MEDIUM ALLOCATION IN A DISTRIBUTED NETWORK
First Claim
1. A method of network operations, comprising:
- conducting communication activities at a first network device using a shared network medium and having a first coverage area, wherein the communication activities comprise broadcasting a data transmission reservation or receiving a data transmission reservation of another network device during a beacon period; and
conducting communications with the first network device at a second network device using the shared network medium;
wherein the second network device is configured to provide a second coverage area that is substantially contained within the first coverage area and wherein the second network device does not monitor network communications during the beacon period.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of network operations comprises conducting communication activities at a first network device using a shared network medium and having a first coverage area, wherein the communication activities comprise broadcasting a data transmission reservation or receiving a data transmission reservation of another network device during a beacon period; and conducting communications with the first network device at a second network device using the shared network medium; wherein the second network device is configured to provide a second coverage area that is substantially contained within the first coverage area and wherein the second network device does not monitor network communications during the beacon period.
18 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of network operations, comprising:
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conducting communication activities at a first network device using a shared network medium and having a first coverage area, wherein the communication activities comprise broadcasting a data transmission reservation or receiving a data transmission reservation of another network device during a beacon period; and conducting communications with the first network device at a second network device using the shared network medium; wherein the second network device is configured to provide a second coverage area that is substantially contained within the first coverage area and wherein the second network device does not monitor network communications during the beacon period.
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- 2. The method of claim 2, wherein the second network device is further configured such that the second network device does not broadcast during the beacon period.
- 3. The method of claim 3, wherein the second network device is configured to transmit at a lower power level than the first network device such that the second coverage area is contained within the first coverage area.
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6. A network device configured to conduct communication activities with other network devices on a shared medium, comprising:
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a computer readable medium having computer executable program code embodied thereon, wherein the computer executable program code is configured to cause the network device to perform the step of; communicating with a beaconing network device in a non-beaconing mode, comprising; establishing a communications link with the beaconing network device; and not processing communications received from other network devices when those communications are received during a beacon period. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A network system, comprising:
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a beaconing network device configured to conduct communication activities using a shared network medium and configured with a first coverage area, wherein the communication activities comprise broadcasting a data transmission reservation or receiving a data transmission reservation of another network device during a beacon period; and a non-beaconing network device configured to communicate with the first network device without monitoring the beacon and further configured to have a second coverage area that is substantially contained within the first coverage area. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification