Approach for managing the use of communications channels based on performance

• US 20060176850A1
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bandspeed, LLC
• Original Assignee: Bijan Treister, Efstratios Skafidas, Hongbing Gan
• Inventors: Gan, Hongbing, Skafidas, Efstratios, Treister, Bijan
• Granted Patent: US 7,477,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7136 Arrangements for generation of hop frequencies, e.g. using a bank of frequency sources, using continuous tuning or using a transform
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/715 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/7154 with means for preventing interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

An approach for selecting sets of communications channels involves determining the performance of communications channels. A set of channels is selected based on the results of performance testing and specified criteria. The participant generates data that identifies the selected set of channels and provides that data to other participants of the communications network. The participants communicate over the set of channels, such as by using a frequency hopping protocol. When a specified time expires or monitoring of the performance of the channel set identifies poor performance of the set of channels, the participant selects another set of channels for use in communications based on additional performance testing. By selecting channels based on the initial performance testing and performance monitoring, the communications network adaptively avoids channels with poor performance.

Claims

1. A method for managing the use of communications channels for a communications system, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

selecting, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels at a first time, a first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;

causing the first set of two or more communications channels to be used for communications between a pair of participants;

selecting, based upon performance of the plurality of communications channels at a second time that is later than the first time, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels; and

causing the second set of two or more communications channels to be used for communications between the pair of participants instead of the first set of two or more communications channels.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

at each hop in a hopping sequence based on a frequency hopping protocol, only one communications channel of the first set of two or more communications channels is used for communications between the pair of participants;

at each hop in the hopping sequence based on the frequency hopping protocol, only one communications channel of the second set of two or more communications channels is used for communications between the pair of participants; and

the performance of the plurality of communications channels is based on channel performance data that is transmitted over one or more of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

selecting the first set of two or more communications channels includes selecting, based upon the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the first time and channel selection criteria, the first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;

selecting the second set of two or more communications channels includes selecting, based upon the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the second time and the channel selection criteria, the second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels; and

the channel selection criteria specifies that for a particular communications channel to be selected, the particular communications channel receives a specified number of votes to use the particular communications channel from among a plurality of votes.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the pair of participants includes a first participant and a second participant, wherein a default set of two or more communications channels is associated with the hopping sequence and is not changed based on the performance of the plurality of communications channels, and the method further comprises the computer-implemented step of:

the first participant communicating with a third participant over the default set of two or more communications channels while communicating with the second participant over the first set of two or more communications channels and while communicating with the second participant over the second set of two or more communications channels.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

after selecting the first set of two or more communications channels, causing the first set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into a register of each participant of the pair of participants; and

after selecting the second set of two or more communications channels, causing the second set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into the register of each participant of the pair of participants.

6. A communications device for use in a network of devices, comprising:

a memory for storing one or more sequences of instructions;

a processor that is communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the memory includes one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

select, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels at a first time, a first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;

select, based upon performance of the plurality of communications channels at a second time that is later than the first time, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels; and

a transceiver that is communicatively coupled to the memory and that is configured to transmit to and receive from another communications device, wherein;

for a first period of time, the first set of two or more communications channels is used to transmit to and receive from the other communications device; and

for a second period of time that is after the first period of time, the second set of two or more communications channels is used to transmit to and receive from the other communications device instead of the first set of two or more communications channels.

7. A communications device as recited in claim 6, wherein:

at each hop in a hopping sequence based on a frequency hopping protocol, only one communications channel of the first set of two or more communications channels is used for communications between the communications device and the other communications device;

at each hop in the hopping sequence based on the frequency hopping protocol, only one communications channel of the second set of two or more communications channels is used for communications between the communications device and the other communications device; and

the performance of the plurality of communications channels is based on channel performance data that is transmitted over one or more of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol.

8. A communications device as recited in claim 6, wherein:

the instructions for selecting the first set of two or more communications channels further includes one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to selecting, based upon the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the first time and channel selection criteria, the first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;

the instructions for selecting the second set of two or more communications channels further includes one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to selecting, based upon the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the second time and the channel selection criteria, the second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels; and

the channel selection criteria specifies that for a particular communications channel to be selected, the particular communications channel receives a specified number of votes to use the particular communications channel from among a plurality of votes.

