Methods and apparatus relating to timing and/or synchronization including the use of wireless terminals beacon signals

摘要

Wireless terminal beacon signaling is used to achieve timing synchronization between two wireless terminals in a wireless communication system, e.g., in an ad hoc network lacking a centralized timing reference. An exemplary timing structure used by an individual wireless terminal includes a beacon transmission time interval, a beacon monitoring time interval and a silence time interval. A first wireless terminal monitoring for beacon signals from other wireless terminals, detects a beacon signal portion from a second wireless terminal and determines a timing adjustment as a function of the detected beacon signal portion. The first wireless terminal applies the determined timing adjustment, e.g., time shifting its timing structure, such that its beacon signal can be detected by the second wireless terminal. Implementation of the determined timing adjustment sets the timing structures of the two wireless terminals to have a fixed relationship thereby allowing for coordinated communications including a peer-to-peer communications session.

主权项

1. A method of operating a communications device, the method comprising:
during a beacon receive time period performing a beacon signal detection operation to detect receipt of at least a portion of a beacon signal; and transmitting beacon signal bursts, each beacon signal burst including a first beacon symbol and a second beacon symbol; and varying an amount of time between successive transmitted beacon signal bursts in accordance with a predetermined time varying sequence used to control spacing between successively transmitted beacon signal bursts; wherein each beacon symbol corresponds to a beacon symbol transmission time period; wherein each beacon signal burst corresponds to multiple beacon symbol transmission time periods; and wherein transmitting beacon signal bursts includes transmitting beacon signal bursts in which a majority of beacon symbol transmission time periods available during the transmitted beacon signal bursts are left unused.