System and method for selecting repeaters

• US 20050053025A1
• Filed: 10/20/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Darrell Duffy, Glen Riley
• Original Assignee: Darrell Duffy, Glen Riley
• Inventors: Duffy, Darrell, Riley, Glen
• Granted Patent: US 7,277,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/46 Interconnection of networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/42 Centralised routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A method is described for selecting repeaters comprising: transmitting a first signal from a first node to a second node; measuring signal strength of the first signal at the second node; transmitting a second signal from the second node to the first node; measuring signal strength of the second signal at the first node; and selecting the second node as a repeater based on the signal strength of the first signal and/or the signal strength of the second signal. Another embodiment of the method comprises: calculating signal strength of a signal transmitted to each of a plurality of nodes (the signal strength being measured at each node of the plurality); and selecting one or more of the nodes to be a repeater if the signal strength is below a maximum threshold value and above a minimum threshold value.

Claims

1-25. -25. (cancelled)

26. A method of a master node selecting a repeater, comprising:

transmitting a first signal to a repeater candidate node;

receiving a second signal from said repeater candidate node;

determining signal strength of said second signal and/or receiving a signal strength indication of said first signal determined at said repeater candidate node; and

selecting said repeater candidate node as a repeater based on said signal strength of said first signal and/or said signal strength of said second signal.

27. An article of manufacture including a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a master node, cause said master node to:

transmit a first signal to a repeater candidate node;

receive a second signal from said repeater candidate node;

determine signal strength of said second signal and/or receive a signal strength indication of said first signal determined at said repeater candidate node; and

select said repeater candidate node as a repeater based on said signal strength of said first signal and/or said signal strength of said second signal.

28. A master node comprising a memory for storing program code and a processor for processing the program code, the program causing the processor to perform the operations of:

transmit a first signal to a repeater candidate node;

receive a second signal from said repeater candidate node;

determine signal strength of said second signal and/or receive a signal strength indication of said first signal determined at said repeater candidate node; and

select said repeater candidate node as a repeater based on said signal strength of said first signal and/or said signal strength of said second signal.

29. A method for a first node to become a repeater, comprising:

receiving a first signal from a second node;

transmitting a second signal to said second node;

receiving a selection indication from said second node based on signal strength of said first signal measured at said first node and/or signal strength of said second signal measured at said second node; and

becoming a repeater based on said selection.

30. An article of manufacture including a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor of a first node, cause said first node to:

receive a first signal from a second node;

transmit a second signal to said second node;

receive a selection indication from said second node based on signal strength of said first signal measured at said first node and/or signal strength of said second signal measured at said second node; and

become a repeater based on said selection.

31. A repeater candidate comprising a memory for storing program code and a processor for processing the program code, the program causing the processor to perform the operations of:

receive a first signal from a second node;

transmit a second signal to said second node;

receive a selection indication from said second node based on signal strength of said first signal measured at said first node and/or signal strength of said second signal measured at said second node; and

become a repeater based on said selection.