IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,447,386
Granted Patent B2
US 10,447,386 · App. 15/431,965 · Granted Oct 15, 2019

Method and system for controlling access to a wireless communication medium

Inventors: Sudheer A. Grandhi (Pleasanton, CA); Arty Chandra (Roslyn, NY); Joseph S. Levy (Merrick, NY); Kamel M. Shaheen (State College, PA); Stephen E. Terry (Northport, NY); Eldad M. Zeira (Huntington, NY)
Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
H04B7/2612H04B7/0413H04W48/10H04W72/005H04W72/0446H04W74/08H04W74/0816H04B7/02H04W84/12H04W88/08Y02D70/00Y02D70/142Y02D70/22Y02D70/23Y02D70/442Y02D70/449
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,447,386
App. No.
15/431,965
Granted
Oct 15, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and apparatus may be used to broadcast a first beacon and a second beacon in a beacon interval. The first beacon may include an indicator that indicates whether a second beacon will be transmitted within the beacon interval. The first beacon may be a legacy beacon and the second beacon may be a non-legacy beacon. A legacy beacon may be decodable by any station (STA) and a non-legacy beacon may be decodable only by non-legacy STAs.

Claims (29)

1. An Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 access point (AP) comprising:

a transmitter configured to:

broadcast a first beacon in a first beacon interval, wherein the first beacon includes an indication of whether a second beacon will be broadcasted by the IEEE 802.11 AP within the first beacon interval; and

on a condition that the first beacon indicates that a second beacon will be broadcasted by the IEEE 802.11 AP within the first beacon interval, broadcast the second beacon in the first beacon interval, wherein the second beacon is broadcasted using a data rate that is different than the first beacon,

wherein the first beacon is an IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon and the second beacon is an IEEE 802.11 non-legacy beacon.

2. The IEEE 802.11 AP of claim 1 , wherein the first beacon includes information about the second beacon.

3. The IEEE 802.11 AP of claim 2 , wherein the information about the second beacon comprises periodicity of the second beacon.

4. The IEEE 802.11 AP of claim 1 , wherein a range of the second beacon is greater than a range of the first beacon.

5. The IEEE 802.11 AP of claim 1 , wherein the second beacon is broadcasted at a lower data rate than the first beacon.

6. The IEEE 802.11 AP of claim 1 , wherein the second beacon comprises information elements corresponding to the first beacon.

7. An Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 station (STA) comprising:

a receiver configured to:

receive a first beacon in a first beacon interval, wherein the first beacon includes an indication of whether a second beacon is being broadcasted by an IEEE 802.11 access point (AP) within the first beacon interval; and

on a condition that the first beacon indicates that a second beacon is being broadcasted by the IEEE 802.11 AP within the first beacon interval, receive the second beacon in the first beacon interval, wherein the second beacon is received at a data rate that is different than the first beacon,

wherein the first beacon is an IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon and the second beacon is an IEEE 802.11 non-legacy beacon.

8. The IEEE 802.11 STA of claim 7 , wherein the first beacon includes information about the second beacon.

9. The IEEE 802.11 STA of claim 8 , wherein the information about the second beacon comprises periodicity of the second beacon.

10. The IEEE 802.11 STA of claim 7 , wherein a range of the second beacon is greater than a range of the first beacon.

11. The IEEE 802.11 STA of claim 7 , wherein the second beacon is broadcasted at a lower data rate than the first beacon.

12. The IEEE 802.11 STA of claim 7 , wherein the second beacon comprises information elements corresponding to the first beacon.

13. A method for use in an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 Station (STA), the method comprising:

receiving a first beacon in a first beacon interval, wherein the first beacon includes an indication of whether a second beacon is being broadcasted by an IEEE 802.11 access point (AP) within the first beacon interval; and

on a condition that the first beacon indicates that a second beacon is being broadcasted by the IEEE 802.11 AP within the first beacon interval, receiving the second beacon in the first beacon interval, and wherein the second beacon is received at a data rate that is different than the first beacon,

wherein the first beacon is an IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon and the second beacon is an IEEE 802.11 non-legacy beacon.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first beacon includes information about the second beacon.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the information about the second beacon comprises periodicity of the second beacon.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein a range of the second beacon is greater than a range of the first beacon.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second beacon is broadcasted at a lower data rate than the first beacon.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second beacon comprises information elements corresponding to the first beacon.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 14, 2025
From: INTERDIGITAL TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
To: INTERDIGITAL PATENT HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 070837/0530 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 14162249 · Jan 23, 2014
Continuation 11199446 · Aug 8, 2005
Provisional Application 60601323 · Aug 12, 2004
Related Publication 20170156104A1 · Jun 1, 2017