Channel status determination method and related wireless local area network system and direct link setup method

• US 8,717,984 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2010
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ralink Technology Corporation (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ralink Technology Corporation (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tang, Sung-Chien
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRISHNAN, RAJESHWARI
• Application Number:
  US12/874,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20110051678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 370/248, 370/254, 370/255, 370/328, 370/329, 370/331, 370/338, 370/352, 370/278, 370/310, 370/389, 709/231, 709/238, 709203-228, 714/1, 714/12, 717/173, 455436-437
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• 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 for determining a channel status between a first station and a second station in a wireless local area network system includes the first station receiving a beacon from an access point. The first station broadcasts a packet carrying the beacon. The packet provides a basis for the second station to determine the channel status between the first station and the second station.

Claims

1. A method for determining a channel status between a first station and a second station in a wireless local area network system, comprising:

the first station receiving a first beacon from an access point;

the first station receiving a packet outputted by the second station, the packet carrying a second beacon; and

the first station comparing the first beacon from the access point with the second beacon from the second station, to determine the channel status between the first station and the second station, wherein the channel status is used for determining whether to establish a direct link setup (DLS) between the first station and the second station, and the first station and the second station are non-access point stations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of fields of the packet are set to specific values, so that the first station is capable of determining that the packet is used for determining the channel status between the first station and the second station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the first station comparing the first beacon with the second beacon to determine the channel status between the first station and the second station comprises the first station determining that establishing a connection between the first station and the second station is feasible, when the first beacon and the second beacon are identical.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first station further determines that the first station and the second station are served by the same access point, when the first beacon and the second beacon are identical.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the first station comparing the first beacon with the second beacon to determine the channel status between the first station and the second station comprises the first station determining that establishing a connection between the first station and the second station is unallowable, when the first beacon and the second beacon are not identical.

6. A wireless local area network system, comprising:

a plurality of stations; and

at least one access point, for providing services to the plurality of stations;

wherein while a first station of the plurality of stations determines a channel status between the first station and a second station, the second station broadcasts a second packet carrying a second beacon, so that the first station is capable of comparing a first beacon with the second beacon, and determining the channel status between the first station and the second station, wherein the channel status is used for determining whether to establish a direct link setup (DLS) between the first station and the second station;

wherein the second beacon is outputted by an access point corresponding to the second station, and the first beacon is outputted by an access point corresponding to the first station, and the first station and the second station are non-access point stations.

7. The wireless local area network system of claim 6, wherein the second station further sets values of a plurality of fields of the second packet, so that the first station is capable of determining that the second packet is used for determining the channel status between the first station and the second station.

8. The wireless local area network system of claim 6, wherein the first station determines that establishing a connection between the first station and the second station is feasible, when the first beacon and the second beacon are identical.

9. The wireless local area network system of claim 8, wherein the first station further determines that the first station and the second station are served by the same access point, when the first beacon and the second beacon are identical.

10. The wireless local area network system of claim 6, wherein the first station determines that establishing a connection between the first station and the second station is unallowable, when the first beacon and the second beacon are not identical.

11. A method for establishing a direct link setup (DLS) in a wireless local network system, comprising:

a first station and a second station starting to establish the DLS;

the first station broadcasting a plurality of first packets carrying a plurality of first beacons outputted by a first access point (AP), and the second station broadcasting a plurality of second packets carrying a plurality of second beacons outputted by a second AP, to determine whether the first AP is identical to the second AP and a channel status between the first station and the second station; and

the first station and the second station establishing the DLS when the first AP is identical to the second AP, and the channel status between the first station and the second station is determined as feasible to establish a connection, wherein the first station and the second station are non-access point stations.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first station compares the plurality of first beacons outputted by the first AP with the plurality of second beacons carried by the plurality of second packets broadcasted by the second station, and determines that the first AP is identical to the second AP and the channel status between the first station and the second station is feasible to establish the connection when the plurality of first beacons and the plurality of second beacons are identical.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second station compares the plurality of second beacons outputted by the second AP with the plurality of first beacons carried by the plurality of first packets broadcasted by the first station, and determines that the first AP is identical to the second AP and the channel status between the first station and the second station is feasible to establish the connection when the plurality of first beacons and the plurality of second beacons are identical.

14. The method in claim 11, wherein the first station further sets values of a plurality of fields of each of the first packets when the first station has the plurality of first beacons, outputted by the first AP, be carried by the plurality of first packets, so that the second station is capable of determining that the plurality of first packets are used for determining the channel status between the first station and the second station.

15. The method in claim 11, wherein the second station further sets values of a plurality of fields of each of the second packets when the second station has the plurality of second beacons, outputted by the second AP, be carried by the plurality of second packets, so that the first station is capable of determining that the plurality of second packets are used for determining the channel status between the first station and the second station.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising starting a timer when the first station and the second station start to establish the DLS.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising stopping the DLS when the timer expires.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising stopping the timer when the first AP is identical to the second AP and the channel status between the first station and the second station is determined as feasible to establish the connection.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of the first station and the second station establishing the DLS comprises:

a station of the first station and the second station having a greater media access control (MAC) address outputting a DLS request message to the other station via a corresponding AP;

the other station of the first station and the second station sending a DLS response message through the AP after receiving the DLS request message; and

the first station and the second station establishing the DLS.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising the first station and/or the second station periodically sending a verification packet to verify a validity of the DLS after the first station and the second station establish the DLS.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the verification packet is a null packet.