Measurement based mechanism to enable two wireless devices to directly communicate with each other to support traffic prioritization

• US 20060193292A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bansal, Deepak, Abhishek, Abhishek, Duong, Francis, Zuberi, Khawar M., Elabbady, Tarek Z.
• Granted Patent: US 7,385,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0284 detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• 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

Abstract

A wireless device communications mode selector dynamically establishes an optimal communication mode between wireless devices and/or access point, such that stations communicate directly with each other or indirectly through an existing AP depending upon which mode would yield higher throughput under present network conditions and configuration. In an embodiment of the invention, a measurement based mechanism is used to decide which communication mode is more efficient. If it is decided that direct communication is optimal, the two stations can either form an adhoc network or an STA can be dynamically configured to become a wireless repeater access point (soft AP).

Claims

1. A method of selecting a communication mode for a first wireless device, the first wireless device being in wireless communication range of a wireless access point and a second wireless device the method comprising:

measuring the data throughput between the first wireless device and the second wireless device in indirect mode wherein communications between the first wireless device and the second wireless device are executed via the wireless access point;

measuring the data throughput between the first wireless device and the second wireless device in direct mode wherein communications between the first wireless device and the second wireless device are executed directly, omitting the wireless access point;

determining whether the measured throughput is greater in the indirect mode or the direct mode; and

selecting the communications mode having the higher measured throughput for communications between the first and second devices.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second wireless devices are currently in a direct communications mode, and wherein selecting the communications mode having the higher measured throughput for communications between the first and second devices comprises remaining in the direct communications mode.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second wireless devices are currently in an indirect communications mode, and wherein selecting the communications mode having the higher measured throughput for communications between the first and second devices comprises remaining in the indirect communications mode.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second wireless devices are currently in a mode selected from the group consisting of an indirect communications mode and a direct communications mode, and wherein selecting the communications mode having the higher measured throughput for communications between the first and second devices comprises switching the communications mode from one member of the group to the other.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method of selecting a communication mode for a first wireless device is triggered by a determination that the current communications mode between the first and second devices is inadequate to meet current communications needs of at least one of the devices.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method of selecting a communication mode for a first wireless device is triggered by the start up of a multimedia application on the first device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein direct mode communications comprise the first wireless device acting as a wireless repeater access point to the second wireless device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the direct mode communications comprise the first wireless device and the second wireless device communicating as part of an ad hoc wireless network.

9. A computer-readable medium having thereon computer-readable instruction for performing a method of selecting a communication mode for a first wireless device, the first wireless device being in wireless communication range of a wireless access point and a second wireless device the computer-readable instructions comprising instructions for:

measuring the data throughput between the first wireless device and the second wireless device in indirect mode wherein communications between the first wireless device and the second wireless device are executed via the wireless access point;

measuring the data throughput between the first wireless device and the second wireless device in direct mode wherein communications between the first wireless device and the second wireless device are executed directly, omitting the wireless access point;

determining whether the measured throughput is greater in the indirect mode or the direct mode; and

selecting the communications mode having the higher measured throughput for communications between the first and second devices.

10. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the first and second wireless devices are currently in a direct communications mode, and wherein the instructions for selecting the communications mode having the higher measured throughput for communications between the first and second devices further comprise instructions for remaining in the direct communications mode.

11. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the first and second wireless devices are currently in an indirect communications mode, and wherein the instructions for selecting the communications mode having the higher measured throughput for communications between the first and second devices further comprise instructions for remaining in the indirect communications mode.

12. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the first and second wireless devices are currently in a mode selected from the group consisting of an indirect communications mode and a direct communications mode, and wherein the instructions for selecting the communications mode having the higher measured throughput for communications between the first and second devices further comprise instructions for switching the communications mode from one member of the group to the other.

13. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein selecting a communication mode for a first wireless device is triggered by a determination that the current communications mode between the first and second devices is inadequate to meet current communications needs of at least one of the devices.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein selecting a communication mode for a first wireless device is triggered by the start up of a multimedia application on the first device.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein direct mode communications comprise the first wireless device acting as a wireless repeater access point to the second wireless device.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the direct mode communications comprise the first wireless device and the second wireless device communicating as part of an ad hoc wireless network.

17. A method of load balancing in a wireless network comprising a wireless station and a plurality of wireless access points within wireless communication range of the wireless station, the method comprising:

measuring at the wireless station the throughput between the wireless station and each of the plurality of wireless access points;

determining that the throughput between the wireless station and a particular wireless access point is greater than between the wireless station and any other of the plurality of wireless access points; and

establishing communications between the wireless station and the particular wireless access point.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein measuring the throughput between the wireless station and each of the plurality of wireless access points comprises sending packet pair probes between the wireless station and each of the plurality of wireless access points and inferring throughout from delay induced between packets.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the wireless station is not attached to the particular wireless access point, and wherein establishing communications between the wireless station and the particular wireless access point comprises causing the wireless station to become attached to the particular wireless access point.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein a respective signal strength is associated with communication between the wireless station and each of the plurality of wireless access points, and wherein the signal strength associated with communication between the wireless station and the particular wireless access point is less than the signal strength associated with communication between the wireless station and another of the plurality of wireless access points.