US 10,433,236 B2Granted

Beaconing in small wavelength wireless networks

AssigneeSony Corporation

InventorsMohamed Abouelseoud, Ramy Abdallah, Kazuyuki Sakoda

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Abstract

Reduced signaling overhead is provided in an apparatus and method for communications within a mesh network. The communications involve using two different beacon signals. A peer beacon contains time synchronization and resource management information to maintain existing links among one or more neighboring peer stations, while a separate network discovery beacon contains mesh network profile information that identifies the mesh network to aid network discovery for wireless communication stations wanting to join the mesh network. Embodiments describe coordination between peer stations to determine which stations are to send the network discovery beacons, so that at any given period of time not all stations need to be transmitting the discovery beacons.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus for wireless communication in a mesh network, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a wireless communication circuit configured as a station for wirelessly communicating with other wireless communication stations in a mesh network utilizing directional transmission having a plurality of antenna pattern sectors each having different transmission directions;
(b) a processor coupled to said wireless communication circuit;
and
(c) a non-transitory memory storing instructions executable by the processor;
(d) wherein said instructions, when executed by the processor operating as a station performing as a beacon master (BM), perform steps comprising:
(i) transmitting a first type of beacon, a network discovery beacon, containing mesh network profile information which identifies said mesh network, to aid network discovery for wireless communication stations to join said mesh network, with said beacon master being an only station allowed to transmit said network discovery beacons on said mesh network;
and
(ii) wherein only said beacon master (BM) also performs (A) receiving and processing new beacon master (BM) requests;
(B) scheduling a new beacon master (BM) schedule based on received beacon master (BM) requests;
(C) updating a steady-state beacon master (BM) sequence;
(D) defining scanning receive directions for a new station joining said mesh network;
(E) updating discovery beacon scanning directions for peer stations of a new node joining said mesh network;
(iii) transmitting a second type of beacon, a peer beacon, comprising time synchronization and resource management information, to maintain existing links among one or more neighboring peer stations within said mesh network;
in which said second type of beacon is transmitted to a reduced number of antenna sector directions, from said plurality of antenna pattern sectors, based on peer locations, with said beacon master being only one of the stations in said mesh network allowed to transmit said peer beacons;
and
(iv) wherein active stations in said mesh network become a beacon master (BM) according to a selected sequence, with the sequence remaining valid until a new station becomes discoverable by an existing station of the mesh network.

13 more elements

An apparatus for wireless communication in a mesh network, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a wireless communication circuit configured as a station for wirelessly communicating with other wireless communication stations in a mesh network utilizing directional transmission having a plurality of antenna pattern sectors each having different transmission directions;
(b) wherein said directional transmission aids scanning for mesh network discovery and maintenance of links among peer stations in said mesh network;
(c) a processor coupled to said wireless communication circuit;
and
(d) a non-transitory memory storing instructions executable by the processor;
(e) wherein said instructions, when executed by the processor operating as a station performing as a beacon master (BM), perform steps comprising:
(i) transmitting a first type of beacon, a network discovery beacon, containing mesh network profile information which identifies said mesh network, to aid network discovery for wireless communication stations to join said mesh network, in which said first type of beacon is transmitted after coordination among stations in said mesh network so that not all stations are required to send said second type of beacon, with said beacon master being an only station allowed to transmit said network discovery beacons on said mesh network;
(ii) wherein only said beacon master (BM) also performs (A) receiving and processing new beacon master (BM) requests;
(B) scheduling a new beacon master (BM) schedule based on received beacon master (BM) requests;
(C) updating a steady-state beacon master (BM) sequence;
(D) defining scanning receive directions for a new station joining the mesh network;
(E) updating discovery beacon scanning directions for peer stations of a new node joining the mesh network;
(iii) transmitting a second type of beacon, a peer beacon, comprising time synchronization and resource management information, to maintain existing links among one or more neighboring peer stations within the mesh network, with said beacon master being only one of the stations in the mesh network allowed to transmit said peer beacons;
and
(iv) wherein active stations in the mesh network become a beacon master (BM) according to a selected sequence, with the sequence remaining valid until a new station becomes discoverable by an existing station of the mesh network.

12 more elements

A method of wireless communication in a mesh network, the method comprising:

(a) operating as a station performing as a beacon master (BM) in transmitting a first type of beacon, a network discovery beacon, containing mesh network profile information which identifies a mesh network, to aid network discovery for wireless communication stations to join said mesh network, with said beacon master being an only station allowed to transmit said network discovery beacons;
(b) wherein only said beacon master (BM) also performs (A) receiving and processing new beacon master (BM) requests;
(B) scheduling a new beacon master (BM) schedule based on received beacon master (BM) requests;
(C) updating a steady-state beacon master (BM) sequence;
(D) defining scanning receive directions for a new station joining the mesh network;
(E) updating discovery beacon scanning directions for peer stations of a new station joining the mesh network;
(c) transmitting a second type of beacon, a peer beacon, comprising time synchronization and resource management information, to maintain existing links among one or more neighboring peer stations within a mesh network of wireless communication stations which utilize directional transmission having a plurality of antenna pattern sectors each having different transmission directions, with said beacon master being only one of the stations in the mesh network allowed to transmit said peer beacons;
and
(d) wherein active stations in the mesh network become a beacon master (BM) according to a selected sequence, with the sequence remaining valid until a new station becomes discoverable by an existing station of the mesh network.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/819,991Filed 21 Nov 2017 · us provisional application
Priority: 25 Aug 2017
Published: US 2019/0069215 A128 Feb 2019
Granted: 1 Oct 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H04W 8/005
Network data management: discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
H04W 16/28
Cell structures: using beam steering
H04W 40/244
Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update: using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing
H04L 41/12
Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks: discovery or management…