# US 2014/0192696 A1 · Mac enhancement to support multi-periodic gts allocation for personal area network (pan) systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0192696 A1 - Document ID: US20140192696A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/240,120 - Filed: 2012-09-06 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-09-09 - Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V. - Inventors: Dong Wang; David Hillary Evans - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192696A1 ## CPC - H04W 52/0216: {using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame} - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W 72/21: in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network - H04W 72/52: based on load - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract A personal area network (PAN) coordinator (26) of a medical body area network (MBAN) (36) allocates multi-periodic guaranteed time slots (GTSs) to sensor devices (12, 14) of the MBAN (36). The PAN coordinator (26) includes a controller (40) configured to receive a request for a multi-periodic GTS from a sensor device (12, 14) of the MBAN (36). The request includes a period indicating a periodicity with which the multi-periodic GTS is requested. In response to the request, the controller (40) determines a GTS allocation including a starting frame and transmits a descriptor to the sensor device (12, 14). The descriptor includes information to identify the starting frame. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A personal area network (PAN) coordinator of a medical body area network (MEAN) for allocating multi-periodic guaranteed time slots (GTSs) to sensor devices of the MBAN, said PAN coordinator comprising: a controller configured to: receive a request for a multi-periodic GTS from a sensor device of the MBAN, said request including a period indicating a periodicity with which the multi-periodic GTS is requested; determine a GTS allocation for the request, the GTS allocation including a starting frame; and, transmit a descriptor to the sensor device, the descriptor including information to identify the starting frame. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The PAN coordinator according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: broadcast an indication of support for a multi-periodic GTS allocation scheme. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The PAN coordinator according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: track current GTS allocations, wherein the determination is based on current GTS allocations. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The PAN coordinator according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: communicate data with the sensor device every M frames starting from the starting frame, where M is the period. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The PAN coordinator according to claim 1, wherein the period is a power of two. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The PAN coordinator according to claim 1, wherein the period is greater than one. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The PAN coordinator according to claim 1, wherein the request further includes an offset range for the starting frame. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The PAN coordinator according to claim 1, wherein the information to identify the starting frame includes a starting beacon frame number. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The PAN coordinator according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device time shares the multi-periodic GTS with another sensor device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The PAN coordinator according to claim 1 , wherein the PAN coordinator communicates with the sensor device using IEEE 802.15.4 modified to support multi-periodic GTSs. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The PAN coordinator according to claim 1, wherein the PAN device receives data from the sensor device using a frame structure, the frame structure comprising: a contention access period according to IEEE 802.15.4; and, a contention free period including a plurality of GTSs, as GTS of the plurality of GTSs including an allocation to a sensor device, the allocation including a period indicating a frequency with which the GTS is allocated to the sensor device. ### Claim 12 A method for allocating multi-periodic guaranteed time slots (GTSs) to sensor devices of a medical body area network (MBAN), said method comprising: receiving a request for a multi-periodic GTS from a sensor device of the MBAN, said request including a period indicating a periodicity with which the multi-periodic GTS is requested; determining a GTS allocation for the request, the GTS allocation including a starting frame; and, transmitting a descriptor to the sensor device the descriptor including information to identify the starting frame. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, further including: broadcasting an indication of support for a multi-periodic GTS allocation scheme. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, further including: tracking current GTS allocations, wherein the determination is based on current GTS allocations. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, further including: communicate data with the sensor device every M frames starting from the starting frame, where M is the period. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the period is a power of two. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the request further includes an offset range for the starting frame. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, further including: communicating with the sensor device using IEEE 802.15.4 modified to support multi-periodic GTSs. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer code which controls one or more processing devices to perform the method according to claim 12. ### Claim 20 A frame structure for transmitting data over a medical body area network (MBAN) from a sensor device to a hub device, the frame structure supporting multi-periodic guaranteed time slots (GTSs) and comprising: a contention access period according to IEEE 802.15.4; and, a contention free period including a plurality of GTSs, a GIS of the plurality of GTSs including an allocation to a sensor device, the allocation including a period indicating a periodicity with which the GTS is allocated to the sensor device.