Co-location negotiation scheme for wireless computer networks

• US 6,480,506 B1
• Filed: 04/15/1999
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cirrus Logic Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ShareWave, Inc. (Cirrus Logic Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gubbi, Rajugopal R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, MAN U
• Application Number:
  US09/293,558
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 370/468, 370/329, 370/280, 370/458, 370/461, 370/465, 370/337, 370/442, 375/202, 375/203, 375/206, 455/450, 455/452, 455/464, 455/554, 455/555
• US Class Current: 370/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02

Abstract

Bandwidth within a common wireless communication channel used by a number of independent computer networks is allocated by assigning a portion of the total bandwidth of the common wireless communication channel to intra-network communications in each of the independent computer networks. This bandwidth allocation scheme may, from time to time, involve revising existing bandwidth allocations for one or more of the independent computer networks, for example when new networks or new clients in existing networks request bandwidth within the channel. The intra-network communications may occur within a slotted link structure that includes transmission times for master and client devices of the respective network. These transmission times are preferably arranged within a hierarchy that includes transmission times for master and client devices of other networks that share the wireless communication channel. At least one of the computer networks includes a master coordinator unit configured to allocate bandwidth utilization for the common communication channels among the independent computer networks. In some cases, one or more of the independent computer networks may communicate with the master coordinator unit through a proxy-coordinator unit located in a separate one of the independent computer networks from that of the master coordinator unit, in the same computer network as the master coordinator unit or in the same computer network as is utilizing its services.

Claims

1. A method of allocating bandwidth within a common wireless communication channel between multiple independent computer networks operating in a common area, the method comprising:

receiving requests to access the common wireless communication channel from multiple independent computer networks; and

assigning responsibility for managing the common wireless communication channel to one of the independent computer networks, wherein the one of the independent computer networks assigned responsibility for managing the common wireless communication channel assigns a portion of the total bandwidth within the common wireless communication channel to intra-network communication in each of the independent computer networks.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning a portion of the total bandwidth within the common wireless communication channel includes revising existing bandwidth assignments for one or more of the independent computer networks.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the revising of the existing bandwidth allocations is performed upon the introduction of a new independent computer network.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the revising of the existing bandwidth allocations is performed upon the introduction of a new device within one of the independent computer networks.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the assigning a portion of the total bandwidth within the common wireless communication channel to intra-network communications in each of the independent computer networks having access to the common wireless communication channel comprises the independent computer network which has been assigned responsibility for managing the common wireless communication channel performing the assignments.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein responsibility for managing the common wireless communication channel is assigned to the first of the independent computer networks to occupy the common wireless communication channel.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein managing the common wireless communication channel comprises negotiating the initial distribution of the total bandwidth of the common wireless communication channel between the independent computer networks.

28. The method of claim 2 wherein revising existing bandwidth allocations for one or more of the independent computer networks comprises the independent computer network assigned responsibility for managing the common wireless communication channel redistributing the bandwidth between the independent computer networks.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein responsibility for managing the common wireless communication channel will be handled by a network master device at the assigned independent computer network.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the network master device is a master coordinator.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein each independent computer network includes a network master device for negotiating bandwidth allocation with the independent computer network responsible for managing the common wireless communication channel.

5. A method for negotiating a bandwidth allocation within a common wireless communication channel shared by multiple independent computer networks in a common area, the method comprising:

requesting bandwidth allocation for the common wireless communication channel from a master coordinator responsible for managing the wireless communication channel'"'"'s bandwidth; and

configuring a slotted link communication protocol used within each of the independent computer networks in accordance with a response from the master network coordinator.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the slotted link communication protocol comprises a slotted link structure.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the slotted link structure includes transmission times for master and client devices of an independent computer network computer network.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the transmission times for the master and client devices are arranged within a hierarchy that includes transmission times for master and client devices of other networks that share the common wireless communication channel.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the bandwidth allocation within the wireless communication channel is maintained by the master coordinator according to unique identifiers associated with those computer networks sharing the wireless communication channel.

10. A system of negotiating and allocating bandwidth within a common wireless communication channel between multiple independent computer networks operating in a common area, comprising a number of independent computer networks each sharing one or more common wireless communication channels, at least one of the computer networks including a master coordinator unit configured to allocate bandwidth utilization for at least one of the common wireless communication channels among two or more of the independent computer networks, each independent computer network including a network master device to communicate and negotiate bandwidth allocation with the master coordinator.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the master coordinator unit allocates an equal share of the total available bandwidth in the at least one common communication channel to all of the independent computer networks sharing that communication channel.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one common communication channel supports a slotted link communication protocol and the master coordinator unit allocates bandwidth utilization by assigning a transmission times within the slotted link communication protocol to those individual computer networks that share the at least one common communication channel.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein each transmission time within the slotted link communication protocol comprises a transmission slot for a master device of a computer network associated with that transmission time and one or more transmission slots for client devices of the computer network associated with that transmission time.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein at least one of the independent computer networks communicates with the master coordinator unit through a proxy-coordinator unit located in one of the independent computer networks.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the proxy-coordinator unit is located in a separate one of the independent computer networks from that of the master coordinator unit.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the master coordinator unit allocates bandwidth utilization within the at least one common communication channel to a new independent computer network by first renegotiating existing bandwidth allocation among those ones of the independent computer networks currently operating in the at least one common communication channel and then assigning a bandwidth allocation within the at least one common communication channel to the new independent network.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein a master device within the new independent computer network is configured to check for a free communication channel before requesting bandwidth allocation within the at least one common communication channel from the master coordinator unit.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the master device within the new independent computer network is further configured to request bandwidth allocation within the at least one common communication channel only if that channel is the least utilized of all the common communication channels utilized by the independent computer networks.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the master coordinator unit is configured to store the current bandwidth allocation of the at least one common communication channel in a table indexed by unique identifiers for those ones of the independent computer networks utilizing the at least one common communication channel.

20. The system of claim 10 wherein the master coordinator unit is configured to allocate bandwidth in the at least one common communication channel equally among those of the computer networks utilizing the at least one common communication channel.

21. The system of claim 10 wherein the master coordinator unit is configured to allocate bandwidth in the at least one common communication channel according to preferences among those of the computer networks utilizing the at least one common communication channel.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein the proxy-coordinator unit is selected by the master coordinator from among two or more devices within one or more of the computer networks that are capable of providing proxy coordinator services.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the proxy coordinator provides tunneling between the master coordinator and a master device located in the at least one independent computer network.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the proxy coordinator is configured to synchronize communications between the at least one computer network and the one of the computer networks within which the master coordinator is located.