Method and apparatus for communicating between coordinator-based wireless networks connected through a backbone network

• US 7,349,413 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hong, Jin-woo, Sung, Hyun-ah, Bae, Dae-gyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aminzay; Shaima Q.
• Application Number:
  US11/113,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 370/349, 370/310.2, 370/312, 370/320, 370/328, 370/338, 370/341, 370/348, 370/351, 370/389, 370/392, 370/395.21, 370/395.5, 370/449, 370/468, 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4616 LAN interconnection over a LAN backbone
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/462 LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for communication between multiple coordinator-based wireless networks connected through a wired backbone network by means of a wired/wireless relay device. In the communication method, communication is performed between coordinator-based wireless networks in a network including the coordinator-based wireless networks connected through a wired backbone network by means of a combination of identification information of a network device and identification information of a coordinator-based wireless network including the network device.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between coordinator-based wireless networks connected through a backbone network, comprising:

managing identification information of multiple coordinator-based wireless networks;

providing a network device with the identification information of a coordinator-based destination wireless network to which a destination network device belongs;

converting a frame containing the identification information, which has been received from the network device, to a frame supported by the backbone network; and

transmitting the convened frame to the backbone network,

wherein the managing of the identification information comprises;

providing the backbone network with a packet containing the identification information of a the coordinator-based destination wireless network within a predetermined period;

receiving a packet containing the identification information of another coordinator-based wireless network from the backbone network, extracting the identification information from the received packet, and updating the identification information; and

informing a coordinator in the coordinator-based destination wireless network of overlapping information when the identification information of the coordinator-based destination wireless network overlaps with already managed identification information of said another coordinator-based wireless network.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the managing of the identification information comprises:

providing the backbone network with a packet containing the identification information of the coordinator-based destination wireless network within a predetermined period;

receiving a packet containing the identification information of another coordinator-based wireless network from the backbone network, extracting the identification information from the packet, and updating the identification information; and

informing a relay device in a corresponding coordinator-based wireless network of overlapping information when the identification information of the packet received from the backbone network overlaps with already managed identification information of said another coordinator-based wireless network.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising storing the frame received from the network device before transmitting the received frame to the backbone network.

4. A method for communicating between coordinator-based wireless networks connected through a backbone network, comprising:

managing identification information of multiple coordinator-based wireless networks;

converting a frame containing the identification information received from a backbone network to a frame supported by a coordinator-based wireless network; and

transmitting the converted frame to a network device in the coordinator-based wireless network,

wherein the managing of the identification information comprises;

providing the backbone network with a packet containing the identification information of a coordinator-based wireless network within a predetermined period;

receiving a packet containing the identification information of another coordinator-based wireless network from the backbone network, extracting the identification information from the received packet, and updating the identification information; and

informing a coordinator in the coordinator-based wireless network of overlapping information when the identification information of the coordinator-based wireless network overlaps with already managed identification information of said another coordinator-based wireless network.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the managing of the identification information comprises:

providing the backbone network with a packet containing the identification information of a coordinator-based wireless network within a predetermined period;

receiving a packet containing the identification information of another coordinator-based wireless network from the backbone network, extracting the identification information from the received packet, and updating the identification information; and

informing a relay device in a corresponding coordinator-based wireless network of overlapping information when the identification information of the packet received from the backbone network overlaps with already managed identification information of said another coordinator-based wireless network.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising storing the frame received from the backbone network before transmitting the received frame to the network device in the coordinator-based wireless network.