Communicating over a Wireless Network

• US 20120087290A1
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 3, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: III Holdings 3, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rhee, Sokwoo, Liu, Sheng
• Application Number:
  US13/330,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20120087290A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7156 Arrangements for sequence synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• 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 first device communicates with a wireless network that includes nodes that are active for predefined activation times and that are at least partially dormant when not active. The communication method includes identifying a start of communication via a message that exceeds a maximum activation time of nodes on the wireless network by a factor N, where N is equal to at least a maximum number of frequencies on the wireless network, and exchanging information with a second device comprising a node on the wireless network that is within a transmission range of the first device, where the information is exchanged following the message and includes frequency hopping data for the second device.

Claims

1. A method for low power listening on a node, the method comprising:

waking up and listening for a first signal associated with incoming traffic for a first amount of time;

sleeping for a second amount of time if no signal is sensed in the incoming traffic;

waking up and listening for a second signal associated with the incoming traffic after the second amount of time;

detecting a preamble in the second signal;

capturing a third amount of time from the preamble, the third time indicative of how much time before a start of a preamble tail end;

resuming normal operations until an end of the third amount of time; and

waking up and listening for a packet associated with the incoming traffic after the third amount of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received packet includes the preamble tail end.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received packet includes a second packet and the second packet is not the preamble tail end.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein after waking up and listening for a packet associated with the incoming traffic after the third amount of time, the method further comprising:

waking up and listening for a third signal associated with the incoming traffic for the first amount of time; and

sleeping for the second amount of time if no signal is sensed in the incoming traffic.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein waking up and listening for a first signal associated with incoming traffic for a first amount of time comprising waking up and listening for a first signal associated with incoming traffic for a first amount of time in a first channel, and

wherein waking up and listening for a second signal associated with the incoming traffic after the second amount of time further comprising waking up and listening for a second signal associated with the incoming traffic after the second amount of time in a second channel.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein waking up and listening for a first signal associated with incoming traffic for a first amount of time comprising waking up and listening for a first signal associated with incoming traffic for a first amount of time in a first channel, and

wherein waking up and listening for a second signal associated with the incoming traffic after the second amount of time further comprising waking up and listening for a second signal associated with the incoming traffic after the second amount of time in the first channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein resuming normal operations until an end of the third amount of time comprising at least one of:

sleeping for part or all of the third amount of time;

sending packets for part or all of the third amount of time;

or

listening for a fourth signal associated with the incoming traffic for part or all of the third amount of time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein resuming normal operations until an end of the third amount of time comprising:

determining a channel number for transmission to a second node, a time for transmission to the second node, or any combination thereof; and

sending a second packet to the second node based on the channel number for transmission to the second node, the time for transmission to the second node, or any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a channel number for transmission to a second node, a time for transmission to the second node, or any combination thereof based on the packet associated with the incoming traffic; and

sending a second packet to the second node based on the channel number for transmission to the second node, the time for transmission to the second node, or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a response to the received packet.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, by the second node and from the node, the response to the received packet;

determining, by the second node, a channel number for transmission to the node, a time for transmission to the node, or any combination thereof based on the response to the received packet; and

sending, by the second node, a third packet to the node based on the channel number for transmission to the node, the time for transmission to the node, or any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the preamble comprising time data corresponding to a start of the preamble tail end, a duration of the preamble, or any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a preamble in the second signal comprising:

detecting an energy signal associated with the preamble; and

determining if the energy signal is above a signal level.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a second packet after the third amount of time.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the preamble is transmitted from a second node and the method further comprising sending a second packet to the second node after the third amount of time.

16. A node comprising:

memory configured to store executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to;

wake up and listen for a first signal associated with incoming traffic for a first amount of time;

sleep for a second amount of time if no signal is sensed in the incoming traffic;

wake up and listen for a second signal associated with the incoming traffic after the second amount of time;

detect a preamble in the second signal;

capture a third amount of time from the preamble, the third time indicative of how much time before a start of a preamble tail end;

resume normal operations until an end of the third amount of time; and

wake up and listen for a packet associated with the incoming traffic after the third amount of time.

17. A method for low power listening on a node, the method comprising:

entering a first low power mode for a first amount of time, the first low power mode enabling the node to use less power than needed to receive a packet;

entering a first high power mode after the first amount of time, the first high power mode enabling the node to receive a first packet and the first packet comprising a preamble;

identifying a second amount of time from the preamble, the second amount of time is an amount of time until a second packet;

entering a second low power mode until an end of the second amount of time, the second low power mode enabling the node to use less power than needed to receive a packet; and

entering a second high power mode after the second amount of time, the second high power mode enabling the node to receive a packet.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining whether the first packet comprising the preamble by checking information in the preamble.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first high power mode is in a first channel and the second high power mode is in a second channel.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

sending, by a second node, the second packet to the node during the second high power mode;

receiving, by the second node and from the node, a response to the second packet;

determining, by the second node, a channel number for transmission to the node, a time for transmission to the node, or any combination thereof based on the response to the second packet; and

sending, by the second node, a third packet to the node based on the channel number for transmission to the node, the time for transmission to the node, or any combination thereof.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the preamble comprising time data corresponding to a start of the preamble tail end, a duration of the preamble, or any combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein entering a first high power mode after the first amount of time comprising:

detecting an energy signal associated with the preamble; and

determining if the energy signal is above a signal level.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving the second packet during the second high power mode;

determining a channel number for transmission to a second node, a time for transmission to the second node, or any combination thereof based on the received second packet; and

sending a third packet to the second node based on the channel number for transmission to the second node, the time for transmission to the second node, or any combination thereof.

24. A node comprising:

memory configured to store executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to;

enter a first low power mode for a first amount of time, the first low power mode enabling the node to use less power than needed to receive a packet;

enter a first high power mode after the first amount of time, the first high power mode enabling the node to receive a first packet and the first packet comprising a preamble;

identify a second amount of time from the preamble, the second amount of time is an amount of time until a second packet;

enter a second low power mode until an end of the second amount of time, the second low power mode enabling the node to use less power than needed to receive a packet; and

enter a second high power mode after the second amount of time, the second high power mode enabling the node to receive a packet.