US 7,610,018 B2 · Channel change procedures in a wireless communications network

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed for wireless communications networks, such as WiMedia networks, to solve problems of channel congestion, searching for candidate channels to select, and achieving reliable channel changes that will be recognized by other devices in the network. A wireless communications device selects a channel finding technique in a first stage, based on whether the device has any active connections in a current channel. The device then performs the selected channel finding technique with a plurality of channels to find a candidate channel. Then the initiating device sends a request to at least one remote device to change its channel from the current channel to the candidate channel during a time slot within a repeating time interval. If the request is successful, the initiating device receives an acceptance of the request from the remote device. Then in a second stage, the initiating device selects a channel changing technique based on whether the device has any active connections in the current channel. The initiating device then executes the selected channel changing technique to change a channel from the current channel to the candidate channel, thereby establishing the desired new connection across the candidate channel with the remote device.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method in a wireless communications device, the method comprising:

(a) joining to a wireless network including one or more remote devices, wherein all devices belonging to the network have a shared responsibility for maintaining configuration of the network by transmitting and receiving networking information within the wireless network;
(b) transmitting in the network a beacon indicating a hibernation period during which the wireless communications device is unavailable;
(c) finding a channel candidate from among a plurality of channels during the hibernation period;
(d) exchanging information across a current channel with the one or more remote devices, the information regarding the candidate channel;
and
(e) executing a channel change from the current channel to the candidate channel to establish another wireless network, wherein all devices belonging to said another network have an equal responsibility for maintaining configuration of said another network by transmitting and receiving networking information within said another network.

3 more elements

A method in a wireless communications network, comprising:

joining to a wireless network by an initiating wireless communications device, the network including one or more remote devices, wherein all devices belonging to the network have a shared responsibility for maintaining configuration of the network by transmitting and receiving networking information within the wireless network;
selecting a channel finding technique based on whether the initiating wireless communications device has any active connections in a current channel;
performing the selected channel finding technique with a plurality of channels to find a candidate channel;
transmitting in the network a beacon indicating a hibernation period during which the wireless communications device is unavailable;
finding a channel candidate from among a plurality of channels during the hibernation period;
sending a request that the at least one remote device change its channel from said current channel to the candidate channel during a time slot within a repeating time interval;
receiving an acceptance of the request from the at least one remote device;
selecting a channel changing technique based on whether the initiating wireless communications device has any active connections in the current channel;
executing the selected channel changing technique to change a channel from the current channel to the candidate channel to establish another wireless network, wherein all devices belonging to said another network have an equal responsibility for maintaining configuration of said another network by transmitting and receiving networking information within said another network;
and
establishing a connection across the candidate channel with the at least one remote device.

8 more elements

An apparatus, comprising

a transceiver in a wireless communications device, for communicating with remote wireless communications devices across a wireless communications network;
a memory;
a processor that executes instructions stored in the memory for:
joining to a wireless network by the wireless communications device, the network including one or more remote devices, wherein all devices belonging to the network have a shared responsibility for maintaining configuration of the network by transmitting and receiving networking information within the wireless network;
selecting a channel finding technique based on whether the wireless communications device has any active connections in a current channel;
performing the selected channel finding technique with a plurality of channels to find a candidate channel;
transmitting in the network a beacon indicating a hibernation period during which the wireless communications device is unavailable;
finding a channel candidate from among a plurality of channels during the hibernation period;
sending a request that the at least one remote device change its channel from said current channel to the candidate channel during a time slot within a repeating time interval;
receiving an acceptance of the request from the at least one remote device;
selecting a channel changing technique based on whether the wireless communications device has any active connections in the current channel;
executing the selected channel changing technique to change a channel from the current channel to the candidate channel to establish another wireless network, wherein all devices belonging to said another network have an equal responsibility for maintaining configuration of said another network by transmitting and receiving networking information within said another network;
and
establishing a connection across the candidate channel with the at least one remote device.

11 more elements

A computer program product comprising a memory for storing computer program code stored therein for enabling a wireless communications device to communicate with remote wireless communications devices across a wireless communications network, the computer program code comprising:

program code for joining to a wireless network by a wireless communications device, the network including one or more remote devices, wherein all devices belonging to the network have a shared responsibility for maintaining configuration of the network by transmitting and receiving networking information within the wireless network;
program code for selecting a channel finding technique based on whether the wireless communications device has any active connections in a current channel;
program code for performing the selected channel finding technique with a plurality of channels to find a candidate channel;
program code for transmitting in the network a beacon indicating a hibernation period during which the wireless communications device is unavailable;
program code for finding a channel candidate from among a plurality of channels during the hibernation period;
program code for sending a request that the at least one remote device change its channel from said current channel to the candidate channel during a time slot within a repeating time interval;
program code for receiving an acceptance of the request from the at least one remote device;
program code for selecting a channel changing technique based on whether the wireless communications device has any active connections in the current channel;
program code for executing the selected channel changing technique to change a channel from the current channel to the candidate channel to establish another wireless network, wherein all devices belonging to said another network have an equal responsibility for maintaining configuration of said another network by transmitting and receiving networking information within said another network;
and
program code for establishing a connection across the candidate channel with the at least one remote device.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Channel change procedures in a wireless communications network

Life of this patent

Channel change procedures in a wireless communications network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27