Time division protocol for an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio network having coordinating channel access to shared parallel data channels with separate reservation channel
First Claim
1. In an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of terminals where each said terminal is capable of making at least one of an outgoing call or receiving an incoming call, each said terminal comprising transceiver means for transmitting and receiving signals from other like terminals of said series of terminals, computer means and memory means for storing program software means therein, the improvement comprising:
- said memory means comprising software means for creating connectivity messaging and data transfer plan messaging information for transmission to other said terminals, and for receiving similar said information from other said terminals from which said terminal can receive;
said software means comprising means for delivering said connectivity and data transfer plan information messaging to a configuration channel for transmission to said other terminals belonging to the same service group (SG);
said connectivity messaging comprising a utilization map, the power used for transmitting the messaging, and the level of the environmental noise at the transmission site of the transmitting terminal;
said data transfer plan information messaging comprising messaging for use in changing the transmit power level and for determining routing paths; and
said utilization map comprising information messaging on the availability of time slots of a previous time frame based on whether time slots were used in said previous time frame or were unavailable for use due to high-level noise;
said software means further comprising means for generating at least one optimal connection path of a call based on said messaging received from other said terminals in said service group (SG), whereby said call is routed to its destination by routing said call along a route utilizing at least one of some of said terminals of said series of terminals based on least-energy routing, so that the least amount of energy over a selected route is chosen for completing a call.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A novel protocol for an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio network that provides collision-free channel access with an emphasis on improving geographic reuse of the frequency spectrum. The protocol of the invention is executed on the reservation or control channel, and provides a method for allocating data transactions on the data channels. The system of the invention utilizes multiple parallel data channels that are coordinated by a single reservation channel. The transceiver of the system employs two modems to solve the channel reliability issues with multiple channel designs, where one is dedicated as a receive-only modem for gathering channel usage information on the reservation channel. High quality voice, video and data may be transmitted. The reservation channel implements a time division multiple access algorithm with dynamic slot allocation. In a distributed manner, nodes determine geographic reuse of slots based on channel quality extracted from the modem. Signal quality calculations are used to determine the likelihood of a slot reuse causing destructive interference within a node'"'"'s neighborhood. Requests for slot usage are compared with the known traffic pattern and accepted or rejected by nodes within RF signal range based on the signal quality calculations.
484 Citations
56 Claims
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1. In an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of terminals where each said terminal is capable of making at least one of an outgoing call or receiving an incoming call, each said terminal comprising transceiver means for transmitting and receiving signals from other like terminals of said series of terminals, computer means and memory means for storing program software means therein, the improvement comprising:
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said memory means comprising software means for creating connectivity messaging and data transfer plan messaging information for transmission to other said terminals, and for receiving similar said information from other said terminals from which said terminal can receive;
said software means comprising means for delivering said connectivity and data transfer plan information messaging to a configuration channel for transmission to said other terminals belonging to the same service group (SG);
said connectivity messaging comprising a utilization map, the power used for transmitting the messaging, and the level of the environmental noise at the transmission site of the transmitting terminal;
said data transfer plan information messaging comprising messaging for use in changing the transmit power level and for determining routing paths; and
said utilization map comprising information messaging on the availability of time slots of a previous time frame based on whether time slots were used in said previous time frame or were unavailable for use due to high-level noise;
said software means further comprising means for generating at least one optimal connection path of a call based on said messaging received from other said terminals in said service group (SG), whereby said call is routed to its destination by routing said call along a route utilizing at least one of some of said terminals of said series of terminals based on least-energy routing, so that the least amount of energy over a selected route is chosen for completing a call. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. In an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of terminals where each said terminal is capable of making at least one of an outgoing call or receiving an incoming call, each said terminal comprising computer means, and memory means for storing program software means therein, the improvement comprising:
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each said terminal of said series of terminals comprising a modem means for transmitting first communications information on at least one data channel (DC) at a first chosen power level, and for transmitting second communications information on a control channel (CC) at a second chosen power level;
said first power level being one of equal to or less than said second power level, whereby RF interference among said series of terminals is minimized. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7)
said first time slot transmitting said control-channel information at said first frequency of F0, and said at least three subsequent time slots (TS) transmitting said data-channel (DC) information at frequencies of F1, F2, and F3, respectively.
