Scalable Media Access Control for Multi-Hop High Bandwidth Communications

• US 20110064072A1
• Filed: 11/19/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommWorks Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Misonimo Chi Acquisitions LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Nova, Michael, Gui, Chao, Wang, Weilin, Wang, Xudong, Patil, Abhishek
• Granted Patent: US 8,611,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/350
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/122 by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/66 Layer 2 routing, e.g. in Ethernet based MAN's
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/829 Topology based
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/086 among access entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 : with collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 : Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 : Data link layer protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A scalable medium access control (“MAC”) module is provided that avoids conflict resource reservation so that network performance does not degrade as the number of hops or nodes in a wireless network increases. The MAC also provides different access schemes for traffic with different quality of service (“QoS”) requirements such that QoS is guaranteed and network resources are efficiently utilized. Furthermore, the resource allocation scheme determines the routing path as resources is allocated for data traffice, thereby achieving more robust layer-2 routing at the MAC layer. Finally, the scalable MAC is compliant with both WiMedia MAC and IEEE 802.15.3 MAC.

Claims

1-5. -5. (canceled)

6. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving one or more beacon signals from a wireless communication network via a wireless communication interface;

parsing each beacon signal to identify a sender node and network synchronization information;

adding each identified sender node to a neighbor list;

determining a signal quality for a beacon signal from each identified sender node;

establishing a wireless communication link with at least one identified sender node having a beacon signal quality that meets a predetermined threshold quality level; and

analyzing the synchronization information to align a beacon period, a contention access period, and a contention free period with the wireless communication network.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising adding information corresponding to at least one established wireless communication link to the neighbor list.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising aligning a superframe with one or more superframes from one or more sender nodes.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising allocating a plurality of initial timeslots for data communication over the wireless communication network and informing neighboring nodes about the allocated initial timeslots.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of initial timeslots are substantially evenly spread throughout the contention free period.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising allocating a plurality of additional timeslots, wherein the additional timeslots are allocated adjacent the plurality of initial timeslots.

48. The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying at least one two-hop neighbor from the one or more beacon signals, and adding the two-hop neighbor to the neighbor list.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising, associating the two-hop neighbor with the respective sender node that transmitted the beacon signal identifying the at least one two-hop neighbor, and adding the association to the neighbor list.

50. The method of claim 48, further comprising transmitting the neighbor list during a next beacon period.

51. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing at least one parameter associated with the at least one identified sender node in the neighbor list, the parameter being one of a preferred communication channel associated with the sender node and a power level to be used in communicating with the sender node.

52. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing at least one parameter associated with the at least one identified sender node in the neighbor list, the parameter being one of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) associated with transmissions received from the sender node and a signal strength associated with transmissions received from the sender node.

53. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting the neighbor list during the beacon period.

54. The method of claim 6, further comprising, for at least one respective sender node having a beacon signal quality that does not meet the predetermined threshold quality level, identifying an alternate route to the at least one respective sender node based, at least in part, on paths identified in the neighbor list.

10. (canceled)

13-47. -47. (canceled)

55. A wireless communication device comprising a topology module, the topology module configured to:

receive one or more beacon signals from a wireless communications network via a wireless communication interface;

parse each beacon signal to identify a sender node and network synchronization information;

add each identified sender node to a neighbor list;

determine a signal quality for a beacon signal from each identified sender node;

establish a wireless communication link with at least one identified sender node having a beacon signal quality that meets a predetermined threshold quality level; and

analyze the synchronization information to align a beacon period, a contention access period, and a contention free period with the wireless communication network.

56. The wireless communication device of claim 55, wherein the topology module is further configured to add information corresponding to at least one established wireless communication link to the neighbor list.

57. The wireless communication device of claim 55, wherein the topology module is further configured to align a superframe with one or more superframes from one or more sender nodes.

58. The wireless communication device of claim 55, wherein the topology module is further configured to identify at least one two-hop neighbor from the one or more beacon signals, and add the two-hop neighbor to the neighbor list.

59. The wireless communication device of claim 58, wherein the topology module is further configured to associate the two-hop neighbor with the respective sender node that transmitted the beacon signal identifying the at least one two-hop neighbor, and to add the association to the neighbor list.

60. The wireless communication device of claim 58, wherein the topology module is further configured to cause the neighbor list to be transmitted via the wireless communication interface during a next beacon period.

61. The wireless communication device of claim 55, wherein the topology module is further configured to store at least one parameter associated with the at least one identified sender node in the neighbor list, the parameter being one of a preferred communication channel associated with the sender node and a power level to be used in communicating with the sender node.

