Back to results
US 2009/0213771 A1Published application
Forwarding in distributed wireless networks
AssigneeNokia Corporation
InventorsUlrico Celentano, Harald Kaaja, Juha Salokannel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method, system, and computer program product are disclosed for providing a forwarding feature in the WiMedia MAC communication protocol or in other suitable communication protocols. The method enables a forwarder device to indicate its capability to operate as a forwarder device in its beacon transmissions and to enable an initiating device to utilize the forwarder device for communicating data and/or network control information to destination devices that can be accessed through the forwarder device over two or more hops.
Claims41
A method, comprising:
- receiving information from a wireless device including an indication of said wireless device's capability to forward data within a network, said information further including descriptive information regarding at least one other wireless device in the network accessible through the wireless device;
- and
- determining whether to wirelessly transmit data to said wireless device, for forwarding said data to the at least one other wireless device based on said received information.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a memory configured to receive information from a wireless device including an indication of said wireless device's capability as a forwarder device to forward data within a network, said information further including descriptive information regarding at least one other wireless device in the network accessible through the wireless device;
- and
- a processor coupled to the memory, configured to determine whether to wirelessly transmit data to said wireless device, for wirelessly forwarding said data to the at least one other wireless device based on said received information.
A method, comprising:
- transmitting, by a wireless device, a beacon message during a dedicated portion of a repeating time period allocated for beacon transmissions for maintaining coordination with one or more other wireless devices within a network, wherein the beacon message includes an indication of said wireless device's capability to forward data within the network.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a transmitter in a wireless device, configured to transmit a beacon message during a dedicated portion of a repeating time period allocated for beacon transmissions in a network;
- a processor coupled to said transmitter, configured to maintain coordination with one or more other wireless devices within the network;
- wherein the beacon message includes an indication of said wireless device's capability to forward said information within the network.
A computer program product, comprising:
- a computer readable medium having computer program code therein;
- program code in said computer readable medium, for receiving information from a wireless device including an indication of said wireless device's capability to forward data within a network, said information further including descriptive information regarding at least one other wireless device in the network accessible through the wireless device;
- and
- program code in said computer readable medium, for determining whether to wirelessly transmit data to said wireless device, for forwarding said data to the at least one other wireless device based on said received information.
1 more element
A computer program product, comprising:
- a computer readable medium having computer program code therein;
- program code in said computer readable medium, for transmitting, by a wireless device, a beacon message during a dedicated portion of a repeating time period allocated for beacon transmissions for maintaining coordination with one or more other wireless devices within a network, wherein the beacon message includes an indication of said wireless device's capability to forward data within the network.
An apparatus, comprising:
- means for receiving information from a wireless device including an indication of said wireless device's capability to forward data within a network, said information further including descriptive information regarding at least one other wireless device in the network accessible through the wireless device;
- and
- means for determining whether to wirelessly transmit data to said wireless device, for forwarding said data to the at least one other wireless device based on said received information.
An apparatus, comprising:
- means for transmitting a beacon message during a dedicated portion of a repeating time period allocated for beacon transmissions in a network;
- and
- means for maintaining coordination with one or more other wireless devices within the network;
- wherein the beacon message includes an indication of said wireless device's capability to forward said information within the network.
1 more element
A system, comprising:
- a forwarder wireless device, configured to transmit a beacon message during a dedicated portion of a repeating time period allocated for beacon transmissions in a network to maintain coordination with one or more other wireless devices within the network;
- an initiating wireless device configured to receive from said forwarder device, capability information describing the capability of said forwarder device to wirelessly communicate with a destination wireless device of the one or more other wireless devices in the network;
- said initiating device configured to transmit data to said forwarder device, for forwarding said data to said destination wireless device, based on said capability information.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a processor in an initiating device configured to prepare a request to a forwarder wireless device in the network, requesting the forwarder device to build delegated beacon information based on a beacon received from said initiating device and forward the delegated beacon information to a destination wireless device;
- and
- a transmitter coupled to said processor, configured to transmit to said forwarder device said request.
A computer program product, comprising:
- a computer readable medium having computer program code therein;
- program code in said computer readable medium, for preparing a request in an initiating wireless device to send to a forwarder wireless device in the network, requesting the forwarder device to build delegated beacon information based on a beacon received from said initiating device and forward the delegated beacon information to a destination wireless device;
- and
- program code in said computer readable medium, for transmitting to said forwarder device said request.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- collecting in a forwarder wireless device, hibernation information of a plurality of neighbor wireless device in a network;
- receiving in the forwarder device from an initiating wireless device, a request for capability information describing the capability of said forwarder device to wirelessly communicate with a destination wireless device of the plurality of neighbor wireless devices in the network;
- transmitting to said initiating device said capability information based on said hibernation information;
- receiving in the forwarder device an original beacon from said initiating device intended to be received by said destination device;
- receiving in the forwarder device a request from said initiating device to forward a delegated beacon based on said original beacon to said destination device;
- building in the forwarder device delegated beacon information based on said original beacon;
- and
- forwarding said delegated beacon information to said destination device.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.