Extensible framework for mitigating interference problems in wireless networking

• US 20060121853A1
• 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 7,630,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/63.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0001 Systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality, e.g. power backoff adaptive data allocation for multicarrier modulation H04L5/0044; controlling transmission power for radio systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0007 by modifying the frame length

Abstract

Described is an architecture comprising a flexible and extensible framework embodied in a robust coexistence service that couples sensed RF spectrum (interference) data to modules that process the data into dynamic feedback information used to mitigate network communication problems caused by the interference. Via a driver, spectrum sensor hardware is connected to the framework running on a computing device, where the condition and quality of various wireless networking channels are assessed by external modules plugged into the framework. Modules comprise include a classifier component that examines the sensed-data and classifies it, and an application program that processes the classified data, possibly for mitigation. Mitigation-related information is fed to a feedback mechanism to adjust network parameters to avoid the sensed interference. The robust coexistence service also distributes control data corresponding to the mitigation information to other remote computing devices in the wireless network for use in mitigating their interference problems.

Claims

1. In a computing device in a wireless network, a method comprising:

receiving RF spectrum data that includes data corresponding to interference in an RF environment used for wireless network communications;

providing the RF spectrum data to a processing mechanism that determines a solution to mitigate effects of the interference on network communications; and

feeding the solution to networking components of the computer system to dynamically control the networking components based on the interference.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, registering a component set comprising at least one component of the processing mechanism.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein registering the component set comprises registering a classifier that classifies the RF spectrum data into classified data.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein registering the component set further includes registering an application program.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising storing information corresponding to the classified data for subsequent analysis.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising, determining the solution for feeding to the networking components based on the classified data.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising, installing a driver for receiving the RF spectrum data from a hardware sensor.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising, transporting control data corresponding to processed RF spectrum data to a remote computing device in the wireless network.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising, registering a plurality of classifiers as components of the processing mechanism, including receiving information from each classifier corresponding to a type of RF spectrum data that is capable of being classified by that classifier, and wherein providing the RF spectrum data to the processing mechanism comprises routing the RF spectrum data to at least one classifier based on the type of RF spectrum data received.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising, receiving control data from a remote device in the network, the control data including interference-related information corresponding to that device, providing at least part of the control data to a component that determines another mitigation solution based on the control data, and feeding the other solution to the networking components.

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

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

a framework that coordinates the mitigation of interference-related problems in wireless network communications, the framework installed on a computing device of the computing environment and including;

a framework receiving mechanism that receives RF spectrum data including interference data obtained via a sensor, and provides the RF spectrum data to a processing mechanism that processes the RF spectrum data into mitigation information; and

a feedback module that receives at least some of the mitigation information and provides the information to networking components for dynamically controlling wireless network communications components to adjust for the interference.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the framework is implemented as a user-mode service running on a computing device.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the framework receiving mechanism includes a user-mode data provider module that couples via an interface to a kernel node driver to receive the RF spectrum data.

21. The system of claim 12 further comprising a triggering mechanism that activates the framework when a level of RF spectrum data is detected.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein the framework further includes an information distribution subsystem for exchanging interference-related control data with a remote device of the wireless network.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the information distribution subsystem maintains a peer table comprising control data received from the remote device.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the information distribution subsystem provides at least part of the control data received from the remote device to a local component that determines other mitigation information for dynamically controlling wireless network communications to adjust for the interference on the computing device.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the remote device comprises a computer system.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the remote device comprises an access point.

15. The system of claim 15 wherein the user-mode data provider module is coupled to a data classifier module into which a classifier component of the processing mechanism registers for processing the RF spectrum data into classified data.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the user-mode data provider module is coupled to the data classifier module by a robust coexistence service engine.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the framework is a coupled to a storage for storing information corresponding to the classified data.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the framework includes a consumer module that receives the classified data and provides the classified data to an application program.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the consumer module provides the classified data to the application program via the robust coexistence service engine.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the feedback module receives data corresponding to the mitigation information from the consumer module via the robust coexistence service engine.

27. In a computing device that communicates in a wireless network, a system comprising:

a framework that coordinates the mitigation of interference-related problems in wireless network communications, the framework including;

a data provider module that receives RF spectrum data including interference data obtained via a sensor;

a data classifier module coupled to the data provider module that provides the RF spectrum data to a classifier registered with the data classifier module, so as to obtain classified data based on the RF spectrum data from the classifier; and

a consumer module coupled to the data classifier module to receive the classified data and provides the classified data to an application program registered with the consumer module.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the data classifier module is coupled to the data provider module via a robust coexistence service engine, and the consumer module is coupled to the data classifier module via the robust coexistence service engine.

29. The system of claim 28 further comprising a storage, and wherein the robust coexistence service engine writes information corresponding to the classified data to the storage.

30. The system of claim 27 further comprising a feedback module coupled to the consumer module to receive mitigation-related information, and configured to provide the mitigation information to networking components for dynamically controlling wireless network components to adjust for the interference.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the feedback module is coupled to the consumer module via a robust coexistence service engine.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein the feedback module provides the mitigation related information corresponding to the classified data to a WLAN driver that determines how to modify other wireless network components to adjust for the interference.

33. The system of claim 30 wherein the feedback module provides the mitigation related information corresponding to the classified data to a WLAN network interface card that determines how to modify other wireless network components to adjust for the interference.

34. The system of claim 27 where in the framework is implemented as a user-mode service running on a computing device.

35. The system of claim 27 further comprising a triggering mechanism that activates the framework when a level of RF spectrum data is detected.

36. The system of claim 27 wherein the data provider comprises a user-mode module that receives the RF spectrum data from the sensor via an interface to a kernel node driver that corresponds to the sensor.

37. The system of claim 27 wherein the framework further includes an information distribution subsystem for exchanging interference-related control data with a remote device of the wireless network.

38. The system of claim 35 wherein the information distribution subsystem maintains a peer table comprising interference-related control data received from the remote device.

39. The system of claim 35 wherein the information distribution subsystem provides at least part of the control data received from the remote device to a local component that determines mitigation information from the control data, and further comprising a mechanism that uses the mitigation information to dynamically adjust networking components of the computing device to mitigate interference-related problems based on the interference-related control data received from the remote device.