Time division protocol for an AD-HOC, peer-to-peer radio network having coordinating channel access to shared parallel data channels with separate reservation channel

• US 7,266,104 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2001
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MeshNetworks, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Belcea, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): LY, ANH VU H
• Application Number:
  US09/846,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20030185166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,316 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/343, 370/345, 370/347, 370/348, 370/436, 370/437, 370/438, 370/441, 370/442, 370/443, 370/445, 370/461, 370/462
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2643 using time-division multiple access [TDMA] H04B7/2615, H04B7/2618 take precedence
• 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: H04W 40/08 based on transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/247 where the output power of a terminal is based on a path parameter sent by another terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/325 Power control of control or pilot channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/383 power control in peer-to-peer links
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/46 in multi hop networks, e.g. wireless relay networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system includes a series of radio terminals forming a service group, each radio terminal having a transceiver for communicating with terminals in the same service group, computer means, and memory for storing program software. Within the system, a method and protocol for communication among the terminals includes establishing a connection with one radio terminal based on time-division access; initiating an outgoing call from the radio terminal including registering with another radio terminal for serving as a node in the call connection by transmitting a registration request; and initially transmitting said registration request on a last time slot (TS) of a respective time frame (TF), said last time slot serving as a configuration channel.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting radio calls in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of radio terminals forming a service group, each of said radio terminals comprising transceiver means for transmitting and receiving signals from other terminals of said series of terminals in the same service group, computer means and memory means for storing program software means therein, comprising:

(a) establishing a connection with one of said radio terminals based on time-division access;

(b) said step (a) comprising transmitting and receiving control and data signals as a series of time frames (TF) with each said time frame consisting of a plurality of time slots (TS);

(c) said step (b) comprising dedicating one of said plurality of time slots for use as a configuration channel for transmitting information useful in establishing a routing path of a call;

(d) said step (b) further comprising dedicating other of said plurality of time slots for use as data channels for transmitting the actual call information based on the class of service (COS) of the call;

(e) said step (b) further comprising forming an inter-frame time gap (IFTG) between said time frames (TF) during which each radio terminal may process said data received from another one of the terminals;

(f) initiating an outgoing call from said one of said radio terminals;

(g) said step (f) comprising registering with another one of said radio terminals for serving as a node in the call connection by transmitting a registration request; and

(h) said step (g) comprising initially transmitting said registration request on a last time slot (TS) of a respective time frame (TF), said last time slot serving as said configuration channel.

2. The method of transmitting radio calls in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system according to claim 1, wherein said step (e) comprises making the length of said inter frame time gap (IFTG) longer than the lengths of said time slots (TS).

3. The method of transmitting radio calls in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system according to claim 1, further comprising after said step (h):

(i) selecting in a time frame (TF), subsequent to said respective said time frame in which said registration messaging was sent by said step (h), a time slot (TS) earlier than said last time slot of said subsequent time frame as said configuration channel for transmitting configuration messaging.

4. A method of transmitting radio calls in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system comprising a series of radio terminals forming a service group, each of said radio terminals comprising transceiver means for transmitting and receiving signals from other terminals of said series of terminals, computer means and memory means for storing program software means therein, comprising:

(a) initiating an outgoing call from one of said radio terminals;

(b) establishing a call from said one of said radio terminals based on time-division access;

(c) said step (b) comprising creating messaging consisting of a series of time frames (TF) with each of said time frames consisting of a plurality of time slots (TS);

(d) said step (c) comprising dedicating one of said plurality of time slots for use as a configuration channel for transmitting information useful in establishing a routing path of a call;

(e) said step (c) further comprising dedicating other of said plurality of time slots for use as a data channels for transmitting the actual call information based on the class of service (COS) of the call;

(f) said step (c) further comprising forming an inter-frame time gap (IFTG) between said time frames (TF) during which each of said radio terminals may process said data received from another terminal;

(g) said step (a) comprising registering with another one of said radio terminals for serving as a node in the call connection by transmitting a registration request; and

(h) said step (g) comprising initially transmitting said registration request on a last time slot (TS) of a respective time frame (TF), said last time slot serving as said configuration channel.

5. The method of transmitting radio calls in an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio system according to claim 4, further comprising after said step (h):

(i) selecting in a time frame (TF), subsequent to said respective said time frame in which said registration messaging was sent by said step (h), a time slot (TS) earlier than said last time slot of said subsequent time frame as said configuration channel for transmitting configuration messaging.