Structured adaptive frequency hopping

• US 20030058829A1
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Batra, Anuj
• Granted Patent: US 7,532,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7143 Arrangements for generation of hop patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/715 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/7152 with means for suppressing interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/7154 with means for preventing interference

Abstract

The present invention reduces the computational complexity of adaptive frequency hopping mechanisms (100) while mitigating the effects of interference. The present invention can provide structured adapted hopping sequences (300, 400, 700) that reduce transitions between good and bad channels and/or assign good channels to slots where data is to be transmitted and bad channels to idle slots. The present invention can be designed to comply with current FCC regulations, yet remain adaptable to changing rules.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating a frequency hopping sequence for use in frequency channel communications over a time division multiplexed wireless communication link, the frequency hopping sequence including a first group of frequencies that meet a predetermined qualification criterion and a second group of frequencies that fail to meet the predetermined qualification criterion, comprising:

an information generator for providing first information indicative of time slots of the wireless communication link that use frequencies from the first group and time slots of the wireless communication link that use frequencies from the second group, said information generator including an input for receiving second information indicative of a characteristic of a communication protocol associated with the wireless communication link, said information generator for providing said first information based on said second information; and

a frequency mapper coupled to said information generator and responsive to said first information for producing third information indicative of the frequency hopping sequence.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said information generator includes a first device coupled to said input for determining in response to said second information a first number of consecutive time slots that use frequencies from the second group.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said information generator includes a second device coupled to said first device for determining in response to said first number of consecutive time slots a second number of consecutive time slots that use frequencies from the second group.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said information generator includes a second device coupled to said first device for determining in response to said first number of consecutive time slots a second number of consecutive time slots that use frequencies from the first group.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said information generator includes a third device coupled to said second device for determining in response to said second number of consecutive time slots a third number of consecutive time slots that use frequencies from the first group.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said first information indicates that said first and second numbers of consecutive time slots are repeated in a temporally alternating sequence.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the characteristic of the communication protocol includes a timeout value associated with the wireless communication link.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the predetermined qualification criterion includes an interference level.

9. An apparatus for generating a frequency hopping sequence for use in transmitting a plurality of information streams on frequency channels of a time division multiplexed wireless communication link, wherein at least a first of said plurality of information streams is more susceptible to interference than another of said plurality of information streams, the frequency hopping sequence including a first group of frequencies that meet a predetermined qualification criterion and a second group of frequencies that fail to meet the predetermined qualification criterion, comprising:

an information generator for providing first information indicative of time slots of the wireless communication link that use frequencies from the first group and time slots of the wireless communication link that use frequencies from the second group, said information generator including an input for receiving second information indicative of a number of said first information streams that can be supported by the wireless communication link if only frequencies from the first group are used to transmit the first information streams, said information generator for providing said first information based on said second information; and

a frequency mapper coupled to said information generator and responsive to said first information for producing third information indicative of the frequency hopping sequence.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said information generator includes a first device coupled to said input for producing in response to said second information fourth information indicative of a desired distribution of frequencies from the first group across time slots in the wireless communication link.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said information generator includes a lookup table coupled to said first device for producing said first information in response to said fourth information.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said lookup table includes a first input for receiving fifth information indicative of a number of said first information streams that are active on the wireless communication link, said lookup table further responsive to said fifth information for producing said first information.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said lookup table includes a second input for receiving sixth information indicative of a time slot offset associated with said at least a first information stream, said lookup table further responsive to said sixth information for producing said first information.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said at least a first information stream is a voice stream.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the predetermined qualification criterion includes an interference level.

