METHOD FOR OPERATING A WIRELESS TERMINAL AS AN ACCESS POINT AND WIRELESS TERMINAL

• US 20120178429A1
• Filed: 06/28/2010
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Europe Ltd (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Perez Costa, Xavier, Camps Mur, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 9,100,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

A method for operating a wireless terminal as an access point—access point terminal (2)—that connects a set of one or more client terminals (4) to an external network, wherein a schedule of absence periods is established during which the connected client terminals (4) are not allowed to transmit data to the access point terminal (2), wherein the absence periods together with corresponding presence periods are scheduled at regular intervals and have certain durations, is characterized in that an adaptation of the absence/presence periods'"'"' duration and/or interval parameters is executed on the basis of the bandwidth available in the external network and the amount of traffic transmitted between the access point terminal (2) and the connected client terminals (4). Furthermore, a corresponding wireless terminal is disclosed.

Claims

1. Method for operating a wireless terminal as an access point—

access point terminal (2)—

that connects a set of one or more client terminals (4) to an external network, wherein a schedule of absence periods is established during which said connected client terminals (4) are not allowed to transmit data to said access point terminal (2), wherein the absence periods together with corresponding presence periods are scheduled at regular intervals and have certain durations, characterized in that an adaptation of the absence/presence periods'"'"' duration and/or interval parameters is executed on the basis of the bandwidth available in said external network and the amount of traffic transmitted between said access point terminal (2) and said connected client terminals (4).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein said access point terminal (2) is operated as a Wi-Fi access point.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein said access point terminal (2) is a mobile phone (1), and wherein said external network is a wide area network, in particular a 3G network (5), a WiMAX network, or an LTE network.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein said schedule of absence/presence periods is established in form of the Wi-Fi Direct Notice of Absence power saving protocol.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein said access point terminal (2) is configured to advertise a schedule of absence/presence periods that is defined at least by the duration and the interval of absence/presence periods.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein said access point terminal (2) is configured to measure the bandwidth available in said external network.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the bandwidth in said external network is measured using an interface between said access point terminal'"'"'s (2) external network driver and said access point terminal'"'"'s (2) driver for the communication with said connected client terminals (4).

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein the bandwidth in said external network is measured using active and/or passive measurement algorithms, in particular by sending probe packets or measuring interarrival times between packets.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein said access point terminal (2) is configured to measure the amount of traffic forwarded between said external network and said connected client terminals (4).

10. Method according to claim 1, wherein the duration of said access point terminal'"'"'s (2) presence periods is increased and/or the duration of its absence periods is decreased in case the amount of traffic forwarded between said access point terminal (2) and said connected client terminals (4) is below a predetermined amount of the bandwidth available in said external network.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein the duration of said access point terminal'"'"'s (2) presence periods is decreased and/or the duration of its absence periods is increased in case the amount of traffic forwarded between said access point terminal (2) and said connected client terminals (4) is reasonably close to or above a predetermined amount of the bandwidth available in said external network.

12. Method according to claim 1, wherein the interval between said access point terminal'"'"'s (2) absence/presence periods is decreased in case the amount of traffic forwarded between said access point terminal (2) and said connected client terminals (4) is below a predetermined amount of the bandwidth available in said external network.

13. Method according to claim 1, wherein the interval between said access point terminal'"'"'s (2) absence/presence periods is increased in case the amount of traffic forwarded between said access point terminal (2) and said connected client terminals (4) is reasonably close to or above a predetermined amount of the bandwidth available in said external network.

14. Method according to claim 1, wherein said access point terminal (2) is configured to establish an adapted power saving schedule in case applications do not offer enough traffic to reach the predetermined amount of bandwidth available in said external network.

15. Method according to claim 1, wherein the adaptation of the absence/presence periods'"'"' duration and/or interval parameters takes into consideration a percentage of bandwidth available in said external network that said access point terminal (2) is willing to provide to said connected client terminals (4).

16. Method according to claim 1, wherein the adaptation of the absence/presence periods'"'"' duration and/or interval parameters takes into consideration the amount of battery power left said access point terminal (2).

17. Wireless terminal, in particular for executing a method according to claim 1, said terminal being operated as an access point - access point terminal (2)—

that connects a set of one or more client terminals (4) to an external network, wherein said access point terminal (2) is enabled to establish a schedule of absence periods during which said connected client terminals (4) are not allowed to transmit data to said access point terminal (2), wherein the absence periods together with corresponding presence periods are scheduled at regular intervals and have certain durations, characterized in that said access point terminal (2) is configured to execute an adaptation of the absence/presence periods'"'"' duration and/or interval parameters on the basis of the bandwidth available in said external network and the amount of traffic transmitted between said access point terminal (2) and said connected client terminals (4).