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AssigneeHarris Corporation, Corporation of the State of Delaware
InventorsJoseph Bibb Cain, Thomas Jay Billhartz
Estimating the term…
A wireless communication network includes a plurality of mobile nodes each including a transceiver, a phased array antenna connected to the transceiver, and a controller connected to the transceiver. The controller schedules a respective semi-permanent time slot for each time frame to establish a communication link with each neighboring mobile node and leaves at least one available time slot in each time frame. The controller also schedules the at least one available time slot to also serve the communication link with a neighboring mobile node based upon link communications demand. The phased array antenna is aimed by the controller towards each neighboring mobile node during communication therewith. The controller also detects interference in time slots for communication with neighboring mobile nodes and coordinates the scheduling of time slots based upon detected interference.
A wireless communication network comprising:
A wireless communication network comprising:
A mobile node for a wireless communication network, the mobile node comprising:
A method for establishing communication links for a plurality of mobile nodes, each mobile node comprising a transceiver, a directional antenna connected to the transceiver, and a controller connected to the transceiver, the method comprising for each mobile node:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
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Based on quality criteria: using measured or perceived quality
Using two or more spaced independent antennas: using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
Using two or more spaced independent antennas: using two or more sectors, i.e. sector diversity
At least one of which is mobile: using time-division multiple access [TDMA]
Term end not estimated
The present invention relates to the field of communications, and more particularly, to a network of mobile communication systems operating with directional antennas.
Time division multiple access (TDMA) is one example of an access scheme used for establishing communication links between wireless mobile communication systems. Communication links between the wireless mobile communication systems are established within a series of time frames. Each time frame is divided into time slots, with each wireless mobile communication system being assigned at least one time slot.
An omni-directional antenna is typically used by a wireless mobile communication system so that information transmitted by one mobile communication system is received by all the other mobile communication systems. When the mobile communication systems are operating at a fixed frequency, they must take turns transmitting within their respective time slots to prevent channel interference.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a wireless mobile ad hoc network in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a more detailed block diagram illustrating a wireless mobile node in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a frame of time slots in accordance with the present invention.
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout and prime notations are used in alternate embodiments. The dimensions of layers and regions may be exaggerated in the figures for greater clarity.
Referring initially to FIGS. 1-2, a wireless mobile communication network 10 comprises a plurality of wireless mobile nodes 12a-12h. Each mobile node 12a-12h comprises a transceiver 14, a directional antenna 16 connected to the transceiver, and a controller 18 connected to the transceiver.
The controller 18 includes a semi-permanent time slot unit 18a for scheduling a respective semi-permanent time slot for each time frame for establishing a communication link with each neighboring mobile node while leaving at least one available time slot in each time frame. An available time slot unit 18b schedules the at least one available time slot to also serve the communication link with a neighboring mobile node based upon link communications demand. In addition, the controller 18 includes an antenna aiming unit 18c for aiming the directional antenna toward each neighboring mobile node during communication therewith.