Method for a device to communicate with another device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9756556-B2
Application number	US-201113702187-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2011
Priority date	Jun 6, 2010
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for communicating with another device using a first device having a converged personal network service (CPNS) enabled entity. The communication method comprises: a step for determining whether the mode of the CPNS enabled entity needs to be changed from gateway mode to coupling mode; and a step for changing the mode of the CPNS enabled entity from the gateway mode to the coupling mode, according to the results from the step for determining. When changed to the coupling mode, the CPNS enabled entity operates in personal network entity (PNE) mode to receive from the second device data for service of a second network, and the gateway mode to transmit the received service data to at least one of the entities that belong to a first network managed by the CPNS enabled entity. The communication method can include a step for controlling the synchronism of the CPNS enabled entity operating in the gateway mode and at least one of the entities, considering the synchronism of the CPNS enabled entity operating in the PNE mode and the second device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of communicating with a second device by a first device including a converged personal network service (CPNS) enabled entity, the method comprising:
determining whether a mode of the CPNS enabled entity needs to be changed from a gateway mode to a combined mode;
changing the mode of the CPNS enabled entity from the gateway mode to the combined mode according to a result of determining;
operating the CPNS enabled entity in a personal network entity (PNE) mode to receive service data of a second network from the second device and operating the CPNS enabled entity in the gateway mode to transmit the received service data to at least one entity belonging to a first network managed by the CPNS enabled entity, according to change to the combined mode;
comparing an offset time, between a signal received on a link with the second device and a signal transmitted and received on a link with the at least one entity, to a wakeup time for receiving the signal on the link with the second device; and
when the offset time is greater than the wakeup time, controlling synchronization between the CPNS enabled entity operating in the gateway mode and the at least one entity, in consideration of synchronization between the CPNS enabled entity operating in the PNE mode and the second device,
wherein the mode of the CPNS enabled entity is changed from the gateway mode to the combined mode when at least one entity belonging to a first network managed by the CPNS enabled entity is within a coverage of a second network, but cannot directly receive the service from the second device.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising comparing an offset between a start point of a frame received from the second device and a start point of a frame transmitted by the CPNS enabled entity.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
comparing an idle time in a link with the second device and an idle time in a link with at least one entity,
wherein the controlling synchronization is performed if the idle times mismatch.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, when the offset time is greater than the wakeup time, transmitting, to the at least one entity, a control signal for reducing the offset time.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
comparing a time a 2 +b 1 and a time k, where a 2 is a wakeup time after receiving the signal on the link with the second device, b 1 is a wakeup time before receiving the signal on the link with the at least one entity, and k is a time after the time a 2 is completed and before the time b 1 is started,
wherein the controlling synchronization is performed if a 2 +b 1 <k.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a communication channel is established with the CPNS enabled entity operating in the gateway mode in consideration of synchronization between the CPNS enabled entity operating in the PNE mode and the second device.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining is further based on whether at least one entity belonging to the first network managed by the CPNS enabled entity needs to receive a service of the second network from the second device, but is outside the coverage of the second network.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mode is changed to the combined mode when the at least one entity belonging to the first network managed by the CPNS enabled entity is outside the coverage of the second network or is within the coverage of the second network, but cannot directly receive a service of the second device.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining includes determining that the mode is not changed when some of all PNEs belonging to the first network are not within the coverage of the second network, but at least the remaining PNEs which will use a service of the second network among all the PNEs are within the coverage of the second network.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising receiving a discovery request message including information about the mode of the second device from the second device if the CPNS enabled entity set in the gateway mode is moved into the coverage of the second network managed by the second device.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
transmitting a discovery response message in response to reception of the discovery request message,
wherein the discovery response message includes mode information indicating that the CPNS enabled entity operates in the combined mode.

12. A device, comprising:
a memory configured to store a converged personal network service (CPNS) enabled entity set in a gateway mode, the CPNS enabled entity set in the gateway mode managing a first network and at least one entity capable of receiving a first service through the CPNS enabled entity set in the gateway mode being present within the first network;
a controller configured to:
determine whether a mode of the CPNS enabled entity needs to be changed from the gateway mode to a combined mode;
operate both a gateway and a personal network entity (PNE) in order to change the mode of the CPNS enabled entity from the gateway mode to the combined mode according to a result of determining;
compare an offset time, between a signal received on a link with the second device and a signal transmitted and received on a link with the at least one entity, to a wakeup time for receiving the signal on the link with the second device; and
when the offset time is greater than the wakeup time, control synchronization between the CPNS enabled entity operating in the gateway mode and the at least one entity, in consideration of synchronization between the CPNS enabled entity operating in the PNE mode and a second device; and

a transceiver configured to receive service data of a second network from the second device using the PNE operated by the controller and transmit the received service data to at least one entity belonging to the first network managed by the CPNS enabled entity using the operated gateway,
wherein the controller is further configured to change the mode of the CPNS enabled entity from the gateway mode to the combined mode when the at least one entity belonging to the first network managed by the CPNS enabled entity is within a coverage of the second network, but cannot directly receive the service from the second device.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the controller compares an offset between a start point of a frame received from the second device and a start point of a frame transmitted by the CPNS enabled entity.

14. The device according to claim 12 , wherein:
the controller is further configured to compare an idle time in a link with the second device and an idle time in a link with at least one entity; and
if the idle times mismatch, the mode is changed to the combined mode.

15. The device according to claim 12 , wherein:
the controller is further configured to compare a time a 2 +b 1 and a time k, where a 2 is a wakeup time after receiving the signal on the link with the second device, b 1 is a wakeup time before receiving the signal on the link with the at least one entity, and k is a time after the time a 2 is completed and before the time b 1 is started; and
the controller is further configured to change the mode to the combined mode if a 2 +b 1 <k.

Assignees

• Deprun Jean-Francois
• Chu Younsung
• Lee Jihye
• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Deprun Jean-Francois
• Chu Younsung
• Lee Jihye

Classifications

• H04L65/102

  Gateways (arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66) · CPC title

• H04W88/06 Primary

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title

• H04W48/16 Primary

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title

• H04L41/0813

  characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings · CPC title

• H04W4/021

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title