Communication system allowing network nodes to efficiently establish communications with a controller

• US 8,311,020 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2011
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GPNE Corp.
• Original Assignee: GPNE Corp.
• Inventors: Wong, Gabriel K., Tui, Po S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Zhiyu
• Assistant Examiner(s): AYOTUNDE, AYODEJI O
• Application Number:
  US13/070,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20110170677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 379/90.1, 370/449, 370/450, 370/459, 370/475
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• 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 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/025 with acknowledge back capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/022 Selective call receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/185 Selective call encoders for paging networks, e.g. paging centre devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication system is provided that includes a controller and a system to allow efficient transmission of information with a plurality of nodes. The information includes an alignment signal provided from the controller to enable the nodes to align their response signals. The information further includes node identification information. Once alignment and identification occur, nodes can then transmit packet data to the controller.

Claims

1. A node comprising:

an electronic device and a memory for storing identification related information of the node, said electronic device configured to;

receive a first signal, the first signal including information used to align a response signal from the node;

randomly generate information within said node and store said randomly generated information in the memory of the node;

send the response signal from the node, wherein said response signal conveys the randomly generated information;

receive a second signal, wherein a portion of the second signal is derived from the randomly generated information conveyed in the response signal;

said second signal enabling sending of a subsequent-response signal that uniquely identifies the node;

determine whether the second signal contains information which matches the randomly generated information stored in said memory of the node;

send the subsequent-response signal which comprises a packet that includes identification related information of the node, said subsequent-response signal from the node being sent only if the portion of the second signal matches the randomly generated information that is stored in the node;

wherein the first signal, the response signal, the second signal and the subsequent-response signal occur on a common frequency channel; and

wherein a time for sending the subsequent-response signal occurs with an alignment that is varied with respect to a time said first signal was received.

2. The node of claim 1, wherein the packet sent from the node within the subsequent-response signal optionally contains message information.

3. The node of claim 1, wherein message information is sent from the node at a later period than the subsequent-response signal.

4. The node of claim 1, wherein the response signal and the subsequent-response signal contain digital information.

5. The node of claim 1, wherein the randomly generated information is at least one of information that is randomly generated by the node and information related to a slot number.

6. The node of claim 1, wherein a time between sending the subsequent-response signal with respect to a time said first signal was received is not fixed.

7. A method of communicating, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal, the first signal including information used to align a response signal from a node;

randomly generate information within said node and store said randomly generated information in memory within the node;

sending the response signal from the node, wherein said response signal conveys the randomly generated information;

receiving a second signal, wherein a portion of the second signal is derived from the randomly generated information conveyed in the response signal;

said second signal enabling sending of a subsequent-response signal that uniquely identifies the node;

determining whether the second signal contains information which matches the randomly generated information stored in said memory of the node;

sending the subsequent-response signal which comprises a packet which includes identification related information of the node, said subsequent-response signal from the node being sent only if the portion of the second signal matches the randomly generated information that is stored in the node; and

wherein the first signal, the response signal, the second signal and the subsequent-response signal occur on a common frequency channel; and

wherein a time for sending the subsequent-response signal occurs with an alignment that is varied with respect to a time said first signal was received.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said packet sent from the node within said subsequent-response signal optionally contains message information.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein message information is sent from the node at a later period than the subsequent-response signal.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the response signal and the subsequent-response signal contain digital information.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the randomly generated information is at least one of information that is randomly generated by the node and information related to a slot number.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein a time between sending the subsequent-response signal with respect to a time said first signal was received is not fixed.