Frequency hopping network with a guaranteed handoff delay

1. A method for operating a communications network, the method comprising:

operating an access point (AP) acting as a network controller in a frequency hopping network, the AP communicating with other communication devices of the network over m number of frequencies using a hopping sequence of at least some of the m number of frequencies and a dwell time d for the plurality of frequencies; and

operating a communication device seeking to establish synchronized communication with other communication devices of the frequency hopping network without any cross-AP coordination, the communication device scanning all of the m number of frequencies using a scanning time s for each of the m number of frequencies, wherein the scanning time s is no greater than 1/m of the AP dwell time d and, wherein guaranteed synchronized communication between the AP and the communication device can be established within a deterministic amount of time based on a consideration of a total number of the plurality frequencies used by the AP, a maximum time required for the AP and the communication device to switch between any of the plurality of frequencies, a maximum time interval between probe and beacon packets, the dwell time d of the AP, and the scanning time s of the communication device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the maximum time required for the AP and the communication device to switch between any of the communication frequencies is represented by w;

the maximum time interval between probe and beacon packets is represented by p and b, where p is equal to a maximum time interval between probe packets transmitted by the communication device to solicit frequency hopping information from the AP and b is equal to a maximum time interval between beacon packets transmitted by the AP to advertise frequency hopping information of the AP;

the dwell time d of the AP is the amount of time the AP stays on one of the plurality of frequencies before hopping to another of the plurality of frequencies, where d=m×s+w; and

the scanning time s of the communication device is the amount of time the communication device stays on each of the plurality of frequencies before switching to another of the plurality of frequencies, where s=2×min(b, p)+2w.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the communication device can establish the guaranteed synchronized communication with the AP within a deterministic period of time less than or equal to 2×d.

4. A method for operating a communications network, the method comprising:

operating an access point (AP) acting as a network controller in a frequency hopping network, the AP communicating with other communication devices of the network over m number of frequencies using a hopping sequence of at least some of the m number of frequencies and a dwell time d for the plurality of frequencies; and

operating a communication device seeking to establish synchronized communication with other communication devices of the frequency hopping network without any cross-AP coordination, the communication device scanning all of the m number of frequencies using a scanning time s for each of the m number of frequencies, wherein the scanning time s is no greater than 1/m of the AP dwell time d and, wherein the scanning time of the communication device includes a switching time for the communication device to switch between the plurality of frequencies.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the AP alternatively operates with the AP using the dwell time d, where d=s×(m+1); and the communication device alternatively operates to establish communication with the AP using the scanning time s, where s=min(b, p)+w.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the communication device sequentially scans each of the plurality of frequencies.

7. A method for operating a communications network, the method comprising:

operating an access point (AP) acting as a network controller in a frequency hopping network, the AP communicating with other communication devices of the network over m number of frequencies using a hopping sequence of at least some of the m number of frequencies and a dwell time d for the plurality of frequencies; and

operating a communication device seeking to establish synchronized communication with other communication devices of the frequency hopping network without any cross-AP coordination, the communication device scanning all of them number of frequencies using a scanning time s for each of the m number of frequencies, wherein the scanning time s is no greater than 1/m of the AP dwell time d and, wherein the hopping sequence of the AP and timing boundaries of the hopping sequence are determined independently of the operation of the communication device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a hopping sequence of the AP may include fewer than all of the plurality of frequencies.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of access point (APs) and a plurality of communication devices.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the hopping sequence of each of the plurality APs and timing boundaries of the hopping sequence of each of the plurality APs are determined independently of each other.

11. The method of claim 2 , wherein both a value p and a value b are obtained based on a type of communication protocol used by the AP and the communication device.

12. The method of claim 2 , wherein the hopping information comprises the hopping sequence and hopping timing boundary information of the AP.

13. The method of claim 4 , wherein the communication network is an ad-hoc network wherein every communication device is an AP which periodically beacons.

14. A frequency hopping communications system, comprising:

an access point (AP) acting as a network controller in the frequency hopping communications system, the AP communicating with other communication devices of the network over m number of frequencies using a hopping sequence of at least some of the m number of frequencies and a dwell time d for the plurality of frequencies; and

a communication device seeking to establish synchronized communication with other communication devices of the frequency hopping system without any cross-AP coordination, the communication device scanning all of the m number of frequencies using a scanning time s for each of the m number of frequencies, wherein the scanning time s is no greater than 1/m of the AP dwell time d and, wherein the hopping sequence of the AP and timing boundaries of the hopping sequence are determined independently of the operation of the communication device.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein a hopping sequence of the AP may include fewer than all of the plurality of frequencies.

16. A frequency hopping communications system, comprising:

an access point (AP) acting as a network controller in the frequency hopping communications system, the AP communicating with other communication devices of the network over m number of frequencies using a hopping sequence of at least some of the m number of frequencies and a dwell time d for the plurality of frequencies; and

a communication device seeking to establish synchronized communication with other communication devices of the frequency hopping system without any cross-AP coordination, the communication device scanning all of the m number of frequencies using a scanning time s for each of the m number of frequencies, wherein the scanning time s is no greater than 1/m of the AP dwell time d and, wherein guaranteed synchronized communication between the AP and the communication device can be established within a deterministic amount of time based on a consideration of a total number of the plurality frequencies used by the AP, a maximum time required for the AP and the communication device to switch between any of the plurality of frequencies, a maximum time interval between probe and beacon packets, the dwell time d of the AP, and the scanning time s of the communication device.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein:

the maximum time required for the AP and the communication device to switch between any of the communication frequencies is represented by w;

the maximum time interval between probe and beacon packets is represented by p and b, where p is equal to a maximum time interval between probe packets transmitted by the communication device to solicit frequency hopping information from the AP and b is equal to a maximum time interval between beacon packets transmitted by the AP to advertise frequency hopping information of the AP;

the dwell time d of the AP is the amount of time the AP stays on one of the plurality of frequencies before hopping to another of the plurality of frequencies, where d=m×s+w; and

the scanning time s of the communication device is the amount of time the communication device stays on each of the plurality of frequencies before switching to another of the plurality of frequencies, where s=2×min(b, p)+2w.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the communication device can establish the guaranteed synchronized communication with the AP within a deterministic period of time less than or equal to 2×d.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the AP alternatively operates with the AP using the dwell time d, where d=s×(m+1); and the communication device alternatively, operates to establish communication with the AP using the scanning time s, where s=min(b, p)+w.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein both a value p and a value b are obtained based on a type of communication protocol used by the AP and the communication device.

21. The system of claim 17 , wherein the hopping information comprises the hopping sequence and hopping timing boundary information of the AP.