System and method for management of a shared frequency band using client--specific management techniques

• US 20040047324A1
• Filed: 08/15/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Diener, Neil R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,408,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1664 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with payload signals; piggybacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate

Abstract

A system and method are provided for managing communication with a plurality of wireless client devices operating in a radio frequency band shared by other types of devices, comprising a step of controlling at least one parameter associated with radio communication with each of the plurality of wireless devices based on the radio frequency environment associated with each corresponding one of the plurality of wireless client devices. Spectrum profile information describing the radio frequency environment (activity in the frequency band) at a wireless client device is sent to the wireless base station device (where the parameter controls are made) from either a wireless client device or another radio device in the proximity of one or more wireless client devices that is capable of generating the spectrum profile information. The spectrum profile information may include information identifying signals that are occurring in the frequency band in the proximity of a wireless client device. Examples of parameters that may be controlled at the wireless base station device include packet fragmentation threshold (the length of a data packet), transmission data rate and transmission scheduling (synchronizing a transmission to quiescent intervals of one or more periodic interfering signals).

Claims

1. A method for managing communication with a plurality of wireless client devices operating in a radio frequency band shared by other types of devices, comprising a step of controlling at least one parameter associated with radio communication with each of the plurality of wireless devices based on the radio frequency environment associated with each corresponding one of the plurality of wireless client devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of wireless client devices communicates with a wireless network base station device, and wherein the step of controlling comprises controlling at least one parameter at a wireless base station device that affects how it communicates with each of the corresponding wireless client devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of controlling comprises adjusting a parameter including at least one of transmission data rate, packet fragmentation threshold and transmission scheduling.

4. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of identifying signals occurring in the radio frequency band that impact operation of each wireless device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of identifying comprises identifying signals that interfere with radio communication at each wireless client device.

6. The method of claim 5, and further comprising the steps of generating spectrum profile information describing activity in the radio frequency band at each of the plurality of wireless client devices, wherein the spectrum profile information includes information identifying signals determined to be occurring in the radio frequency band, and transmitting the spectrum profile information from each of the plurality of wireless client devices to a wireless base station device that performs the step of controlling.

7. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the steps of generating spectrum profile information describing activity in the radio frequency band at each of the plurality of wireless client devices, and transmitting the spectrum profile information from each of the plurality of wireless client devices to a wireless network access point device that performs the step of controlling.

8. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the steps of generating spectrum profile information describing activity in the radio frequency band associated with each of the plurality of wireless client devices at a plurality of radio devices that are capable of receiving radio frequency energy in proximity to one or more of the plurality of wireless client devices, and transmitting the spectrum profile information from the radio devices to a wireless base station device that performs the step of controlling.

9. A wireless radio communication system comprising:

a. a wireless base station device; and

b. a plurality of wireless client devices that communicate with the base station device;

c. wherein the base station device and wireless client devices operate in a radio frequency band shared by other types of devices, and wherein the wireless base station device stores spectrum profile information describing the activity in the radio frequency band that affects radio communication with corresponding ones of the plurality of wireless client devices, and adjusts at least one operating parameter pertaining to radio communication with the plurality of wireless client device according to the spectrum profile information associated with the corresponding wireless client device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the wireless client devices generates the spectrum profile information describing activity in the radio frequency band that affects it and transmits the spectrum profile information to the wireless base station device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the wireless client devices identifies signals occurring in the radio frequency band that affect radio communication therewith and includes information identifying those signals in the spectrum profile information.

12. The system of claim 9, and further comprising a plurality of radio devices that are capable of receiving radio frequency energy in proximity to one or more of the plurality of wireless devices, wherein the radio devices generate spectrum profile information describing activity in the radio frequency band affecting corresponding one or more wireless client devices and transmit the same to the wireless base station device.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the wireless base station device adjusts a parameter including at least one of transmission data rate, fragmentation threshold and transmission scheduling.

14. A processor readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the step of controlling at least one parameter associated with radio communication with each of the plurality of wireless client devices based on the radio frequency environment associated with each corresponding one of the plurality of wireless client devices.

15. The processor readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions stored on the processor readable medium for the step of controlling comprise instructions that perform the step of controlling based upon the spectrum profile information describing activity in the radio frequency band associated with and affecting radio communication with corresponding ones of the plurality of wireless client devices.

16. The processor readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions stored on the processor readable medium for the step of controlling comprise instructions that perform the step of controlling based on information identifying signals determined to be occurring in the proximity of a corresponding wireless client device.