Method and device for establishing communication links and handling SP slot connection collisions in a communication system

• US 6,798,761 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2002
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stingray IP Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cain, Joseph Bibb, Billhartz, Thomas Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Phunkulh, Bob A.
• Application Number:
  US10/280,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20030198206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/336, 370/337, 370/345, 370/347, 370/348, 370/442, 370/443, 370/458, 370/461, 370/478, 455/500
• US Class Current: 370/337
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0491 using two or more sectors, i.e. sector diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2643 using time-division multiple access [TDMA] H04B7/2615, H04B7/2618 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2656 for structure of frame, burst
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1694 Allocation of channels in TDM/TDMA networks, e.g. distributed multiplexers Passive Optical Networks H04Q11/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0041 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0061 Error detection codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/203 Details of error rate determination, e.g. BER, FER or WER
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/06 based on characteristics of available antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless communication network includes a plurality of mobile nodes each including a transceiver, a phased array antenna connected to the transceiver, and a controller connected to the transceiver. The controller schedules a respective semi-permanent time slot for each time frame to establish a communication link with each neighboring mobile node and leaves at least one available time slot in each time frame. The controller also schedules the at least one available time slot to also serve the communication link with a neighboring mobile node based upon link communications demand. The controller waits a time period to resend another request upon simultaneously sending a request to an other mobile node and receiving a request from the other mobile node without receiving a corresponding reply.

Claims

1. A wireless communication network comprising:

a plurality of mobile nodes each comprising a transceiver, a directional antenna connected to said transceiver, and a controller connected to said transceiver and comprising

a first time slot unit to schedule a respective semi-permanent time slot for each time frame to establish a communication link with each neighboring mobile node and leaving at least one available time slot in each time frame,

a second time slot unit to schedule the at least one available time slot to also serve the communication link with a neighboring mobile node based upon link communications demand,

an antenna aiming unit to aim said directional antenna toward each neighboring mobile node during communication therewith,

each communication link being formed by two mobile nodes, an initiating mobile node transmitting a request for time slots to a receiving mobile node, and the receiving mobile node transmitting a reply to the initiating mobile node,

the controller of each mobile node waiting a time period to resend another request when each mobile node simultaneously receives a request from the other mobile node and does not receive a corresponding reply.

2. A wireless communication network according to claim 1, wherein incoming time slot requests are processed during the time period.

3. A wireless communication network according to claim 1, wherein each mobile node transmits the request again, after expiration of the time period, if no request was received from the other mobile node.

4. A wireless communication network according to claim 1, wherein each mobile node transmits the request again, after expiration of the time period, if no time slot was allocated for the other mobile node.

5. A wireless communication network according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines whether a time slot allocation to the other node already exists when a delayed request is received.

6. A wireless communication network according to claim 1, wherein said controller schedules one of the semi-permanent time slots as an available time slot if a number of the communication links is less than N.

7. A wireless communication network according to claim 6, wherein said controller reschedules the demand assigned time slot back to a semi-permanent time slot if the number of the communication links is to be equal to N.

8. A wireless communication network according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of communication links are established within a scheduled semi-permanent time slot, with each communication link including a different pair of neighboring mobile nodes.

9. A wireless communication network according to claim 1, wherein said directional antenna comprises a phased array antenna.

10. A mobile node for a wireless communication network, the mobile node comprising:

a transceiver;

a directional antenna connected to said transceiver; and

a controller connected to said transceiver and comprising

a time slot scheduling unit to schedule time slots to establish a communication link with neighboring mobile nodes,

an antenna aiming unit to aim said directional antenna toward each neighboring mobile node during communication therewith, and

each communication link being formed by two mobile nodes, an initiating mobile node transmitting a request for time slots to a receiving mobile node, and the receiving mobile node transmitting a reply to the initiating mobile node,

the controller waiting a time period to resend another request upon simultaneously sending a request to an other mobile node and receiving a request from the other mobile node without receiving a corresponding reply.

11. A mobile node according to claim 10, wherein incoming time slot requests are processed during the time period.

12. A mobile node according to claim 10, wherein the controller transmits the request again, after expiration of the time period, if no request was received from the other mobile node.

13. A mobile node according to claim 10, wherein the controller transmits the request again, after expiration of the time period, if no time slot was allocated for the other mobile node.

14. A mobile node according to claim 10, wherein the controller determines whether a time slot allocation to the other node already exists when a delayed request is received.

15. A mobile node according to claim 10, wherein said controller schedules one of the semi-permanent time slots as an available time slot if a number of the communication links is less than N.

16. A mobile node according to claim 15, wherein said controller reschedules the demand assigned time slot back to a semi-permanent time slot if the number of the communication links is to be equal to N.

17. A mobile node according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of communication links are established within a scheduled semi-permanent time slot, with each communication link including a different pair of neighboring mobile nodes.

18. A mobile node according to claim 10, wherein said directional antenna comprises a phased array antenna.

19. A method for establishing communication links for a plurality of mobile nodes, each mobile node comprising a transceiver, a directional antenna connected to the transceiver, and a controller connected to the transceiver, the method comprising for each mobile node:

scheduling a respective semi-permanent time slot for each time frame to establish a communication link with a neighboring mobile node and leaving at least one available time slot in each time frame;

scheduling the at least one available time slot to also serve the communication link with a neighboring mobile node based upon link communications demand;

aiming the directional antenna toward each neighboring mobile node during communication therewith;

each communication link being formed by two mobile nodes, an initiating mobile node transmitting a request for time slots to a receiving mobile node, and the receiving mobile node transmitting a reply to the initiating mobile node;

the controller waiting a time period to resend another request upon simultaneously sending a request to an other mobile node and receiving a request from the other mobile node without receiving a corresponding reply.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein incoming time slot requests are processed during the time period.

21. A method according to claim 19, wherein the request is transmitted again, after expiration of the time period, if no request was received from the other mobile node.

22. A method according to claim 19, wherein the request is transmitted again, after expiration of the time period, if no time slot was allocated for the other mobile node.

23. A method according to claim 19, further comprising determining whether a time slot allocation to the other node already exists when a delayed request is received.

24. A method according to claim 19, wherein one of the semi-permanent time slots is scheduled as an available time slot if a number of the communication links is less than N.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the demand assigned time slot is rescheduled back to a semi-permanent time slot if the number of the communication links is to be equal to N.

26. A method according to claim 19, wherein a plurality of communication links are established within a scheduled semi-permanent time slot, with each communication link including a different pair of neighboring mobile nodes.

27. A method according to claim 19, wherein said directional antenna comprises a phased array antenna.