Approach for managing communications channels based on performance and transferring functions between participants in a communications arrangement

• US 20020116460A1
• Filed: 01/16/2002
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bandspeed, LLC
• Original Assignee: Bandspeed, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gan, Hongbing, Skafidas, Efstratios, Treister, Bijan
• Granted Patent: US 7,222,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A novel approach for selecting communications channels and participants with which to communicate based on channel performance and transferring management functions between participants in a communications arrangement is disclosed. According to one aspect of the invention, a particular channel is selected based on channel performance and channel identification data is provided to a participant that sends a response on a channel selected based on the channel identification data. According to another aspect of the invention, a particular participant is selected from a group of participants based on the performance of a particular channel. According to yet another aspect, an associate master participant is selected to assume responsibilities for functions assigned to the master participant if any of a set of handoff criteria are satisfied. For example, the associate master participant may assume the role of the master participant if the master participant can no longer perform the functions.

Claims

1. A method for managing a communications arrangement comprising a plurality of participants, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

assigning, to a first participant from the plurality of participants, one or more functions to be performed by the first participant;

designating a second participant from the plurality of participants to perform the one or more functions if any of one or more handoff criteria are satisfied;

in response to any of the one or more handoff criteria being satisfied, assigning the one or more functions to the second participant; and

selecting, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels and at least one performance criterion, a first communications channel from the plurality of communications channels.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

generating channel identification data that identifies the first communications channel; and

providing the channel identification data to one or more participants from the plurality of participants.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving at least a first communication from the one or more participants over a second communications channel from the plurality of communications channels, wherein the second communications channel is determined based on the channel identification data.

4. A method for managing, based on performance, a communications arrangement comprising a plurality of participants, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

selecting, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels, a first communications channel from the plurality of communications channels;

generating channel identification data that identifies the first communications channel;

providing the channel identification data to one or more participants from the plurality of participants;

receiving at least a first communication from the one or more participants over a second communications channel from the plurality of communications channels, wherein the second communications channel is determined based on the channel identification data;

assigning, to a first participant from the plurality of participants, one or more functions to be performed by the first participant;

prior to a failure of the first participant, designating a second participant from the plurality of participants to perform the one or more functions if any of one or more handoff criteria are satisfied.

5. A method for assigning functions between participants and selecting communications channels in a communications arrangement comprising a plurality of participants, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

assigning, to a first participant from the plurality of participants, one or more functions to be performed by the first participant;

prior to a failure of the first participant, designating a second participant from the plurality of participants to perform the one or more functions if any of one or more criteria are satisfied;

in response to any of the one or more criteria being satisfied, assigning the one or more functions to the second participant;

selecting, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels and at least one specified criterion, a first communications channel from the plurality of communications channels;

generating channel identification data that identifies the first communications channel;

providing the channel identification data to one or more participants from the plurality of participants; and

receiving at least a first communication from the one or more participants over a second communications channel from the plurality of communications channels, wherein the second communications channel is determined based on the channel identification data.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein communications between the plurality of participants are made on different frequencies over time.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the communications arrangement includes a wireless communications arrangement and the plurality of participants includes a plurality of wireless devices.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the channel identification data is first channel identification data, and wherein the method further comprises the computer-implemented steps of:

selecting, based upon the performance of the plurality of communications channels and the at least one specified criterion, a third communications channel from the plurality of communications channels;

generating second channel identification data that identifies the third communications channel;

providing the second channel identification data to one or more additional participants from the plurality of participants; and

receiving at least a second communication from the one or more additional participants over a fourth communications channel from the plurality of communications channels, wherein the fourth communications channel is determined based on the second channel identification data that identifies the third communications channel.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of providing the channel identification data to the one or more participants comprises the computer-implemented step of:

providing the channel identification data to the one or more participants over a third communications channel of the plurality of communications channels, wherein the third communications channel is not the first communications channel.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein at least the first communication from the one or more participants includes data that indicates the performance of the third communications channel.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of selecting the first communications channel from the plurality of communications channels comprises the computer-implemented steps of:

classifying one or more communications channels of the plurality of communications channels based upon whether the performance of the one or more communications channels satisfies at least one performance criterion; and

selecting the first communications channel from the one or more communications channels that are classified as satisfying the at least one performance criterion.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

determining a number of communications channels of the plurality of communications channels that satisfy the at least one performance criterion; and

if the number of communications channels that satisfy the at least one performance criterion is less than a specified number, reclassifying one or more communications channels of the plurality of communications channels.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising the computer-implemented step of:

determining the performance of the plurality of communications channels.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining the performance of the plurality of communications channels comprises the computer-implemented steps of:

sending a request for performance data to at least one participant from the plurality of participants; and

in response to the request, receiving performance data from the at least one participant.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining the performance of the plurality of communications channels comprises the computer-implemented step of:

creating and maintaining performance data that indicates the performance of one or more communications channels of the plurality of communications channels for communications with one or more participants from the plurality of participants.

16. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the one or more criteria include the failure of the first participant.

17. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein:

the first participant is a master participant, the second participant is a slave participant prior to being assigned to perform the one or more functions,

the second participant is an associate master participant after being designated to perform the one or more functions if any of the one or more criteria are satisfied, and

the one or more participants include one or more slave participants.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the master participant performs the steps of selecting, generating, providing, and receiving.

19. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more participants includes the second participant.

20. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the second participant is designated by the first participant.

21. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the second participant is designated by one or more participants from the plurality of participants.

22. A method for managing a communications system comprising a plurality of participants, comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

determining the performance of a first communications channel between a first participant from the plurality of participants and one or more other participants from the plurality of participants; and

selecting, based upon the performance of the first communications channel between the first participant and the one or more other participants, a second participant from the one or more other participants;

assigning, to a third participant from the plurality of participants, one or more functions to be performed by the third participant; and

designating a fourth participant from the plurality of participants to perform the one or more functions if any of one or more handoff criteria are satisfied.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the computer-implemented step of:

in response to any of the one or more handoff criteria being satisfied, assigning the one or more functions to the fourth participant.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of designating the fourth participant is performed prior to a condition of the third participant that prevents the third participant from performing the one or more functions.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of designating the fourth participant is performed prior to a failure of the third participant.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the first participant is the third participant.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more participants includes the fourth participant.

29. The first communications device as recited in claim 28, wherein the first communications device, the second communications device, and the one or more communications devices are wireless communications devices and the plurality of communications device includes a plurality of wireless communications devices.

30. The first communications device as recited in claim 28, wherein:

the first communications device is a master participant; and

the second communications device is an associate master participant; and

the one or more communications devices are slave participants.

31. The first communications device of claim 28, wherein the one or more communications devices include the second communications device.

32. The first communications device of claim 28, wherein the mechanism is further configured to:

select, based upon the performance of the plurality of communications channels and at least one performance criterion, a third communications channel from the plurality of communications channels;

generate second channel identification data that identifies the third communications channel;

provide the second channel identification data to one or more additional communications devices from the plurality of communications devices; and

receive at least a second communication from the one or more additional communications devices over a fourth communications channel from the plurality of communications channels, wherein the fourth communications channel is determined based on the second channel identification data that identifies the third communications channel.

33. The first communications device of claim 28, wherein the mechanism is further configured to:

provide the channel identification data to the one or more communications devices over a specified communications channel of the plurality of communications channels, wherein the specified communications channel is not the first communications channel.

34. The first communications device of claim 33, wherein at least the first communication from the one or more communications devices includes performance data that indicates the performance of the specified communications channel.

35. The first communications device of claim 28, wherein the mechanism is further configured to:

determine the performance of a plurality of communications channels used by the plurality of communications devices.

36. The first communications device of claim 35, wherein the performance of the plurality of communications channels is determined based on a channel performance testing technique selected from the group consisting of a received signal strength indicator, a header error check, a cyclic redundancy check, and forward error correction.

37. The first communications device of claim 28, wherein the mechanism is further configured to:

classify one or more communications channels of the plurality of communications channels based upon whether the performance of the one or more communications channels satisfies at least one performance criterion; and

select the first communications channel from the one or more communications channels that are classified as satisfying the at least one performance criterion.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

generating channel identification data that identifies the first communications channel; and

providing the channel identification data to one or more participants from the plurality of participants.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

receiving at least a first communication from the one or more participants over a second communications channel from the plurality of communications channels, wherein the second communications channel is determined based on the channel identification data.

28. A first communications device comprising:

an interface that is configured to receive data from a plurality of communications devices and to transmit data to the plurality of communications devices; and

a mechanism that is communicatively coupled to the interface and configured to;

perform one or more functions;

prior to a failure of the communications device, designate a second communications device from the plurality of communications devices to perform the one or more functions if any of a set of criteria are satisfied;

select, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels, a first communications channel from the plurality of communications channels;

generate first channel identification data that identifies the first communications channel;

provide the first channel identification data to one or more communications devices from the plurality of communications devices; and

receive at least a first communication from the one or more communications devices over a second communications channel from the plurality of communications channels, wherein the second communications channel is determined based on the first channel identification data that identifies the first communications channel.

38. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for managing a communications arrangement comprising a plurality of participants, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

assigning, to a first participant from the plurality of participants, one or more functions to be performed by the first participant;

designating a second participant from the plurality of participants to perform the one or more functions if any of one or more handoff criteria are satisfied;

in response to any of the one or more handoff criteria being satisfied, assigning the one or more functions to the second participant; and

selecting, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels and at least one performance criterion, a first communications channel from the plurality of communications channels.

41. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for managing, based on performance, a communications arrangement comprising a plurality of participants, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

selecting, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels, a first communications channel from the plurality of communications channels;

generating channel identification data that identifies the first communications channel;

providing the channel identification data to a one or more participants from the plurality of participants;

receiving at least a first communication from the one or more participant over a second communications channel from the plurality of communications channels, wherein the second communications channel is determined based on the channel identification data;

assigning, to a first participant from the plurality of participants, one or more functions to be performed by the first participant;

prior to a failure of the first participant, designating a second participant from the plurality of participants to perform the one or more functions if any of one or more handoff criteria are satisfied.

42. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for assigning functions between participants and selecting communications channels in a communications arrangement comprising a plurality of participants, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

assigning, to a first participant from the plurality of participants, one or more functions to be performed by the first participant;

prior to a failure of the first participant, designating a second participant from the plurality of participants to perform the one or more functions if any of one or more criteria are satisfied;

in response to any of the one or more criteria being satisfied, assigning the one or more functions to the second participant;

selecting, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels and at least one specified criterion, a first communications channel from the plurality of communications channels;

generating channel identification data that identifies the first communications channel;

providing the channel identification data to a third participant from the plurality of participants; and

receiving a first communication from the third participant over a second communications channel from the plurality of communications channels, wherein the second communications channel is determined based on the channel identification data.

43. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for managing a communications system comprising a plurality of participants, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

determining the performance of a first communications channel between a first participant from the plurality of participants and one or more other participants from the plurality of participants; and

selecting, based upon the performance of the first communications channel between the first participant and the one or more other participants, a second participant from the one or more other participants;

assigning, to a third participant from the plurality of participants, one or more functions to be performed by the third participant; and

designating a fourth participant from the plurality of participants to perform the one or more functions if any of one or more handoff criteria are satisfied.