METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DATA COMMUNICATION WHILE BASE STATION IS DISRUPTED IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20120039308A1
• Filed: 08/12/2011
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Son, Jung-Je, Baek, Young-Kyo, Kang, Hyun-Jeong, Kim, Kyung-Kyu, Oh, Chang-Yoon
• Granted Patent: US 8,654,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• 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 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A method provides data communication while a Base Station (BS) is disrupted in a wireless communication system. The method includes, when a plurality of Mobile Stations (MSs) receive a preamble signal from a cluster header through a dedicated control channel while the BS is disrupted, sending a message requesting cluster member subscription to the cluster header, in the cluster header, including the plurality of MSs in a cluster member, configuring a cluster member list, and broadcasting the cluster member list, in a source MS among the plurality of MSs, sending a data transmission request message to the cluster header using the broadcasted cluster member list, in the cluster header, one of unicasting and broadcasting a response message for the data transmission request of the source MS, and, in the source MS, transmitting data to a target MS among the plurality of MSs based on the response message.

Claims

1. A method for data communication while a Base Station (BS) is disrupted in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

responsive to a plurality of Mobile Stations (MSs) receiving a preamble signal from a cluster header through a dedicated control channel while the BS is disrupted, transmitting a message requesting cluster member subscription to the cluster header;

configuring, in a cluster header, a cluster member list, and broadcasting the cluster member list;

receiving a data transmission request message at the cluster header from a source MS using the broadcasted cluster member list; and

one of unicasting and broadcasting a response message for the data transmission request of the source MS to a target MS among the plurality of MSs based on the response message.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending an ACKnowledgement (ACK) message for the data transmission to the source MS.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message requesting the cluster member subscription comprises at least one of an MS identifier, an indicator determining gateway performance, and location information of an MS.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data transmission request message comprises at least one of an MS identifier, a confirm code informing data transmission approval, and predefined pre-negotiation information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the response message comprises at least one of a source MS identifier, a target MS identifier, a Quality of Service (QoS) parameter, and a data time slot.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data transmission request message is transmitted in a competition scheme.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of unicasting and broadcasting the response message for the data transmission request of the source MS comprises:

responsive to the cluster header including a scheduling function, scheduling a resource and allocating the resource scheduled to a predefined data channel; and

one of unicasting and broadcasting resource allocation information based on a MAP.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one of unicasting and broadcasting the response message for the data transmission request of the source MS comprises:

responsive to the cluster header not including a scheduling function, broadcasting a response message comprising a reserved time slot; and

in the source MS, transmitting data using the reserved time slot and, in the target MS, getting ready for data transmission from the source MS through the reserved time slot.

9. A gateway determination method for data communication while a Base Station (BS) is disrupted in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

responsive to a member of a first cluster sensing a preamble signal from a header of a second cluster, inquiring of a header of the first cluster whether to merge with the second cluster;

responsive to the header of the first cluster requesting a merger of the first cluster and second cluster, in the member of the first cluster, transmitting an access request to the header of the second cluster;

responsive to a header of the second cluster permitting the merger of the first cluster and second cluster, transmitting member information of the second cluster to the member of the first cluster;

determining a main cluster based on information on members of the first cluster and information on members of the second cluster; and

performing synchronization based on a synchronization signal of the main cluster.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein performing the synchronization based on the synchronization signal of the main cluster comprises:

in the member of the first cluster, broadcasting a synchronization signal of the main cluster to at least one sub clusters;

in members of a sub cluster, stopping operation and then receiving the synchronization signal of the main cluster;

in the members of the sub cluster, sending a synchronization completion message to the member of the first cluster; and

in the member of the first cluster, receiving the synchronization completion message and notifying the header of the first cluster about cluster merger completion.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the main cluster determines by comparing a number of the members of the first cluster with a number of the members of the second cluster.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein, when the first cluster and the second cluster are merged, the member of the first cluster one of supports that other members of the first cluster move to the second cluster and supports that the members of the second cluster move to the first cluster.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the member of the first cluster connects the first cluster and the second cluster as a gateway to form a first layer, wherein the member of the first cluster forms a second layer together with other gateways, and wherein the second layer is an upper layer of the first layer.

14. A method for data communication while a Base Station (BS) is disrupted in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving a preamble signal from a cluster header through a dedicated control channel while the BS is disrupted, sending a message requesting cluster member subscription to the cluster header;

receiving a cluster member list from the cluster header;

sending a data transmission request message to the cluster header using the cluster member list; and

receiving a response message for the transmission request message from the cluster header, and transmitting data to a target MS.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving an ACKnowledgement (ACK) message for the data transmission, from the target MS.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the message requesting the cluster member subscription comprises at least one of an MS identifier, an indicator determining gateway performance, and location information of an MS.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the data transmission request message comprises at least one of an MS identifier, a confirm code informing data transmission approval, and predefined pre-negotiation information.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the response message comprises at least one of a source MS identifier, a target MS identifier, a Quality of Service (QoS) parameter, and a data time slot.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the data transmission request message is sent in a competition scheme.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the response message for the transmission request message and transmitting the data to the target MS comprises:

receiving the response message for the transmission request message from the cluster header;

responsive to the cluster header including a scheduling function, receiving resource allocation information; and

transmitting data to the target MS based on the resource allocation information.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the response message for the transmission request message and transmitting the data to the target MS comprises:

responsive to the cluster header not including a scheduling function, receiving a response message comprising a reserved time slot; and

transmitting data using the reserved time slot.

