Wireless communicating

• US 20060250973A1
• Filed: 08/12/2003
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Trott, Christian A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,474,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless communication method for transmitting data from at least one master to one or more slaves positioned at various spatial locations and configured for generally simultaneous reception of the data. The method includes dividing the data into a number of portions, transmitting at least some of the portions using different transmission configurations for the different portions, having one or more of the slaves measure the quality of transmission associated with the group of different transmission configurations, and processing the quality measurements to determine new transmission configurations for use in transmitting the data.

Claims

1. A communication method for transmitting primary data signals from at least one master to one or more slaves positioned at various spatial locations, the method comprising:

dividing the primary data signals into a plurality of portions;

transmitting at least some of the portions using a preferred configuration list from one or more transmission parameters for different portions;

estimating a transmission quality associated with a group of transmission configurations with the one or more slaves; and

processing the transmission quality estimates to determine a new preferred configuration list.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the group of transmission configurations includes the preferred configuration list for different portions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the group of transmission configurations includes both the preferred configuration list for different portions and a set of transmission configurations from a potential transmission configuration list.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmission quality estimates are transmitted from the one or more slaves to the at least one master, wherein the at least one master performs the processing to determine the new preferred configuration list.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmission quality estimates are transmitted from the one or more slaves back to the master using transmission configurations associated with higher than average transmission quality.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein probe data signals are transmitted using absent transmission configurations currently absent from the preferred configuration list and measuring a performance of the channel with the absent transmission configurations.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the probe data signals are dummy data signals that are predetermined and known a priori by the one or more slaves.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more transmission parameters include frequency, and different frequencies represent the group of the transmission configurations.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein higher order digital modulation is used with frequencies associated with higher transmission quality.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein transmitting occurs at a frequency in a range of possible frequencies within a frequency band, and at any given time only a fraction of the possible frequencies are on the preferred configuration list.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the possible frequencies on the preferred configuration list are generally distributed across said frequency band.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the primary data signals represent audio.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the primary data signals include music.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the portions are divided into subportions, each subportion having an associated Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC).

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising error correction coding correcting errors in transmitted primary data signals.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein information identifying the transmission configurations on the new preferred configuration list is broadcast to the one or more slaves using more robust error correction/detection coding than that used for transmission of the primary data.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein more robust error correction coding is used for the transmission of primary data having higher transmission quality.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein the primary data signals are error correction encoded, and further comprising splitting the error correction encoded data signal into different portions, transmitting at least some of the portions using different transmission configurations, and error correction decoding at the one or more slaves.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said error correction decoding includes erasure techniques.

33. The method of claim 31 further comprising deriving error rate information from error correction decoding at the one or more slaves used in providing said transmission quality estimates.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more transmission parameters include at least one of the following:

frequency, time, polarization, antenna directivity, antenna direction, antenna position, phase, signal power, equalization settings and modulation technique.

36. The method of claim 14 wherein the portions of the primary data signals are of unequal size, and further comprising transmitting the larger portions at frequencies associated with higher transmission quality.

44. The method of claim 14 further comprising transmitting the primary data signals with frequencies different from those radiated by other electronic devices to which the system is sensitive.

45. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a system identification signal identifying the master, and conditioning the slave to receive primary data signals from a selected master in response to a system identification (ID) signal identifying that master.

47. The method of claim 1 and further comprising transmitting the transmission quality estimate from each slave back to the master during a time slot assigned to each slave.

71. A communication method in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising,

transmitting a second set of primary data signals from at least a second master to at least a second set of one or more slaves positioned at various locations;

dividing the second set of primary data signals into a second plurality of portions,

transmitting at least some of the second plurality of portions using a preferred configuration list from one or more transmission parameters for different portions;

estimating the transmission quality associated with a group of transmission configurations with the one or more slaves of the second set; and

processing the latter transmission quality estimates to determine a new preferred configuration list.

72. A communication method in accordance with claim 71 and further comprising,

establishing communication between at least said first and second masters with said at least first and second masters sharing information signals about the transmission configurations and the transmission quality estimates associated with each transmission.

