Method and device for establishing communication links with parallel scheduling operations in a communication system

• US 6,804,208 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2002
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• 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: Billhartz, Thomas Jay, Cain, Joseph Bibb
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Andy
• Application Number:
  US10/280,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20030214920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 370/316, 370/321, 370/328, 370/329, 370/334, 370/337, 370/343, 370/345, 370/465, 370/468, 455/427, 455/509, 455/428, 455/13.1
• US Class Current: 370/326
• 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: 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 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• 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 initiates at least one semi-permanent time slot request for respective time frames to establish a communication link with each neighboring mobile node and leaving at least one available time slot in each time frame, while processing multiple received semi-permanent time slot requests from neighboring mobile nodes. The controller also initiates at least one available time slot request to also serve the communication link with a neighboring mobile node based upon link communications demand, while processing multiple received available time slot requests from neighboring mobile nodes. The phased array antenna is aimed by the controller towards each neighboring mobile node during communication therewith.

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 initiate at least one semi-permanent time slot request for respective time frames to establish a communication link with each neighboring mobile node and leaving at least one available time slot in each time frame, while processing multiple received semi-permanent time slot requests from neighboring mobile nodes,

a second time slot unit to initiate at least one available time slot request to also serve the communication link with a neighboring mobile node based upon link communications demand, while processing multiple received available time slot requests from neighboring mobile nodes, and

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

2. A wireless communication network according to claim 1, wherein the controller temporarily allocates a particular time slot to a plurality of neighboring mobile nodes.

3. A wireless communication network according to claim 2, wherein the controller selects only one of the plurality of neighboring nodes for the particular time slot.

4. A wireless communication network according to claim 1, wherein the first time slot unit initiates a plurality of semi-permanent time slot requests for respective time frames.

5. A wireless communication network according to claim 4, wherein the controller temporarily allocates a particular semi-permanent time slot to a plurality of neighboring mobile nodes.

6. A wireless communication network according to claim 5, wherein the controller selects only one of the plurality of neighboring nodes for the particular semi-permanent time slot.

7. A wireless communication network according to claim 1, wherein the second time slot unit initiates a plurality of available time slot requests to serve the communication link with the neighboring mobile node based upon link communications demand.

8. A wireless communication network according to claim 7, wherein the controller temporarily allocates a particular available time slot to a plurality of neighboring mobile nodes.

9. A wireless communication network according to claim 8, wherein the controller selects only one of the plurality of neighboring nodes for the particular available time slot.

10. A wireless communication network according to claim 1, wherein each communication link is formed by an initiating mobile node and a receiving mobile node, and wherein said initiating mobile node transmits a list of available semi-permanent time slots to said receiving mobile node.

11. A wireless communication network according to claim 10, wherein said receiving mobile node transmits selection of one of the semi-permanent time slots to said initiating mobile node.

12. A wireless communication network according to claim 11, wherein said initiating mobile node confirms selection of the selected semi-permanent time slot to said receiving mobile node.

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

14. 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 initiate at least one time slot request for respective time frames to establish a communication link with neighboring mobile nodes, while processing multiple received time slot requests from neighboring mobile nodes, and

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

15. A mobile node according to claim 14, wherein the controller temporarily allocates a particular time slot to a plurality of neighboring mobile nodes.

16. A mobile node according to claim 15, wherein the controller selects only one of the plurality of neighboring nodes for the particular time slot.

17. A mobile node according to claim 14, wherein the time slot unit initiates a plurality of time slot requests for respective time frames.

18. A mobile node according to claim 17, wherein the controller temporarily allocates a particular time slot to a plurality of neighboring mobile nodes.

19. A mobile node according to claim 18, wherein the controller selects only one of the plurality of neighboring nodes for the particular time slot.

20. A mobile node according to claim 14, wherein each communication link is formed by an initiating mobile node and a receiving mobile node, and wherein said initiating mobile node transmits a list of available semi-permanent time slots to said receiving mobile node.

21. A mobile node according to claim 20, wherein said receiving mobile node transmits selection of one of the semi-permanent time slots to said initiating mobile node.

22. A mobile node according to claim 21, wherein said initiating mobile node confirms selection of the selected semi-permanent time slot to said receiving mobile node.

23. A mobile node according to claim 14, wherein said directional antenna comprises a phased array antenna.

24. 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:

initiating at least one semi-permanent time slot request for respective time frames to establish a communication link with each neighboring mobile node and leaving at least one available time slot in each time frame, while processing multiple received semi-permanent time slot requests from neighboring mobile nodes;

initiating at least one available time slot request to also serve the communication link with a neighboring mobile node based upon link communications demand, while processing multiple received available time slot requests from neighboring mobile nodes; and

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

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein a particular time slot is temporarily allocated to a plurality of neighboring mobile nodes.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein only one of the plurality of neighboring nodes is selected for the particular time slot.

27. A method according to claim 24, wherein the a plurality of time slot requests are initiated for respective time frames.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein a particular time slot is temporarily allocated to a plurality of neighboring mobile nodes.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein the only one of the plurality of neighboring nodes is selected for the particular time slot.

30. A method according to claim 24, wherein each communication link is formed by an initiating mobile node and a receiving mobile node, and wherein the initiating mobile node transmits a list of available semi-permanent time slots to said receiving mobile node.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein the receiving mobile node transmits selection of one of the semi-permanent time slots to the initiating mobile node.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein the initiating mobile node confirms selection of the selected semi-permanent time slot to the receiving mobile node.

33. A method according to claim 24, wherein the directional antenna comprises a phased array antenna.