Protocol for exchanging control data to mitigate interference problems in wireless networking

• US 20060120302A1
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Madhavan, Poovanpilli G., Abhishek, Abhishek, Poncini, Victoria M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,463,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

Described is a protocol by which wireless network communication devices comprising peer nodes (such as a computer system and an access point) cooperatively exchange information about RF interference detected in the network. The protocol administers the exchange of formatted control data corresponding to the detected interference among computing nodes running a service capable of processing the control data. A peer table is used to maintain locally-obtained and remotely-obtained control data. Records in the peer table are arranged with different levels of granularity with respect to interference and networking information. The interference information collected through the cooperative protocol may then be used by peer devices in the network to adapt to mitigate interference-related problems. The protocol also provides for discovery of peer node capabilities, including a negotiable transport for the control data that may be different from the main data channel transport.

Claims

13. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform steps, comprising:

discovering capabilities of a peer node in a wireless network with respect to exchanging locally-obtained control data with remotely-obtained control data, the locally-obtained control data and remotely-obtained control data including RF spectrum interference-related information; and

exchanging the control data based on the capabilities discovered, including transmitting the locally-obtained control data to the peer node and receiving the remotely-obtained control data from the peer node.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein discovering the capabilities of the peer node comprises receiving an indication that the peer node is running a robust coexistence service.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein discovering the capabilities of the peer node comprises receiving an indication that the peer node is capable of receiving the locally-obtained control data over a transport that is separate from a main data communication channel.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising, negotiating the transport for communicating control data between the local node and the remote node.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein discovering the capabilities of the peer node comprises receiving an indication that the peer node is capable of receiving the locally-obtained control data in accordance with a cooperative protocol in which the control data is formatted into a plurality of levels of granularity.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein transmitting the locally-obtained control data to the peer node comprises transmitting the locally-obtained control data in conjunction with a heartbeat.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein transmitting the locally-obtained control data to the peer node comprises transmitting the locally-obtained control data in conjunction with a notification.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising, providing the remotely-obtained control data to a component that determines actions related to mitigating problems caused by interference.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the local node comprises an access point, and further comprising, maintaining the remotely-obtained control data in a peer table.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the remote node comprises an access point, and further comprising, maintaining the remotely-obtained control data in a peer table.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising, maintaining the remotely-obtained control data in a peer table, receiving an update to the remotely-obtained control data, and updating the peer table based on the update.

24. In a computing environment including a wireless network, a system comprising:

a discovery mechanism in a local node that queries a remote peer node for capability information with respect to mechanisms of the remote node, in which the mechanisms provide remotely-obtained control data that includes RF spectrum interference-related information; and

a peer process at the local node that receives the remotely-obtained control data and maintains a record corresponding thereto in a peer table, the peer table accessible for determining a mitigation solution based on the interference-related information for communicating on a main data channel with the remote peer node.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the discovery mechanism establishes a transport for receiving the control data from the remote peer node.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the discovery mechanism establishes a particular cooperative protocol for receiving the control data from the remote peer node.

28. The system of claim 24 wherein the discovery mechanism establishes that a version of a coexistence service is running on the remote peer node.

29. The system of claim 24 wherein the peer process receives an update to the remotely-obtained control data from the remote peer node, and updates the peer table based on the update.

30. The system of claim 24 wherein the peer process transmits locally-obtained control data to the remote peer node.

31. The system of claim 24 wherein the local node comprises an access point, and wherein the peer table contains an entry for at least one other peer node associated with the access point.

32. The system of claim 24 wherein the remote node comprises an access point.

33. The system of claim 24 wherein the local node is part of a mesh-type network, and wherein the peer table contains an entry for at least one other remote peer node associated with the access point.

34. At least one computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure, comprising:

a first record containing first control data corresponding to a local node in a wireless network, the control data including RF spectrum interference-related information detected at the local node;

a second record containing second control data corresponding to a remote node in a wireless network, the control data including RF spectrum interference-related information detected at the remote node; and

wherein the second record is accessible at the first node for determining data transmission parameters based on the interference-related information to mitigate the effects of interference on data transmissions from the first node to the second node.

1. In a computing environment including a wireless network, a method comprising:

at a local node in the network, obtaining remotely-obtained control data of a remote node in the network that includes RF spectrum interference-related information corresponding to the remote node; and

providing the remotely-obtained control data to a component that determines actions related to mitigating problems caused by interference.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, at the local node, obtaining local control data that includes RF spectrum interference-related information corresponding to the local node, and sending the local control data to the remote node.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein sending the local control data to the remote node comprises transmitting the control data in conjunction with a heartbeat.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein sending the local control data to the remote node comprises receiving classified data sensed at the local node and transmitting the control data corresponding to the classified data in conjunction with a notification.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, providing the remotely-obtained control data to a component that determines actions related to mitigating problems caused by interference.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising, at a node in the network, discovering capabilities of the remote node.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the local node comprises an access point, and further comprising, maintaining the remotely-obtained control data in a peer table.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote node comprises an access point, and further comprising, maintaining the remotely-obtained control data in a peer table.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising, negotiating a transport for communicating control data between the local node and the remote node.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein obtaining the remotely-obtained control data comprises receiving the control data in conjunction with a heartbeat.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein obtaining the remotely-obtained control data comprises receiving the control data in conjunction with a notification.

12. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform the method of claim 1.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the first record includes at least two fields, each field corresponding to a level of granularity with respect to the interference-related information.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the first record includes at least three fields, including a first field containing RF environment data, a second field containing coarse band information with respect to the channels in the RF band, and a third field containing RF interference data.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the third field includes at least one item in a set of specific interference-related information, the set containing:

data indicative of a type of interferer;

interference frequency data;

interference duty cycle information; and

interference periodicity data.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 36 further comprising a fourth field for extended data.

35-1. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the first record includes at least two fields, each field corresponding to a level of granularity with respect to the interference-related information.