System and method for device discovery in a wireless network of devices having directional antennas

• US 8,265,047 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Qin, Xiangping, Ngo, Chiu
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Skripnikov, Alex
• Application Number:
  US12/188,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20090073942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A system and method for wireless communication are disclosed. One aspect of the system includes a plurality of wireless devices forming a wireless network. The plurality of wireless devices are configured to wirelessly communicate with one another. Each of the wireless devices includes a device table including a list of one or more of the wireless devices and the directions of the one or more of the wireless devices with respect to the wireless device including the device table. In the wireless system, any one of the plurality of wireless devices is configured to perform device discovery directly with a new wireless device entering the wireless network. The one wireless device is further configured to update the device table therein and to transmit the updated device table to other wireless devices in the wireless network. Other devices in the wireless system can update their device tables, based at least partly on the updated device table without performing device discovery directly with the new wireless device.

Claims

1. A method of device discovery for a wireless network including a plurality of wireless devices, the method comprising:

determining, by a first wireless device in the wireless network, a direction of a second wireless device with respect to the first wireless device;

determining a direction of a third wireless device in the wireless network with respect to the second wireless device;

updating, by the first wireless device, a first device table with the determined direction of the second wireless device, the first device table containing a list of the wireless devices in the wireless network and directions of the wireless devices with respect to the first wireless device; and

transmitting, by the first wireless device, the updated first device table over the wireless network;

wherein each of the first to third wireless devices comprises an antenna including a plurality of sectors, the first device table indicates that the second wireless device is positioned in a first sector of the first wireless device, and that the third wireless device is positioned in a second sector of the first wireless device, and

wherein determining the direction of the third wireless device in the wireless network with respect to the second wireless device is based on determining if the first sector is in an opposite direction to the second sector.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless device is a wireless device newly entering the wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless device is a wireless device pre-existing in the wireless network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first to third wireless devices comprises a directional antenna.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each directional antenna comprises at least one of a sector antenna or a beamforming antenna.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless device comprises a directional antenna including a first plurality of sectors, wherein the method further comprises:

listening, by the second wireless device, to one sector of the first plurality of sectors to determine if there is a signal transmission in the one sector; and

transmitting an announcement signal to the one sector if there is no signal received in the one sector.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first wireless device comprises a directional antenna including a second plurality of sectors, wherein determining the direction of the second wireless device comprises listening, by the first wireless device, to one sector of the second plurality of sectors to receive the announcement signal from the second wireless device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting an announcement response to the second wireless device if there is an announcement signal received by the first wireless device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the third wireless device in the wireless network, the updated first device table from the first wireless device, the updated first device table including directions of the second and third wireless devices with respect to the first device; and

updating, by the third wireless device, a second device table, based at least partly on the updated first device table, the second device table containing a list of the wireless devices in the wireless network and directions of the wireless devices with respect to the third wireless device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the first and second device tables includes a version number, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining if the version number of the first device table is equal to or higher than the version number of the second device table.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining, by the third wireless device, a direction of the second device with respect to the third device, based at least partly on the directions of the second and third wireless devices with respect to the first device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein an estimation of a location of the third wireless device is that the third wireless device is located in the same direction as the second sector of the first wireless device if the first sector is in the opposite direction to the second sector.

13. A method of operation of a wireless network including a plurality of wireless devices, the method comprising:

receiving, by a second wireless device in the wireless network, a first device table generated by a first wireless device in the wireless network, the first device table containing a list of the wireless devices in the wireless network and directions of the wireless devices with respect to the first wireless device;

updating, by the second wireless device, a second device table, based at least partly on the first device table, the second device table containing a list of the wireless devices in the wireless network and directions of the wireless devices with respect to the second wireless device; and

determining a direction of a third wireless device in the wireless network with respect to the second wireless device,

wherein each of the first to third wireless devices comprises an antenna including a plurality of sectors,

wherein the first device table indicates that the second wireless device is positioned in a first sector of the first wireless device, and that the third wireless device is positioned in a second sector of the first wireless device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the first and second device tables includes a version number, wherein the method further comprises determining if the version number of the first device table is equal to or higher than the version number of the second device table.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the direction of a third wireless device in the wireless network with respect to the second wireless device is based at least partly on directions of the second and third wireless devices with respect to the first wireless device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the first to third wireless devices comprises a sector antenna including a plurality of sectors;

wherein determining the direction of the third wireless device with respect to the second wireless device comprises determining if the first sector is in the opposite direction to the second sector; and

wherein an estimation of a location of the third wireless device is that the third wireless device is located in the same direction as the second sector of the first wireless device if the first sector is in the opposite direction to the second sector.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the direction of the third wireless device with respect to the second wireless device further comprises:

determining if the first sector is not opposite to the second sector; and

combining the first sector with a third sector of the first wireless device, and the second sector with a fourth sector of the first wireless device, such that a first combination of the first and third sectors is opposite to a second combination of the second and fourth sectors; and

wherein an estimation of the location of the third wireless device is that the third wireless device is located in the same direction as the second combination of the second and fourth sectors of the first wireless device.

18. A first wireless device for use in a wireless network, the first wireless device comprising:

a first device table including a list of wireless devices in a wireless network, and directions of the wireless devices in the wireless network with respect to the first wireless device;

wherein the first wireless device determines the direction of a second wireless device with respect to the first wireless device;

wherein the first wireless device determines a direction of a third wireless device in the wireless network with respect to the second wireless device;

wherein the first wireless device updates the first device table with the determined direction of the second wireless device;

wherein the first wireless device transmits the updated first device table to at least one of the wireless devices in the wireless network,

wherein each of the first to third wireless devices comprises an antenna including a plurality of sectors,

wherein the first device table indicates that the second wireless device is positioned in a first sector of the first wireless device,

wherein the third wireless device is positioned in a second sector of the first wireless device, and

wherein the first wireless device receives a second device table from the third wireless device, the second device table including a list of the wireless devices in the wireless network and directions of the wireless devices in the wireless network with respect to the third wireless device, and updates the first device table, based at least partially on the second device table.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the second wireless device is a wireless device newly entering the wireless network.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the second wireless device is a wireless device pre-existing in the wireless network.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein each antenna comprises a directional antenna, wherein the first wireless device determines the direction of the second wireless device using the directional antenna.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein each directional antenna comprises at least one of a sector antenna or a beamforming antenna.

23. The device of claim 18, wherein the list includes a name and/or ID of at least one of the wireless devices in the wireless network.

24. The device of claim 18, wherein the first wireless device listens to one sector of the plurality of sectors to determine if there is a signal transmission in the one sector;

and transmits an announcement signal to the one sector if there is no signal received in the one sector.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the first wireless device is further configured to listen to one sector of the plurality of sectors to receive an announcement signal from the second wireless device.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the first wireless device is further configured to transmit an announcement response to the second wireless device if it receives an announcement signal from the second wireless device.

27. The device of claim 18, wherein each of the first device table and the second device table includes a version number, and wherein the first wireless device determines if the version number of the first device table is equal to or higher than the version number of the second device table.

28. The device of claim 18, wherein the first wireless device determines the direction of the second wireless device with respect to the first wireless device, based at least partly on directions of the second wireless device and the first wireless device with respect to the third wireless device.

29. A first wireless device for use in a wireless network, the device comprising:

a first device table including a list of wireless devices in a wireless network, and directions of the wireless devices in the wireless network with respect to the first wireless device;

wherein the first wireless device receives a second device table from a second wireless device, the second device table including a list of the wireless devices in the wireless network and the directions of the wireless devices in the wireless network with respect to the second wireless device, and wherein the first wireless device updates the first device table, based at least partially on the second device table,

wherein the first wireless device determines a direction of a third wireless device in the wireless network with respect to the second wireless device,

wherein each of the first to third wireless devices comprises an antenna including a plurality of sectors,

wherein the first device table indicates that the second wireless device is positioned in a first sector of the first wireless device, and that the third wireless device is positioned in a second sector of the first wireless device; and

wherein the first wireless device determines the direction of the third wireless device based on determining if the first sector is in an opposite direction to the second sector.

30. A wireless communication system comprising:

a plurality of wireless devices forming a wireless network, the plurality of wireless devices wirelessly communicate with one another, each of the wireless devices including a device table including a list of one or more of the wireless devices and directions of the one or more of the wireless devices with respect to a wireless device including the device table,

wherein any one of the plurality of wireless devices performs device discovery directly with a new wireless device entering the wireless network,

wherein a first wireless device updates the device table therein and transmits the updated device table to other wireless devices in the wireless network,

wherein a first device table indicates that the first wireless device is positioned in a first sector of a second wireless device, and that a third wireless device is positioned in a second sector of the first wireless device, and

wherein the first device determines the direction of the third wireless device based on determining if the first sector is in an opposite direction to the second sector.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein at least one of the other wireless devices in the wireless network updates a device table therein, based at least partly on the updated device table transmitted by the first wireless device.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the wireless network comprises an ad-hoc network.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the wireless network comprises an infrastructure network.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the one wireless device performs device discovery directly with the new device, using beacon signals.

35. A method of device discovery for a wireless network including a plurality of wireless devices, the method comprising:

determining, by a first wireless device in the wireless network, a direction of a second wireless device with respect to the first wireless device, wherein a first device table indicates that the second wireless device is positioned in a first sector of the first wireless device, and that a third wireless device is positioned in a second sector of the first wireless device;

determining a direction of a third wireless device in the wireless network with respect to the second wireless device based on determining if the first sector is in an opposite direction to the second sector; and

updating, by the first wireless device, the first device table with the determined direction of the second wireless device, the first device table containing a list of the wireless devices in the wireless network and directions of the wireless devices with respect to the first wireless device.

36. A method of operation of a wireless network including a plurality of wireless devices, the method comprising:

receiving, by a second wireless device in the wireless network, a first device table generated by a first wireless device in the wireless network, the first device table containing a list of the wireless devices in the wireless network and directions of the wireless devices with respect to the first wireless device;

updating, by the second wireless device, a second device table, based at least partly on the first device table, the second device table containing a list of the wireless devices in the wireless network and directions of the wireless devices with respect to the second wireless device; and

determining a direction of a third wireless device in the wireless network with respect to the second wireless device based on determining if a first sector is in an opposite direction to a second sector.