Communication method using multi-radio and communication apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9379901-B2
Application number	US-201113158188-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2011
Priority date	Sep 28, 2010
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

Provided is a communication method and apparatus using a multi-radio. The communication method includes establishing a link via at least one node included in a group that uses a low data-rate radio (LDR); transmitting a data frame to the at least one node included in the group; and receiving, using a multi-radio based on an availability of the LDR, an acknowledgement (ACK) with respect to the transmitted data frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication method executed by a head node, the method comprising:
receiving, from each of a plurality of nodes, a channel report frame including channel information provided by a neighbor head node;
selecting one of the plurality of nodes to be a communication partner based on the received channel information;
transmitting a data frame to the selected node;
transmitting, to the selected node, an ACK request frame which requests an ACK indicating whether the data frame is received; and
receiving, from the selected node using a multi-radio based on an availability of low data-rate radio (LDR), an acknowledgement (ACK) of having received the transmitted data frame, wherein
when the selected node is able to use the LDR, the receiving the ACK comprises receiving the ACK using the LDR, and when the selected node is not able to use the LDR, the receiving the ACK comprises receiving the ACK using high data-rate radio (HDR).

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling a request-to-send (RTS) signal and a clear-to-send (CTS) signal based on the selected node.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ACK request frame includes ACK radio information and ACK offset information.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the transmitting comprises:
establishing the ACK radio information based on whether the selected node is able to use LDR.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
establishing a link via at least one node included in a group that uses a low data-rate radio (LDR).

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the link is established using a proactive approach or a reactive approach.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein establishing the link comprises:
obtaining LDR information based on a service request frame received from the selected node;
checking whether the selected node uses LDR based on the obtained LDR information;
providing a multicast service and a broadcast service based on the obtained LDR information; and
establishing an LDR link with the selected node if the selected node is able to use LDR.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein establishing the link comprises:
transmitting, to the selected node, a query frame that starts a multicast service and a broadcast service;
receiving a query response frame with respect to the query frame;
checking, based on the query response frame, whether the selected node uses LDR; and
establishing an LDR link with the selected node if the selected node is able to use LDR.

9. A communication apparatus comprising:
a receiver configured to receive, from each of a plurality of nodes, a channel report frame including channel information provided by a neighbor head node;
a selection unit configured to select one of the plurality of nodes to be a communication partner based on the received channel information;
a data frame transmitting unit configured to transmit a data frame to the selected node;
an ACK request frame transmitting unit configured to transmit, to the selected node, an ACK request frame which requests an ACK indicating whether the data frame is received; and
an acknowledgement (ACK) receiving unit configured to receive, from the selected node based on an availability of low data-rate radio (LDR), an ACK of having received the transmitted data frame, wherein
when the selected node is able to use the LDR, the ACK receiving unit receives the ACK using the LDR, and when the selected node is not able to use the LDR, the ACK receiving unit receives the ACK using high data-rate radio (HDR).

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a ready-to-send (RTS)/clear-to-send (CTS) controller configured to control an RTS signal and a CTS signal based on the selected node.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the ACK request frame includes ACK radio information and ACK offset information.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the ACK request frame transmitting unit is configured to set the ACK radio information to indicate one of LDR and HDR, based on whether the selected node is able to use LDR.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
a link establishing unit configured to establish a link with at least one node included in a group that uses a low data-rate radio (LDR).

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the link establishing unit is configured to establish the link with the selected node using a proactive approach or a reactive approach.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the link establishing unit comprises:
an LDR information obtaining unit configured to obtain LDR information based on a service request frame received from the selected node, and to check, based on the obtained LDR information, that the selected node uses LDR; and
an LDR link establishing unit configured to provide a multicast service and a broadcast service based on the obtained LDR information, and to establish an LDR link with the selected node if the node is able to use LDR.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the link establishing unit comprises:
an LDR information obtaining unit configured to transmit, to the selected node, a query frame that provides a multicast service and a broadcast service, to receive a query response frame with respect to the query frame, and to obtain LDR information; and
an LDR link establishing unit configured to check, based on the LDR information, whether the selected node uses LDR, and to establish an LDR link with the selected node if the selected node is able to use LDR.

17. A communication method executed by a node, the method comprising:
transmitting a frame including low data-rate radio (LDR) information to a head node of a group to establish a link with the head node;
receiving a data frame from the head node where the link is established;
receiving, from the head node, an acknowledgement (ACK) request frame which requests an ACK indicating whether the data frame is received;
transmitting, to the head node, an ACK in response to the ACK request frame;
receiving a beacon signal transmitted from a neighbor head node;
obtaining, based on the beacon signal, channel information associated with the neighbor head node; and
transmitting, to the head node of the group, a channel report frame including the channel information of the neighbor head node, wherein
the head node performs receiving, from each of a plurality of nodes, a channel report frame including channel information provided by a neighbor head node, and selecting one of the plurality of nodes to be a communication partner based on the received channel information; and wherein
when the node is able to use the LDR, the transmitting the ACK comprises transmitting the ACK using the LDR, and when the node is not able to use the LDR, the transmitting the ACK comprises transmitting the ACK using high data-rate radio (HDR).

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the link is established with the head node of the group using a proactive approach or a reactive approach.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the establishing comprises:
receiving, from the head node, an LDR link request frame; and
establishing an LDR link with the head node when an LDR link response frame with respect to the LDR link request frame is transmitted to the head node.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the transmitting comprises:
scheduling a point in time for transmitting the ACK, based on ACK offset information included in the ACK request frame; and
transmitting, to the head node, the ACK at the scheduled point in time.

Assignees

• Kim Tae Seok
• Park Tae Rim
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Tae Seok
• Park Tae Rim

Classifications

• H04L2001/0093

  Point-to-multipoint · CPC title

• H04L12/185

  with management of multicast group membership · CPC title

• H04L12/189

  in combination with wireless systems (selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06) · CPC title

• H04L5/0048

  Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091) · CPC title

• H04L12/18

  for broadcast or conference {, e.g. multicast} · CPC title