Patent ID: 8539082
Filing Date: 2013-09-17
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for associating a new device with an ad-hoc established device network comprising a central controller and a set of terminal devices, comprising: receiving, at the central controller, an association request transmitted from the new device, the association request informing the central controller about a transmission profile associated with the new device; checking, at the central controller in response to receiving the request, whether the central controller supports the transmission profile of the new device, the transmission profile indicating whether or not the new device can operate in a direct mode allowing direct communication between the new terminal device and another one of the terminal devices; when the transmission profile of the new device is not supported by the central controller, searching a database to select one of the terminal devices from the set of terminal devices, the selected terminal device being capable of acting as a controller and supporting both the transmission profiles of the network devices and the transmission profile of the new device, the database including records, for each of the terminal devices that are controlled by the central controller, each of the records indicating whether the terminal device is capable of acting as a controller, each of the records further indicating which profiles are supported by the respective terminal device; and performing a handover of a controller functionality from the central controller to the selected terminal device in order to establish said selected terminal device as a new central controller.