Method to enable simultaneous connections to multiple wireless networks using a single radio
First Claim
1. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method to synchronize a wireless node having a single wireless card in a plurality of networks having a plurality of wireless nodes, each of the plurality of wireless nodes having an activity time period, an elapsed time inside an activity time period and a switching cycle, the method comprising:
- determining which node of the plurality of wireless nodes in at least one ad hoc network in the plurality of networks is a network leader, each network leader having an activity time period and an elapsed time in the at least one ad hoc network in which the node is a network leader, wherein determining includesremaining on the at least one ad hoc network for at least two switching cycles;
if an announcement is received from another node, determining if the announcement of the other node indicates that the other node is a leader in the at least one ad hoc network;
if the announcement of the other node indicates the other node is the leader, designating the other node as a leader; and
if the announcement from the other node indicates the other node is not a leader, announcing an activity period and an elapsed time of the wireless node;
synchronizing the activity period and elapsed time of the wireless node with the activity period and elapsed time of each network leader for the at least one ad hoc network;
resynchronizing the wireless node to a new leader or becoming a new leader if the wireless node has not received an announcement from the leader for at least two switching cycles; and
switching between the plurality of networks using a switching strategy.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method that allows a user to concurrently connect to multiple wireless networks with a single network interface card is presented. The networks may be infrastructure (“IS”) networks and ad hoc (“AH”) networks. A driver is inserted into a device'"'"'s networking stack and exposes a plurality of virtual wireless network adapters, one for each network. The adapters are enabled and disabled in accordance with which network is presently activated. Packets for a network are queued when the network is not enabled. The wireless driver controls the switching of the network card. In one embodiment where multiple wireless cards are switching in and out of AH networks, the method converges the switching times for the cards in an AH network to ensure concurrent connectivity in the AH network for at least a brief time period every switching cycle of the wireless cards.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method to synchronize a wireless node having a single wireless card in a plurality of networks having a plurality of wireless nodes, each of the plurality of wireless nodes having an activity time period, an elapsed time inside an activity time period and a switching cycle, the method comprising:
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determining which node of the plurality of wireless nodes in at least one ad hoc network in the plurality of networks is a network leader, each network leader having an activity time period and an elapsed time in the at least one ad hoc network in which the node is a network leader, wherein determining includes remaining on the at least one ad hoc network for at least two switching cycles; if an announcement is received from another node, determining if the announcement of the other node indicates that the other node is a leader in the at least one ad hoc network; if the announcement of the other node indicates the other node is the leader, designating the other node as a leader; and if the announcement from the other node indicates the other node is not a leader, announcing an activity period and an elapsed time of the wireless node; synchronizing the activity period and elapsed time of the wireless node with the activity period and elapsed time of each network leader for the at least one ad hoc network; resynchronizing the wireless node to a new leader or becoming a new leader if the wireless node has not received an announcement from the leader for at least two switching cycles; and switching between the plurality of networks using a switching strategy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for a wireless node to switch between a plurality of networks using a single wireless card comprising the steps of:
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switching between the plurality of networks in accordance with a switching strategy; and if the plurality of networks has at least one ad hoc network; determining a network leader in the at least one ad hoc network, wherein determining includes remaining on the at least one ad hoc network for at least two switching cycles; if an announcement is received from another node, determining if the announcement of the other node indicates that the other node is a leader in the at least one ad hoc network; if the announcement of the other node indicates the other node is the leader, designating the other node as a leader; and if the announcement from the other node indicates the other node is not a leader, announcing an activity period and an elapsed time of the wireless node; and adjusting the switching strategy based on an activity time period and an elapsed time period of the network leader of the at least one ad hoc network, wherein the step of switching between the plurality of networks comprises switching between the networks based on an amount of traffic seen in each of the plurality of networks over a period of time. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification