RECEIVER SCHEDULING IN WIRELESS NETWORKS

• US 20150063325A1
• Filed: 11/11/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 1, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: III Holdings 1, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Elliott, Brig Barnum, Pearson, David Spencer
• Granted Patent: US 9,674,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/16 in which the time allocation to individual channels within a transmission cycle is variable, e.g. to accommodate varying complexity of signals, to vary number of channels transmitted H04J3/17, H04J3/24 take precedence
• 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 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• 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 wireless apparatus utilizes a wireless transceiver, in communication with a processor, to transmit and receive messages via a wireless network. The wireless transceiver may receive a schedule definition for devices affiliated with a node of the wireless network. The processor may determine, from the received schedule definition, one or more time periods allocated to the wireless apparatus. The wireless transceiver may communicate with the wireless network in accordance with at least one of the one or more time periods.

Claims

1. A wireless apparatus comprising:

a wireless transceiver, in communication with a processor, configured to transmit and receive messages via a wireless network;

the wireless transceiver further configured to receive a schedule definition for a plurality of devices affiliated with a node of the wireless network;

the processor configured to determine, from the received schedule definition, one or more time periods allocated to the wireless apparatus; and

the wireless transceiver further configured to communicate with the wireless network in accordance with at least one of the one or more time periods.

2. The wireless apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reception of the schedule definition comprises receipt of the schedule definition in each of a plurality of time periods.

3. The wireless apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor further configured to affiliate with the node of the wireless network based on at least a signal strength.

4. The wireless apparatus of claim 3, wherein the affiliation further comprises an assignment of an affiliation identifier to the wireless apparatus.

5. The wireless apparatus of claim 4, wherein the schedule definition comprises at least a plurality of affiliation identifiers corresponding to at least a portion of the plurality of devices.

6. The wireless apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the wireless transceiver is powered down during at least one time period other than the one or more time periods.

7. The wireless apparatus of claim 6, wherein the powered down portion of the wireless transceiver is activated for the one or more time periods.

8. The wireless apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

the processor further configured to determine an amount of clock drift, and adjust the one or more time periods based on the determined amount of clock drift.

9. A method of communicating with a node of a wireless network via a wireless device, the method comprising:

receiving a schedule definition via a wireless transceiver, the schedule definition defining one or more time periods allocated to the wireless device; and

communicating via the wireless transceiver with the node of the wireless network in accordance with the defined one or more time periods.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the schedule definition is received from the node of the wireless network.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein during one or more time periods which are not allocated to the wireless device, at least a portion of the wireless device is powered down for at least a period of time.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the received schedule definition includes a first time period allocated for transmission and a second time period allocated for reception.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the received schedule definition further includes a plurality of transmission and reception time periods corresponding to a plurality of other wireless devices.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

affiliating, by the wireless device, with the node of the wireless network.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

un-affiliating, subsequent to the affiliating, with the node of the wireless network after a specified period of time when the wireless device has stopped receiving schedule definitions identifying one or more time periods allocated to the wireless device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein subsequent to the un-affiliating with the node of the wireless network after the specified period of time, the wireless device affiliates with a different node of the wireless network based on at least a signal strength.

17. A wireless apparatus comprising:

a wireless transceiver in communication with a processor and configured to transmit and receive messages via a wireless network;

the wireless transceiver further configured to receive a schedule definition, the schedule definition defining a plurality of transmission and reception time periods for each of a plurality of wireless devices within the wireless network;

the processor configured to identify one or more time periods allocated to the wireless apparatus for communication from the received schedule definition; and

the processor further configured to communicate with a node of the wireless network in accordance with the identified one or more time periods.

18. The wireless apparatus of claim 17 further comprising:

the processor further configured to determine when to power off at least a portion of the wireless transceiver.

19. The wireless apparatus of claim 18, wherein the determination when to power off is based at least in part on the identified one or more time periods.

20. The wireless apparatus of claim 17, wherein the identified one or more time periods are stored locally within the wireless apparatus.

21. The wireless apparatus of claim 20, wherein the received schedule definition is received from the node of the wireless network.

22. The wireless apparatus of claim 21, wherein the reception of the schedule definition comprises receipt of the schedule definition in each of a plurality of time periods.

23. The wireless apparatus of claim 17, wherein the wireless apparatus affiliates with a node of the wireless network based on at least a signal strength.

24. The wireless apparatus of claim 23, wherein the wireless apparatus un-affiliates, subsequent to the affiliation with the node, with the node of the wireless network, after a specified period of time when the wireless apparatus has stopped reception of schedule definitions that identify one or more time periods allocated to the wireless apparatus.

25. The wireless apparatus of claim 24, wherein the wireless apparatus affiliates with a different node of the wireless network based on at least a signal strength.

26. A wireless apparatus comprising:

a wireless transceiver in communication with a processor and configured to transmit and receive messages via a wireless network;

the processor configured to affiliate with a node of the wireless network based on at least a signal strength;

the wireless transceiver further configured to receive one or more schedule definitions from the node of the wireless network, the one or more schedule definitions each defining a plurality of transmission and reception time periods for a plurality of wireless devices within the wireless network;

the processor further configured to derive one or more time periods allocated to the wireless apparatus for communication from the one or more received schedule definitions;

the wireless transceiver further configured to communicate with the node of the wireless network in accordance with the derived one or more time periods; and

the processor further configured, when the wireless apparatus has stopped reception of schedule definitions related to the wireless apparatus, to un-affiliate from the node of the wireless network after a specified period of time.

27. The wireless apparatus of claim 26, wherein the wireless apparatus affiliates with a different node of the wireless network based on at least a signal strength after the specified period of time.

28. The wireless apparatus of claim 27 further comprising:

the wireless transceiver further configured to receive one or more schedule definitions from the different node of the wireless network.

29. The wireless apparatus of claim 28 further comprising:

the processor further configured to derive one or more time periods allocated to the wireless apparatus for communication from the received one or more schedule definitions from the different node of the wireless network.

30. The wireless apparatus of claim 29, wherein the derived one or more time periods from the received one or more schedule definitions from the different node of the wireless network further comprises a first time period allocated for transmission and a second time period allocated for reception.