Time division multiple access for network nodes with multiple receivers

• US 7,920,507 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BBNT Solutions LLC (Rtx Corporation), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon BBN Technlogies Corp. (Rtx Corporation), Verizon Corporate Services Group Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Elliott, Brig Barnum
• Primary Examiner(s): JONES, DIANA S
• Application Number:
  US12/611,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20100046484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 370/321, 370/347, 370/337
• US Class Current: 370/321
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames

Abstract

A system facilitates communication among nodes in a wireless network. A timeslot is assigned to each of a group of nodes (201) in the wireless network (400, 800, 1200, 1300). The timeslot is a time for a corresponding node to receive messages transmitted by other nodes (201). A modulation scheme is assigned to each of the nodes (201). A message is transmitted from at least one of the nodes (201), using the assigned modulation scheme, to at least one destination node during a timeslot assigned to the at least one destination node. The messages are received at the at least one destination node from the at least one of the nodes (201).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

assigning a timeslot to each of a plurality of nodes in a wireless network, the timeslot being a time for a corresponding one of the plurality of nodes to receive messages transmitted by other of the plurality of nodes, and not assigning, to said each of said plurality of nodes, a timeslot for transmitting;

assigning a modulation scheme to each of the plurality of nodes;

transmitting a message from at least one of the other of the plurality of nodes, using the assigned modulation scheme, to at least one destination node within the plurality of nodes, the message being transmitted during a timeslot assigned to the at least one destination node; and

receiving, at the at least one destination node, a message from the at least one of the other of the plurality of nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning comprises assigning one of a plurality of transmit spreading codes to each of the plurality of nodes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning comprises assigning one of a plurality of hop sets to each of the plurality of nodes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the assigning comprises assigning a unique transmit spreading code to each of the plurality of nodes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the transmitting a message comprises transmitting messages from a plurality of transmitting nodes, and

the receiving a message comprises receiving, at one of the at least one destination node, the respective messages from the plurality of transmitting nodes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving a message comprises receiving, at a plurality of the at least one destination node, messages from a plurality of transmitting nodes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning comprises assigning one of a plurality of orthogonal or nearly orthogonal transmit spreading codes to each of the plurality of nodes.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the assigning further comprises assigning one of K orthogonal or nearly orthogonal transmit spreading codes to each node, where K is a number less than a number of nodes in the wireless network.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

waiting, after the transmitting, for an acknowledgement indicating correct receipt; and

when the acknowledgement is not received after a predetermined period of time;

selecting a new transmit spreading code; and

retransmitting the message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the assigning comprises assigning a plurality of one of orthogonal or nearly orthogonal transmit spreading codes, carrier frequencies, and hop sets to each node of the plurality of nodes, each of the nodes having a plurality of transmitters and a plurality of receivers,

the transmitting comprises transmitting a plurality of messages from one of the nodes to the at least one other of the nodes, and

the receiving comprises receiving, from the one of the nodes, the plurality of messages.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the timeslot is the same for the each of the plurality of nodes.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the timeslot is different for the each of the plurality of nodes.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the timeslot is the same for certain of the plurality of nodes and is different for each of the plurality of nodes other than the certain nodes.

14. A network comprising:

a plurality of nodes, each said node having an assigned timeslot during which messages are received from other nodes in said, plurality, not having an assigned timeslot during which messages are transmitted, and having an assigned modulation scheme, wherein said each said node comprises;

at least one transmitter configured to transmit to a destination node using the assigned modulation scheme during a receiving timeslot assigned to the destination node; and

a plurality of receivers configured to receive a plurality of messages during a receiving timeslot assigned to said each said node.

15. The network of claim 14, wherein each of the nodes further comprises:

a plurality of transmitters, each of the transmitters being configured to transmit using one of a plurality of transmit spreading codes, a plurality of carrier frequencies, and a plurality of hop sets.

16. The network of claim 14, wherein each one of the receivers is configured to demodulate each of the received messages using one of a transmit spreading code of the plurality of transmit spreading codes, a carrier frequency of the plurality of carrier frequencies, and a hop set of the plurality of hop sets.

17. A network comprising:

means for transmitting messages from any or all of a plurality of nodes included in said network, said transmitting means using a plurality of modulation schemes; and

means for receiving in one of said nodes any of said messages transmitted from other than said one node to said one node during a receiving timeslot assigned to said one node;

wherein each of said plurality of nodes is assigned a timeslot for receiving said messages and not assigned a timeslot for transmitting said messages.

18. A machine-readable medium having recorded thereon instructions for at least one processor of a node connected in a network of nodes, such that when the at least one processor reads and executes the instructions, the node is configured to:

receive, a message from at least one of the other nodes during a receive timeslot assigned to the node;

wherein each node in said network of nodes is assigned a timeslot for receiving messages transmitted to said each node and is not assigned a timeslot for transmitting messages.

19. A method comprising:

receiving, by a node in a network during a TDMA timeslot assigned to the node for receiving, a plurality of messages transmitted by a plurality of other-nodes in the network, each of the other-nodes transmitting messages to the node during the timeslot assigned to the node and said each of the other nodes having a receiving timeslot for receiving messages via said network during said receiving timeslot, said node and said each of the other nodes not having assigned TDMA timeslots for transmitting.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein each of the messages is transmitted using a different carrier frequency or is transmitted using a different orthogonal or nearly orthogonal transmit spreading code.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the messages transmitted from one of the other-nodes uses a carrier frequency different from carrier frequencies used by all other of the other-nodes or uses an orthogonal or nearly-orthogonal transmit spreading code different from spreading codes used by all other of the other-nodes.

22. A method comprising:

using one of a plurality of transmit spreading codes to transmit a message from one of a plurality of ultra-wideband radios to at least one other of said ultra-wideband radios in a wireless network during a timeslot assigned to the at least one other ultra-wideband radio for receiving the message;

wherein each of said plurality of ultra-wideband radios is not assigned a timeslot for transmitting, but is assigned a timeslot for receiving messages transmitted from other radios in said plurality of ultra-wideband radios.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

receiving and demodulating the message, using the one of the plurality of the transmit spreading codes at the at least one other ultra-wideband radio during the timeslot.

24. A node comprising:

at least one transmitter configured to transmit to a destination node in a network of nodes using an assigned modulation scheme during a first timeslot for receiving assigned to the destination node; and

a plurality of receivers configured to receive a plurality of messages during a second timeslot for receiving assigned to the node, said first receiving timeslot and said second receiving timeslot being the same or being mutually-exclusive timeslots;

wherein each node in said network of nodes has an assigned timeslot for receiving but not for transmitting.

25. A method for transmitting and receiving messages in a network of a plurality of nodes comprising:

for each of said plurality of nodes, assigning a timeslot for receiving said messages from, and not assigning a timeslot for transmitting said messages to, all other of said plurality of nodes; and

transmitting at least one of said messages to at least one of said nodes only during a receiving timeslot assigned to said at least one of said nodes.

26. A method comprising:

transmitting and receiving messages in a network of a plurality of nodes including transmitting at least one of said messages to at least one of said nodes only during a receiving timeslot assigned to said at least one of said nodes, wherein each of said plurality of nodes is assigned a receiving timeslot and is not assigned a transmitting timeslot.