Robust coexistence service for mitigating wireless network interference

• US 20070105501A1
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shen, Hui, Abhishek, Abhishek, Ruan, Jiandong, Duong, Francis, Poncini, Victoria, Madhavan, Poovanpilli
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/63.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/24 with feedback of measurements to the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0007 by modifying the frame length
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0015 characterised by the adaptation strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences

Abstract

Described is a determination of whether interference in a wireless network has achieved a threshold level that adversely impacts communication bandwidth. If so, action is taken to mitigate the effects of the interference and thereby improve the bandwidth. The action that is taken may be in the form of at least one mitigation solution, including mitigating by packet fragmentation, mitigating by changing the wireless network'"'"'s current operating frequency, mitigating by changing a power level, mitigating by transmit dodging, and/or mitigating by pre-selecting at least one transmission criterion based on an observed pattern. A framework is provided to coordinate mitigation of interference-related problems, and includes an interferer decision mechanism that receives RF interference related-data and evaluates the interference data against a threshold. Mitigation is employed when the threshold is achieved on the current operating frequency.

Claims

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

in a wireless network, determining whether interference has achieved a threshold level that limits bandwidth in wireless network communications on a current operating frequency, and if so,

taking action to mitigate effects of the interference to improve the bandwidth.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein determining whether the interference has achieved the threshold level comprises evaluating a noise level against a chipset noise floor.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein determining whether the interference has achieved the threshold level comprises evaluating a noise level against a chipset noise floor and a required data communication rate.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein taking action to mitigate the effects of the interference comprises fragmenting a packet.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein taking action to mitigate the effects of the interference comprises changing the wireless network'"'"'s current operating frequency to another operating frequency.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 wherein changing the wireless network'"'"'s current operating frequency comprises selecting a new frequency and transmitting a message including data corresponding to that frequency from one node to each other node in the wireless network.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6 wherein sending the message comprises resending the message a first plurality of times at one transmission rate, and resending the message a second plurality of times at another transmission rate.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein taking action to mitigate the effects of the interference comprises at least one mitigation solution of a set of mitigation solutions, the set containing, mitigating by packet fragmentation, mitigating by changing the wireless network'"'"'s current operating frequency, mitigating by changing a power level, mitigating by transmit dodging, and mitigating by pre-selecting at least one transmission criterion based on an observed pattern.

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

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

an interferer decision mechanism that receives RF interference related-data and evaluates the interference data against a threshold;

a mitigation mechanism triggered by the interferer decision mechanism when the threshold is achieved on the current operating frequency, the mitigation mechanism determining at least one mitigation solution to mitigate the interference-related problems; and

a feedback mechanism that receives mitigation solution-related information from the mitigation mechanism and provides the information to networking components for dynamically controlling wireless network communications components to adjust for the interference.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the interferer decision mechanism determines whether the interference has achieved the threshold by evaluating a noise level against a chipset noise floor.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the mitigation mechanism determines fragmentation as a mitigation solution.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the mitigation mechanism determines a frequency change as a mitigation solution.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the mitigation mechanism determines the at least one mitigation solution from a set of mitigation solutions, the set containing, packet fragmentation, a change to the wireless network'"'"'s current operating frequency, a power level change, a transmit dodge solution, and at least one transmission criterion change based on an observed pattern.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the framework includes client and server components.

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

evaluating a level of interference in the wireless network against one or more criteria to determine whether mitigation is needed to increase bandwidth; and

when mitigation is needed, implementing at least one mitigation solution to improve the bandwidth.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein evaluating the level of interference in the wireless network comprises determining whether the interference has achieved a threshold noise level against a noise floor.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the mitigation solution comprises at least one of changing an operating frequency to another channel, changing a rate at which data is sent, changing timing of sending data, switching to another band, staying on a channel while employing transmission noise dodging, and changing packet size.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the mitigation solution considers at least one of the mitigation solutions in a priority order relative to another mitigation solution.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the mitigation solution includes changing the operating frequency to another channel, and further comprising, communicating channel information to nodes in the wireless network.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein communicating the channel information to nodes in the wireless network occurs external to a robust coexistence service on a node in the wireless network.