IMPLEMENTATION OF POWER CONTROL IN A WIRELESS OVERLAY NETWORK

• US 20030013474A1
• Filed: 07/06/1999
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WIDCOMM, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: KUMAR, RAJIV, MORRIS, MARTIN, NGUYEN, LYN, PHAM, HIEP
• Granted Patent: US 6,654,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/38 TPC being performed in particular situations
• 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 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method and apparatus for internetworked communication between first and second wireless networks containing first and second pluralities of wireless nodes, respectively, is disclosed herein. In a preferred implementation a first dual-power node participates in both a first wireless network and an overlay network. The dual-power node is configured to transmit and receive in both a high-power mode and a low-power mode. The dual-power node operates in an overlay network and facilitates data transmission between low-power nodes and high-power nodes by toggling between these two power modes. In a preferred implementation, a third wireless network containing a third plurality of wireless nodes is utilized. The overlay network can accommodate a plurality of high-power or dual-power nodes.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a first wireless network including a first plurality of wireless nodes;

an overlay network including a second plurality of wireless nodes; and

a first dual-power node included within said first plurality of wireless nodes and within said second plurality of wireless nodes, said first dual-power node including;

means for transmitting information, at a first power level, to said first plurality of wireless nodes; and

means for transmitting information, at a second power level substantially greater than said first power level, to at least one of said second plurality of wireless nodes.

2. The communication system of claim 1 further including a third wireless network containing said at least one of said second plurality of wireless nodes and a third plurality of wireless nodes, said at least one of said second plurality of wireless nodes including:

means for transmitting information, at a third power level, to said third plurality of wireless nodes; and

means for transmitting information, at a fourth power level substantially greater than said third power level, to said first dual-power node.

3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said first dual-power node is operative in a low-power mode and in a high-power mode, said first dual-power node further including:

means for receiving network information, while operative in said low-power mode, from said first plurality of wireless nodes; and

means for transmitting, at said second power level and while operative in said high-power mode, said network information to said at least one of said second plurality of wireless nodes.

4. The communication system of claim 1 further including a relay node in said overlay network, said relay node including:

means for transmitting information between said first dual-power node and said at least one of said second plurality of wireless nodes.

5. The communication system of claim 2 further including a relay node in said overlay network, said relay node including:

means for transmitting information between said first dual-power node and said at least one of said second plurality of wireless nodes.

6. The communication system of claim 2 wherein said first dual-power node further includes:

means for operating as a first master node; and

means for operating as a first slave node.

7. The communication system of claim 2 wherein said at least one of said second plurality of wireless nodes is a second dual-power node including:

means for determining if said first dual-power node is operating as a master node;

means for operating as a second slave node; and

means for operating as a second master node.

8. A communication system comprising:

a first wireless network including a third dual-power node and a first plurality of low-power wireless nodes, said third dual-power node toggling between operation in a high-power mode and in a low-power mode such that said third dual-power node communicates with said first plurality of low-power wireless nodes while operative in said low-power mode; and

an overlay network including at least one node disposed to communicate with said third dual-power node while said third dual-power node is operative in said high-power mode.

9. The communication system of claim 8 further including a third wireless network having a dual-power node and a second plurality of low-power wireless nodes, said dual-power node communicating with said overlay network while operative in a higher-power mode and with said second plurality of low-power wireless nodes while operative in a lower-power mode.