Distributed beaconing periods for ad-hoc networks
First Claim
1. A method for a distributed beaconing period protocol for a device in an ad hoc network of devices, the method comprising:
- dividing a medium access time into a sequence of at least one contiguous superframe beginning at a Beacon Period Start Time;
partitioning the superframe into a slotted Beaconing Period (BP), having a plurality of contiguous beacon slots, followed by a data transfer period;
associating with at least one of an existing ad hoc network BP or creating a new ad hoc network BP as the BP of the device, wherein the device stores an occupancy of the beacon slots and its own beacon slot number of the Beaconing Period, whereinwhen the BP of the device is not protected in at least one neighboring BP, protecting the BP by including a first reservation for the BP in the beacon of the device in the at least one neighboring BP, andwhen the BP of the device is protected, operating normally by receiving beacons over the medium; and
when a beacon comprising a Distributed Reservation Protocol (DRP) reservation of type BP is received, scanning for a new BP, and when a new BP is detected, protecting the new BP.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a distributed Mac protocol having a slotted superframe (102) comprising at least one slotted beacon period (104) followed by a data transfer period (103), a system and method is provided for creating and maintaining several beacon periods (104) at different positions in the superframe (102). When joining the network (300) a device (301) either joins an existing beacon period (104) or creates a new beacon period (104) at a position in the superframe (102) that does not overlap with existing beacon periods (104) or reservation periods. Beacon periods (104) mutually protect each other by devices (301) announcing the neighboring beacon periods in their beacons.
23 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for a distributed beaconing period protocol for a device in an ad hoc network of devices, the method comprising:
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dividing a medium access time into a sequence of at least one contiguous superframe beginning at a Beacon Period Start Time; partitioning the superframe into a slotted Beaconing Period (BP), having a plurality of contiguous beacon slots, followed by a data transfer period; associating with at least one of an existing ad hoc network BP or creating a new ad hoc network BP as the BP of the device, wherein the device stores an occupancy of the beacon slots and its own beacon slot number of the Beaconing Period, wherein when the BP of the device is not protected in at least one neighboring BP, protecting the BP by including a first reservation for the BP in the beacon of the device in the at least one neighboring BP, and when the BP of the device is protected, operating normally by receiving beacons over the medium; and
when a beacon comprising a Distributed Reservation Protocol (DRP) reservation of type BP is received, scanning for a new BP, and when a new BP is detected, protecting the new BP. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification