Distributed medium access protocol for wireless mesh networks
First Claim
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1. A method of medium access control in a network, the network including a plurality of mesh nodes, wherein the method is operable in a mesh node in the network, the method comprising:
- dividing, by the mesh node of the plurality of mesh nodes, a time interval into a first phase for intra-cell communication and a second phase for inter-cell communication, the second phase including a beacon period;
dividing, by the mesh node of the plurality of mesh nodes, the beacon period into slots;
dynamically defining, by the mesh node of the plurality of mesh nodes, respective lengths for respective beacons of respective devices in the network, whereby a beacon length corresponds to an integer number of slots in the beacon period, so as to allow the devices to dynamically enlarge their corresponding beacons; and
defining, by the mesh node of the plurality of mesh nodes, a beacon period duration.
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Abstract
This invention defines a medium access protocol for the support of mesh networking in wireless communications. It defines a phase for intra-cell and a phase for inter-cell traffic. During the inter-cell traffic a beacon phase is used for the reservation of transmissions. In this phase also information about the mesh topology is included and parallel transmission are supported.
Even though this medium access protocol is intended to be proposed in standardization of IEEE 802.11 mesh networks (802.11) it could be used in any wireless mesh network.
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13 Claims
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1. A method of medium access control in a network, the network including a plurality of mesh nodes, wherein the method is operable in a mesh node in the network, the method comprising:
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dividing, by the mesh node of the plurality of mesh nodes, a time interval into a first phase for intra-cell communication and a second phase for inter-cell communication, the second phase including a beacon period; dividing, by the mesh node of the plurality of mesh nodes, the beacon period into slots; dynamically defining, by the mesh node of the plurality of mesh nodes, respective lengths for respective beacons of respective devices in the network, whereby a beacon length corresponds to an integer number of slots in the beacon period, so as to allow the devices to dynamically enlarge their corresponding beacons; and defining, by the mesh node of the plurality of mesh nodes, a beacon period duration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification