Wireless terminals with multiple transceivers

• US 7,120,456 B1
• Filed: 11/07/2001
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raytheon BBN Technologies Corp. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BBN Technologies (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Burchfiel, Jerry D., Elliot, Brig Barnum, Michel, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse, Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US10/039,308
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/446, 455/447, 455/448, 455/518, 455/519, 455/507, 455/422, 455/7, 455/517, 370/335, 370/310, 370/245, 370/242
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A wireless network [100] includes a number of first wireless terminals configured to operate as cluster heads [110] by communicating with at least one other cluster head over a relatively long range backbone link [115]. Each one of the first wireless terminals includes a backbone transceiver. The backbone transceivers may operate in a first frequency range. At least one second wireless terminal is configured to operate as a cluster member [120] by communicating with an associated cluster head over a local link. Each one of the second wireless terminals includes a cluster transceiver. The cluster transceivers may operate in a second frequency range that is different from the first frequency range of the backbone transceivers. At least one of the first and second wireless terminals includes both a backbone transceiver and a cluster transceiver.

Claims

1. A wireless network, comprising:

a plurality of first wireless terminals configured to operate as cluster heads by communicating with at least one other cluster head over one or more backbone links, each one of the plurality of first wireless terminals including one or more backbone transceivers,

at least one second wireless terminal configured to operate as a cluster member by communicating with an associated cluster head over one or more local links, each one of the at least one second wireless terminals including one or more cluster transceivers,

wherein at least one of the first or second wireless terminals includes both a backbone transceiver and a cluster transceiver, and

a third wireless terminal configured to;

determine whether the third wireless terminal includes a functioning backbone transceiver, and

affiliate with one of the first wireless terminals when the third wireless terminal includes no functioning backbone transceiver.

2. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the backbone transceiver is configured to operate over first distances and in a first frequency range, and

wherein the cluster transceiver is configured to operate over second distances that are shorter than the first distances and in a second frequency range that is different from the first frequency range.

3. The wireless network of claim 2, wherein the backbone transceiver includes a first radio operating in an ultrahigh frequency (UHF) range, and

wherein the cluster transceiver includes a second radio operating at substantially 2.4 GHz.

4. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first wireless terminals includes two different types of backbone transceivers.

5. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first wireless terminals includes two different types of cluster transceivers.

6. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one second wireless terminals includes two different types of cluster transceivers.

7. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first wireless terminals includes a backbone transceiver and a cluster transceiver.

8. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the one or more backbone transceivers includes one or more of the following:

a radio operating in an ultrahigh frequency (UHF) range, a laser transceiver, a microwave transceiver, or a code division multiple access (CDMA) radio.

9. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the one or more cluster transceivers includes one or more of the following:

an acoustic transceiver, an omni-directional optical transceiver, a very high frequency (VHF) transceiver, a code division multiple access (CDMA) radio, an ultra-wideband (UWB) radio, or a time-division multiple access (TDMA) radio.

10. A method performed by a first terminal, the first terminal being a wireless, mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving beacons from a plurality of second terminals, where at least one of the beacons is received according to a first wireless access protocol and at least one other one of the beacons is received according to a second wireless access protocol;

determining a signal strength associated with each of the second terminals based on the beacons received according to the first and second wireless access protocols;

sending an affiliation message to one of the second terminals based on the determined signal strength;

determining whether a response to the affiliation message is received from the one of the second terminals;

affiliating with the one of the second terminals when the response to the affiliation message is received from the one of the second terminals; and

periodically repeating the receiving beacons, determining a signal strength, sending an affiliation message, determining whether a response to the affiliation message is received, and affiliating with the one of the second terminals as the first terminal moves to different locations.

11. A first terminal, comprising:

means for receiving beacons from a plurality of second terminals, where at least one of the beacons is received according to a first wireless access protocol and at least one other one of the beacons is received according to a second wireless access protocol;

means for determining a signal strength associated with each of the second terminals based on the beacons received according to the first and second wireless access protocols;

means for sending an affiliation message to one of the second terminals based on the determined signal strength;

means for determining whether a response to the affiliation message is received from the one of the second terminals;

means for affiliating with the one of the second terminals when the response to the affiliation message is received from the one of the second terminals; and

means for periodically repeating the receiving beacons, determining a signal strength, sending an affiliation message, determining whether a response to the affiliation message is received, and affiliating with the one of the second terminals as the first terminal moves to different locations.