9. A communications device as recited in claim 6, wherein the communications device is a first communications device, the other communications device is a second communications device, a default set of two or more communications channels is associated with the hopping sequence and is not changed based on the performance of the plurality of communications channels;

and

the transceiver is configured to transmit to and receive from a third communications device over the default set of two or more communications channels while transmitting to and receiving from the second communications device over the first set of two or more communications channels and while transmitting to and receiving from the second communications device over the second set of two or more communications channels.

10. A communications device as recited in claim 6, wherein the memory further includes one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

after selecting the first set of two or more communications channels, causing the first set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into a first register of the communications device and a second register of the other communications device; and

after selecting the second set of two or more communications channels, causing the second set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into the first register of the communications device and the second register of the other communications device.

11. A communications apparatus comprising:

means for selecting, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels at a first time, a first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;

means for causing the first set of two or more communications channels to be used for communications between a pair of participants;

means for selecting, based upon performance of the plurality of communications channels at a second time that is later than the first time, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels; and

means for causing the second set of two or more communications channels to be used for communications between the pair of participants instead of the first set of two or more communications channels, wherein at each hop in the hopping sequence based on the frequency hopping protocol, only one communications channel of the second set of two or more communications channels is used for communications between the pair of participants.

12. A communications apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein:

at each hop in a hopping sequence based on a frequency hopping protocol, only one communications channel of the first set of two or more communications channels is used for communications between the pair of participants;

at each hop in the hopping sequence based on the frequency hopping protocol, only one communications channel of the second set of two or more communications channels is used for communications between the pair of participants; and

the performance of the plurality of communications channels is based on channel performance data that is transmitted over one or more of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol.

13. A communications apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein:

the means for selecting the first set of two or more communications channels includes means for selecting, based upon the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the first time and channel selection criteria, the first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;

the means for selecting the second set of two or more communications channels includes means for selecting, based upon the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the second time and the channel selection criteria, the second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels; and

the channel selection criteria specifies that for a particular communications channel to be selected, the particular communications channel receives a specified number of votes to use the particular communications channel from among a plurality of votes.

14. A communications apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the pair of participants includes a first participant and a second participant, wherein a default set of two or more communications channels is associated with the hopping sequence and is not changed based on the performance of the plurality of communications channels, and the communications channel selector apparatus further comprises:

means for the first participant to communicate with a third participant over the default set of two or more communications channels while communicating with the second participant over the first set of two or more communications channels and while communicating with the second participant over the second set of two or more communications channels.

15. A communications apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

means for, after selecting the first set of two or more communications channels, causing the first set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into a register of each participant of the pair of participants; and

means for, after selecting the second set of two or more communications channels, causing the second set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into the register of each participant of the pair of participants.

16. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for managing the use of communications channels for a communications system, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

selecting, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels at a first time, a first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;

causing the first set of two or more communications channels to be used for communications between a pair of participants;

selecting, based upon performance of the plurality of communications channels at a second time that is later than the first time, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels; and

causing the second set of two or more communications channels to be used for communications between the pair of participants instead of the first set of two or more communications channels.

17. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein:

at each hop in a hopping sequence based on a frequency hopping protocol, only one communications channel of the first set of two or more communications channels is used for communications between the pair of participants;

at each hop in the hopping sequence based on the frequency hopping protocol, only one communications channel of the second set of two or more communications channels is used for communications between the pair of participants; and

the performance of the plurality of communications channels is based on channel performance data that is transmitted over one or more of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol.

18. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein:

the one or more sequences of instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform the step of selecting the first set of two or more communications channels comprises one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the computer-implemented step of selecting, based upon the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the first time and channel selection criteria, the first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;

the one or more sequences of instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform the step of selecting the second set of two or more communications channels comprises one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the computer-implemented step of selecting, based upon the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the second time and the channel selection criteria, the second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels; and

the channel selection criteria specifies that for a particular communications channel to be selected, the particular communications channel receives a specified number of votes to use the particular communications channel from among a plurality of votes.

19. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the pair of participants includes a first participant and a second participant, wherein a default set of two or more communications channels is associated with the hopping sequence and is not changed based on the performance of the plurality of communications channels, and the computer-readable medium further comprising one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of:

the first participant communicating with a third participant over the default set of two or more communications channels while communicating with the second participant over the first set of two or more communications channels and while communicating with the second participant over the second set of two or more communications channels.

20. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, further comprising one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

after selecting the first set of two or more communications channels, causing the first set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into a register of each participant of the pair of participants; and

after selecting the second set of two or more communications channels, causing the second set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into the register of each participant of the pair of participants.