73. A communication method in accordance with claim 72 wherein the transmission configurations are frequencies and the at least first and second masters share information signals about the frequencies associated with each transmission.

2. A wireless communication method for transmitting primary data signals from at least one master to one or more slaves positioned at various spatial locations, the method comprising,

dividing the primary data signals into a plurality of portions;

transmitting at least some of the portions using a preferred frequency list for different portions;

estimating a transmission quality associated with a group of frequencies with the one or more slaves;

transmitting the transmission quality estimates to the master; and

processing the transmission quality estimates at the master to determine a new preferred frequency list.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the group of frequencies includes a preferred frequency list for different portions.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the group of frequencies includes both the preferred frequency list for different portions and a set of frequencies from a potential frequency list.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein transmitting the primary data signals from the at least one master to the one or more slaves occurs through broadcasting.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein probe data signals are transmitted using absent frequencies currently absent from the preferred frequency list for transmitting the data signals and measuring the performance of the channel with the absent frequencies.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the probe data signals are dummy data signals that are predetermined and known a prior by the one or more slaves.

16. The method of claim 2 wherein transmitting is conducted using frequency hopping.

18. The method of claim 2 wherein transmitting occurs at a frequency in a range of possible frequencies within a frequency band, and at any given time only a fraction of the possible frequencies are on the preferred configuration list.

22. The method of claim 2 wherein the primary data signals include music.

24. The method of claim 2 wherein the portions are divided into subportions, each subportion having an associated CRC.

28. The method of claim 2 further comprising error correction coding correcting errors in transmitted primary data signals.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein information identifying the frequencies on the new preferred frequency list is broadcast to the one or more slaves using more robust error correction/detection coding than that used for transmission of the data.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein more robust error correction coding is used for the transmission of primary data having higher transmission quality.

35. The method of claim 2 further comprising transmitting according to one or more transmission parameters selected from the group consisting of frequency, time, polarization, antenna directivity, antenna direction, antenna position, phase, signal power, equalization settings and modulation technique.

37. The method of claim 2 wherein the portions of the primary data signals are of unequal size, and further comprising transmitting the larger portions at frequencies associated with higher transmission quality.

38. The method of claim 2 wherein higher order digital modulation is used with frequencies associated with higher transmission quality.

39. The method of claim 2 wherein the transmitting is performed using one of Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS), Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS), and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM).

40. The method of claim 2 wherein the distance between the master and the one or more slave is at least 100-feet.

41. The method of claim 2 wherein latency in the transmission from the master to the one or more slaves is less than or equal to 40-milliseconds.

42. The method of claim 2 further comprising transmitting ancillary data signals over a wired network.

43. The method of claim 2 further comprising transmitting the primary data signals with frequencies different from those radiated by other electronic devices to which the system is sensitive.

46. The method of claim 2 further comprising transmitting a system ID signal identifying the master, and conditioning the slave to receive primary data signals from a selected master in response to a system identification signal identifying that master.

48. The method of claim 2 and further comprising transmitting the transmission quality estimate from each slave back to the master during a time slot assigned to each slave.

49. The method of claim 2 and further comprising transmitting the transmission quality estimate from each slave back to the master during a time slot assigned to each slave.

50. The method of claim 2 and further comprising transmitting the transmission quality estimate from each slave back to the master during a time slot assigned to each slave.

79. The method of claim 78 wherein the wireless communication technique is in accordance with claim 2.

51. A method of wirelessly communicating between a master and slave using a list of frequencies from a range of available frequencies comprising:

selecting a set of base frequencies known a priori to both the master and slave from said range of available frequencies;

periodically sending information signals containing a timing reference and identification of the list of frequencies; and

receiving the information signals at the slave by tuning the slave to one of the base frequencies and synchronizing with the timing reference.

52. The method of claim 51 and further including sequentially tuning the slave to each frequency in the set of base frequencies.

53. The method of claim 51 and further comprising transmitting a direct current (DC) reference level prior to transmitting the timing reference from the master and adjusting the slave DC reference level.

