Network clustering device for wireless mobile communication network and network clustering method
AssigneeNomadic Technologies Inc.
InventorKwangsun Cho
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Abstract
The present invention is related to a network clustering device and a method for expanding communication coverage and increasing network capacity by mutually connecting homogeneous or heterogeneous wireless mobile communication networks. By including a plurality of RF transceiver units and a network performance measuring unit, various frequency bands already occupied by surrounding wireless mobile communication networks are coordinated with the network clustering device to avoid frequency interferences among networks, to expand the communication coverage of the homogeneous or heterogeneous wireless mobile communication networks with ease, and to prevent a degradation of a network performance.
Claims23
A network clustering device for a wireless mobile communication network including at least one access point or a station, the device comprising:
- a plurality of RF transceiver units capable of establishing a plurality of wireless channels with a first communication devices in the wireless mobile communication network;
- a multi-modem unit for processing modulation and demodulation functions in parallel corresponding to the plurality of the RF transceiver units;
- a network performance measuring unit for measuring network performance from the plurality of the wireless channels by analyzing the received signals of each of the plurality of the wireless channels obtained from the multi-modem unit;
- a wireless channel selecting unit for choosing a wireless channel from the plurality of the wireless channels, capable of minimizing frequency interferences according to the network performance measured by the network performance measuring unit;
- and a central processing unit for transmitting and receiving wireless message with the first communication devices in a network, including a wireless message routing function to a first network clustering devices in the network, a wireless message relaying function to the first communication devices in the network, and a position locating function for locating a position thereof in the network,
- wherein the central processing unit comprises:
- a multi-communication subunit for communicating with the first communication devices in the wireless mobile communication network by controlling the multi-modem unit;
- a beacon processing subunit for identifying the first communication devices in the wireless mobile communication network and receiving a beacon signal for a synchronization between the first communication devices;
- a routing processing subunit for performing an exchange of routing and forwarding information to the first network clustering devices and for performing a routing process;
- a position locating unit for locating a position of the network clustering device;
- and
- a relay processing subunit for relaying a message between the at least one access points.
A wireless mobile communication network clustering method using a network clustering device, the method comprising steps of:
- (a) when the network clustering device searches for a second network clustering devices within a communication coverage, performing a message routing by exchanging routing and forwarding information with the second network clustering device;
- (b) when the network clustering device searches for a plurality of BSSs within the communication coverage, performing a relay between the plurality of the BSSs by exchanging the routing and forwarding information with an access point included in the plurality of the BSSs;
- (c) when the network clustering device searches for a single BSS within the communication coverage, and when a network performance metric obtained by measuring a network performance of the single BSS exceeds a performance threshold value, forming a VBSS by partitioning the single BSS to serve as an access point accommodating a portion of stations included in the single BSS;
- and
- (d) when the network clustering device searches for a station within the communication coverage, serving as an access point accommodating the station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.