Method and apparatus for wireless routing on a plurality of different wireless channels

• US 7,522,551 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2003
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Giaimo, Edward C., Bahl, Paramvir, Bahl, Pradeep, Pennock, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faroul; Farah
• Application Number:
  US10/701,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20040090924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,995 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/338, 370/328, 370/329, 370/230, 370/245, 370/348, 370/395.5, 370/400, 370/401, 370/396, 370/395.21, 455/432.1, 455/450, 455/452.1, 455/452.2
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

To provide enhanced quality of service (QoS) communication capability, a wireless network is implemented in which different channels are used for conveying different types of data and in which wireless devices are selectively operated in either an infrastructure or ad hoc mode automatically selected to make best use of the available communication bandwidth. For example, a wireless device for a computer can be operated selectively as a client wireless device that is in communication with a legacy access point in an infrastructure mode on one channel, while using one or more different channels to communicate selectively in either ad hoc mode or infrastructure mode with client devices. To make efficient use of wireless devices, IEEE 802.11a or 802.11g wireless devices are used for communicating audio/video data on one channel, while an IEEE 802.11b wireless device is used on a different channel for communicating web page data.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless network comprising a wireless access point and a plurality of wireless devices wherein each wireless device may operate in a plurality of wireless communication modes, the method for making more effective use of an available wireless communication bandwidth, the method comprising:

(a) the access point communicating with both a first wireless device and a second wireless device on a first wireless channel, in an infrastructure mode;

(b) determining a type of data to be communicated over the wireless network;

(c)when the data is a first type, selectively operating the first wireless device as a client wireless device that is coupled in wireless communication with the wireless access point over the first wireless channel;

(d)when the data is a second type, selectively operating the first wireless device as a surrogate access point that is coupled in wireless communication with at least one other wireless device over a second wireless channel which is different than the first wireless channel; and

(e) when determining that the first wireless device and the second wireless device are within range of each other to facilitate direct communication, the access point sending a signal on the first wireless channel, the signal causing the first wireless client device and the second wireless client device to establish direct communications on the second wireless channel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selectively operating the first wireless device in one of an ad hoc mode and an infrastructure mode when communicating over the wireless network with the at least one other wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising selectively operating the first wireless device at a different data rate and on a different channel when operating the first wireless device as the client wireless device, as when operating the first wireless device as the surrogate access point.

4. A wireless device for making more effective use of an available wireless communication bandwidth, comprising:

(a) a memory in which machine instructions are stored;

(b) a wireless transmitter and receiver configured to transmit and receive on a plurality of different wireless channels;

(c) a processor that is coupled to the memory and upon which executes the machine instructions to carry out the method of claim 1.

5. The wireless device of claim 4, wherein the machine instructions are further operative to cause the processor to selectively operate the wireless device in one of an ad hoc mode and an infrastructure mode when communicating over the wireless network with at least one other wireless device.

6. The wireless device of claim 4, wherein the machine instructions are further operative to cause the processor to selectively operate the wireless device at a different data rate and on a different channel when operating the wireless device as a client device than when operating the wireless device as the surrogate access point.

7. A wireless access point that controls wireless client devices so as to efficiently use available bandwidth for wireless communications over a network, comprising:

(a) a memory in which machine instructions are stored;

(b) a radio comprising a wireless transmitter and receiver configured to transmit and receive on a plurality of different wireless channels;

(c) a processor that is coupled to the memory and which executes the machine instructions to carry out a plurality of functions, including;

(i) the access point communicating with both a first wireless client device and a second wireless client device on a first wireless channel, in an infrastructure mode;

(ii) the access point receiving a request for the first wireless client device to communicate directly with the second wireless client device;

(iii) the access point determining that the first client device and the second client device are within range of each other to facilitate direct communication;

(iv) the access point sending a signal on the first wireless channel, the signal causing the first wireless client device and the second wireless client device to establish direct communications on a second wireless channel which is different than the first wireless channel.

8. The wireless access point of claim 7, wherein the wireless access point updates its routing table to reflect that the first client and the second client communicate directly to each other.

9. The wireless access point of claim 7 wherein the processor causes the first wireless client device to retransmit data received from the wireless access point on the first wireless channel, to the second wireless client device over the second wireless channel.

10. The wireless access point of claim 7, wherein the signal sent of the first wireless channel comprises channel security parameters and indicates whether the establishment of direct communications will be viewed as transitory.

11. The wireless access point of claim 7, wherein the the data communicated by the first client device and the second client device on the second wireless channel comprises at least one of:

(a) music data;

(b) video data;

(c) gaming data; and

(d) voice data.

12. The wireless access point of claim 7, wherein the wireless access point communicates one type of data to at least one of the first wireless client device and the second wireless client device, said one type of data being substantially different than data communicated between the first wireless client device and the second wireless client device.

13. The wireless access point of claim 7 wherein the wireless access point communicates with at least one of the first wireless client device and the second wireless client device using a substantially different data rate than a data rate used for communication between the first wireless client device and the second wireless client device.

14. A method in a network which includes a wireless access point and at least a first pair of wireless client devices and a second pair of wireless client devices, the method for efficiently communicating data over a wireless network, comprising:

(a) for each pair of wireless client devices, for data being communicated between the each pair of wireless devices over the wireless network, determining at least one parameter from the following;

(i) a use for the data being communicated between specific wireless devices;

(ii) a size of data packets to be communicated between specific wireless devices;

(iii) a frequency band with which the data will be communicated;

(iv) a nominal data rate with which the data will be communicated; and

(v) a latency with which the data will be communicated;

(b) as a function of the at least one parameter,

causing the first pair of wireless devices to communicate simultaneously over a first wireless channel,

causing the second pair of wireless devices to communicate over a second wireless channel,

the first wireless channel being used to communicate a first type of data between the first pair of wireless devices,

the second wireless channel being used to communicate a second type of data between the second pair of wireless devices, and

the second wireless channel being different than the first wireless channel;

(c) automatically enabling communication in an ad hoc mode between selected pairs of wireless devices that are communicating the same type of data; and

(d) automatically enabling communication in an infrastructure mode for wireless devices that include the wireless access point.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising automatically changing selected wireless devices between communicating using the ad hoc mode and communicating using the infrastructure mode in response to the type of data being transferred between the selected wireless devices.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second types of data include at least two of:

(a) music data;

(b) video data;

(c) gaming data;

(d) voice data; and

(e) web page data.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of coupling at least one wireless device to an external network through a wired connection so that data from the external network can be communicated selectively to at least one other wireless device in one of the infrastructure mode and the ad hoc mode.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising, automatically selectively operating at least one of the wireless devices as a wireless access point when a first type of data is to be communicated and as a wireless client device when a second type of data is to be communicated.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising automatically grouping together wireless devices which are using a first wireless standard for communication and grouping other wireless devices which are using a second wireless standard for communication, where the second wireless standard is different than the first wireless standard.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein a wireless device that comprises a wireless access point controls other of the wireless devices to carry out steps (b) through (d).

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of automatically enabling communication in an ad hoc mode between selected wireless devices employs substantially all of a bandwidth of the wireless channel on which the selected wireless devices are communicating.

22. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 14.