Device discovery and connection establishment for ad hoc networks

• US 8,156,229 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2010
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThinkLogix, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Reunamäki, Jukka, Palin, Arto, Salokannel, Juha, Kasslin, Mika, Kaaja, Harald, Jokela, Jari
• Primary Examiner(s): Barqadle, Yasin
• Application Number:
  US12/836,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20100278077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-205, 709217-219, 709227-229, 709236-237, 370328-330, 370/338, 455/453, 455464-466
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless device transmits beacon packets at periodically occurring time intervals across a wireless channel. When the wireless communications device has not formed a piconet with one or more remote devices, the device scans the wireless channel for a predetermined amount of time immediately following each of the periodically occurring time intervals. During this time a remote device may respond to the beacon packet.

Claims

1. A method of forming a piconet, the method comprising:

transmitting a beacon packet from a wireless communications device across a wireless channel during a first predetermined time interval;

scanning the wireless channel from the wireless communications device for a second predetermined time interval, the second predetermined time interval immediately following the first predetermined time interval;

receiving a piconet joining request packet from a remote wireless communications device during the second predetermined time interval; and

transmitting a confirmation packet to the remote wireless communications device during a third predetermined time interval, the third predetermined time interval immediately following the second predetermined time interval and before transmitting a second beacon packet;

wherein the beacon packet, the piconet joining request packet, and the confirmation packet are communicated according to a repeating superframe pattern, and wherein the first, second, and third predetermined time intervals are all included within a single superframe of the repeating superframe pattern.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the piconet joining request includes a request for a role switch.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving a beacon packet from the remote wireless communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the beacon packet, the piconet joining request packet, and the confirmation packet each include one or more OFDM symbols.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless channel employs a frequency hopping pattern.

6. A method in a wireless communications device, comprising:

transmitting a first beacon packet from the wireless communications device across a wireless channel during a first predetermined time interval;

scanning the wireless channel from the wireless communications device for a second predetermined time interval, the second predetermined time interval immediately following the first predetermined time interval;

receiving a request for additional information from a remote wireless communications device during the second predetermined time interval; and

transmitting the additional information with a second beacon packet across the wireless channel;

wherein the first beacon packet, the request for additional information, and the additional information are communicated according to a repeating superframe pattern, and wherein the first and second predetermined time intervals and the transmitting the additional information are all included within a single superframe of the repeating superframe pattern.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the additional information includes available services from the wireless communications device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the additional information includes identifiers of devices that are in a piconet with the wireless communications device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the wireless channel employs a frequency hopping pattern.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein the second beacon packet comprises a beacon extension.

10. A wireless communications device, comprising:

means for transmitting a beacon packet across a wireless channel during a first predetermined time interval;

means for scanning the wireless channel for a second predetermined time interval the second predetermined time interval immediately following the first predetermined time interval;

means for receiving a piconet joining request packet from a remote wireless communications device during the second predetermined time interval; and

means for transmitting a confirmation packet to the remote wireless communications device during a third predetermined time interval, the third predetermined time interval immediately following the second predetermined time interval and before transmitting a second beacon packet;

wherein the beacon packet, the piconet joining request packet, and the confirmation packet are communicated according to a repeating superframe pattern, and wherein the first, second, and third predetermined time intervals are all included within a single suprframe of the repeating superframe pattern.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the piconet joining request includes a request for a role switch.

11. A wireless communications device, comprising:

means for transmitting a first beacon packet across a wireless channel during a first predetermined time interval;

means for scanning the wireless channel for a second predetermined time interval, the second predetermined time interval immediately following the first predetermined time interval;

means for receiving a request for additional information from a remote wireless communications device during the second predetermined time interval; and

means for transmitting the additional information with a second beacon packet across the wireless channel;

wherein the first beacon packet, the request for additional information, and the additional information are communicated according to a repeating superframe pattern, and wherein the first and second predetermined time intervals and the transmitting the additional information are all included within a single superframe of the repeating superframe pattern.

12. A system for forming a piconet of a plurality of wireless communications devices, the system comprising:

a beacon-transmitting device that transmits a beacon packet across a wireless channel during a first predetermined time interval; and

a remote wireless communication device that receives the beacon packet and transmits a piconet joining request during a second predetermined time interval, the second predetermined time interval immediately following the first predetermined time interval and,

wherein the beacon-transmitting device receives the piconet joining request packet during the second predetermined time interval and transmits a confirmation packet to the remote wireless communications device during a third predetermined time interval, the third predetermined time interval immediately following the second predetermined time interval and before transmitting a second beacon packet;

wherein the beacon packet, the piconet joining request packet, and the confirmation packet are communicated according to a repeating superframe pattern, and wherein the first, second, and third predetermined time intervals are all included within a single superframe of the repeating superframe pattern.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the piconet joining request includes a request for a role switch.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the remote wireless communications device transmits the beacon packet and the beacon-transmitting device receives the beacon packet.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the beacon packet, the piconet joining request packet, and the confirmation packet each include one or more OFDM symbols.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless channel employs a frequency hopping pattern.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to transmit a beacon packet across a wireless channel during a first predetermined time interval;

instructions to scan the wireless channel for a second predetermined time interval, the second predetermined time interval immediately following the first predetermined time interval;

instructions to receive a piconet joining request packet from a remote wireless communications device during the second predetermined time interval; and

instructions to transmit a confirmation packet to the remote wireless communications device during a third predetermined time interval, the third predetermined time interval immediately following the second predetermined time interval and before transmitting a second beacon packet;

wherein the beacon packet, the piconet joining request packet, and the confirmation packet are communicated according to a repeating superframe, pattern, and wherein the first second, and third predetermined time intervals are all included within a single superframe of the repeating superframe pattern.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to transmit a first beacon packet from the wireless communications device across a wireless channel during a first predetermined time interval;

instructions to scan the wireless channel from the wireless communications device for a second predetermined time interval, the second predetermined time interval immediately following the first predetermined time interval;

instructions to receive a request for additional information from a remote wireless communications device during the second predetermined time interval; and

instructions to transmit the additional information with a second beacon packet across the wireless channel;

wherein the first beacon packet, the request for additional information, and the additional information are communicated according to a repeating superframe pattern, and wherein the first and second predetermined time intervals and the transmitting the additional information are all included within a single superframe of the repeating superframe pattern.