62. The wireless communication device of claim 55, wherein the topology module is further configured to store at least one parameter associated with the at least one identified sender node in the neighbor list, the parameter being one of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) associated with transmissions received from the sender node and a signal strength associated with transmissions received from the sender node.

63. The wireless communication device of claim 55, wherein the topology module is further configured to cause the neighbor list to be transmitted via the wireless communication interface during a next beacon period.

64. The wireless communication device of claim 55, wherein the topology module is further configured to, for at least one respective sender node having a beacon signal quality that does not meet the predetermined threshold quality level, identify an alternate route to the at least one respective sender node based, at least in part, on paths identified in the neighbor list.

65. An article of manufacture including a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving one or more beacon signals from a wireless communication network via a wireless communication interface;

parsing each beacon signal to identify a sender node and network synchronization information;

adding each identified sender node to a neighbor list;

determining a signal quality for a beacon signal from each identified sender node;

establishing a wireless communication link with at least one identified sender node having a beacon signal quality that meets a predetermined threshold quality level; and

analyzing the synchronization information to align a beacon period, a contention access period, and a contention free period with the wireless communication network.

66. The article of manufacture of claim 65, the operations further comprising adding information corresponding to at least one established wireless communication link to the neighbor list.

67. The article of manufacture of claim 65, the operations further comprising aligning a superframe with one or more superframes from one or more sender nodes.

68. The article of manufacture of claim 65, the operations further comprising allocating a plurality of initial timeslots for data communication over the wireless communication network and informing neighboring nodes about the allocated initial timeslots.

69. The article of manufacture of claim 65, the operations further comprising identifying at least one two-hop neighbor from the one or more beacon signals, and adding the two-hop neighbor to the neighbor list.

70. The article of manufacture of claim 69, the operations further comprising associating the two-hop neighbor with the respective sender node that transmitted the beacon signal identifying the at least one two-hop neighbor, and adding the association to the neighbor list.

71. The article of manufacture of claim 69, the operations further comprising transmitting the neighbor list during a next beacon period.

72. The article of manufacture of claim 65, the operations further comprising storing at least one parameter associated with the at least one identified sender node in the neighbor list, the parameter being one of a preferred communication channel associated with the sender node and a power level to be used in communicating with the sender node.

73. The article of manufacture of claim 65, the operations further comprising storing at least one parameter associated with the at least one identified sender node in the neighbor list, the parameter being one of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) associated with transmissions received from the sender node and a signal strength associated with transmissions received from the sender node.

74. The article of manufacture of claim 65, the operations further comprising transmitting the neighbor list during a next beacon period.

75. The article of manufacture of claim 65, the operations further comprising, for at least one respective sender node having a beacon signal quality that does not meet the predetermined threshold quality level, identifying an alternate route to the at least one respective sender node based, at least in part, on paths identified in the neighbor list.

76. A wireless communication device comprising:

means for receiving one or more beacon signals from a wireless communication network via a wireless communication interface;

means for parsing each beacon signal to identify a sender node and network synchronization information;

means for adding each identified sender node to a neighbor list;

means for determining a signal quality for a beacon signal from each identified sender node;

means for establishing a wireless communication link with at least one identified sender node having a beacon signal quality that meets a predetermined threshold quality level; and

means for analyzing the synchronization information to align a beacon period, a contention access period, and a contention free period with the wireless communication network.

77. The wireless communication device of claim 76, further comprising means for adding information corresponding to at least one established wireless communication link to the neighbor list.

78. The wireless communication device of claim 76, further comprising means for aligning a superframe with one or more superframes from one or more sender nodes.

79. The wireless communication device of claim 76, further comprising means for identifying at least one two-hop neighbor from the one or more beacon signals, and adding the two-hop neighbor to the neighbor list.

80. The wireless communication device of claim 79, further comprising means for associating the two-hop neighbor with the respective sender node that transmitted the beacon signal identifying the at least one two-hop neighbor, and adding the association to the neighbor list.

81. The wireless communication device of claim 79, further comprising means for transmitting the neighbor list during a next beacon period.

82. The wireless communication device of claim 76, further comprising means for storing at least one parameter associated with the at least one identified sender node in the neighbor list, the parameter being one of a preferred communication channel associated with the sender node and a power level to be used in communicating with the sender node.

83. The wireless communication device of claim 76, further comprising means for storing at least one parameter associated with the at least one identified sender node in the neighbor list, the parameter being one of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) associated with transmissions received from the sender node and a signal strength associated with transmissions received from the sender node.

84. The wireless communication device of claim 76, further comprising means for transmitting the neighbor list during a next beacon period.

85. The wireless communication device of claim 76, further comprising, for at least one respective sender node having a beacon signal quality that does not meet the predetermined threshold quality level, means for identifying an alternate route to the at least one respective sender node based, at least in part, on paths identified in the neighbor list.