Method and device for communicating a message on a network and systems using them

• US 7,159,042 B1
• Filed: 02/29/2000
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tocze, Lionel, Caillerie, Alain, Morvan, Isabelle
• Primary Examiner(s): WINDER, PATRICE L
• Application Number:
  US09/515,872
• Time in Patent Office: 2,499 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 370/331, 370/338, 370/436, 455/11.1, 455/450
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2687 Inter base stations synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

The communication method concerns communication stations adapted to communicate with each other when a base station supplies a synchronisation signal to mobile stations synchronising on this signal.

This method includes a request operation during which a first base station transmits, to a mobile station, a request for the storage in memory and transmission, by the mobile station, of a message, to a message destination communication station which is not synchronised with the first base station.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between communication stations adapted to communicate with each other when at least one of the communication stations supplies a synchronisation signal, the station then functioning in base station mode and the stations not supplying a synchronisation signal but synchronising on a synchronisation signal sent by a station functioning in base station mode then functioning in mobile station mode, wherein the method includes:

a first operation of receiving a message, during which a mobile station synchronised with a first base station receives a message coming from the first base station,

an operation of detachment and attachment, during which the mobile station synchronises with a second base station, without the two base stations synchronising with each other, and

a second transmission operation, during which the mobile station transmits the message to the second base station,

and wherein the message represents traffic between the mobile stations synchronised on the first base station and the first base station,

and wherein the message destination station is the second base station, and the second base station performs, on receipt of the message, an operation of determining the total traffic during which it determines whether or not the sum;

of the traffic between the mobile stations synchronised on the first base station and the first base station, on the one hand, and

the traffic between the mobile stations synchronised on the second base station and the second base station, on the other hand, is less than a predetermined value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein when, during the total traffic determination operation, it is determined that the sum:

of the traffic between the mobile stations synchronised on the first base station and the first base station, on the one hand, and

the traffic between the mobile stations synchronised on the second base station and the second base station, on the other hand,

is less than the predetermined value, one of the base stations performs an operation of switching into mobile station mode and synchronises on the other base station.

3. A method of communicating between communication stations adapted to communicate with each other when at least one of the communication stations supplies a synchronisation signal, the station then functioning in base station mode and the stations not supplying a synchronisation signal but synchronising on a synchronisation signal sent by a station functioning in base station mode then functioning in mobile station mode, wherein the method includes:

a first operation of receiving a message, during which a mobile station synchronised with a first base station receives a message coming from the first base station,

an operation of detachment and attachment, during which the mobile station synchronises with a second base station, without the two base stations synchronising with each other, and

a second transmission operation, during which the mobile station transmits the message to the second base station,

and wherein the message represents traffic between the mobile stations synchronised on the first base station and the first base station,

and wherein the message destination station is the second base station, and on reception of the message, the second base station performs a first operation of determining the distribution of traffic between the two base stations during which the second mobile station determines whether or not;

on the one hand, the traffic between the mobile stations synchronised on the first base station and the first base station is less than a predetermined value, and

on the other hand, the traffic between the mobile stations synchronised on the second base station and the second base station is greater than a predetermined value.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein when, during the first traffic distribution determination operation, it is determined that:

the traffic between the mobile stations synchronised on the first base station and the first base station is less than a predetermined value, on the one hand, and

the traffic between the mobile stations synchronised on the second base station and the second base station is greater than a predetermined value, on the other hand,

the second base station performs an operation of seeking a communication to be transferred during which the second mobile station determines whether at least one of the communications between mobile stations which are synchronised with the second base station can be transferred to the first base station.