Heuristics for combining inter-channel and intra-channel communications in a wireless communications environment
First Claim
1. A method of communicating over a network of nodes using a plurality of broadcast channels, each channel configured to facilitate the transmission and reception of data during cycles of time, the method comprising:
- dividing each cycle of time into discrete time frames;
dividing each time frame into a plurality of slots;
designating one of the plurality of broadcast channels as a common bootstrap channel;
each node in the network configured to broadcast, to other nodes within one hop of said node, on the common bootstrap channel during a first bootstrap slot, slot assignment information relating to any broadcast channel;
assigning each node to communicate over a broadcast channel that is one of the plurality of broadcast channels;
each node broadcasting, on its assigned channel during a second dynamically assigned bootstrap slot, slot assignment information relating to the assigned broadcast channel only to other nodes within one hop of said node and on said assigned channel; and
each node communicating according to the slot assignment information.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of communicating over a network of nodes using a plurality of broadcast channels. Each channel facilitates the transmission and reception of data during cycles of time divided into discrete time frames. Each frame is divided into a plurality of slots. Each node in the network is configured to broadcast, to other nodes within one hop of said node, on a common bootstrap channel during a first bootstrap slot, slot assignment information relating to any of the broadcast channels. Each node is assigned to communicate over a broadcast channel that is one of the plurality of broadcast channels. Each node broadcasts, on its assigned channel during a second bootstrap slot, slot assignment information relating to the assigned broadcast channel to other nodes within one hop of said node and on said assigned channel. Each node communicates according to the slot assignment information.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method of communicating over a network of nodes using a plurality of broadcast channels, each channel configured to facilitate the transmission and reception of data during cycles of time, the method comprising:
-
dividing each cycle of time into discrete time frames; dividing each time frame into a plurality of slots; designating one of the plurality of broadcast channels as a common bootstrap channel; each node in the network configured to broadcast, to other nodes within one hop of said node, on the common bootstrap channel during a first bootstrap slot, slot assignment information relating to any broadcast channel; assigning each node to communicate over a broadcast channel that is one of the plurality of broadcast channels; each node broadcasting, on its assigned channel during a second dynamically assigned bootstrap slot, slot assignment information relating to the assigned broadcast channel only to other nodes within one hop of said node and on said assigned channel; and each node communicating according to the slot assignment information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of connecting communications nodes to a wireless communications network, comprising:
-
designating one of a plurality of communications channels as a common bootstrap channel; each node in the network configured to broadcast, on the common bootstrap channel during a first time period, information to nodes, within one hop of said node, on any of the plurality of communications channels; assigning each node to communicate over a communications channel that is one of the plurality of communications channels; each node broadcasting, on its assigned channel during an allocation in a second time period, slot assignment information relating to the assigned broadcast channel to other nodes that are also assigned to said assigned broadcast channel and that are within one hop of said node; and each node communicating on its assigned channel according to the slot assignment information. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A wireless communications network, comprising:
-
a plurality of TDMA communications channels, wherein one of the channels is a common channel; a plurality of nodes, each node being assigned to one of the channels; a repeating time cycle divided into a plurality of frames; a first plurality of bootstrap slots for communicating on the common channel, wherein all of the plurality of nodes receive slot allocation information therefrom; and a second plurality of bootstrap slots, distributed across all the channels, wherein each node receives slot allocation information from other nodes that are within one hop of said node and on the same assigned channel.
-
Specification