COMMUNICATION METHOD USING MULTI-RADIO AND COMMUNICATION APPARATUS

• US 20160269190A1
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Tae Seok, PARK, Tae Rim
• Granted Patent: US 10,484,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1685 the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1868 Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver

Abstract

Provided is a communication method and apparatus using a multi-radio. The communication method includes establishing a link via at least one node included in a group that uses a low data-rate radio (LDR); transmitting a data frame to the at least one node included in the group; and receiving, using a multi-radio based on an availability of the LDR, an acknowledgement (ACK) with respect to the transmitted data frame.

Claims

1. A communication method executed by a head node, the method comprising:

receiving, from each of a plurality of nodes, a channel report frame including channel information provided by a neighbor head node;

selecting one of the plurality of nodes to be a communication partner based on the received channel information;

transmitting a data frame to the selected node; and

transmitting, to the selected node, an acknowledgement (ACK) request frame which requests an ACK indicating whether the data frame is received.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the selected node using a multi-radio based on an availability of low data-rate radio (LDR), an ACK of having received the transmitted data frame.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining low data-rate radio (LDR) information based on a service request frame received from the selected node;

checking whether the selected node uses LDR based on the obtained LDR information;

providing a multicast service and a broadcast service based on the obtained LDR information; and

establishing an LDR link with the selected node if the selected node is able to use LDR.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, to the selected node, a query frame that starts a multicast service and a broadcast service;

receiving a query response frame with respect to the query frame;

checking, based on the query response frame, whether the selected node uses low data-rate radio (LDR); and

establishing an LDR link with the selected node if the selected node is able to use LDR.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling a request-to-send (RTS) signal and a clear-to-send (CTS) signal based on the selected node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the ACK request frame includes ACK radio information and ACK offset information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transmitting comprises:

establishing the ACK radio information based on whether the selected node is able to use LDR.

8. A communication apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from each of a plurality of nodes, a channel report frame including channel information provided by a neighbor head node;

a selection unit configured to select one of the plurality of nodes to be a communication partner based on the received channel information; and

a data frame transmitting unit configured to transmit a data frame to the selected node;

an acknowledgement (ACK) request frame transmitting unit configured to transmit, to the selected node, an ACK request frame which requests an ACK indicating whether the data frame is received.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an acknowledgement (ACK) receiving unit configured to receive, from the selected node based on an availability of low data-rate radio (LDR), an ACK of having received the transmitted data frame.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an low data-rate radio (LDR) information obtaining unit configured to obtain LDR information based on a service request frame received from the selected node, and to check, based on the obtained LDR information, that the selected node uses LDR; and

an LDR link establishing unit configured to provide a multicast service and a broadcast service based on the obtained LDR information, and to establish an LDR link with the selected node if the node is able to use LDR.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an low data-rate radio (LDR) information obtaining unit configured to transmit, to the selected node, a query frame that provides a multicast service and a broadcast service, to receive a query response frame with respect to the query frame, and to obtain LDR information; and

an LDR link establishing unit configured to check, based on the LDR information, whether the selected node uses LDR, and to establish an LDR link with the selected node if the selected node is able to use LDR.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a ready-to-send (RTS)/clear-to-send (CTS) controller configured to control an RTS signal and a CTS signal based on the selected node.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the ACK request frame includes ACK radio information and ACK offset information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the ACK request frame transmitting unit is configured to set the ACK radio information to indicate one of LDR and HDR, based on whether the selected node is able to use LDR.

15. A communication method executed by a node, the method comprising:

transmitting a frame including low data-rate radio (LDR) information to a head node of a group to establish a link with the head node;

receiving a data frame from the head node where the link is established;

receiving, from the head node, an acknowledgement (ACK) request frame which requests an ACK indicating whether the data frame is received;

transmitting, to the head node, an ACK in response to the ACK request frame;

receiving a beacon signal transmitted from a neighbor head node;

obtaining, based on the beacon signal, channel information associated with the neighbor head node; and

transmitting, to the head node of the group, a channel report frame including the channel information of the neighbor head node, wherein

the head node performs receiving, from each of a plurality of nodes, a channel report frame including channel information provided by a neighbor head node, and selecting one of the plurality of nodes to be a communication partner based on the received channel information

16. The method of claim 15, wherein further comprising:

receiving, from the head node, an LDR link request frame; and

establishing an LDR link with the head node when an LDR link response frame with respect to the LDR link request frame is transmitted to the head node.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitting of the ACK comprises:

scheduling a point in time for transmitting the ACK, based on ACK offset information included in the ACK request frame; and

transmitting, to the head node, the ACK at the scheduled point in time.

18. A communication apparatus comprising:

a link establishing unit configured to transmit a frame including low data-rate radio (LDR) information to a head node of a group to establish a link with the head node;

a data frame receiving unit configured to receive a data frame from the head node where the link is established;

an acknowledgement (ACK) request frame receiving unit configured to receive, from the head node, an ACK request frame which requests an ACK indicating whether the data frame is received; and

an ACK transmitting unit configured to transmit, to the head node, an ACK in response to the ACK request frame;

a beacon signal receiving unit configured to receive a beacon signal transmitted from a neighbor head node;

a channel information obtaining unit configured to obtain, based on the beacon signal, channel information associated with the neighbor head node; and

a channel report frame transmitting unit configured to transmit, to the head node of the group, a channel report frame including the channel information of the neighbor head node,

wherein the head node comprises;

a receiver configured to receive, from each of a plurality of nodes, a channel report frame including channel information provided by a neighbor head node; and

a selection unit configured to select one of the plurality of nodes to be a communication partner based on the received channel information.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the link establishing unit is configured to establish the link with the head node of the group using a proactive approach or a reactive approach.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the link establishing unit is configured to receive, from the head node, an LDR link request frame, and to establish an LDR link with the head node when an LDR link response frame with respect to the LDR link request frame is transmitted to the head node.