Method of communicating in wireless network

Abstract

A wireless network includes a current coordinator, at least one device which is currently associated with the wireless network, and a device selected as a new coordinator among the at least one device by the current coordinator. The current coordinator transmits a handover request message to the new coordinator; receives a handover response message in response to the handover request message from the new coordinator, the handover response message including a reason code field that is set to “success”; and broadcasts one or more beacons, each beacon including identification information which identifies the new coordinator and number information which indicates a number of remaining beacons that the current coordinator will broadcast before a handover occurs. The number information included in a last beacon among the one or more beacons is set to “0,” and the new coordinator broadcasts a beacon after receiving the last beacon from the current coordinator.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A wireless network comprising:
 a current coordinator and at least one device which is currently associated with the wireless network; and   a device selected as a new coordinator among the at least one device by the current coordinator,   wherein the current coordinator is configured to:
 transmit a handover request message to the new coordinator; 
 receive a handover response message in response to the handover request message from the new coordinator, the handover response message comprising a reason code field that is set to “success”; and 
 broadcast one or more beacons, each of the one or more beacons comprising identification information which identifies the new coordinator and number information which indicates a number of remaining beacons that the current coordinator will broadcast before a handover occurs, wherein the number information included in a last beacon among the one or more beacons is set to “0,” and 
   wherein the new coordinator is configured to broadcast a beacon after receiving the last beacon from the current coordinator.   
     
     
       2. The wireless network of  claim 1 , wherein the current coordinator is further configured to transmit coordinator relevant information to the new coordinator. 
     
     
       3. The wireless network of  claim 2 , wherein the coordinator relevant information comprises information about the at least one device. 
     
     
       4. The wireless network of  claim 3 , wherein the coordinator relevant information further comprises information associated with current requests from the at least one device for channel time blocks (CTBs). 
     
     
       5. The wireless network of  claim 3 , wherein the information about the at least one device comprises capabilities and an identifier of each of the at least one device. 
     
     
       6. The wireless network of  claim 1 , wherein the current coordinator is further configured to receive the beacon broadcast by the new coordinator. 
     
     
       7. A wireless network comprising:
 a coordinator; and   at least one device which is currently associated with the wireless network,   wherein the coordinator is configured to:
 receive, from a new device, information associated with a priority of the new device when the new device joins the wireless network; 
 transmit a handover request message to the new device if the priority of the new device is higher than a priority of the coordinator based on the information received from the new device; 
 receive a handover response message in response to the handover request message from the new device; and 
 broadcast one or more beacons, each of the one or more beacons comprising identification information which identifies the new device and number information which indicates a number of remaining beacons that the coordinator will broadcast before a handover occurs, wherein the number information included in a last beacon among the one or more beacons is set to “0,” and 
   wherein the new device is configured to broadcast a beacon as a new coordinator after receiving the last beacon from the coordinator.   
     
     
       8. The wireless network of  claim 7 , wherein the coordinator is further configured to transmit coordinator relevant information to the new device. 
     
     
       9. The wireless network of  claim 8 , wherein the coordinator relevant information comprises information about the at least one device. 
     
     
       10. The wireless network of  claim 9 , wherein the coordinator relevant information further comprises information associated with current requests from the at least one device for channel time blocks (CTBs). 
     
     
       11. The wireless network of  claim 9 , wherein the information about the at least one device comprises capabilities and an identifier of each of the at least one device. 
     
     
       12. The wireless network of  claim 7 , wherein the handover response message comprises information indicating that the new device is ready to take over as the new coordinator of the wireless network. 
     
     
       13. A method of performing communication in a wireless network that includes a coordinator and at least one device, the method comprising:
 transmitting a handover request message including count information indicating a number of remaining beacon intervals until the coordinator hands over a function of the coordinator to a substitute coordinator;   receiving a handover response message from the substitute coordinator in response to the handover request message, the handover response message including a reason code field indicating whether the handover request is accepted and the reason code field including a first value indicating that the handover request is accepted or a second value indicating that the handover request is not accepted; and   transmitting a beacon to the at least one device when the reason code field includes the first value,   wherein the beacon includes substitute coordinator information and number information, and   wherein the substitute coordinator operates as a new coordinator when the number information is set to “0”.   
     
     
       14. The method of claim 13, wherein the substitute coordinator information includes substitute coordinator Medium Access Control (MAC) information. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the beacon comprises transmitting coordinator relevant information to the substitute coordinator. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim 15, wherein the coordinator relevant information comprises information related to the at least one device. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 16, wherein the coordinator relevant information further comprises information associated with current requests for channel time blocks (CTBs) from the at least one device. 
     
     
       18. The method of claim 16, wherein the information related to the at least one device comprises capabilities and an identifier of each of the at least one device. 
     
     
       19. The method of claim 13, wherein the substitute coordinator is determined by the coordinator. 
     
     
       20. The method of claim 13, wherein the beacon is transmitted when the reason code field includes the first value. 
     
     
       21. The method of claim 13, wherein:
 the handover request message further includes a time out field; and   the time out field indicates a time at which the new coordinator should transmit the handover response message.   
     
     
       22. The method of claim 13, wherein:
 the handover request message further includes a breaking in period field; and   the breaking in period field indicates a remaining time until the new coordinator initiates a coordinating function.   
     
     
       23. The method of claim 13, wherein:
 the handover request message further includes a time out field; and   the time out field indicates a time at which the new coordinator should transmit the handover response message.   
     
     
       24. The method of claim 13, wherein:
 the handover request message further includes a breaking in period field; and   the breaking in period field indicates a remaining time until the new coordinator initiates a coordinating function.   
     
     
       25. An apparatus for performing communication in a wireless network that includes a coordinator and at least one device, the apparatus configured to:
 transmit a handover request message including count information indicating a number of remaining beacon intervals until the coordinator hands over a function of the coordinator to a substitute coordinator;   receive a handover response message from the substitute coordinator in response to the handover request message, the handover response message including a reason code field indicating whether the handover request is accepted and the reason code field including a first value indicating that the handover request is accepted or a second value indicating that the handover request is not accepted; and   transmit a beacon to the at least one device when the reason code field includes the first value,   wherein the beacon includes substitute coordinator information indicating the substitute coordinator and number information, and   wherein the substitute coordinator operates as a new coordinator when the number information is set to “0”.   
     
     
       26. The apparatus of claim 25,
 wherein the substitute coordinator information includes substitute coordinator Medium Access Control (MAC) information.   
     
     
       27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein transmitting the the beacon comprises transmitting coordinator relevant information to the substitute coordinator. 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the coordinator relevant information comprises information related to the at least one device. 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the coordinator relevant information further comprises information associated with current requests for channel time blocks (CTBs) from the at least one device. 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the information related to the at least one device comprises capabilities and an identifier of each of the at least one device. 
     
     
       31. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the substitute coordinator. 
     
     
       32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the apparatus is further configured to transmit the beacon when the reason code field includes the first value.