Method and apparatus for coordinating a wireless PAN network and a wireless LAN network

• US 9,913,215 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Vleugels, Katelijn, Peeters, Roel
• Primary Examiner(s): Acolatse, Kodzovi
• Application Number:
  US14/589,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Devices of a personal area network (PAN) use a wireless medium that is shared with a wireless local area network (WLAN). WLAN devices communicate using protocols of the WLAN and PAN devices communicate using PAN protocols allowing for lower power transmissions over the wireless medium relative to transmissions over the WLAN. A PAN coordinator device obtains access to the wireless medium for the PAN devices by signalling a reservation of the medium by the PAN coordinator device, such that the other devices defer use of the wireless medium, including at least one WLAN device, for a reservation period. During the reservation period, the communication is done using the PAN protocol. The signalling can be implicit in that the PAN coordinator device transmits one or more frame using the PAN protocol but that is at least partially understandable by WLAN devices such that they defer upon receipt of one or more of the PAN protocol frames, which may be a standard or modified HCCA-CF poll frame, a CTS frame with an increased duration field, or other variation. A PAN coordinator might also signal an access point to set up a DLS link between the PAN coordinator and itself and use the DLS period for PAN traffic.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between devices of a personal area network (PAN) using a wireless medium that is shared with a wireless local area network (WLAN), the method comprising:

obtaining access to the wireless medium for a PAN coordinator device, wherein access to the wireless medium is allocated to the PAN coordinator device;

signaling a reservation of the wireless medium by the PAN coordinator device, such that other WLAN devices receiving the signaling defer use of the wireless medium for a reservation period, the reservation being signaled by the PAN coordinator device using one or more frames of a PAN protocol that are at least partially understandable by the other WLAN devices, wherein the WLAN is an 802.1 lx network and the one or more frames of the PAN protocol are 802.1 lx frames directed to a PAN device and include in a header of the frames, an increased duration field; and

communicating, using the PAN protocol, between the PAN coordinator device and a PAN device over the wireless medium during the reservation period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more frames using the PAN protocol comprise a frame directed to a PAN device having an increased duration field.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more frames using the PAN protocol comprise an 802.11x CTS frame with an increased duration field.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more frames using the PAN protocol comprise an 802.11x frame or modification thereof, transmitted using a highest priority queue.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more frames using the PAN protocol comprise an HCCA-CF poll frame having a plurality of subtype fields including a “

data”

subtype field and a “

poll”

subtype field, wherein the HCCA-CF poll frame is sent with its “

data”

subtype field cleared and its “

poll”

subtype field set.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more frames using the PAN protocol comprise a modified HCCA-CF poll frame that is partially compliant with WLAN protocol, the modified HCCA-CF poll frame having a plurality of subtype fields including a “

data”

subtype field and a “

poll”

subtype field, wherein the HCCA-CF poll frame is sent with its “

data”

subtype field cleared and its “

poll”

subtype field set.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more PAN protocol frames includes data addressed to a PAN device.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more frames using the PAN protocol comprise an HCCA-CF poll frame having a plurality of subtype fields including a “

to DS”

subtype field and a “

from DS”

subtype field, wherein the HCCA-CF poll frame is sent with both subtype fields cleared.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more PAN protocol frames are transmitted using a highest priority queue.

10. A wireless network interface circuit for communicating between devices of a personal area network (PAN) using a wireless medium that is shared with a wireless local area network (WLAN), the circuit comprising:

circuitry for conveying signals between the wireless network interface circuit and a computing device to which the wireless network interface circuit is electrically coupled;

logic for obtaining access to the wireless medium;

logic for signaling a reservation of the wireless medium, such that other WLAN devices receiving the signaling defer use of the wireless medium for a reservation period, the reservation being signaled using one or more frames of a PAN protocol that are at least partially understandable by the other WLAN devices, wherein the WLAN is an 802.1 lx network and the one or more frames of the PAN protocol are 802.1 lx frames directed to a PAN device and include in a header of the frames, an increased duration field; and

logic for communicating, using the PAN protocol, with a PAN device over the wireless medium during the reservation period.

11. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the one or more frames using the PAN protocol comprise a frame directed to a PAN device having an increased duration field.

12. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the one or more frames using the PAN protocol comprise an 802.11x CTS frame with an increased duration field.

13. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the one or more frames using the PAN protocol comprise an 802.11x frame or modification thereof, transmitted using a highest priority queue.

14. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the one or more frames using the PAN protocol comprise an HCCA-CF poll frame having a plurality of subtype fields including a “

data”

subtype field and a “

poll”

subtype field, wherein the HCCA-CF poll frame is sent with its “

data”

subtype field cleared and its “

poll”

subtype field set.

15. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the one or more frames using the PAN protocol comprise a modified HCCA-CF poll frame that is partially compliant with the WLAN protocol, the modified HCCA-CF poll frame having a plurality of subtype fields including a “

data”

subtype field and a “

poll”

subtype field, and wherein the HCCA-CF poll frame is sent with its “

data”

subtype field cleared and its “

poll”

subtype field set.

16. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the PAN protocol frame includes data addressed to a PAN device.

17. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the one or more frames using the PAN protocol comprise an HCCA-CF poll frame having a plurality of subtype fields including a “

to DS”

subtype field and a “

from DS”

subtype field, wherein the HCCA-CF poll frame is sent with both subtype fields cleared.

18. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the one or more PAN protocol frames are transmitted using a highest priority queue.