Connecting devices to a peer-to-peer network

• US 7,768,954 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2005
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Guthrie, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong; Frank
• Application Number:
  US10/598,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20070147334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,980 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/338, 370/312, 370/346
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication device is arranged to delay a procedure for joining a network until it detects activity on the network, for example until the communication device is within range of network. In response to a positive detection of network activity, the communication device broadcasts its address to other communication devices already connected to the network. In response, a message containing a list of addresses of the other communication devices is sent by a selected one of the other communication device, for example, the one communication device that most recently joined the network. Each communication device is arranged to send a message once, so that only one message containing the address is sent to a communication device joining the network. If no network activity is detected, the communication device may continue to broadcast its address periodically at gradually increasing time intervals.

Claims

1. A communication device for transmitting data to and receiving data from one or more other communication devices via a peer-to-peer network, wherein the communication device comprises:

means for responding to address information broadcast by a second communication device joining said network;

means for determining whether a message containing address information relating to said one or more other communication devices has previously been forwarded from the communication device to any other of said one or more other communication devices, and

means for sending said message to the second communication device depending on the determination that such message has not previously been forwarded.

2. A communication system comprising a network and a plurality of communication devices according to claim 1.

3. A communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor and means for generating and transmitting data based on the output of the sensor via the network.

4. A communication device according to claim 3, wherein said sensor is arranged to monitor one or more environmental conditions.

5. A monitoring system comprising a plurality of communication devices according to claim 3.

6. A communication device of claim 1, configured for use in a Bluetooth network.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, operable in a first mode, in which a receiver is inactive, and in a second mode, in which the receiver is activated in order to receive data from said one or more other communication devices and arranged to switch from the operating in the first mode to operating in the second mode in response to a detection of activity on the network.

8. The communication device according to claim 7, configured to respond to said detection of activity on the network by determining if said activity comprises one of a wakeup signal addressed to the communication device or a broadcast wakeup signal and, if so, continuing to operate in said second mode to receive a further message.

9. A communication device according to claim 1, configured for use in a ubiquitous radio network.

10. A communication device according to claim 1, configured for use in a ZigBee network.

11. A communication device comprising:

means for transmitting data over a peer-to-peer network; and

means for receiving data via the network;

controller means configured to respond to a detection of activity on the network by;

broadcasting address information of the communication device to one or more other communication devices; and

receiving a message sent from only one networked device of said other communication devices, the message comprising address information relating to said one or more other communication devices and extracting said address information therefrom, wherein said one networked device has not previously forwarded the message to any other of said one or more other communication devices.

12. The communication device according to claim 11, wherein the controller means is configured to respond to the broadcast of address information from a further communication device by determining whether a message containing address information relating to said one or more communication devices has been sent by the communication device to another communication device previously and, if not, sending said message to said further communication device.

13. The communication device according to claim 11, wherein the controller means is configured to broadcast address information to said one or more other communication devices if no network activity is detected.

14. The communication device according to claim 13, wherein the controller means are arranged so that, if no message is received in response to the broadcast of address information, the address information is rebroadcast periodically.

15. The communication device according to claim 14, wherein the controller means are arranged to increase a period between successive broadcasts of the address information.

16. A method of disseminating address information in a peer-to-peer network from a communication device connected to the network, comprising:

receiving a message containing broadcast address information from a second communication device; and

,

in response to said message, determining whether the message containing address information relating to one or more other communication devices connected to the network has previously been forwarded from the communication device to any other of said one or more other communication devices and, if not, sending said message to said second communication device.

17. The method according to claim 16, comprising:

operating the communication device in a first mode, in which a receiver within the communication device is inactive; and

switching to operating the communication device in a second mode, in which the receiver is activated in order to receive data from said one or more other communication devices in response to a detection of activity on the network.

18. The method according to claim 17, comprising, in response to detection of activity on the network, determining whether said activity comprises one of a wakeup signal addressed to the communication device or a broadcast wakeup signal and, in response to a positive determination, continuing to operate in said second mode to receive a further message.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising receiving output from a sensor and generating and transmitting via the network data based on said output.

20. A method for connecting a communication device to a peer-to-peer network, comprising:

detecting activity on the network; and

in the event of an activity being detected, broadcasting address information of said communication device to one or more other communication devices connected to the network, receiving a message from only one networked device of said communication devices comprising address information relating to said one or more communication devices and extracting said address information therefrom, wherein said one networked device has not previously forwarded the message to any other of said one or more other communication devices.

21. The method according to claim 20, comprising:

in response to broadcast of address information from a further communication device, determining whether a second message containing information relating to said one or more communication devices has been forwarded by the communication device to any other communication device and, if not, sending the second message to said further communication device.

22. The method according to claim 20, comprising, if no network activity is detected, broadcasting the address information to said one or more other communication devices.

23. The method according to claim 22, comprising, if no message is received following the broadcast of address information, rebroadcasting the address information periodically.

24. The method according to claim 23, comprising increasing a period between successive broadcasts of the address information.