Method and apparatus for connecting to network in a short-range mobile communication terminal

• US 8,615,197 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2012
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jeong-Eun, Kim, Jae-Ho, Han, Young-Seop, Sim, Dae-Hyun, Choi, Woo-Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIAO, HSINCHUN
• Application Number:
  US13/488,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20120244808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/500, 455/524, 455/525, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for reconnecting from a serving coordinator of a serving WPAN to a coordinator of another WPAN. The method includes broadcasting a neighbor terminal information request message periodically to neighbor terminals; receiving a neighbor information response message, having neighbor terminal information and LQI, from at least one neighbor terminal, responding to the neighbor terminal information request message; storing a neighbor table having the LQI and the neighbor terminal information included in the neighbor information response message, the neighbor terminal information including the LQI, a PAN ID of a WPAN to which the at least one neighbor terminal belongs and neighbor router information about the at least one neighbor terminal; and reconnecting to the coordinator of the another WPAN using the LQI and the neighbor terminal information and communicating with the coordinator of the other WPAN.

Claims

1. A method for reconnecting from a serving coordinator of a serving Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) to a coordinator of another WPAN, the method comprising:

broadcasting a neighbor terminal information request message periodically to neighbor terminals;

receiving a neighbor information response message, having neighbor terminal information and Link Quality Information (LQI), from at least one neighbor terminal, responding to the neighbor terminal information request message;

storing a neighbor table having the LQI and the neighbor terminal information included in the neighbor information response message, the neighbor terminal information including the LQI, a Personal Area Network (PAN) Identifier (ID) of a WPAN to which the at least one neighbor terminal belongs and neighbor router information about the at least one neighbor terminal; and

reconnecting to the coordinator of the another WPAN based on the LQI and the neighbor terminal information and communicating with the coordinator of the other WPAN, wherein the neighbor table further includes information indicating whether the at least one neighbor terminal is a coordinator, a router or a terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the neighbor router information includes information about routers within neighbor candidate WPANs, the routers relaying data of the terminal to coordinators within the neighbor candidate WPANs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the neighbor table further includes relation information indicating whether the at least one neighbor terminal is a parent, a child, a previous child, or none to the terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the LQI is a ratio between a data transmission power value and an error rate between the at least one neighbor terminal and the terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reconnection and communication comprises:

detecting a greatest LQI from among stored LQIs;

reconnecting, if there is one greatest LQI and a WPAN connected to a terminal with the largest LQI is different from the serving WPAN, to a coordinator of the WPAN and communicating with the coordinator of the WPAN;

maintaining a connection to the serving coordinator of the serving WPAN, if there are at least two greatest LQIs and one of WPANs connected to terminals with the largest LQIs is the serving WPAN; and

selecting, if there are at least two greatest LQIs and WPANs connected to terminals with the largest LQIs are different from the serving WPAN, one of the terminals with the greatest LQIs, reconnecting to a coordinator of the WPAN connected to the selected terminal, and communicating with the coordinator of the WPAN.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reconnection and communication comprises:

detecting a greatest LQI from among stored LQIs; and

reconnecting, if a WPAN connected to a terminal with the greatest LQI is different from the serving WPAN and the LQI of the terminal increases continuously for a predetermined time, to a coordinator of the WPAN and communicating with the coordinator of the WPAN.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reconnection and communication comprises:

requesting joining to a coordinator of a WPAN corresponding to a greatest LQI;

receiving a response for the joining request; and

transmitting a leave message to the serving coordinator of the serving WPAN.

8. An apparatus for reconnecting from a serving coordinator of a serving Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) to a coordinator of another WPAN by communications in a terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a transceiver for transmitting and receiving signals and messages and receiving a neighbor information response message, having neighbor terminal information and Link Quality Information (LQI), from at least one neighbor terminal, responding to a neighbor terminal information request message; and

a controller for controlling the transceiver, broadcasting the neighbor terminal information request message periodically through the transceiver, storing a neighbor table having the LQI and the neighbor terminal information included in the neighbor information response message, the neighbor terminal information including the LQI, a Personal Area Network (PAN) Identifier (ID) of a WPAN to which the at least one neighbor terminal belongs and neighbor router information about the at least one neighbor terminal, and reconnecting to the coordinator of the another WPAN based on the LQI and the neighbor terminal information and communicating with the coordinator of the other WPAN, wherein the neighbor table further includes information indicating whether the at least one neighbor terminal is a coordinator, a router or a terminal.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the neighbor router information includes information about routers within neighbor candidate WPANs, the routers relaying data of the terminal to coordinators within the neighbor candidate WPANs.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the neighbor table further includes relation information indicating whether the at least one neighbor terminal is a parent, a child, a previous child, or none to the terminal.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the LQI is a ratio between a data transmission power value and an error rate between the at least one neighbor terminal and the terminal.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller detects a greatest LQI from among stored LQIs, and if there is one greatest LQI and a WPAN connected to a terminal with the greatest LQI is different from the serving WPAN, the controller reconnects to the coordinator of the WPAN and communicates with the coordinator of the WPAN

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein if there are at least two greatest LQIs and one of WPANs connected to terminals with the greatest LQIs is the serving WPAN, the controller maintains a connection to the serving coordinator of the serving WPAN.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein if there are at least two greatest LQIs and WPANs connected to terminals with the greatest LQIs are different from the serving WPAN, the controller selects one of the terminals with the greatest LQIs, reconnects to a coordinator of the WPAN connected to the selected terminal, and communicates with the coordinator of the WPAN.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein when the controller reconnects to the coordinator of the another WPAN and communicates with the coordinator of the another WPAN, the controller detects a greatest LQI from among stored LQIs, and if a WPAN connected to a terminal with the greatest LQI is different from the serving WPAN and the LQI of the terminal increases continuously for a predetermined time, the controller reconnects to a coordinator of the WPAN and communicates with the coordinator of the WPAN.

16. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein when the controller reconnects to the coordinator of the another WPAN and communicates with the coordinator of the another WPAN, the controller requests joining to a coordinator of a WPAN corresponding to a greatest LQI, receives a response for the joining request, and transmits a leave message to the serving coordinator of the serving WPAN.