System and method for coordinating bandwidth usage of a communication channel by wireless network nodes

• US 7,248,570 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2001
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bahl, Pradeep, Bahl, Paramvir
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, ANDREW CHUNG CHEUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/953,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20030053437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,136 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/349, 370/338, 370/332, 370/312, 370/254
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00 Hand-off or reselection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/03 Reselecting a link using a direct mode connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system and method is provided for coordinating wireless bandwidth usage of a common frequency band by wireless nodes in two disjoint networks, such as an infrastructure (“IS”) network and an ad hoc (“AH”) network. When AH nodes move into the transmission range of an access point of the IS network, they register with the access point and listen to the access point to tell them when they are allowed to transmit data over a given transmission channel. The access point coordinates the bandwidth usage by broadcasting ad hoc mode poll signals to indicate that the ad hoc nodes may transmit over the channel, and sending infrastructure mode poll signals to indicate that a wireless node in the IS network can transmit over the given channel. The access point makes a fraction of the bandwidth available for communications by the wireless AH nodes in its transmission range, while guaranteeing the rest of the bandwidth for wireless nodes in the IS network.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for an access point of a first wireless network to perform steps for coordinating bandwidth usage of a frequency channel shared by nodes in the first wireless network and nodes in a second wireless network, the first and second wireless networks having overlapping ranges of wireless transmission, wherein the nodes of the first wireless network and the nodes of the second wireless network are unable to effectively communicate with each other, the steps comprising:

receiving registration from nodes of both wireless networks within range of the access point;

sending first poll signals each for signaling a time slot for at least one node in the first wireless network to transmit over the frequency channel; and

sending second poll signals each for signaling a time slot for at least one node in the second wireless network to transmit over the frequency channel,

wherein the first wireless network is an infrastructure network and the second wireless network is an ad hoc network.

2. A computer-readable storage medium as in claim 1, wherein the frequency channel is a radio frequency channel.

3. A computer-readable storage medium as in claim 1, wherein the step of sending the first poll signals designates time slots for wireless nodes of the second wireless network to transmit over the frequency channel constituting a pre-selected portion of the bandwidth of the frequency channel.

4. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for a wireless node of an ad hoc network to share a frequency channel with wireless nodes of an infrastructure network, comprising:

detecting an access point of the infrastructure wireless network;

registering with the access point of the infrastructure wireless network;

listening for a poll signal from the access point signaling a time slot for wireless nodes in the ad hoc network to transmit over the frequency channel, wherein the poll signal is simultaneously broadcast to all wireless nodes in the ad hoc network registered with the access point;

transmitting communication data over the frequency channel over the ad hoc wireless network within said time slot.

5. A computer-readable storage medium as in claim 4, wherein the frequency channel is a radio frequency channel.

6. A computer-readable storage medium as in claim 4, wherein the wireless node of the ad hoc network is a laptop computer.

7. A computer-readable storage medium as in claim 4, wherein the wireless node of the ad hoc network also operates as a node in the infrastructure network, and having further computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

listening for a second poll signal from the access point signaling a time slot for the wireless node to transmit over the frequency channel in an infrastructure mode;

transmitting communication data over the infrastructure network over the frequency channel within said time slot signaled by the second poll signal.

8. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for a wireless node to communicate in an infrastructure network and an ad hoc network over a frequency channel shared by the infrastructure and ad hoc networks, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first poll signal from an access point of the infrastructure network signaling a time slot for infrastructure network transmission;

switching to an infrastructure mode to operate as a node of the infrastructure network;

transmitting data in the infrastructure mode over the frequency channel;

receiving a second poll signal from the access point signaling a time slot for ad hoc network transmission;

switching to an ad hoc mode to operate as a node of the ad hoc network;

transmitting data in the ad hoc mode over the frequency channel.

9. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for coordinating usage of a frequency channel shared by nodes in an infrastructure network and an ad hoc network, wherein the nodes of the infrastructure network and the nodes of the ad hoc network are unable to effectively communicate with each other, comprising:

registering, by a first wireless node in the ad hoc network with an access point of the infrastructure network;

sending, by the access point, a first poll signal for signaling time slots for wireless nodes in the ad hoc network to transmit communication data over the frequency channel;

transmitting, by the first wireless node, communication data over the frequency channel within the time slot signaled by the first poll signal;

sending, by the access point, a second poll signal for signaling a time slot for a second wireless node in the infrastructure network to transmit communication data over the frequency channel; and

transmitting, by the second wireless node, communication data over the frequency channel within the time slot signaled by the second poll signal.