System, method, and computer program product for sharing bandwidth in a wireless personal area network or a wireless local area network
US7110380B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 7, 2002 |
| Grant date | Sep 19, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 1, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02D30/70
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system, method, and computer program product for sharing bandwidth by a plurality of devices in a wireless personal area network or a wireless local area network. A media access control protocol frame includes a beacon signal sent from a coordinator including coordination information to each of the devices of the WPAN, an optional contention access period, and a contention free period that includes an additional shared period that is managed as a slot cycle time division multiple access period, a polling period, or as management period. The coordination information includes a device-unique start time indicator and a transmission duration defining a guaranteed time slot within the contention free period of the frame for each of the networked devices. Each of the network devices sleeps while not receiving the beacon and not transmitting data during their guaranteed time slot, thereby reducing power consumption as compared to slot cycle time division multiple access or polling schemes which require listening by all devices during the contention free period.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.