54. A communication system for transmitting primary data signals from at least one master wirelessly to one or more slaves positioned at various spatial locations, the system comprising:

a master having a source of primary data signal divided into a plurality of portions, said master constructed and arranged to transmit at least some of the portions using a preferred transmission configuration list from one or more transmission parameters for different portions;

one or more slaves each having an estimator for estimating the transmission quality associated with a group of transmission configurations; and

a processor responsive to the estimated quality estimates furnishing a new preferred configuration list.

55. The communication system of claim 54 wherein the group of transmission configurations includes the preferred configuration list for different portions.

56. The communication system of claim 54 wherein the group of transmission configurations includes both the preferred configuration list for different portions and a set of transmission configurations from the potential transmission configuration list.

57. The system of claim 54 wherein the master is constructed and arranged with the processor and the one or more slaves are constructed and arranged to transmit transmission quality estimates back to the master.

58. The system of claim 54 wherein the one or more slaves are constructed and arranged to transmit transmission quality estimates back to the master using transmission configurations associated with higher than average transmission quality.

59. The system of claim 54 constructed and arranged with a source of probe data signals are transmitted using the transmission configurations on the potential configuration list to measure the performance of the channel with the transmission configurations.

60. The system of claim 59 wherein the one or more transmission parameters include frequency, and different frequencies represent the transmission configurations, said system constructed and arranged to transmit the probe data signals using the frequencies on the potential frequency list.

61. The system of claim 59 wherein one or more slaves are constructed and arranged with the probe data that are predetermined and known a priori.

62. The system of claim 54 further comprising a source error correction coding of the primary data signals.

63. The system of claim 54 constructed and arranged to spread the primary data signals in the time and frequency domains by interleaving.

64. The system of claim 54 wherein the one or more transmission parameters include at least one of the following:

frequency, time, polarization, antenna directivity, antenna direction, antenna position, phase, signal power, equalization settings and modulation technique.

65. The system of claim 54 wherein the one or more transmission parameters include frequency, and different frequencies represent the transmission configurations, said system constructed and arranged to transmit simultaneously with transmission from other nearby electronic devices the data signals on frequencies that avoid conflict with the frequencies used by the other electronic devices.

66. The system of claim 54 constructed and arranged to transmit a system identification signal identifying the master, and condition the slave to receive data signals.

67. The system of claim 54 constructed and arranged to transmit from a selected master identified by a selected system identification signal transmission quality estimates from the slave back to the master during a time slot assigned to the slave.

68. The system of claim 54 wherein the processor is constructed and arranged to select the transmission configurations on the new preferred configuration list that improve a criterion represented as a function of the transmission quality of all master/slave pairs.

69. The system of claim 68 wherein the transmission configurations on the new preferred configuration list are those transmission configurations that will produce a threshold level of transmission quality for all master/slave pairs.

70. The system of claim 68 wherein the transmission configurations on the new preferred configuration list are those transmission configurations that improve the transmission quality for the slave currently experiencing the lowest transmission quality.

74. A communication system in accordance with claim 54 and further comprising at least a second master for transmitting at least a second set of data signals wirelessly to a second set of one or more slaves positioned at various spatial locations, said second master having a second source of primary data signals divided into a second plurality of portions,

said second master constructed and arranged to transmit at least some of the second portions using a preferred transmission configuration list from one or more transmission parameters for different portions,

said one or more slaves in said second set each having an estimator estimating the transmission quality associated with a group of transmission configurations, and

a second processor responsive to the latter estimated quality estimate furnishing a new preferred configuration list.

75. A communication system in accordance with claim 74 wherein said masters are packed into one physical unit with each master constructed and arranged to have a source of a respective primary data signal.

76. A communication system in accordance with claim 75 wherein said masters are constructed and arranged to exchange information signals about the transmission configurations and the transmission quality estimates associated with each transmission.

77. A method of home audio communication for transmitting audio data from at least one master to one or more slaves located at long range from the master, the method comprising

using a short-range handheld remote unit to transmit data to a slave located within the short range of the handheld remote unit;

and

receiving the data at the slave and relaying it to the master using a long-range communication technique.

78. The method of claim 77 wherein the long-range communication technique is a wireless communication technique.