Method and system for communicating in a wireless mesh network

• US 9,794,934 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Zhang, Yifeng, Zhang, Tao, Liang, Tianbao, Xie, Shuchen, Zhang, Fuquan, Zhang, Jianjun
• Primary Examiner(s): Scheibel, Robert C
• Application Number:
  US14/682,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20160302195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• 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

Embodiments of a method for communicating in a wireless mesh network, a method for communicating in a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh network, and a wireless communications device are described. In one embodiment, a method for communicating in a wireless mesh network involves at a first wireless communications device, scanning the wireless mesh network for a unit time period to discover a first transmission time slot within the unit time period that is used by a second wireless communications device in the wireless mesh network, at the first wireless communications device, choosing a second transmission time slot within the unit time period for the first wireless communications device, where the second transmission time slot is different from the first transmission time slot, and from the first wireless communications device, broadcasting data in the wireless mesh network in the second transmission time slot within a subsequent unit time period.

Claims

1. A method for communicating in a wireless mesh network, the method comprising:

at a first wireless communications device, scanning the wireless mesh network for a unit time period to discover a first transmission time slot within the unit time period that is used by a second wireless communications device in the wireless mesh network, wherein the unit time period is divided into a plurality of transmission time slots to be used by a plurality of wireless communications devices in the wireless mesh network, and wherein the second wireless communications device is located within the communications range of the first wireless communications device;

at the first wireless communications device, choosing a second transmission time slot within the unit time period for the first wireless communications device, wherein the second transmission time slot is different from the first transmission time slot and receiving a confirmation message from the second wireless communication device in the first transmission time slot within a second subsequent unit time period that confirms the usage of the second transmission time slot by the first wireless communications device, before broadcasting the data in the wireless mesh network from the first wireless communications device in the second transmission time slot within the subsequent unit time period; and

from the first wireless communications device, broadcasting data in the wireless mesh network in the second transmission time slot within a subsequent unit time period.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, from the first wireless communications device, transmitting a request to join the wireless mesh network to the second wireless communications device in a transmission time slot reserved for joining the wireless mesh network or the second transmission time slot within a second subsequent unit time period, before broadcasting data in the wireless mesh network from the first wireless communications device in the second transmission time slot within the subsequent unit time period.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the first wireless communications device, choosing a third transmission time slot within each unit time period for the first wireless communications device before choosing the second transmission time slot within each unit time period for the first wireless communications device, wherein the third transmission time slot is different from the first and second transmission time slots; and

at the first wireless communications device, receiving a message from the second wireless communications device in the first transmission time slot within a second subsequent unit time period that objects to the usage of the third transmission time slot by the first wireless communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, at the first wireless communications device, scanning the wireless mesh network for the unit time period, comprises, at the first wireless communications device, creating a neighbor table that identifies the second wireless communications device and the first transmission time slot that is used by the second wireless communications device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, at the first wireless communications device, choosing the second transmission time slot within the unit time period for the first wireless communications device comprises, at the first wireless communications device, generating a random number that corresponds to a place of the second transmission time slot within each unit time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, at the first wireless communications device, scanning the wireless mesh network for the unit time period, comprises, at the first wireless communications device, receiving signals in the wireless mesh network at a first frequency band, wherein, from the first wireless communications device, broadcasting data in the wireless mesh network, comprises, from the first wireless communications device, transmitting signals in the wireless mesh network in a second frequency band, and wherein the first frequency band does not overlap with the second frequency band.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the first wireless communications device, receiving a data packet from the second wireless communications device in the first transmission time slot within a second subsequent unit time period; and

from the first wireless communications device, transmitting the received data packet in the wireless mesh network in the second transmission time slot within the second subsequent unit time period or a third subsequent unit time period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless mesh network is a peer-to-peer network.

