Systems and Methods for Group Association of Devices in Wireless Personal Area Networks

Abstract

A method for performing group-based association in a wireless communication network compliant with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard is provided. The method comprises receiving, by a network coordinator, association requests from a plurality of devices seeking to join the network. The method further comprises grouping the plurality of devices into one or more groups based on at least one grouping criterion selected from: (1) an association type indicating the priority of devices seeking association, (2) a time interval during which the association requests were received, (3) spatial proximity of the devices to the network coordinator, (4) a communication channel used by the devices, or (5) a beamforming direction relative to the network coordinator. The method further comprises transmitting, by the network coordinator, a group association response to each group, the association response including parameters required for devices within the group to complete the association process. The method further comprises announcing, by the network coordinator, a silent period for devices outside the active group during the transmission of the association response to reduce channel access contention and transmission collision. The method further comprises completing the association of the devices in each group with the network coordinator in a sequential or parallel manner.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.