Communications system

Abstract

A communications system for a network of stations, is provided where stations identify themselves upon being informed of the desires of an inquisitor station. Additionally, techniques for “plug and play”, self-healing and homogenizing the heterogeneous parts of a network, are provided.

1 . A method of “Plug & Play” for associating an un-associated WAN/LAN Device to a network having a Base Station, comprising the steps of: (a) the Base Station creating and sending an Association Beacon; (b) the un-associated WAN/LAN Device scanning for said Base Station-derived Association Beacons and upon detecting one, sending back a WAN Association Request message. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said Association Beacon has a Business ID with a list of time slots during which said WAN Association Request can be sent back. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the number and duration of time slots in said list, is dynamically determined, based on past experience (e.g. as function of traffic, dropped communications links). 
     
     
         4 . A method of “Plug & Play” for associating an un-associated LAN Device to a network having one or more associated LAN Devices, one of which is attached to a WAN portal to a Base Station-centric WAN, comprising the steps of: (a) each associated LAN Device sending Association Beacons; (b) the un-associated LAN Device scanning for said LAN Device-derived Association Beacons and selecting the best associated LAN Device to associate with; (c) the un-associated LAN Device sending a LAN Association Request to said selected best associated LAN Device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said selecting step is based on consideration of received communications quality characteristics from LAN Association Beacons from each said associated LAN Devices. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein each associated LAN Devices has a resource metric indicative of its ability to handle more communication traffic, and said selecting step is based on said resource metric. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said resource metric includes a factor among {the number of LAN Devices it is routing for, its distance from its WAN Portal}. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , where the intelligence for selecting which LAN Device to associate with, is mainly at the Base Station. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein candidate LAN Devices are provided to the Base Station, each with certain information useful for selecting the best LAN Device, and the Base Station selects. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , where the intelligence for selecting which LAN Device to associate with, is mainly at the un-associated LAN Device.