Method and apparatus for dynamically resolving radio frequency interference problems in a system

• US 20040203364A1
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Silvester, Kelan C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,085,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• 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 17/382 for resource allocation, admission control or handover

Abstract

In one embodiment, there is provided a method comprising determining if one or more devices in a system is a conflicting device which device which conflicts with a wireless communications interface in the system by radio frequency which interferes with an operation of the wireless communications interfaces; and dynamically resolving each conflict during operation of the system. According to another embodiment, there is provided a system which includes a conflict detection unit to detect if one or more devices in the system is a conflicting device which conflicts with a wireless communications interface in the system by producing radio frequency which interferes with an operation of the wireless communications interface; and a conflict resolution unit to dynamically resolve each conflict during operation of the system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining if one or more devices in a system is a conflicting device which conflicts with a wireless communications interface in the system by producing radio frequency which interferes with an operation of the wireless communications interface; and

dynamically resolving each conflict during operation of the system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing operating frequencies of the wireless communications interface and each device in a data structure in the system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining comprises accessing the data structure to determine if each device operates at a frequency which overlaps with an operating frequency of the wireless communications interface.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining further comprises checking if a device is electromagnetically shielded, a device being a conflicting device if it is not electromagnetically shielded and there is overlap.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising storing information in the data structure indicating whether the device is electromagnetically shielded.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein dynamically resolving each conflict comprises changing an operating frequency of the one or more conflicting devices so as to avoid the conflict.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein changing the operating frequency is in accordance with a priority of the devices, the operating frequency of a lower priority device been changed before changing the operating frequency of a higher priority device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing a priority of each device in the data structure.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein changing the operating frequency comprises selecting a highest operating frequency for a conflicting device, which frequency avoids the conflict.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising notifying a user if an operating frequency of a high priority device is to be changed.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving the user'"'"'s input on whether to change the operating frequency of the high priority device;

and selectively changing the operating frequency of the high priority device based on the user'"'"'s input.

12. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform a method comprising:

determining if one or more devices in a system is a conflicting device which conflicts with a wireless communications interface in the system by producing radio frequency which interferes with an operation of the wireless communications interface; and

dynamically resolving each conflict during operation of the system.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises storing operating frequencies of the wireless communications interface and each device in a data structure in the system.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the determining comprises accessing the data structure to determine if each device operates at a frequency which overlaps with an operating frequency of the wireless communications interfaces.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the determining further comprises checking if a device is electromagnetically shielded, a device being a conflicting device if it is not electromagnetically shielded and there is overlap.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises storing information in the data structure indicating whether each device in the system is electromagnetically shielded.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein dynamically resolving each conflict comprises changing an operating frequency of the one or more conflicting devices so as to avoid the conflict.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein changing the operating frequency is in accordance with a priority of the devices, the operating frequency of a lower priority device being changed before changing the operating frequency of a higher priority device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises storing a priority of each device in the data structure.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein changing the operating frequency comprises selecting a highest operating frequency for a conflicting device, which frequency avoids the conflict.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises notifying a user if an operating frequency of a high priority device is to be changed.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises receiving the user'"'"'s input on whether to change the operating frequency of high priority device;

and

selectively changing the operating frequency based on the user'"'"'s input.

23. A system comprising:

a conflict detection unit to detect if one or more devices in the system is a conflicting device which conflicts with a wireless communications interface in the system by producing radio frequency which interferes with an operation of the wireless communication interface; and

a conflict resolution unit to dynamically resolve each conflict during operation of the system.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a memory wherein operating frequencies of the wireless communications interface and each device in the system is stored in a data structure within the memory.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the data structure further comprises information on whether each device is electromagnetically shielded.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the data structure comprises a priority associated with each the device.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein dynamically each resolving conflict comprises changing an operating frequency of the one or more conflicting devices to avoid the conflict, devices having a lower priority being changed before devices having a higher priority are changed.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the conflict resolution unit notifies a user if a conflict cannot be resolved other than by changing an operating frequency of a high priority device;

and selectively changes the operating frequency of the high priority device based on a response to the notification.

29. A system comprising:

means for determining if one or more devices in a system is a conflicting device which conflicts with a wireless communications interface in the system by producing radio frequency which interferes with an operation of the wireless communications interface; and

means for dynamically resolving each conflict during operation of the system.

30. The system as claimed in claim 29, further comprising means for storing operating frequencies of the wireless communications interface and each device in the system in a data structure.