Method and apparatus for dynamic neighbor discovery within wireless networks using time division multiple access (TDMA)
First Claim
1. A communication unit to transmit and receive information within a communications network and to discover neighboring communication units comprising:
- a transmitter to transmit outgoing information to at least one other communication unit within said network;
a receiver to receive incoming information from at least one other communication unit within said network; and
a processor to control said transmission and reception of said outgoing and incoming information, wherein said processor includes;
a neighbor discovery module to transmit neighbor discovery messages to neighboring communication units in accordance with a time division multiplexing communication scheme and a second different communication scheme, wherein neighbor discovery messages are transmitted within an assigned time slot in said time division multiplexing communication scheme to indicate the presence of said communication unit within said network; and
a controller module to assign and maintain said communication scheme time slots for said communication units within said network in response to said communication unit being selected as a primary controller.
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Abstract
An Ad-Hoc wireless network according to the present invention employs a TDMA based neighbor discovery protocol, where each network node is assigned a unique time slot to broadcast neighbor discovery packets or messages. A primary controller node is dynamically designated to perform the time slot assignments. A dynamic selection of a secondary or backup controller node is further provided in case of failure of the primary controller node. The present invention further includes flooding techniques based upon TDMA. A TDMA HELLO flood is used to distribute a small number of common parameters to network nodes by placing or piggybacking the information within the neighbor discovery messages. A CNR flood is based on the principles of a RAKE type receiver and used to distribute time slot assignments to the entire network.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A communication unit to transmit and receive information within a communications network and to discover neighboring communication units comprising:
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a transmitter to transmit outgoing information to at least one other communication unit within said network; a receiver to receive incoming information from at least one other communication unit within said network; and a processor to control said transmission and reception of said outgoing and incoming information, wherein said processor includes; a neighbor discovery module to transmit neighbor discovery messages to neighboring communication units in accordance with a time division multiplexing communication scheme and a second different communication scheme, wherein neighbor discovery messages are transmitted within an assigned time slot in said time division multiplexing communication scheme to indicate the presence of said communication unit within said network; and a controller module to assign and maintain said communication scheme time slots for said communication units within said network in response to said communication unit being selected as a primary controller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of transferring information between a communication unit and other units within a communications network and discovering neighboring communication units comprising:
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(a) transmitting neighbor discovery messages from said communication unit to neighboring communication units in accordance with a time division multiplexing communication scheme and a second different communication scheme, wherein neighbor discovery messages are transmitted within an assigned time slot in said time division multiplexing communication scheme to indicate the presence of said communication unit within said network; and (b) assigning and maintaining said communication scheme time slots for said communication units within said network in response to said communication unit being selected as a primary controller. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A communications network comprising:
a plurality of communication units for transferring information therebetween, wherein neighbor discovery messages are transmitted from said communication units to neighboring communication units in accordance with a time division multiplexing communication scheme and a second different communication scheme, wherein neighbor discovery messages are transmitted within assigned time slots in said time division multiplexing communication scheme to indicate the presence of said communication units within said network, and wherein one of said communication units is designated as a primary controller to assign and maintain said communication scheme time slots for said communication units within said network. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method of transferring information between communication units within a communications network and discovering neighboring communication units comprising:
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(a) transmitting neighbor discovery messages from said communication units to neighboring communication units in accordance with a time division multiplexing communication scheme and a second different communication scheme, wherein neighbor discovery messages are transmitted within assigned time slots in said time division multiplexing communication scheme to indicate the presence of said communication units within said network; and (b) assigning and maintaining said communication scheme time slots for said communication units within said network via one of said communication units designated as a primary controller. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification