Wireless communication

• US 10,334,549 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2018
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bevan, David, Baines, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Jr., Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/873,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20180206204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2678 Time synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method of synchronizing transmission between two nodes in a wireless network. The method comprises the steps of obtaining an expected interference profile for each node; and agreeing a synchronized transmission schedule between the nodes, where the expected interference profile of the or each node meets predetermined criteria.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a node in a wireless network, the node having a multiple beam antenna;

generating an interference table associated with the node comprising, for a plurality of beams of the multiple beam antenna, a plurality of transmission slots, wherein the interference table indicates an expected interference for a transmission slot of the plurality of transmission slots; and

generating a scheduled transmission slot between the node and at least one other node based at least in part on a comparison, for the transmission slot of the plurality of transmission slots, of an acceptable expected interference with the expected interference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transmission slots are based on carrier frequencies.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a proposed transmission slot to the at least one other node; and

receiving, from the at least one other node, an acceptance of the proposed transmission slot.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

scheduling, during the accepted transmission slot, one or more further transmission slots.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the node generates the interference table by updating a prior interference table based at least in part on a measured past interference level.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the interference table reflects an average of interference detected over multiple repeat cycles.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the interference table comprises a multi-dimensional array that includes polarization as a transmission parameter.

8. A node for a wireless network, comprising:

a multiple beam antenna;

a memory storing an interference table associated with the node;

a transceiver communicating with at least one other node in the wireless network;

a processor configured to;

generate the interference table comprising, for a plurality of beams of the multiple beam antenna, a plurality of transmission slots, wherein the interference table indicates an expected interference for a transmission slot of the plurality of transmission slots;

generate a scheduled transmission slot between the node and the at least one other node based at least in part on a comparison, for the transmission slot of the plurality of transmission slots, of an acceptable expected interference with the expected interference.

9. The node of claim 8, wherein the plurality of transmission slots are based on carrier frequencies.

10. The node of claim 8, wherein

the processor is configured to:

generate a proposed transmission slot for communicating with the at least one other node; and

the transceiver is configured to;

send the proposed transmission slot to the at east one other node; and

receive, from the at least one other node, an acceptance of the proposed transmission slot.

11. The node of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

schedule, during the accepted proposed transmission slot, one or more further transmission slots.

12. The node of claim 8, wherein the node generates the interference table by updating a prior interference table based at least in part on a measured past interference level.

13. The node of claim 12, wherein the interference table reflects an average of interference detected over multiple repeat cycles.

14. The node of claim 8, wherein the interference table comprises a multi-dimensional array that includes polarization as a transmission parameter.

15. A processor configured to execute instructions, the execution of the instructions causing the processor to perform operations comprising:

generating an interference table associated with a node in a wireless network comprising, for a plurality of beams of a multiple beam antenna, a plurality of transmission slots, wherein the interference table indicates an expected interference for a transmission slot of the plurality of transmission slots; and

generating a scheduled transmission slot between the node and at least one other node based at least in part on a comparison, for the transmission slot of the plurality of transmission slots, of an acceptable expected interference with the expected interference.

16. The processor of claim 15, wherein the plurality of transmission slots are based on carrier frequencies.

17. The processor of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise causing a transceiver to:

send a proposed transmission slot to the at least one other node; and

receive, from the at least one other node, an acceptance of the proposed transmission slot.

18. The processor of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

scheduling, during the accepted proposed transmission slot, one or more further transmission slots.

19. The processor of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating the interference table by updating a prior interference table based at least in part on a measured past interference level.

20. The processor of claim 19, wherein the interference table reflects an average of interference detected over multiple repeat cycles.