Method of designating a future network coordinator

• US 7,447,503 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: North Star Innovations Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Shvodian, William M.
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US11/077,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/432.1, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/403, 455/450, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 379/328, 379/329, 379/330, 379/338
• US Class Current: 455/435.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A method (500) is provided for operating a network coordinator (110). The method includes receiving device capability information from a plurality of network devices (121-125), including whether each of the network devices can perform network control functions (520); determining whether any of the network devices is capable of performing network control functions based on the device capability information (540); choosing one of the network devices that is capable of performing network control functions to be a designated next coordinator if any of the network devices are capable of performing network control functions (570); determining that there will be no designated next coordinator if none of the network devices are capable of performing network control functions (550); and sending a beacon (220) to the network devices, the beacon including next coordinator information (300) indicating one of: the designated next coordinator, or that there is no designated next coordinator (580).

Claims

1. A. method of operating a network coordinator, comprising:

receiving device capability information from a plurality of network devices, including whether each of the plurality of network devices can perform network control functions;

determining whether any of the plurality of network devices is capable of performing network control functions based on the device capability information;

receiving network channel status information from one or more of the plurality of network devices in management frames assigned to the one or more of the plurality of network devices, respectively, the network channel status information indicating which of the plurality of network devices are within range of a transmitting device;

choosing one of the plurality of network devices that is capable of performing network control functions to be a designated next coordinator based on the network channel status information, if any of the plurality of network devices are capable of performing network control functions;

determining that there will be no designated next coordinator if none of the plurality of network devices are capable of performing network control functions; and

sending a beacon to the plurality of network devices, the beacon including next coordinator information indicating one of;

the designated next coordinator, or that there is no designated next coordinator.

2. A method of operating a network coordinator, as recited in claim 1, wherein the network channel status information include a bitmap representation of which of the plurality of network devices are within range of the transmitting device.

3. A method of operating a network coordinator, as recited in claim 1, wherein the next coordinator information includes one of:

a device identifier for the designated next coordinator, or a null value indicating no designated next coordinator.

4. A method of operating a network coordinator, as recited in claim 3, wherein the next coordinator information includes a network identifier to be used by the designate next coordinator to create a new network.

5. A method of operating a network coordinator, as recited in claim 1, wherein the next coordinator information includes a network identifier to be used by the designated next coordinator to create a new network.

6. A method of operating a network coordinator, as recited in claim 1, wherein the method is implemented in an ultra wideband device.

7. A method of operating a network coordinator, as recited in claim 1, wherein the method is implemented in an integrated circuit.

8. A method of operating a local network device, comprising:

listening for a beacon from a network coordinator;

listening to transmissions from one or more remote network devices in management frames assigned to the one or more remote network devices, respectively;

determining network channel status information regarding the one or more remote network devices based on the transmissions from the one or more remote network devices, the channel status information indicating which of the one or more remote network devices are within range of the local network device;

determining whether the beacon has been successfully received;

determining whether the beacon indicates that the network device is a designated next network coordinator;

storing a next device indicator indicating that the local network device is the designated next network coordinator if the beacon indicates that the local network device is the designated next network coordinator; and

operating in a superframe in accordance with instructions in the beacon, when the beacon has been successfully received,

wherein while operating in the superframe, the local network device sends the network channel status information to the network coordinator in a management time frame assigned to the local network device.

9. A method of operating a local network device, as recited in claim 8, wherein the network channel status information includes a bitmap representation indicating which other devices in the wireless network are within range of the local network device.

10. A method of operating a local network device, as recited in claim 8, further comprising sending device capability information to the network coordinator indicating whether the local network device can perform network control functions.

11. A method of operating a local network device, as recited in claim 8, wherein the method is implemented in an ultra wideband device.

12. A method of operating a local network device, as recited in claim 8, wherein the method is implemented in an integrated circuit.

13. A method of operating a network device, comprising:

receiving next coordinator information from an original network coordinator designating the network device as a next network coordinator;

storing a next coordinator indicator that indicates the network device is the designated next network coordinator;

listening for an original beacon from the original network coordinator;

determining whether the original beacon has been successfully received;

determining if a maximum number of consecutive original beacons have not been received if the original beacon has not been successfully received;

sending out a new beacon and performing network control functions if a maximum number of consecutive original beacons have not been received; and

scanning a network channel for transmissions from one or more non-coordinator devices in the network,

wherein the sending out of the new beacon and the performing of network control functions is only performed if a maximum number of consecutive origina1 beacons have not been received, and the scanning of the network channel detects no transmissions from the one or more non-coordinator devices in the network.

14. A method of operating a network device, as recited in claim 13, wherein the new beacon is sent out at a different time that an original beacon would be expected from the original network coordinator.

15. A method of operating a network device, as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether the next coordinator information indicates that the network device is a designated next network coordinator if the original beacon has been successfully received; and

revising the stored next coordinator indicator to indicate that the next device is not a designated next network coordinator if the next coordinator information indicates that the network device is not the designated next network coordinator.

16. A method of operating a network device, as recited in claim 13, further comprising sending network channel status information to the original network coordinator that indicates which other devices in the wireless network are within range of the network device.

17. A method of operating a network device, as recited in claim 16, the network channel status information includes a bitmap representation indicating which other devices in the wireless network are within range of the network device.

18. A method of operating a network device, as recited in claim 13, wherein the method is implemented in an ultra wideband device.

19. A method of operating a network device, as recited in claim 13, wherein the method is implemented in an integrated circuit.