Frequency hopping piconets in an uncoordinated wireless multi-user system

• US 6,590,928 B1
• Filed: 09/17/1997
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Haartsen, Jacobus Cornelis
• Primary Examiner(s): LUTHER, WILLIAM A
• Application Number:
  US08/932,911
• Time in Patent Office: 2,120 Days
• Field of Search: 375/200, 375/202, 375/134, 375/132, 375/133, 375/135, 375/136, 375/137, 380/34
• US Class Current: 375/134
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7143 Arrangements for generation of hop patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/04 based on wireless node resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/30 for proactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A wireless network includes master and slave units. The master sends a master address and clock to the slaves. Communication is by means of a virtual frequency hopping channel whose hopping sequence is a function of the master address, and whose phase is a function of the master clock. Transmitted inquiry messages solicit slave address and topology information from the slaves, which may be used to generate a configuration tree for determining a route for a connection between the master and slave units. Slave address and topology information may include an own address from each of the slave units and only first order address lists from each of the slave units. Generating the configuration tree involves generating a hierarchy of connectivity rings from the first order address lists. Each connectivity ring may be generated in accordance with a rule that a higher-numbered connectivity ring cannot include nodes representing units that are already represented by a node in a lower-numbered connectivity ring. Alternatively, each connectivity ring may be generated by considering a present numbered connectivity ring having parent nodes, and including in a next higher-numbered connectivity ring those nodes representing all children of the parent nodes such that no descendant of a parent can represent the same unit as the parent; no descendant of a parent'"'"'s child can represent the same unit as any of the parent'"'"'s children; and no child of any parent can have the same name as any other child of said any parent.

Claims

1. A wireless network comprising:

a master unit; and

a slave unit,

wherein the master unit comprises;

means for sending a master address to the slave unit;

means for sending a master clock to the slave unit; and

means for communicating with the slave unit by means of a virtual frequency hopping channel;

wherein the slave unit comprises;

means for receiving the master address from the master unit;

means for receiving the master clock from the master unit; and

means for communicating with the master unit by means of the virtual frequency hopping channel; and

wherein;

a hopping sequence of the virtual frequency hopping channel is a function of the master address, and the master address is a unique unit identifying address; and

a phase of the hopping sequence is a function of the master clock.

2. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein:

the master unit further comprises means for transmitting an inquiry message that solicits a slave address from the slave unit, wherein the slave address is a unique unit identifying address; and

the slave unit further comprises;

means for receiving the inquiry message; and

means, responsive to the inquiry message, for transmitting the slave address to the master unit.

3. The wireless network of claim 2, wherein the master unit further comprises:

means for receiving slave address and topology information from more than one slave unit; and

means for generating a configuration tree from the address and topology information.

4. The wireless network of claim 3, wherein the master unit further includes means for utilizing the configuration tree to determine a route for a connection between the master unit and the slave unit.

5. The wireless network of claim 3, wherein:

the slave address and topology information comprises an own address from each of the more than one slave units and only first order address lists from each of the more than one slave units; and

the means for generating the configuration tree from the address and topology information comprises;

means for generating n connectivity rings from the first order address lists, wherein n is a positive integer, and wherein the generating means generates each of the connectivity rings in accordance with a rule that a higher-numbered connectivity ring cannot include nodes representing units that are already represented by a node in a lower-numbered connectivity ring.

6. The wireless network of claim 3, wherein:

the slave address and topology information comprises an own address from each of the more than one slave units and only first order address lists from each of the more than one slave units; and

the means for generating the configuration tree from the address and topology information comprises;

means for generating n connectivity rings from the first order address lists, wherein n is a positive integer, and wherein the generating means generates each of the connectivity rings by considering a present numbered connectivity ring having parent nodes, and including in a next higher-numbered connectivity ring those nodes representing all children of the parent nodes that satisfy the following rules;

no descendant of a parent can represent the same unit as is represented by the parent;

no descendant of a child of the parent can represent the same unit as any of the children of the parent; and

no child of any parent can have the same name as any other child of said any parent.

15. The network of claim 1, wherein the unique unit identifying address is 64 bits long.

16. The network of claim 1, wherein the virtual frequency hopping channel is includes 79 hops of 1 MHZ width.

17. The network of claim 1, wherein only one packet is transmitted between the master unit and slave unit per frequency hop.

18. The network of claim 1, wherein packets transmitted from the master unit and from the slave unit include the master unit'"'"'s unique unit identifying address.

19. The network of claim 1, wherein the network further comprises:

another slave unit, wherein the slave unit and the another slave unit can communicate with each other over the frequency hopping channel only through the master unit.

20. The network of claim 19, wherein the slave and the another slave each have a unique unit identifying address and the slave and the another slave is identified in the network by a member address.

21. The network of claim 20, wherein the member address is a three bit address.

22. The network of claim 1, wherein the virtual frequency hopping channel includes a plurality of time division duplex frames, each time division duplex frame consisting of a transmit slot and a receive slot.

23. The network of claim 1, wherein the slave examines each received packet to determine whether the packet includes the master node'"'"'s unique unit identifying address.

24. The network of claim 1, wherein the network implements an automatic retransmission query (ARQ) scheme for transmitted packets.

25. The network of claim 24, wherein the success or failure of a packet in a frame is indicated in a succeeding frame.

26. The network of claim 19, wherein if the slave unit and the another slave unit need to communicate directly with one another, the slave unit and the another slave unit communicate over another virtual frequency hopping sequence, wherein the hop sequence of the another virtual frequency hopping sequence is a function of an address of the slave unit or the another slave unit, and the phase of the hopping sequence is a function of the clock of the slave unit or the another slave unit.