16. A wireless communication apparatus for use in frequency channel communications over a time division multiplexed wireless communication link, comprising:

a frequency hopping sequence generator for generating a frequency hopping sequence for use in said frequency channel communications, the frequency hopping sequence including a first group of frequencies that meet a predetermined qualification criterion and a second group of frequencies that fail to meet the predetermined qualification criterion;

said frequency hopping sequence generator including an information generator for providing first information indicative of time slots of the wireless communication link that use frequencies from the first group and time slots of the wireless communication link that use frequencies from the second group, said information generator including an input for receiving second information indicative of a characteristic of a communication protocol associated with the wireless communication link, said information generator for providing said first information based on said second information;

said frequency hopping sequence generator including a frequency mapper coupled to said information generator and responsive to said first information for producing third information indicative of the frequency hopping sequence; and

a wireless communication interface coupled to said frequency mapper for interfacing between said wireless communication link and a communication application, said wireless communication interface for communicating data associated with said communication application on frequency channels of the wireless communication link specified by said third information.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 provided as one of a mobile telephone, a laptop computer and a personal digital assistant.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 provided as a Bluetooth apparatus.

19. A wireless communication apparatus for use in frequency channel communications over a time division multiplexed wireless communication link, comprising:

a frequency hopping sequence generator for generating a frequency hopping sequence for use in transmitting a plurality of information streams on frequency channels of said wireless communication link, wherein at least a first of said plurality of information streams is more susceptible to interference than another of said plurality of information streams, the frequency hopping sequence including a first group of frequencies that meet a predetermined qualification criterion and a second group of frequencies that fail to meet the predetermined qualification criterion;

said frequency hopping sequence generator including an information generator for providing first information indicative of time slots of the wireless communication link that use frequencies from the first group and time slots of the wireless communication link that use frequencies from the second group, said information generator including an input for receiving second information indicative of a number of said first information streams that can be supported by the wireless communication link if only frequencies from the first group are used to transmit the first information streams, said information generator for providing said first information based on said second information;

said frequency hopping sequence generator including a frequency mapper coupled to said information generator and responsive to said first information for producing third information indicative of the frequency hopping sequence; and

a wireless communication interface coupled to said frequency mapper for interfacing between said wireless communication link and a communication application, said wireless communication interface for communicating data associated with said communication application on frequency channels of the wireless communication link specified by said third information.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 provided as one of a mobile telephone, a laptop computer and a personal digital assistant.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 provided as a Bluetooth apparatus.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said at least a first information stream is a voice stream.

23. A method for generating a frequency hopping sequence for use in frequency channel communications over a time division multiplexed wireless communication link, the frequency hopping sequence including a first group of frequencies that meet a predetermined qualification criterion and a second group of frequencies that fail to meet the predetermined qualification criterion, the steps comprising:

providing first information indicative of a characteristic of a communication protocol associated with the wireless communication link;

in response to said first information, providing second information indicative of time slots of the wireless communication link that use frequencies from the first group and time slots of the wireless communication link that use frequencies from the second group; and

in response to said second information, providing third information indicative of the frequency hopping sequence.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said second-mentioned providing step includes determining in response to said first information a first number of consecutive time slots that use frequencies from the second group.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said second-mentioned providing step includes determining in response to said first number of consecutive time slots a second number of consecutive time slots that use frequencies from the first group.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said second information indicates that said first and second numbers of consecutive time slots are repeated in a temporally alternating sequence.

27. A method for generating a frequency hopping sequence for use in transmitting a plurality of information streams on frequency channels of a time division multiplexed wireless communication link, wherein at least a first of said plurality of information streams is more susceptible to interference than another of said plurality of information streams, the frequency hopping sequence including a first group of frequencies that meet a predetermined qualification criterion and a second group of frequencies that fail to meet the predetermined qualification criterion, comprising:

providing first information indicative of a number of said first information streams that can be supported by the wireless communication link if only frequencies from the first group are used to transmit the first information streams;

in response to said first information, providing second information indicative of time slots of the wireless communication link that use frequencies from the first group and time slots of the wireless communication link that use frequencies from the second group; and

in response to said second information, providing third information indicative of the frequency hopping sequence.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said second-mentioned providing step includes, in response to said first information, producing fourth information indicative of a desired distribution of frequencies from the first group across time slots in the wireless communication link, and producing said second information in response to said fourth information.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said second-mentioned providing step includes providing fifth information indicative of a number of said first information streams that are active on the wireless communication link and producing said second information in response to said fifth information.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said second-mentioned providing step includes providing sixth information indicative of a time slot offset associated with said at least a first information stream and producing said second information in response to said sixth information.