Multi-hop ad-hoc wireless networks that support non-multi-hop wireless terminals
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving at one or more of a plurality of wireless telecommunications terminals a signal from a wireless telecommunications terminal W, wherein said plurality of wireless telecommunications terminals belong to the same ad-hoc wireless network and are capable of participating as intermediary nodes in multi-hop routes through said ad-hoc wireless network, and wherein said wireless telecommunications terminal W is incapable of participating as an intermediate node in a multi-hop route through said ad-hoc wireless network and wherein said ad-hoc wireless network comprises a gateway; and
transmitting, in response to said signal, a series of messages to said wireless telecommunications terminal W, wherein each of said messages of said series is a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol message that is transmitted by a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server, and wherein each of said series of messages specifies a respective address for said gateway, and wherein each of said series of messages is transmitted no more than Δ
seconds after the transmission of the prior message, and wherein Δ
>
0.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable a non-multi-hop wireless terminal (i.e., a wireless terminal that has not been programmed to participate in multi-hop ad-hoc wireless networks) to in fact participate in a multi-hop ad-hoc wireless network, without any changes to the non-multi-hop terminal'"'"'s software or hardware. In the illustrative embodiment, a wireless terminal T that already belongs to a multi-hop ad-hoc wireless network is assigned to a non-multi-hop wireless terminal W, and a signal is transmitted to terminal W that induces terminal W to use terminal T as a relay for transmitting messages. The assignment of multi-hop-capable terminals in the network to non-multi-hop terminals can be based on a variety of factors, such as signal strengths and the geo-locations of terminals.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving at one or more of a plurality of wireless telecommunications terminals a signal from a wireless telecommunications terminal W, wherein said plurality of wireless telecommunications terminals belong to the same ad-hoc wireless network and are capable of participating as intermediary nodes in multi-hop routes through said ad-hoc wireless network, and wherein said wireless telecommunications terminal W is incapable of participating as an intermediate node in a multi-hop route through said ad-hoc wireless network and wherein said ad-hoc wireless network comprises a gateway; and transmitting, in response to said signal, a series of messages to said wireless telecommunications terminal W, wherein each of said messages of said series is a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol message that is transmitted by a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server, and wherein each of said series of messages specifies a respective address for said gateway, and wherein each of said series of messages is transmitted no more than Δ
seconds after the transmission of the prior message, and wherein Δ
>
0. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus comprising:
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a receiver for receiving a first signal that indicates that a second signal has been received at one or more of a plurality of wireless telecommunications terminals from a wireless telecommunications terminal W, wherein said plurality of wireless telecommunications terminals belong to the same ad-hoc wireless network and are capable of participating as intermediary nodes in multi-hop routes through said ad-hoc wireless network, and wherein said wireless telecommunications terminal W is incapable of participating as an intermediate node in a multi-hop route through said ad-hoc wireless network and wherein said ad-hoc wireless network comprises a gateway; and a transmitter for transmitting, in response to said first signal, a series of Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol messages to said wireless telecommunications terminal W, wherein each of said series of messages specifies a respective address for said gateway, and wherein each of said series of messages is transmitted no more than A seconds after the transmission of the prior message, and wherein Δ
>
0. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification