Wireless communication methods, systems, and computer program products
View Patent ↗A method, wireless device and computer program product for expanding the coverage of a cellular network. A wireless device (e.g., cellular telephone) is able to communicate with a base station in a cell of the cellular network over a non-cellular interface via another wireless device in a cell through the use of multi-hopping. A wireless device may request permission to communicate with the base station over a non-cellular interface via hopping off another wireless device when its signal strength is below a threshold. Alternatively, a wireless device may receive a request to communicate with the base station over a non-cellular interface via hopping off the wireless device that sent the request when that wireless device has excess capacity in its bandwidth with the base station. By enabling wireless devices to communicate with a base station in such a manner, the effective capacity of the cellular network is expanded and the effective capacity of the cellular network is improved.
1. A method of conveying data on a multi-hop communications network, the method comprising:
receiving, with a first communications interface of a first communications device, a first node-state signal from a second communications device;
determining, in the first communications device, based on the first node-state signal, that the first communications device will make itself available as a relay for other communications devices in the multi-hop communications network via the second communications device;
in response to determining that the first communications device will make itself available as a relay for other communications devices in the multi-hop communications network via the second communications device, transmitting, from a second communications interface of the first communications device, a second node-state signal indicating the availability of the first communications device as a relay for other communications devices in the multi-hop communications network; and
receiving, at the first communications device:
uplink data from a third communications device and transmitting the uplink data to the second communications device; or
downlink data from the second communications device and transmitting the downlink data to a third communications device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving, with the first communications interface of the first communications device, the first node-state signal from the second communications device further comprises:
entering a lower-power mode of operating the first communications device for a first duration of time;
entering a higher-power mode of operating the first communications device for a second duration of time that corresponds to a node-state signal interval of the first node-state signal; and
entering the lower-power mode of operating the first communications device for a third duration of time.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
entering the lower-power mode of operating the first communications device comprises turning off a receiver of the first communications interface; and
entering the higher-power mode of operating the first communications device comprises turning on the receiver of the first communications interface.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of transmitting, from the second communications interface of the first communications device, the second node-state signal further comprises:
entering a lower-power mode of operating the first communications device for a first duration of time;
entering a higher-power mode of operating the first communications device for a second duration of time that corresponds to a node-state signal interval of the second node-state signal; and
entering the lower-power mode of operating the first communications device for a third duration of time.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
entering the lower-power mode of operating the first communications device comprises turning off the receiver of the second communications interface; and
entering the higher-power mode of operating the first communications device comprises turning on the receiver of the second communications interface.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the following is broadcast periodically as a beacon frame:
the first node-state signal; and
the second node-state signal.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first communications interface and the second communications interface are the same.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting or receiving comprises transmitting or receiving in accordance with IEEE 802.15.4.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting or receiving comprises transmitting or receiving in accordance with at least one of the following protocols: IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and FlashlinQ.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining, in the first communications device, based on the first node-state signal, that the first communications device will make itself available as a relay for other communications devices in the multi-hop communications network via the second communications device further comprises the first communications device determining to make itself available as a relay based on at least three of the following:
a value indicative of a cellular signal strength of cellular signals from a base-station at the first communications device;
a value indicative of a cellular signal quality of cellular signals from the base-station at the first communications device;
node-state signals received from other communications devices in the multi-hop communications network at the first communications device;
a value indicative of a non-cellular signal strength of non-cellular signals from the second communications device at the first communications device;
a value indicative of a non-cellular signal quality of non-cellular signals from the second communications device at the first communications device;
a value indicative of a price for cellular service paid by a user associated with the first communications device;
a value indicative of an amount of energy stored by the first communications device;
a type of power source of the first communications device;
a number of antennas coupled to a cellular-interface of the first communications device;
a value indicative of movement of the first communications device;
a value indicative of the time of day;
a value indicative of a number of hops between the second communications device and the first communications device; and
a value indicative of an amount of available bandwidth for communication via the second communications device from the first communications device.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first node-state signal comprises data indicative of at least two of the following:
the availability of the second communications device as a sink;
a signal strength of cellular signals from a base-station at the second communications device;
a signal quality of cellular signals from the base-station at the second communications device;
an identity of a cellular network carrier operating the base-station;
a number of antennas coupled to a cellular-interface of the second communications device;
a number of hops;
an amount of available bandwidth for communication via the second communications device;
movement of the second communications device;
a type of power source of the second communications device; and
a non-cellular transmit power of the second communications device.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second node-state signal comprises data indicative of at least two of the following:
the availability of the first communications device as a relay;
a signal strength of cellular signals from a base-station at the second communications device;
a signal quality of cellular signals from the base-station at the second communications device;
an identity of a cellular network carrier operating the base-station;
a number of antennas coupled to a third communications interface of the second communications device;
a number of hops between the second communications device and the first communications device;
an amount of available bandwidth for communication via the second communications device from the first communications device;
movement of the first communications device;
a type of power source of the first communications device; and
a non-cellular transmit power of the first communications device.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first communication device comprises:
a processor;
memory;
a display screen;
an operating system; and
a cellular radio configured with access to a cellular network.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second communications device comprises a sink communications device or a relay communications device.
15. A first communications device, comprising:
a processor;
a first communications interface;
a second communications interface;
memory storing instructions that when executed effectuate operations comprising:
receiving, with the first communications interface of the first communications device, a first node-state signal from a second communications device;
determining, in the first communications device, based on the first node-state signal, that the first communications device will make itself available as a relay for other communications devices in the multi-hop communications network via the second communications device;
in response to determining that the first communications device will make itself available as a relay for other communications devices in the multi-hop communications network via the second communications device, transmitting, from the second communications interface of the first communications device, a second node-state signal indicating the availability of the first communications device as a relay for other communications devices in the multi-hop communications network; and
receiving, at the first communications device:
uplink data from a third communications device and transmitting the uplink data to the second communications device; or
downlink data from the second communications device and transmitting the downlink data to a third communications device.
16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the step of receiving, with the first communications interface of the first communications device, the first node-state signal from the second communications device further comprises:
entering a lower-power mode of operating the first communications device for a first duration of time;
entering a higher-power mode of operating the first communications device for a second duration of time that corresponds to a node-state signal interval of the first node-state signal; and
entering the lower-power mode of operating the first communications device for a third duration of time.
17. The device of claim 15 , wherein the step of transmitting, from the second communications interface of the first communications device, the second node-state signal further comprises:
entering a lower-power mode of operating the first communications device for a first duration of time;
entering a higher-power mode of operating the first communications device for a second duration of time that corresponds to a node-state signal interval of the second node-state signal; and
entering the lower-power mode of operating the first communications device for a third duration of time.
18. The device of claim 15 , wherein transmitting or receiving comprises transmitting or receiving in accordance with IEEE 802.15.4.
19. The device of claim 15 , wherein transmitting or receiving comprises transmitting or receiving in accordance with at least one of the following protocols: IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and FlashlinQ.
20. The device of claim 15 , wherein the step of determining, in the first communications device, based on the first node-state signal, that the first communications device will make itself available as a relay for other communications devices in the multi-hop communications network via the second communications device further comprises the first communications device determining to make itself available as a relay based on at least two of the following:
a value indicative of a cellular signal strength of cellular signals from a base-station at the first communications device;
a value indicative of a cellular signal quality of cellular signals from the base-station at the first communications device;
node-state signals received from other communications devices in the multi-hop communications network at the first communications device;
a value indicative of a non-cellular signal strength of non-cellular signals from the second communications device at the first communications device;
a value indicative of a non-cellular signal quality of non-cellular signals from the second communications device at the first communications device;
a value indicative of a price for cellular service paid by a user associated with the first communications device;
a value indicative of an amount of energy stored by the first communications device;
a type of power source of the first communications device;
a number of antennas coupled to a cellular-interface of the first communications device;
a value indicative of movement of the first communications device;
a value indicative of the time of day;
a value indicative of a number of hops between the second communications device and the first communications device; and
a value indicative of an amount of available bandwidth for communication via the second communications device from the first communications device.
21. The device of claim 15 , wherein the first node-state signal comprises data indicative of at least two of the following:
the availability of the second communications device as a sink;
a signal strength of cellular signals from a base-station at the second communications device;
a signal quality of cellular signals from the base-station at the second communications device;
an identity of a cellular network carrier operating the base-station;
a number of antennas coupled to a cellular-interface of the second communications device;
a number of hops;
an amount of available bandwidth for communication via the second communications device;
movement of the second communications device;
a type of power source of the second communications device; and
a non-cellular transmit power of the second communications device.
22. The device of claim 15 , wherein the second node-state signal comprises data indicative of at least two of the following:
the availability of the first communications device as a relay;
a signal strength of cellular signals from a base-station at the second communications device;
a signal quality of cellular signals from the base-station at the second communications device;
an identity of a cellular network carrier operating the base-station;
a number of antennas coupled to a third communications interface of the second communications device;
a number of hops between the second communications device and the first communications device;
an amount of available bandwidth for communication via the second communications device from the first communications device;
movement of the first communications device;
a type of power source of the first communications device; and
a non-cellular transmit power of the first communications device.