BSS/PBSS SUPPORT AND SCHEDULE-FREE NETWORKING IN 60GHZ

• US 20110134852A1
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: CORDEIRO, Carlos
• Granted Patent: US 9,007,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

In accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, an apparatus is disclosed that includes a network coordinator module configured to coordinate operation in one or more wireless network architecture modes and configured to communicate to a network station an active mode of the one or more wireless network architecture modes that is active for communication; and a scheduler module that is configured to schedule communication to the network station.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a network coordinator module configured to coordinate operation in one or more wireless network architecture modes and configured to communicate to a network station an active mode of the one or more wireless network architecture modes that is active for communication; and

a scheduler module that is configured to schedule communication to the network station.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the network coordinator module, the scheduler module, or both are arranged to transmit a beacon frame.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the beacon frame includes an information bit-field that has a first value if the network coordinator module transmits the beacon frame, a second value if network coordinator module transmits the beacon frame and is configured to act as an access point, and a third value if any network station in addition to the network coordinator module can transmit the beacon frame.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a directionality module that is configured to directionally operate in a 60 GHz network architecture.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more wireless network architecture modes includes infrastructure mode and ad hoc mode.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the network station is a wireless device that is arranged to operate in the infrastructure mode and enable connection with a wireless access point.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the information bit-field is configured to identify an operational setting of the network architecture.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the operational setting is in the millimeter wave band.

9. A system comprising:

a wireless apparatus including network coordinator module configured to coordinate operation in one or more wireless network architecture modes and a scheduler module that is configured to schedule communication;

a network station configured to receive communication from the wireless apparatus to determine which mode of the one or more wireless network architecture modes is active for communication.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the wireless apparatus is arranged to transmit a beacon frame.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the beacon frame includes an information bit-field that has a first value if the wireless apparatus transmits the beacon frame, a second value if wireless apparatus transmits the beacon frame is configured to act as an access point, and a third value if any network station in addition to the wireless apparatus can transmit the beacon frame.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the wireless apparatus includes a directionality module that is configured to directionally operate in a 60 GHz network architecture.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the one or more wireless network architecture modes includes infrastructure mode and ad hoc mode.

14. A method comprising:

transmitting a management frame including a CBP only field by a wireless station, wherein the CBP only field is arranged to indicate whether the wireless station has included a schedule information element as part of the frame.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the wireless station is selected from the group consisting of:

an access point or a network coordinator.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the frame is selected from the group consisting of:

a beacon frame and an announce frame.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the CBP only field is set to a first value if the frame includes a schedule information element or set to a second value if the frame does not contain the schedule information element.

18. The method according claim 17, wherein if the CBP only field is set to the first value, the wireless station is arranged to determine channel allocations made by a network coordinator for a given beacon interval by using the schedule information element included in the frame.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein if the CBP only field is set to the second value, the wireless station is arranged to determine that an entire beacon interval is allocated as a contention-based period.