27. The network of claim 1, wherein the slave unit does not reset its clock to correspond to the master clock.

7. A method for generating a connectivity tree for use in determining a connection route between a first wireless unit and any of a number of other wireless units, the method comprising the steps of:

in the first wireless unit, receiving address and topology information from each of the other wireless units, wherein the address and topology information comprises an own address from each of the other wireless units and only first order address lists from each of the other wireless units; and

in the first wireless unit, generating n connectivity rings from the first order address lists, wherein n is a positive integer, and wherein each of the connectivity rings is generated in accordance with a rule that a higher-numbered connectivity ring cannot include nodes representing units that are already represented by a node in a lower-numbered connectivity ring.

8. A method for generating a connectivity tree for use in determining a connection route between a first wireless unit and any of a number of other wireless units, the method comprising the steps of:

in the first wireless unit, receiving address and topology information from each of the other wireless units, wherein the address and topology information comprises an own address from each of the other wireless units and only first order address lists from each of the other wireless units; and

in the first wireless unit, generating n connectivity rings from the first order address lists, wherein n is a positive integer, and wherein each of the connectivity rings is generated by considering a present numbered connectivity ring having parent nodes, and including in a next higher-numbered connectivity ring those nodes representing all children of the parent nodes that satisfy the following rules;

no descendant of a parent can represent the same unit as is represented by the parent;

no descendant of a child of the parent can represent the same unit as any of the children of the parent; and

no child of any parent can have the same name as any other child of said any parent.

9. A wireless network having a scatter topology, the wireless network comprising:

a first master unit;

a second master unit;

a first slave unit; and

a second slave unit,

wherein the first master unit comprises;

means for sending a first master address to the first slave unit;

means for sending a first master clock to the first slave unit; and

means for communicating with the first slave unit by means of a first virtual frequency hopping channel;

wherein the first slave unit comprises;

means for receiving the first master address from the first master unit;

means for receiving the first master clock from the first master unit; and

means for communicating with the first master unit by means of the first virtual frequency hopping channel;

wherein the second master unit comprises;

means for sending a second master address to the second slave unit;

means for sending a second master clock to the second slave unit;

means for communicating with the second slave unit by means of a second virtual frequency hopping channel;

wherein the second slave unit comprises;

means for receiving the second master address from the second master unit;

means for receiving the second master clock from the second master unit; and

means for communicating with the second master unit by means of the first virtual frequency hopping channel; and

wherein;

a first hopping sequence of the first virtual frequency hopping channel is a function of the first master address, and the first master address is a unique unit identifying address;

a phase of the first hopping sequence is a function of the first master clock;

a second hopping sequence of the second virtual frequency hopping channel is a function of the second master address;

a phase of the second sequence is a function of the second master clock;

the first master clock is uncoordinated with the second master clock; and

the first virtual frequency hopping channel uses the same radio spectrum as the second virtual frequency hopping channel,

whereby the first virtual frequency hopping channel is different from the second virtual frequency hopping channel, thereby permitting communication between the first master unit and the first slave unit to take place without substantially interfering with communication between the second master unit and the second slave unit.

10. The wireless network of claim 9, wherein:

each of the first and second master units further comprises means for transmitting an inquiry message that solicits a slave address from the first and second slave units; and

each of the first and second slave units further comprises;

means for receiving the inquiry message; and

means, responsive to the inquiry message, for transmitting the slave address to the first and second master units.

11. The wireless network of claim 10, wherein each of the first and second master units further comprises:

means for receiving slave address and topology information from more than one slave unit; and

means for generating a configuration tree from the address and topology information.

12. The wireless network of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second master units further includes means for utilizing the configuration tree to determine a route for a connection between the first and second master unit and the respective first and second slave units.

13. The wireless network of claim 11, wherein:

the slave address and topology information comprises an own address from each of the more than one slave units and only first order address lists from each of the more than one slave units; and

the means for generating the configuration tree from the address and topology information comprises;

means for generating n connectivity rings from the first order address lists, wherein n is a positive integer, and wherein the generating means generates each of the connectivity rings in accordance with a rule that a higher-numbered connectivity ring cannot include nodes representing units that are already represented by a node in a lower-numbered connectivity ring.

14. The wireless network of claim 11, wherein:

the slave address and topology information comprises an own address from each of the more than one slave units and only first order address lists from each of the more than one slave units; and

the means for generating the configuration tree from the address and topology information comprises;

means for generating n connectivity rings from the first order address lists, wherein n is a positive integer, and wherein the generating means generates each of the connectivity rings by considering a present numbered connectivity ring having parent nodes, and including in a next higher-numbered connectivity ring those nodes representing all children of the parent nodes that satisfy the following rules;

no descendant of a parent can represent the same unit as is represented by the parent;

no descendant of a child of the parent can represent the same unit as any of the children of the parent; and

no child of any parent can have the same name as any other child of said any parent.

28. A wireless network comprising:

a master unit; and

a slave unit,

wherein the master unit comprises;

means for sending a master address to the slave unit;

means for sending a master clock to the slave unit;

means for communicating with the slave unit by means of a virtual frequency hopping channel;

means for transmitting an inquiry message that solicits the slave address from the slave unit; and

means for transmitting a page message that includes a request to establish a connection with the slave unit;

wherein the slave unit comprises;

means for receiving the master address from the master unit;

means for receiving the master clock from the master unit;

means for communicating with the master unit by means of the virtual frequency hopping channel;

means for receiving the inquiry message;

means, responsive to the inquiry message, for transmitting the slave address to the master unit; and

wherein;

a hopping sequence of the virtual frequency hopping channel is a function of the master address; and

a phase of the hopping sequence is a function of the master clock.