METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION USING OUT-OF-BAND CHANNELS

• US 20080175197A1
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Singh, Harkirat, Shao, Huai-Rong, Ngo, Chiu, Qin, Xiangping
• Granted Patent: US 8,509,159 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method and system for ad-hoc wireless communication using out-of-band control channels is provided. An out-of-band control channel is scanned to discover a wireless station. Channel occupation information is communicated with the discovered station. A communication channel is selected based on the occupation information, and may be used for ad-hoc mode information communication with the discovered station.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

scanning an out-of-band wireless channel to discover a wireless station;

communicating channel occupation information with the discovered station; and

selecting an in-band wireless channel based on the occupation information for information communication with the discovered station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein scanning an out-of-band channel includes detecting beacons from a wireless station.

3. The method of claim 1 further including communicating capability information with a discovered station over the out-of-band channel to establish association.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating channel occupation information includes communicating channel occupation information with the discovered station over the out-of-band channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel occupation information includes channel bandwidth availability information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of selecting an in-band channel includes selecting an in-band channel based on the channel bandwidth information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting an in-band channel includes selecting an in-band communication channel based on the occupation information for ad-hoc mode information communication with the discovered station.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting an in-band channel includes selecting a 60 GHz frequency band communication channel based on the occupation information for ad-hoc mode information communication with the discovered station.

9. The method of claim 1, further including the step of communicating data with the discovered station over the in-band channel, while using the out-of-band channel to exchange of control messages, wherein the in-band channel and the out-of band channel are at different wireless frequencies.

10. The method of claim 9 further including the step of performing directional data communication over the in-band channel.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the out-of band channel is at a lower frequency band than the in-band channel.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the out-of-band channel is at a similar frequency band as the in-band channel, but at a different frequency.

13. The method of claim 1 further including communicating beacons on the out-of-band channel, wherein the beacons can be transmitted anywhere in a superframe period.

14. A wireless communication station, comprising:

an out-of-band communication module configured for scanning an out-of-band communication channel to discover a wireless station and communicating control information over the out-of-band channel;

an in-band communication module configured for information communication over an in-band communication channel; and

a convergence module configured for communicating channel occupation information with the discovered station to select an in-band for in-band communication with the discovered station via the in-band communication module.

15. The wireless station of claim 14, wherein the convergence module is further configured for scanning an out-of-band control channel using the out-of-band communication module by detecting beacons from a wireless station.

16. The wireless station of claim 14, wherein the out-of-band communication module is further configured for communicating capability information over the out-of-band channel for establishing association with a discovered station.

17. The wireless station of claim 14, wherein the out-of-band convergence module is further configured for communicating channel occupation information with the discovered station over the out-of-band channel.

18. The wireless station of claim 14, wherein the channel occupation information includes channel bandwidth availability information.

19. The wireless station of claim 18, wherein the convergence module is further configured for selecting an in-band channel based on the channel bandwidth information.

20. The wireless station of claim 14, wherein the convergence module is further configured for selecting an in-band channel based on the occupation information for ad-hoc mode in-band communication with the discovered station.

21. The wireless station of claim 14, wherein the convergence module is further configured for selecting a 60 GHz frequency in-band communication channel based on the occupation information for information communication with the discovered station.

22. The wireless station of claim 14, wherein the out-of-band communication module is further configured for performing omni-directional communication over the out-of-band channel.

23. The wireless station of claim 14, wherein the in-band communication module is further configured for performing directional data communication over the in-band channel.

24. The wireless station of claim 14, wherein the out-of-band channel is at a lower frequency band than the in-band channel.

25. The wireless station of claim 14, wherein the out-of-band channel is at a similar frequency band as the in-band channel.

26. The wireless station of claim 14, wherein the out-of-band communication module is further configured for communicating beacons on the out-of-band channel, wherein the beacons can be transmitted anywhere in a superframe period.

27. A program product stored on a computer useable medium for wireless communication, the program product comprising program code for causing a processor of a wireless station to perform the following steps:

scanning an out-of-band wireless channel to discover a wireless station;

communicating channel occupation information with the discovered station; and

selecting an in-band wireless channel based on the occupation information for information communication with the discovered station.

28. The program product of claim 27 further comprising program code for causing a processor of a wireless station to communicate capability information with a discovered station to establish association.

29. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a wireless discovering station and a wireless partner station;

the discovering station comprising;

an out-of-band communication module configured for scanning an out-of-band communication channel to discover a partner station and communicating control information over the out-of-band channel;

an in-band communication module configured for information communication over an in-band communication channel; and

a convergence module configured for communicating channel occupation information with the partner station to select an in-band channel for in-band communication with the partner station via the in-band communication module.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the convergence module is further configured for scanning an out-of-band control channel using the out-of-band communication module by detecting beacons from a wireless station to discover the partner station.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the out-of-band communication module is further configured for communicating capability information over the out-of-band channel for establishing association with the partner station.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the out-of-band convergence module is further configured for communicating channel occupation information with the partner station over the out-of-band channel.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the channel occupation information includes channel bandwidth availability information.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the convergence module is further configured for selecting an in-band channel based on the channel bandwidth information.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein the convergence module is further configured for selecting an in-band channel based on the occupation information for ad-hoc mode in-band communication with the partner station.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein the convergence module is further configured for selecting a 60 GHz frequency in-band communication channel based on the occupation information for information communication with the partner station.

37. The system of claim 29, wherein the out-of-band communication module is further configured for performing omni-directional communication over the out-of-band channel.

38. The system of claim 29, wherein the in-band communication module is further configured for performing directional data communication over the in-band channel.

39. The system of claim 29, wherein the out-of-band channel is at a lower frequency band than the in-band channel.

40. The system of claim 29, wherein the out-of-band channel is at a similar frequency band as the in-band channel.

41. The system of claim 29, wherein the out-of-band communication module is further configured for communicating beacons on the out-of-band channel, wherein the beacons can be transmitted anywhere in a superframe period.