Wireless base station neighbor discovery in a communication system, such as a system employing a short-range frequency hopping scheme
First Claim
1. A method of creating a list of neighboring base station units in a wireless communications network, wherein at least one mobile unit communicates with at least a portion of the network, the method of creating the list of neighboring base station units comprising:
- at a stationary base station unit in the communications network, wirelessly sending a first inquiry signal to neighboring wireless devices at a first power level to inquire whether a device is within a first range;
at a stationary base station unit in the communications network, wirelessly sending a second inquiry signal to neighboring wireless devices at a second power level different from the first power level to inquire whether a device is within a second range;
at the stationary base station unit in the communications network, wirelessly receiving at least one response signal from at least one neighboring base station unit in the communications network, wherein the one neighboring base station unit is stationary;
at the stationary base station unit in the communications network, identifying based on the at least one response signal whether the at least one neighboring base station unit is within the first range or the second range;
at the stationary base station unit in the communications network, identifying the one neighboring base station unit based in part on the received response signal, wherein identifying the at least one neighboring base station unit is done without involvement of the mobile unit system controller and without involvement of a system controller for the communications network; and
at the stationary base station unit in the communications network, providing a stored neighbor list that identifies the one neighboring base station unit in the communications network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed embodiments include a method performed by a network access point, such as a short-range wireless communications switch or Bluetooth base station unit, to provide a neighbor list for neighboring short-range wireless communications switches or network access points in a communications network. The method includes, at the short-range wireless switch, sending at least one signal to neighboring wireless devices, wherein sending the signal is done without assistance of a mobile unit or a system controller for the communications network. The method further includes receiving a response signal from at least one neighboring short-range wireless switch, and identifying the one neighboring short-range wireless switch based on the received response signal. Additionally, the method includes providing a neighbor list that identifies the one neighboring short-range wireless switch. Numerous alternative embodiments are also described.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method of creating a list of neighboring base station units in a wireless communications network, wherein at least one mobile unit communicates with at least a portion of the network, the method of creating the list of neighboring base station units comprising:
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at a stationary base station unit in the communications network, wirelessly sending a first inquiry signal to neighboring wireless devices at a first power level to inquire whether a device is within a first range; at a stationary base station unit in the communications network, wirelessly sending a second inquiry signal to neighboring wireless devices at a second power level different from the first power level to inquire whether a device is within a second range; at the stationary base station unit in the communications network, wirelessly receiving at least one response signal from at least one neighboring base station unit in the communications network, wherein the one neighboring base station unit is stationary; at the stationary base station unit in the communications network, identifying based on the at least one response signal whether the at least one neighboring base station unit is within the first range or the second range; at the stationary base station unit in the communications network, identifying the one neighboring base station unit based in part on the received response signal, wherein identifying the at least one neighboring base station unit is done without involvement of the mobile unit system controller and without involvement of a system controller for the communications network; and at the stationary base station unit in the communications network, providing a stored neighbor list that identifies the one neighboring base station unit in the communications network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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8. The method of 1, further comprising updating the stored neighbor list to reflect changes in the one neighboring base station unit, wherein updating the stored neighbor list comprises:
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wirelessly sending periodic signals to neighboring base station units, wherein the periodic signals include information identifying the base station unit; wirelessly receiving periodic signals from the one neighboring base station unit and another neighboring base station unit; determining an identity of the another neighboring base station unit based on the received periodic signals; and updating the stored neighbor list based on the received signal from the another neighboring base station.
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16. In a picocellular communications network, wherein at least one mobile unit communicates with at least a portion of the network, an apparatus comprising:
a stationary wireless network access point coupled to the picocellular communications network, wherein the base station unit includes a memory and is configured to; wirelessly send a first inquiry signal to neighboring wireless devices at a first power level to inquire whether a device is within a first range; wirelessly send a second inquiry signal to neighboring wireless devices at a second power level different from the first power level to inquire whether a device is within a second range; wirelessly receive at least one response signal from at least one neighboring network access point in the picocellular communications network; identify based on the at least one response signal whether the at least one neighboring base station unit is within the first range or the second range; identify the one neighboring network access point based in part on the received response signal, wherein identifying the at least one neighboring network access point is done without involvement of the mobile unit and without involvement of a system controller for the picocellular communications network, and wherein the at least one neighboring network access point is stationary; and provide a neighbor list stored in the memory, wherein the neighbor list identifies the one neighboring network access point in the picocellular communications network. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. In a short-range wireless communications network, wherein at least one mobile unit communicates with at least a portion of the network, an apparatus comprising:
fixed means for providing short-range wireless communications within the communications network, wherein the means for providing short-range wireless communications comprises; means for wirelessly sending a first inquiry signal to neighboring wireless devices at a first power level to inquire whether a device is within a first range, wherein sending the signal is done without assistance of the mobile unit and without the assistance of a system controller for the communications network; means for wirelessly sending a second inquiry signal to neighboring wireless devices at a second power level to inquire whether a device is within a second range; means for wirelessly receiving a response signal from at least one neighboring short-range wireless network node; means for identifying based on the response signal whether the at least one neighboring base station unit is within the first range or the second range; means, coupled to the means for receiving, for identifying the one neighboring short-range wireless network node based on the received response signal, wherein identifying the one neighboring short-range network node is done without assistance of the mobile unit or system controller, and wherein the neighboring short-range network node is fixed; and means for providing a neighbor list that identifies the one neighboring short-range network node. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
Specification