EP1797672A1

EP1797672A1 - Communicating simultaneously with stations in multiple wireless networks using a single wireless adapter

Info

Publication number: EP1797672A1
Application number: EP05787650A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hilbert Zhang; Stuart Kerry; Todd Antes
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV
Current assignee: NXP BV
Priority date: 2004-09-28
Filing date: 2005-09-28
Publication date: 2007-06-20
Also published as: CN101065932A; WO2006035409A1; JP2008515324A; KR20070087551A

Abstract

A virtual instance or driver is created for each station in multiple wireless networks operating on the same RF channel. An identifier or address is then obtained for each station and associated with its respective virtual driver.

Description

COMMUNICATING SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH STATIONS IN MULTIPLE WIRELESS NETWORKS USING A SINGLE WIRELESS ADAPTER

The increased use of laptop computers and handheld devices, such as personal digital assistants, has resulted in a growing demand for wireless networks. Wireless networks typically operate pursuant to an industry standard, such as, for example, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard. Wireless networks can be constructed in several topologies.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a first wireless network topology in accordance with the prior art. Network 100 includes base station 102 and stations 104, 106 having wireless adapters 108, 110, respectively. Network 100 is known as an infrastructure or WAP (Wireless Access Point) network. In a WAP network, base station 102 is an access point that provides connectivity for stations 104, 106. All data transmissions to and from wireless devices 104, 106 are relayed by base station 102. FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of a second wireless network topology in ' accordance with the prior art. Network 200 includes stations 202, 204, 206. Each station 202, 204, 206 includes a wireless adapter 208, 210, 212, respectively. Network 200 is known as an ad-hoc or peer-to-peer network. In an ad-hoc network, stations 202, 204, 206 communicate directly with each other using wireless adapters 208, 210, 212. In some applications, a user may want to communicate with two or more wireless stations located in different networks. Unfortunately, a wireless station in one network typically cannot communicate with a wireless station in another network unless another adapter is used. For example, station 106 in network 100 cannot communicate with station 202 in network 200 without a second wireless adapter. In accordance with the invention, a method and system for communicating simultaneously with stations in multiple wireless networks using a single wireless adapter are provided. A virtual driver or instance is created for each wireless station operating on the same RF channel. An identifier or address is then obtained for each wireless station and associated with its respective virtual driver or instance. FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a first wireless network topology in accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of a second wireless network topology in accordance with the prior art; FIG. 3 a diagrammatic illustration of a wireless communication system in an embodiment in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a wireless station in an embodiment in accordance with the invention; FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a first method for communicating with multiple networks in an embodiment in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a management frame in an embodiment in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a second method for communicating with multiple networks in an embodiment in accordance with the invention.

The following description is presented to enable one skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the invention, and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments. Thus, the invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the appended claims and with the principles and features described herein.

With reference to the figures and in particular with reference to FIG. 3, there is shown a diagrammatic illustration of a wireless communication system in an embodiment in accordance with the invention. System 300 includes network 302, station 304, and station 306 with wireless adapter 308. Network 310 includes station 312. Stations 304, 312 may each be implemented as a base station or as a wireless station, depending on whether networks 302, 310 are each configured as an ad-hoc network or an infrastructure network.

Station 306 communicates with station 304 and with station 312 using wireless adapter 308. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, network 302 and network 312 operate on the same RP channel and the Media Access Controller (MAC) (not shown) in wireless adapter 308 transmits and receives data pursuant to the IEEE 802.1 1 standard. In other embodiments in accordance with the invention, wireless adapter 308 may transmit data according to a different wireless standard or to a proprietary wireless protocol. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a wireless station in an embodiment in accordance with the invention. Station 400 is connected to wireless adapter 402 via connection 404. Adapter 402 is implemented within station 400 in one embodiment in accordance with the invention. In another embodiment in accordance with the invention, adapter 402 is separate from or external to station 400.

Wireless adapter 402 includes RF (Radio Frequency) transceiver 406. Station 400 includes operating system 408 and enumerator and convergence driver 410. Enumerator driver 410 creates virtual instances or drivers 412, 414. Virtual drivers 412, 414 are implemented as virtual MAC drivers in an embodiment in accordance with the invention. Station 400 may be implemented as any wireless station, such as, for example, a computer or PDA. Although FIG. 4 depicts only two virtual drivers, embodiments in accordance with the invention can create any number of virtual drivers. The virtual drivers may be created or deleted at any time while a wireless station is part of one or more wireless networks.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown a flowchart of a first method for communicating with multiple networks in an embodiment in accordance with the invention.

A wireless adapter creates a virtual instance or driver for each wireless station in a network, as shown in block 500. In one embodiment in accordance with the invention, an enumerator and convergence driver creates a virtual MAC driver for each device in a network.

An identifier is then obtained for each wireless station and each virtual MAC driver is associated with a corresponding identifier (blocks 502, 504). A determination is then made at block 506 as to whether there is another network operating on the same RF channel. If so, the process returns to block 500 and repeats until all of the networks have been processed.

In one embodiment in accordance with the invention, the identifier obtained at block

502 includes a Basic Service Set identifier (BSSID). Each BSSID is included, for example, in a management frame formatted pursuant to the IEEE 802.11 standard. FIG. 6 illustrates a management frame in an embodiment in accordance with the invention. Management frames are typically used for station association, disassociation, synchronization, and authentication. Frame 600 includes frame control field 602, duration identifier field 604, destination address field 606, source address field 608, BSSID field 610, sequence control field 612, data field 614, and frame check sequences or CRC field 616. As discussed earlier, in one embodiment in accordance with the invention a BSSID for each station in a network is obtained and associated with a corresponding virtual MAC driver (see blocks

502, 504 in FIG. 5). Referring now to FIG. 7, there is shown a flowchart of a second method for communicating with multiple networks in an embodiment in accordance with the invention. Initially a table is created for a network, as shown in block 700. The table may be implemented, for example, as a look-up table (LUT). A virtual instance or driver is then created for a station in the wireless network and an address assigned to the instance (blocks 702, 704). In one embodiment in accordance with the invention, an enumerator driver creates a virtual MAC driver for each station in the wireless network and assigns a MAC address to the virtual MAC driver. The station is then recorded in the table, as shown in block 706. A determination is then made at block 708 as to whether there are additional stations in the wireless network. If so, the process returns to block 702 and repeats until all of the stations in a wireless network have been processed. When all of the stations in a network have been processed, a determination is made at block 710 as to whether there are additional networks operating on the same RF channel. If so, the process returns to block 700 and repeats until all of the networks on the same RF channel have been processed. When completed, the table correlates each station with a virtual MAC driver and a corresponding MAC address.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A wireless station (306), comprising: a wireless adapter (308); and a plurality of virtual drivers (412, 414) corresponding to two or more wireless stations (304, 312), wherein at least two of the two or more wireless stations (304, 312) are in different wireless networks (302, 310).

2. The wireless station (306) of claim 1, further comprising an enumerator driver (410) for creating the plurality of virtual drivers (412, 414).

3. The wireless station (306) of claim 1, further comprising a look-up table for each of the two or more wireless networks (302, 310), wherein each look-up table records a virtual driver and an address for each station in a respective wireless network.

4. The wireless station (306) of claim 3, wherein each virtual driver and each address comprise a virtual MAC driver and a MAC address.

5. A method for communicating with two or more stations (304, 312) in different wireless networks (302, 310), comprising: creating a virtual driver (412, 414) for each station (304, 312) in each wireless network (302, 310); obtaining an identifier for each station (304, 312); and associating each identifier with a respective virtual driver (412, 414).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein: creating a virtual driver (412, 414) for each station (304, 312) in each wireless network (302, 310) comprises creating a virtual MAC driver for each station (304, 312) in each wireless network (302, 310); and obtaining an identifier for each station (304, 312) comprises obtaining a basic service set identifier for each station (304, 312).

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the two or more wireless networks (302, 312) operate on the same RF channel.

8. A method for communicating with two or more stations (304, 312) in different wireless networks (302, 310), comprising: a) creating a virtual driver (412) for each station (304) in a network (302); b) assigning an address to each virtual driver (412); c) recording each virtual driver (412) and its corresponding address; and d) repeating a) through c) for the two or more wireless networks (302, 310).

9. The method of claim 8, wherein recording each virtual driver (412, 414) and its corresponding address comprises storing in a look-up table each virtual driver (412, 414) and its corresponding address.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein: creating a virtual driver (412) for each station (304) in the network (302) comprises creating a virtual MAC driver for each station (304) in the network (302); and assigning an address to each virtual driver (412) comprises assigning a MAC address to each virtual driver (412).

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the two or more wireless networks (302, 310) operate on the same RF channel.