22. A method for data communication while a Base Station (BS) is disrupted in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

responsive to broadcasting a preamble signal through a dedicated control channel while the BS is disrupted, receiving a message requesting cluster member subscription from at least one mobile station (MS);

responsive to comprising the at least one MS in the cluster member and constructing and broadcasting a cluster member list, receiving a data transmission request message from a source MS; and

one of unicasting and broadcasting the response message for the data transmission request of the source MS.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the message requesting the cluster member subscription comprises at least one of an MS identifier, an indicator determining gateway performance, and location information of an MS.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the data transmission request message comprises at least one of an MS identifier, a confirm code informing data transmission approval, and predefined pre-negotiation information.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the response message comprises at least one of a source MS identifier, a target MS identifier, a Quality of Service (QoS) parameter, and a data time slot.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the data transmission request message is sent in a competition scheme.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein one of unicasting and broadcasting the response message for the data transmission request of the source MS comprises:

responsive to the cluster member including a scheduling function, scheduling a resource and allocating the resource to a predefined data channel; and

one of unicasting and broadcasting resource allocation information based on a MAP.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein one of unicasting and broadcasting the response message for the data transmission request of the source MS comprises:

responsive to the cluster member not including a scheduling function, broadcasting a response message comprising a reserved time slot.

29. A method for data communication while a Base Station (BS) is disrupted in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving a preamble signal from a cluster header through a dedicated control channel while the BS is disrupted, sending a message requesting cluster member subscription to the cluster header;

receiving a cluster member list and resource allocation information from the cluster header; and

receiving data transmitted by a source mobile station (MS) based on the resource allocation information.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

sending an ACKnowledgement (ACK) message for the data transmitted to the source MS.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the message requesting the cluster member subscription comprises at least one of an MS identifier, an indicator determining gateway performance, and location information of an MS.

32. A system for data communication while a Base Station (BS) is disrupted in a wireless communication system, the system comprising:

a plurality of Mobile Stations (MSs) configured to send, responsive to receiving a preamble signal from a cluster header through a dedicated control channel while a BS is disrupted, a message requesting cluster member subscription to the cluster header;

the cluster header comprising the plurality of MSs in a cluster member, configured to configure a cluster member list, and broadcast the cluster member list;

a source MS configured to send a data transmission request message to the cluster header using the cluster member list;

wherein the cluster header is configured to one of unicast and broadcast a response message for the data transmission request of the source MS; and

wherein the source MS is configured to transmit data to a target MS among the plurality of MSs based on the response message.

33. The system of claim 32 further comprising:

the target MS configured to send an ACKnowledgement (ACK) message for the data transmission to the source MS.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the message requesting the cluster member subscription comprises at least one of an MS identifier, an indicator determining gateway performance, and location information of an MS.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the data transmission request message comprises at least one of an MS identifier, a confirm code informing data transmission approval, and predefined pre-negotiation information.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein the response message comprises at least one of a source MS identifier, a target MS identifier, a Quality of Service (QoS) parameter, and a data time slot.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein the data transmission request message is transmitted in a competition scheme.

38. The system of claim 32, wherein the cluster header is further configured to schedule, responsive to the cluster header including a scheduling function, a resource and allocate the resource to a predefined data channel, and one of unicast and broadcast resource allocation information.

39. The system of claim 32, wherein the cluster header is further configured to broadcast, responsive to the cluster header not including a scheduling function, a response message comprising a reserved time slot, wherein the source MS is further configured to transmit data using the reserved time slot, and wherein the target MS is further configured to prepare for data transmission from the source MS through the reserved time slot.

40. A system for data communication while a Base Station (BS) is disrupted in a wireless communication system, the system comprising:

a header of a first cluster comprising a member of the first cluster;

the member of the first cluster configured to inquire, responsive to sensing a preamble signal from a header of a second cluster, about the header of the first cluster whether to merge with the second cluster and send, responsive to the header of the first cluster requesting a merger of the first cluster and second cluster, an access request to the header of the second cluster; and

a header of the second cluster configured to transmit, responsive to permitting the merger of the first cluster and second cluster, member information of the second cluster to the member of the first cluster,

wherein the header of the first cluster is configured to determine a main cluster based on information on members of the first cluster and information on members of the second cluster, and

wherein the header of the second cluster is configured to perform synchronization based on a synchronization signal of the main cluster.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the member of the first cluster is further configured to broadcast a synchronization signal of the main cluster to at least one sub clusters, wherein members of a sub cluster are configured to stop operation, receive the synchronization signal of the main cluster, and send a synchronization completion message to the member of the first cluster, and wherein the member of the first cluster is further configured to receive the synchronization completion message and notify the header of the first cluster of cluster merger completion.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the member of the first cluster is further configured to determine the main cluster determines by comparing the number of the members of the first cluster and the number of the members of the second cluster.

43. The system of claim 40, wherein, when the first cluster and the second cluster are merged, the member of the first cluster one of supports that other members of the first cluster move to the second cluster and supports that the members of the second cluster move to the first cluster.

44. The system of claim 40, wherein the member of the first cluster is further configured to connect the first cluster and the second cluster as a gateway to form a first layer, wherein the member of the first cluster is further configured to form a second layer together with other gateways, and wherein the second layer is an upper layer of the first layer.