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8. A protocol for use in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of terminals where each said terminal is capable of making at least one of an outgoing call or receiving an incoming call, and where each said terminal comprising computer means, memory means for storing program software means therein, and where each said terminal is capable of being hop of a routing path connecting a call from a source to a destination, comprising:
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software means for said memory means of each said terminal, said software means comprising means for generating communications-information for transmission based on time-division messaging;
said communications-information comprising a series of time frames (TM) each divided into a series of time slots (TS);
said communications-information comprising at least one time slot in which control-channel (CC) messaging information is transmitted, and other time slots in which is transmitted channel data (CD) messaging information;
said at least one time slot transmitting said control-channel information at a first frequency of F0, and said other time slots (TS) transmitting said data-channel (DC) information at frequencies of F1, F2, and F3, respectively;
each said time frame (TF) comprising an inter-frame time gap (IFTG) at the end of each said time frame (TF) in which no communications-information is transmitted, whereby each said terminal is allowed time to perform necessary calculations. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. In a radio terminal for use in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of radio terminals, said radio terminal capable of making at least one of an outgoing call or receiving an incoming call, and comprising transceiver means for transmitting and receiving signals from other like terminals of said series of terminals, computer means and memory means for storing program software means therein, the improvement comprising:
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said memory means comprising software means for setting the power level of a transmission of control-channel messaging to be transmitted by said transceiver means;
said software means further comprising means for generating routing messaging including said power level set by said means for setting for use in determining the connection path of a call;
said software means further comprising means for determining the optimal connection path of an outgoing call based on least energy use, so that the least amount of energy over a selected route is chosen for completing the call. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of selecting an optimal routing path of a call in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of radio terminals, each said radio terminal comprising transceiver means for transmitting and receiving signals from other like terminals of said series of terminals, computer means and memory means for storing program software means therein, comprising:
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(a) creating a service group (SG) of said radio terminals where each said radio terminal of said service group may be connected to any other of said radio terminals of said service group via at least one connecting path;
(b) creating in each said radio terminal of said service group (SG) via said software means connectivity messaging and data transfer plan messaging information for transmission to other said radio terminals of said service group, and for receiving similar said information from said other radio terminals;
(c) delivering said connectivity and data transfer plan information messaging to a configuration channel for transmission to said other radio terminals belonging to the same service group (SG);
(d) said step (b) comprising developing by said software means a utilization map, the power used for transmitting the messaging, and the level of the environmental noise at the transmission site of the transmitting terminal;
(e) said step (b) further comprising using said data transfer plan information messaging for use in adjusting the transmit power level and for determining at least one routing path. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
(f) developing said utilization map with information messaging based on time division on the availability of time slots of a previous time frame based on whether time slots were used in said previous time frame or were unavailable for use.
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27. The method of selecting an optimal routing path of a call in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system according to claim 25, further comprising:
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(f) transmitting said connectivity and data transfer plan information messaging to other said radio terminals of said service group of radio terminals via said configuration channel;
(g) receiving said connectivity and data transfer plan information messaging at said other radio terminals;
(h) determining the optimal routing path of a call to or from a said radio terminal based on said received connectivity and data transfer plan information.
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28. The method according to claim 25, wherein said step (b) comprises:
(c) applying a power-perturbation to said service group of terminals to cause at least some of said terminals to adjust the power level to a lower value.
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29. The method according to claim 28, wherein said time-dependent messaging is made up of a series of time frames with each time frame having a plurality of time slots, said step (c) comprising applying said perturbation in the same time frame on all said terminals of said service group.
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30. The method according to claim 28, wherein said time-dependent messaging is made up of a series of time frames with each time frame having a plurality of time slots, said step (b) comprising utilizing at least three said time frames.
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31. A method of reducing radio interference in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of radio terminals forming a service group, each said radio terminal comprising transceiver means for transmitting and receiving signals from other like terminals of said series of terminals, computer means and memory means for storing program software means therein, where a call for sending packet data from one radio terminal may be connected utilizing at least one other said radio terminal as a node in the routing connection of the call to a destination other said other radio terminal, comprising:
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(a) transmitting connectivity messaging from said one radio terminal to at least one other radio terminal of said service group;
(b) said step (a) comprising transmitting said connectivity messaging using time division signaling having a series of time frames (TF) with each said time frame consisting of a plurality of time slots (TS);
(c) said step (b) comprising dedicating one of said time slots (TS) of each said time frame (TF) as a configuration channel in which said connectivity messaging is transmitted;
(d) said step (b) comprising dedicating other of said time slots (TS) of each said time frame (TF) as data channels in which data information messaging is transmitted;
(e) said step (b) comprising transmitting said connectivity messaging of said configuration channel of at a power level equal to or greater than the power level at which said data information on said data channels is transmitted. terminals of said series of terminals, computer means and memory means for storing. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A method of transmitting radio calls in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of radio terminals forming a service group, each said radio terminal comprising transceiver means for transmitting and receiving signals from other like terminals of said series of terminals, computer means and memory means for storing program software means therein, comprising:
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(a) establishing a call from a said radio terminal based on time-division access;
(b) said step (a) comprising creating messaging consisting of a series of time frames (TF) with each said time frame consisting of a plurality of time slots (TS);
(c) said step (b) comprising dedicating one said time slot for use as a configuration channel for transmitting information useful in establishing a routing path of a call;
(d) said step (b) further comprising dedicating other of said time slots for use as a data channels for transmitting the actual call information;
(e) said step (b) further comprising forming an inter-frame time gap (IFIG) between said time frames (TF) during which each radio terminal may process said data received from another terminal.
