Maintenance of time slot usage indicators and self-organizing networking
First Claim
1. A method for communicating using a network including a plurality of devices, comprising:
- partitioning medium access time into a series of superframes and partitioning each superframe into time slots;
scheduling by each of said devices its transmission and reception in the time slots of the superframe;
maintaining by each of said devices its neighborhood map, a neighborhood map being an ordered set of indicators corresponding to the time slots of the superframe, wherein the indicator distinguishes among the device'"'"'s scheduled use of the corresponding time slot for a control packet transmission or reception, the device'"'"'s scheduled use of the corresponding time slot for a data packet transmission or reception, and no scheduled use of the corresponding time slot by the device, and the indicator indicates whether the device is allowed to transmit in the corresponding time slot;
transmitting by each of said devices a packet containing said each device'"'"'s neighborhood map recurrently;
updating recurrently by each of said devices its neighborhood map on the basis of information available to the device, wherein information available to the device includes the device'"'"'s schedule of time slot uses, one or a plurality of neighborhood maps received from one or a plurality of other devices, and one or a plurality of control packets received from one or a plurality of other devices; and
updating by each of said devices its schedule of packet transmission and reception on the basis of information available to the device, wherein information available to the device includes the device'"'"'s transmission need, the device'"'"'s neighborhood map, and one or a plurality of control packets received from one or plurality of other devices.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Provided are methods by which multiple devices self-form a communication network and self-coordinate their access to communication media. In these methods, an individual node maintains its knowledge of other nodes in its vicinity and knowledge of those nodes'"'"' scheduled activities to an adequate degree of details. Such knowledge can be obtained by receiving control signals from nodes that are within the range of wireless communication. Examples of such knowledge include the identities of the nodes in the vicinity, the nodes'"'"' scheduled times of control message transmission and/or reception, the nodes'"'"' scheduled times of application data transmission and/or reception, etc. Such knowledge can be embodied in the form of a memory module of a computing device.
19 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for communicating using a network including a plurality of devices, comprising:
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partitioning medium access time into a series of superframes and partitioning each superframe into time slots; scheduling by each of said devices its transmission and reception in the time slots of the superframe; maintaining by each of said devices its neighborhood map, a neighborhood map being an ordered set of indicators corresponding to the time slots of the superframe, wherein the indicator distinguishes among the device'"'"'s scheduled use of the corresponding time slot for a control packet transmission or reception, the device'"'"'s scheduled use of the corresponding time slot for a data packet transmission or reception, and no scheduled use of the corresponding time slot by the device, and the indicator indicates whether the device is allowed to transmit in the corresponding time slot; transmitting by each of said devices a packet containing said each device'"'"'s neighborhood map recurrently; updating recurrently by each of said devices its neighborhood map on the basis of information available to the device, wherein information available to the device includes the device'"'"'s schedule of time slot uses, one or a plurality of neighborhood maps received from one or a plurality of other devices, and one or a plurality of control packets received from one or a plurality of other devices; and updating by each of said devices its schedule of packet transmission and reception on the basis of information available to the device, wherein information available to the device includes the device'"'"'s transmission need, the device'"'"'s neighborhood map, and one or a plurality of control packets received from one or plurality of other devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A network including a plurality of devices configured to
partition medium access time into a series of superframes and partition each superframe into time slots schedule the devices'"'"' transmission and reception in the time slots of the superframe; -
maintain neighborhood maps associated with individual devices, a neighborhood map being an ordered set of indicators corresponding to the time slots of the superframe, wherein the indicator of the neighborhood map distinguishes among the associated device'"'"'s scheduled use of the corresponding time slot for a control packet transmission or reception, the associated device'"'"'s scheduled use of the corresponding time slot for a data packet transmission or reception, and no scheduled use of the corresponding time slot by the associated device, and the indicator indicates whether the associated device is allowed to transmit in the corresponding time slot; transmit packets containing individual devices'"'"' neighborhood maps recurrently; update recurrently the neighborhood maps associated with individual devices on the basis of information available to the individual devices, wherein information available to an individual device includes the device'"'"'s schedule of time slot uses, one or a plurality of neighborhood maps received from one or a plurality of other devices, and one or a plurality of control packets received from one or a plurality of other devices; and update individual devices'"'"' schedule of packet transmission and reception on the basis of information available to the individual devices, wherein information available to an individual node includes the device'"'"'s transmission need, the device'"'"'s neighborhood map, and one or a plurality of control packets received from one or plurality of other devices. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification