Circuit and Method for Operating a Node in a Radio Network

• US 20140105206A1
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ferchland, Tilo, Schneider, Soeren, Walter, Udo
• Granted Patent: US 9,326,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/350
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/025 Selective call decoders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A circuit and a method for operating a node in a radio network, whereby nodes of the same radio network have a common network ID and each node individually is assigned a node ID, wherein during the reception of a current packet by a receiving circuit of the node, an address contained in the packet is determined, wherein reception of the current packet is continued when the determined address agrees with the network ID of the node and the node ID of the node, and wherein during reception of the current packet, the reception of the current packet is terminated and the receiving circuit is controlled based on a case decision, when the determined address does not agree with the network ID of the node or the node ID of the node.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. A node in a radio network comprising:

a receiving circuit configured to receive a first portion of a current packet, wherein the node is one of a plurality of nodes in a radio network that have a common network ID and an individual node ID; and

an evaluation circuit connectable to the receiving circuit and configured to;

examine the first portion of the current packet to identify an address contained in the current packet;

if the identified address corresponds to the common network ID of the node and the individual node ID of the node, cause the receiving circuit to continue to receive a second portion of the current packet;

if the identified address does not correspond to the common network ID of the node or the individual node ID of the node;

cause the receiving circuit to terminate reception of the second portion of the current packet;

synchronize the receiving circuit to a new preamble;

determine a current reception energy of the current packet; and

based at least on the determined current reception energy, determine one or more of an upper threshold and a lower threshold,

wherein synchronizing the receiving circuit to the new preamble is initiated if the current reception energy in the transmission channel exceeds the upper threshold or falls below the lower threshold.

10. A method for operating a node in a radio network comprising:

receiving, by a receiving circuit of a node, a first portion of a current packet, wherein the node is one of a plurality of nodes in a radio network that have a common network ID and an individual node ID;

examining the first portion of the current packet to identify an address contained in the current packet;

if the identified address corresponds to the common network ID of the node and the individual node ID of the node, continuing reception of a second portion of the current packet; and

if the identified address does not correspond to the common network ID of the node or the individual node ID of the node, terminating reception of the second portion of the current packet for a length of time based on a data length of a frame of the current packet and a transmission time of an acknowledgment to be transmitted by the node.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising continuing reception, by the receiving circuit, of at least a portion of a packet after the length of time expires if the identified address does not correspond to the common network ID of the node or the individual node ID of the node.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising terminating the reception of the second portion of the current packet if the identified address corresponds to the common network ID and does not correspond to the individual node ID.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the length of time is limited by a maximum value.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising, in response to determining that the identified address does not correspond to the network ID of the node:

clearing one or more synchronization parameters of the receiving circuit; and

synchronizing the receiving circuit to a new preamble.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, in response to determining that the identified address does not correspond to the network ID of the node:

determining a current reception energy of the current packet; and

based at least on the determined current reception energy, determining one or more of an upper threshold and a lower threshold,

wherein synchronizing the receiving circuit to the new preamble is initiated if the current reception energy in the transmission channel exceeds the upper threshold or falls below the lower threshold.

16. A node in a radio network comprising:

a receiving circuit configured to receive a first portion of a current packet, wherein the node is one of a plurality of nodes in a radio network that have a common network ID and an individual node ID; and

an evaluation circuit connectable to the receiving circuit and configured to;

examine the first portion of the current packet to identify an address contained in the current packet;

if the identified address corresponds to the common network ID of the node and the individual node ID of the node, cause the receiving circuit to continue to receive a second portion of the current packet;

if the identified address does not correspond to the common network ID of the node or the individual node ID of the node, cause the receiving circuit to terminate reception of the second portion of the current packet for a length of time based on a data length of a frame of the current packet and a transmission time of an acknowledgment to be transmitted by the node.

17. The node of claim 16, wherein the evaluation circuit is further configured to continue reception, by the receiving circuit, of at least a portion of a packet after the length of time expires if the identified address does not correspond to the common network ID of the node or the individual node ID of the node.

18. The node of claim 16, wherein the evaluation circuit is further configured to terminate the reception of the second portion of the current packet if the identified address corresponds to the common network ID and does not correspond to the individual node ID.

19. The node of claim 16, wherein the length of time is limited by a maximum value.

20. The node of claim 16, wherein the evaluation circuit, in response to determining that the identified address does not correspond to the network ID of the node, is further configured to:

clear one or more synchronization parameters of the receiving circuit; and

synchronize the receiving circuit to a new preamble.

21. The node of claim 20, wherein the evaluation circuit, in response to determining that the identified address does not correspond to the network ID of the node, is further configured to:

determine a current reception energy of the current packet; and

based at least on the determined current reception energy, determine one or more of an upper threshold and a lower threshold,

wherein synchronizing the receiving circuit to the new preamble is initiated if the current reception energy in the transmission channel exceeds the upper threshold or falls below the lower threshold.