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34. In a method of transmitting radio calls in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of radio terminals, each said radio terminal comprising transceiver means for transmitting and receiving signals from other like terminals of said series of terminals, computer means and memory means for storing program software means therein, said radio system based on time-dependent messaging having multiple parallel data channels and a control channel, comprising:
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(a) said radio terminal monitoring said control channel for information about the power level at which other said terminals are transmitting over said control channel; and
(b) adjusting the power level of said terminal based on the information received on said control channel in said step (a); and
before said step (a); (c) said terminal transmitting a registration request signal over said control channel for registering with at least one of;
another said radio terminal and a gateway;
(d) said step (a) monitoring the evolution of path loss to all radio terminals receiving said registration request of said step (c);
(e) said step (b) comprising adjusting said power level in accordance with path-loss variation and noise level from said step (d). - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
(f) said radio terminal registering with at least one other said radio terminal, said at least one other radio terminal serving as a node of a connection routing path of a call for said radio terminal.
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36. The method of transmitting radio calls in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of radio terminals according to claim 35, wherein said step (f) comprises:
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(g) registering with a plurality of other said radio terminals for forming a multi-node connection routing path;
(h) each said other radio terminal forming a said node of said connection routing path storing information in said memory means thereof about said registration (i) each said radio-terminal storing registration information in said memory means thereof about any other said radio terminal serving as a node therefor through which it has been registered; and
(j) each said radio-terminal also storing registration information in said memory means thereof about any other said radio terminal for which it serves as a node therefor through which said any other radio terminal has been registered.
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37. The method of transmitting radio calls in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system according to claim 34, further comprising before said step (a):
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(f) initiating an outgoing call from one said radio terminal;
(g) said step (f) comprising registering with another said radio terminal for serving as a node in the call connection by transmitting a registration request;
(h) said step (g) comprising initially transmitting said registration message on the last time slot (TS) of a respective said time frame (TF), said last time slot serving as said configuration channel.
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38. The method of transmitting radio calls in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system according to claim 37, further comprising after said step (h):
(i) selecting in a time frame (TF), subsequent to said respective said time frame in which said registration messaging was sent by said step (h), a time slot (TS) earlier than said last time slot of said subsequent time frame as said configuration channel for transmitting configuration messaging.
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39. The method of transmitting radio calls in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of radio terminals according to claim 34, further comprising:
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(f) said step (c) comprising registering initially with one other said radio terminal for forming a node by which a call to and from said radio terminal may be completed;
(g) said one other radio terminal submitting said registration request signal from said radio terminal to at least one of another said radio terminal or a gateway;
(h) said one other radio terminal monitoring said control channel for information about the power level at which other said terminals are transmitting over said control channel; and
(i) adjusting the power level of said one other radio terminal based on the information received on said control channel in said step (a);
(j) said step (h) monitoring the evolution of path loss to all radio terminals receiving the registration request; and
(k) said step (i) comprising adjusting said power level in accordance with path-loss variation and noise level from said step (j).
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40. The method of transmitting radio calls in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of radio terminals according to claim 39, further comprising:
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(l) said step (g) comprising submitting the registration request directly to a gateway;
(m) recording in said gateway said registration request from said radio terminal;
(n) said step (m) comprising storing information about the connection path, consisting of at least one node, from said radio terminal to said gateway.
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41. In a protocol for use in a network of terminals each having computer means, memory means for storing a program, and software means therein, said software means of each said terminal comprising means for generating communications-information for transmission based on time division messaging, said communications-information comprising a series of time frames (TF) each divided into a series of time slots (TS);
- said communications-information comprising at least one time slot in which control channel (CC) messaging information is transmitted, and other time slots in which is transmitted data-channel (DC) messaging information, the improvement comprising;
said at least one time slot transmitting said control-channel information at a first frequency of F0, and said other time slots (TS) transmitting said data-channel (DC) messaging information at different respective frequencies;
each said time frame (TF) comprising an inter-frame time gap (IFTG) at the end of each said time frame (TF) in which no communications-information is transmitted, whereby each said terminal is allowed time to perform necessary calculations. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
- said communications-information comprising at least one time slot in which control channel (CC) messaging information is transmitted, and other time slots in which is transmitted data-channel (DC) messaging information, the improvement comprising;
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49. A radio terminal for an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of radio terminals, each said radio terminal comprising transceiver means for transmitting and receiving signals from other like terminals of said series of terminals, computer means, memory means for storing program software means therein, and software means, said radio system based on time-dependent messaging having multiple parallel data channels and a control channel, the improvement comprising:
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said software means comprising means for generating communications-information for transmission based on time-division messaging;
said communications-information comprising a series of time frames (TM) each divided into a series of time slots (TS);
said communications-information comprising at least one time slot in which control-channel (CC) messaging information is transmitted, and other time slots in which is transmitted channel data (CD) messaging information;
said software means further comprising sending means for sending out message-signaling toward other said radio terminals for finding and registering with at least one other of said other radio terminals;
said sending means comprising transmitting status messaging over said control channel;
said software means also comprising listening means for listening to a response to said status messaging from at least another said radio terminal on said control channel;
said software means further comprising random means for randomly selecting at least another said time slot of at least one subsequent said time frame for said sending means to transmit said status messaging when said listening means receives no response;
said software means comprising power-incrementing means for increasing the power of transmission of said status messaging over a subsequent, selected, respective said time slot as compared with a previous said time slot in which said status messaging was transmitted. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51)
(i) identifying the radio terminal as being isolated and for causing the radio terminal to be a root of an isolated network (IN) if said step (f) does not receive a response from the transmitted status message after said step (h).
