Device discovery and connection establishment for ad hoc networks
View Patent ↗A wireless device transmits beacon packets at periodically occurring time intervals across a wireless channel. When the wireless communications device has not formed a piconet with one or more remote devices, the device scans the wireless channel for a predetermined amount of time immediately following each of the periodically occurring time intervals. During this time a remote device may respond to the beacon packet.
1. A method of forming a piconet, the method comprising:
transmitting a beacon packet from a wireless communications device across a wireless channel during a first predetermined time interval;
scanning the wireless channel from the wireless communications device for a second predetermined time interval, the second predetermined time interval immediately following the first predetermined time interval;
receiving a piconet joining request packet from a remote wireless communications device during the second predetermined time interval; and
transmitting a confirmation packet to the remote wireless communications device during a third predetermined time interval, the third predetermined time interval immediately following the second predetermined time interval and before transmitting a second beacon packet;
wherein the beacon packet, the piconet joining request packet, and the confirmation packet are communicated according to a repeating superframe pattern, and wherein the first, second, and third predetermined time intervals are all included within a single superframe of the repeating superframe pattern.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the piconet joining request includes a request for a role switch.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising receiving a beacon packet from the remote wireless communications device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beacon packet, the piconet joining request packet, and the confirmation packet each include one or more OFDM symbols.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless channel employs a frequency hopping pattern.
6. A method in a wireless communications device, comprising:
transmitting a first beacon packet from the wireless communications device across a wireless channel during a first predetermined time interval;
scanning the wireless channel from the wireless communications device for a second predetermined time interval, the second predetermined time interval immediately following the first predetermined time interval;
receiving a request for additional information from a remote wireless communications device during the second predetermined time interval; and
transmitting the additional information with a second beacon packet across the wireless channel;
wherein the first beacon packet, the request for additional information, and the additional information are communicated according to a repeating superframe pattern, and wherein the first and second predetermined time intervals and the transmitting the additional information are all included within a single superframe of the repeating superframe pattern.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the additional information includes available services from the wireless communications device.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the additional information includes identifiers of devices that are in a piconet with the wireless communications device.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the wireless channel employs a frequency hopping pattern.
10. A wireless communications device, comprising:
means for transmitting a beacon packet across a wireless channel during a first predetermined time interval;
means for scanning the wireless channel for a second predetermined time interval the second predetermined time interval immediately following the first predetermined time interval;
means for receiving a piconet joining request packet from a remote wireless communications device during the second predetermined time interval; and
means for transmitting a confirmation packet to the remote wireless communications device during a third predetermined time interval, the third predetermined time interval immediately following the second predetermined time interval and before transmitting a second beacon packet;
wherein the beacon packet, the piconet joining request packet, and the confirmation packet are communicated according to a repeating superframe pattern, and wherein the first, second, and third predetermined time intervals are all included within a single suprframe of the repeating superframe pattern.
11. A wireless communications device, comprising:
means for transmitting a first beacon packet across a wireless channel during a first predetermined time interval;
means for scanning the wireless channel for a second predetermined time interval, the second predetermined time interval immediately following the first predetermined time interval;
means for receiving a request for additional information from a remote wireless communications device during the second predetermined time interval; and
means for transmitting the additional information with a second beacon packet across the wireless channel;
wherein the first beacon packet, the request for additional information, and the additional information are communicated according to a repeating superframe pattern, and wherein the first and second predetermined time intervals and the transmitting the additional information are all included within a single superframe of the repeating superframe pattern.
12. A system for forming a piconet of a plurality of wireless communications devices, the system comprising:
a beacon-transmitting device that transmits a beacon packet across a wireless channel during a first predetermined time interval; and
a remote wireless communication device that receives the beacon packet and transmits a piconet joining request during a second predetermined time interval, the second predetermined time interval immediately following the first predetermined time interval and,
wherein the beacon-transmitting device receives the piconet joining request packet during the second predetermined time interval and transmits a confirmation packet to the remote wireless communications device during a third predetermined time interval, the third predetermined time interval immediately following the second predetermined time interval and before transmitting a second beacon packet;
wherein the beacon packet, the piconet joining request packet, and the confirmation packet are communicated according to a repeating superframe pattern, and wherein the first, second, and third predetermined time intervals are all included within a single superframe of the repeating superframe pattern.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the piconet joining request includes a request for a role switch.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the remote wireless communications device transmits the beacon packet and the beacon-transmitting device receives the beacon packet.
15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the beacon packet, the piconet joining request packet, and the confirmation packet each include one or more OFDM symbols.
16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the wireless channel employs a frequency hopping pattern.
17. The device of claim 10 , wherein the piconet joining request includes a request for a role switch.
18. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second beacon packet comprises a beacon extension.
19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
instructions to transmit a beacon packet across a wireless channel during a first predetermined time interval;
instructions to scan the wireless channel for a second predetermined time interval, the second predetermined time interval immediately following the first predetermined time interval;
instructions to receive a piconet joining request packet from a remote wireless communications device during the second predetermined time interval; and
instructions to transmit a confirmation packet to the remote wireless communications device during a third predetermined time interval, the third predetermined time interval immediately following the second predetermined time interval and before transmitting a second beacon packet;
wherein the beacon packet, the piconet joining request packet, and the confirmation packet are communicated according to a repeating superframe, pattern, and wherein the first second, and third predetermined time intervals are all included within a single superframe of the repeating superframe pattern.
20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
instructions to transmit a first beacon packet from the wireless communications device across a wireless channel during a first predetermined time interval;
instructions to scan the wireless channel from the wireless communications device for a second predetermined time interval, the second predetermined time interval immediately following the first predetermined time interval;
instructions to receive a request for additional information from a remote wireless communications device during the second predetermined time interval; and
instructions to transmit the additional information with a second beacon packet across the wireless channel;
wherein the first beacon packet, the request for additional information, and the additional information are communicated according to a repeating superframe pattern, and wherein the first and second predetermined time intervals and the transmitting the additional information are all included within a single superframe of the repeating superframe pattern.