EP0483544A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Distributed control methods for management of migrating data stations in a wireless communications network
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1991-10-07
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-10-07
Abstract
Abstract In a wireless communications network having a plurality of header stations (12) in bidirectional wireless communication with one or more mobile communication units (10), a method of managing ownership of the mobile units. In accordance with the method the following steps are executed. A first step receives, with a mobile communication unit located at a position (44) that is served by two or more of the header stations, a transmission from each of the header stations. The received transmissions are received over the wireless communications network and each uniquely identify the transmitting header station. The method further includes a step of selecting, with the mobile communication unit, one of the header stations as a header station to manage future wireless communications for the mobile communications unit. A further step is performed if the selected header station is not a header station that is presently managing wireless communications for the mobile communications unit. This further step transmits a message over the wireless network from the mobile communications unit to the selected header station requesting that the mobile communications unit be assigned to the selected header station.
Inventors
- 👤 Kadathur Subramanya Natarjan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 01:13
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W36/00; H04W36/24; H04W36/30; H04W36/302; H04W36/16; H04W36/22; H04W40/00; H04W40/24; H04W40/246; H04W40/248; H04W40/32
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
181 words
A method for managing ownership of one or more mobile communication units in a wireless communications network, the wireless communications network having a plurality of header stations in bidirectional wireless communication with one or more of the mobile communication units, the method comprising the steps of: receiving, with a mobile communication unit located at a position that is served by two or more of the header stations, a transmission from each of the header stations that serve the position occupied by the mobile communication unit, the received transmissions being received over the wireless communications network and each transmission uniquely identifying the transmitting header station; selecting, with the mobile communication unit, one of the header stations as a header station to manage future wireless communications for the mobile communications unit; and if the selected header station is not a header station that is presently managing wireless communications for the mobile communications unit, transmitting a message over the wireless network from the mobile communications unit to the selected header station requesting that the mobile communications unit be assigned to the selected header station.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
71 words
Method as set forth in Claim 1 wherein the step of selecting includes the following steps: determining if a received transmission originated from a header station that is presently managing wireless communications for the mobile communications unit; and, if so determining if a strength of the received transmission is above a predetermined threshold; and if so retaining the header station that is presently managing wireless communications for the mobile communications unit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
172 words
Method as set forth in Claim 1 or 2 wherein if the header station that is presently managing wireless communications for the mobile communications unit is not retained the step of selecting further includes the steps of: determining a number of other mobile units that are currently managed by the header stations that serve the position occupied by the mobile communications unit; and selecting the header station that is managing the fewest number of other mobile units; or if all of the header stations that serve the position occupied by the mobile communications unit are determined to be managing a same number of other mobile units, selecting the header station having a signal strength that exceeds the signal strengths of the other header stations by a predetermined amount; or if none of the header stations that serve the position occupied by the mobile communications unit are determined to have a signal strength that exceeds that of the other header stations by the predetermined amount, selecting one of the header stations at random.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
Method as set forth in Claim 1, 2 or 3 and further comprising the steps of: receiving the message at the selected header station; and notifying the mobile communications unit that the selected header station has accepted the mobile communications unit for inclusion within a set of mobile units managed by the selected header station.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
62 words
Method as set forth in Claim 1 or anyone of Claims 2 to 4 and further comprising the steps of: receiving the message at the selected header station; determining if the mobile communications unit was previously managed by another header station; and, if so informing the other header station that the mobile communications unit is now managed by the selected header station.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
Method as set forth in Claim 5 and further comprising a step of notifying all other header stations that maintain a communications routing table that includes the mobile communications unit that the mobile communications unit is now managed by the selected header station.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
Method as set forth in Claim 1 or anyone of Claims 2 to 6 wherein the step of receiving occurs for a period of time determined to be sufficiently long so as to receive transmissions from each of the header stations that serve the position occupied by the mobile communication unit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
Method as set forth in Claim 1 or anyone of Claims 2 to 7 wherein the step of receiving occurs for a period of time equal to (Δ+ε), where delta is a predetermined time interval and wherein epsilon is a variable time period.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
74 words
Method as set forth in Claim 1 or anyone of Claims 2 to 8 wherein the step of receiving includes an initial step transmitting an inquiry message from each of the header stations that serves the position occupied by the mobile communication system, the inquiry message including at least an identification of the transmitting header station and data expressive of a number of mobile communications units within a domain of the transmitting header station.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
63 words
Method as set forth in Claim 1 or anyone of Claims 2 to 9 wherein the step of transmitting includes a step of transmitting a message including at least an identification of the mobile communications unit, an identification of a header station having a domain of which the mobile communications unit is currently a member, and an identification of the selected header station.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
42 words
Method as set forth in Claim 6 or anyone of Claims 7 to 10 wherein the steps of informing and notifying each include a step of transmitting a message over a wired network that is coupled to others of the header stations.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
Method as set forth in anyone of the preceding Claims wherein the selected header station, in response to a message directed to the mobile communications unit from a second header station, records an identification of the second header station.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
58 words
Method as set forth in Claim 12 wherein the selected header station, in response to a message from a third header station that indicates that the mobile communications unit has selected the third header station to manage the mobile communications unit, transmits a message to the third header station that includes the identification of the second header station.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
Method as set forth in Claim 13 wherein the third header station, upon receipt of the message from the previously selected header station, transmits a message to the second header station to inform the second header station that the third header station is managing the mobile communications unit.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
Method as set forth in Claim 14 wherein the second header station updates an internally maintained routing table in response to the received message such that a subsequent message that is directed to the mobile communications unit is transmitted from the second header station to the third header station.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
53 words
Method as set forth in Claim 13, 14 or 15 wherein the third header station updates an internally maintained status table in response to the received message such that the third header station is enabled to determine what other header stations, if any, have previously directed a message to the mobile communications unit.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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