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51. The radio terminal for an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system according to claim 49, wherein said step (g) comprises sending out the status messaging at a random rate varying between a first, preselected minimum time and a maximum time N determined by three times the number of member-terminals in the isolated network (IN).
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52. In a radio terminal for an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of radio terminals, each said radio terminal comprising transceiver means for transmitting and receiving signals from other like terminals of said series of terminals, computer means, memory means for storing program software means therein, and software means, said radio system based on time-dependent messaging having multiple parallel data channels and a control channel, the method comprising:
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(a) generating communications-information for transmission based on time-division messaging;
(b) said step (a) comprising generating a series of time frames (TM) each divided into a series of time slots (TS);
(c) said step (b) comprising dedicating at least one time slot for control-channel (CC) messaging information is transmitted, and other time slots in which is transmitted channel data (CD) messaging information;
(d) sending out message-signaling toward other said radio terminals for finding and registering with at least other radio terminal;
(e) said step (d) comprising transmitting status messaging over the control channel;
(f) listening to a response to said status messaging from at least another radio terminal on the control channel;
(g) randomly selecting at least another time slot of at least one subsequent time frame for retransmitting the status messaging when said step (f) did not hear a response from another terminal;
(h) incrementally increasing the power of transmission of the status messaging over a subsequent, selected, respective time slot as compared with a previous time slot in which said status messaging was transmitted, and repeating said step (e) using the new time slot in the new time frame. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54)
said software means further comprising means for identifying said radio terminal as being isolated and for setting said radio terminal as a root of an isolated network (IN) if said listening means does not receive a response from said status message after said power-incrementing means has sent out over a time slot at said maximum power level.
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54. The radio terminal for an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system according to claim 53, wherein said random means sends out said status messaging from said sending means at a random rate varying between a first, preselected minimum time and a maximum time N determined by three times the number of member-terminals in said isolated network (IN).
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55. In an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of radio terminals, each said radio terminal comprising transceiver means for transmitting and receiving signals from other like terminals of said series of terminals, computer means, and memory means for storing program software means therein, said radio system based on time-dependent messaging having multiple parallel data channels and a control channel, the method comprising:
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(a) generating communications-information for transmission based on time-division messaging;
(b) said step (a) comprising generating a series of time frames (TM) each divided into a series of time slots (TS);
(c) said step (b) comprising dedicating at least one time slot for control-channel (CC) messaging information is transmitted, and other time slots in which is transmitted channel data (CD) messaging information;
(d) when said transceiver is idle from transmitting or receiving messaging information in said step (a), sending out maintenance message-signaling toward other said radio terminals for maintaining a link with at least one other said radio terminal;
(e) said step (d) comprising transmitting said maintenance status messaging message-signaling over the control channel.
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56. In an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of radio terminals, each said radio terminal comprising transceiver means for transmitting and receiving signals from other like terminals of said series of terminals, computer means, and memory means for storing program software means therein, said radio system based on time-dependent messaging having multiple parallel data channels and a control channel, the method comprising:
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(a) building a link between a source terminal and a destination radio terminal or gateway;
(b) said step (b) comprising sending out link message-signaling from said source terminal toward said destination over said control channel at a first power level;
(c) after said step (b), said source terminal listening to said control channel for a response to said step (b) by any other said radio terminal;
(d) if said step (c) indicated no response, increasing said power level;
(e) if said step (c) indicated a response, said destination adjusting its power of transmission in accordance with the length of the path from said source to said destination and the type of service;
(f) sending out a dummy Clear-to-Send (CTS) from said destination at the power set in said step (e);
(g) a terminal receiving said dummy CTS of said step (f), and which was part of said link to said destination, answering said destination with a Ready-to-Link (RTL) message; and
(h) selecting the first hop of the link for which a connecting routing path is to be formed.
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Specification