9. A method for communicating in a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh network, the method comprising:

at a first BLE compatible device, scanning the BLE mesh network for a unit time period to discover a first transmission time slot within the unit time period that is used by a second BLE compatible device in the BLE mesh network, wherein the unit time period is divided into a plurality of transmission time slots to be used by a plurality of BLE compatible devices in the BLE mesh network, and wherein the second BLE compatible device is located within the communications range of the first BLE compatible device;

at the first BLE compatible device, choosing a second transmission time slot within the unit time period for the BLE compatible device, wherein the second transmission time slot is different from the first transmission time slot and receiving a confirmation message from the second BLE compatible device in the first transmission time slot within a second subsequent unit time period that confirms the usage of the second transmission time slot by the first BLE compatible device, before broadcasting the data in the BLE mesh network from the first BLE compatible device in the second transmission time slot within the subsequent unit time period; and

from the first BLE compatible device, broadcasting data in the BLE mesh network in the second transmission time slot within a subsequent unit time period.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, from the first BLE compatible device, transmitting a request to join the BLE mesh network to the second BLE compatible device in a transmission time slot reserved for joining the BLE mesh network or the second transmission time slot within a second subsequent unit time period, before broadcasting data in the BLE mesh network from the first BLE compatible device in the second transmission time slot within the subsequent unit time period.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

at the first BLE compatible device, choosing a third transmission time slot within each unit time period for the first BLE compatible device before choosing the second transmission time slot within each unit time period for the first BLE compatible device, wherein the third transmission time slot is different from the first and second transmission time slots; and

at the first BLE compatible device, receiving a message from the second BLE compatible device in the first transmission time slot within a second subsequent unit time period that objects to the usage of the third transmission time slot by the first BLE compatible device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein, at the first BLE compatible device, scanning the BLE mesh network for the unit time period, comprises, at the first BLE compatible device, creating a neighbor table that identifies the second BLE compatible device and the first transmission time slot that is used by the second BLE compatible device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein, at the first BLE compatible device, choosing the second transmission time slot within the unit time period for the first BLE compatible device comprises, at the first BLE compatible device, generating a random number that corresponds to a place of the second transmission time slot within each unit time period.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein, at the first BLE compatible device, scanning the BLE mesh network for the unit time period, comprises, at the first BLE compatible device, receiving signals in the BLE mesh network at a first frequency band, wherein, from the first BLE compatible device, broadcasting data in the BLE mesh network, comprises, from the first BLE compatible device, transmitting signals in the BLE mesh network in a second frequency band, and wherein the first frequency band does not overlap with the second frequency band.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

at the first BLE compatible device, receiving a data packet from the second BLE compatible device in the first transmission time slot within a second subsequent unit time period; and

from the first BLE compatible device, transmitting the received data packet in the BLE mesh network in the second transmission time slot within the second subsequent unit time period or a third subsequent unit time period.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the BLE mesh network is a peer-to-peer network.

17. A wireless communications device, the wireless communications device comprising:

an antenna module configured to receive radio frequency (RF) signals or transmit RF signal; and

a transceiver module configured to;

scan a wireless mesh network for a unit time period to discover a first transmission time slot within the unit time period that is used by a second wireless communications device in the wireless mesh network, wherein the unit time period is divided into a plurality of transmission time slots to be used by a plurality of wireless communications devices in the wireless mesh network, and wherein the second wireless communications device is located within the communications range of the wireless communications device;

choose a second transmission time slot within the unit time period for the wireless communications device, wherein the second transmission time slot is different from the first transmission time slot and receiving a confirmation message from the second wireless communications device in the first transmission time slot within a second subsequent unit time period that confirms the usage of the second transmission time slot by the first wireless communications device, before broadcasting the data in the wireless mesh network from the first wireless communications device in the second transmission time slot within the subsequent unit time period; and

broadcast data in the wireless mesh network in the second transmission time slot within a subsequent unit time period.

18. The wireless communications device of claim 17, wherein the transceiver module is further configured to transmit a request to join the wireless mesh network to the second wireless communications device in a transmission time slot reserved for joining the wireless mesh network or the second transmission time slot within a second subsequent unit time period.