and the second list over the control channel.

27. The communication device of claim 23, wherein the control information includes beacons exchanged between the communication device and the further device to advertise and detect each other.

28. The communication device of claim 23, wherein the control information are exchanged during a beacon period of a superframe and the data are exchanged during a data transmission period of the superframe.

29. The communication device of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured to reserve beacon slots in a beacon period of a superframe for exchanging beacons over the control channel.

30. The communication device of claim 29, wherein the beacons include a first beacon transmitted by the communication device in a first beacon slot of the beacon period and a second beacon transmitted by the further device in a second beacon slot of the beacon period.

31. The communication device of claim 23, wherein at least one of the control channel and data channel is divided into time slots for sharing with additional devices.

32. The communication device of claim 23, wherein at least one of the communication device and the further device has a directional antenna and face each other.

33. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium, the computer program when executed by a processor is configured to:

assign a control channel common to a first device and a second device;

exchange control information over the control channel;

from the control information, find a data channel available to both the first device and the second device for data communications between the first device and the second device; and

communicate data over the data channel between the first device and the second device.