METHODS FOR SENDING SMALL PACKETS IN A PEER-TO-PEER (P2P) NETWORK

• US 20090016288A1
• Filed: 07/07/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Tavildar, Saurabh, Laroia, Rajiv, Wu, Xinzhou, Li, Junyi
• Granted Patent: US 8,203,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An improved mechanism is provided that facilitates transmission of small packets within an ad hoc peer-to-peer network. A small packet is identified to a receiver within a control channel so that its lower power can be considered in an interference management protocol implemented among local peer devices. In a traffic slot, a transmitter voluntarily backs down on the transmitter power as a smaller packet will require much lower signal-to-noise ratio. This will improve the signal energy per bit per noise power density for the transmission as well as minimize the interference caused to other wireless communications happening in the same spectrum.

Claims

1. A method of operating a second wireless device having a connection with a first wireless device in a peer-to-peer communication network, comprising:

monitoring to receive a pilot signal from the first device in a pilot channel associated with a data traffic slot;

determining a pilot format being used by the first device based on the received pilot signal;

determining a data traffic format to be used in the data transmission slot based on the determined pilot format;

calculating the interference power based on the determined pilot format and received pilot signal; and

determining a data rate based on calculated interference power and determined data packet format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data traffic format being one of a flash signaling data traffic format and a Gaussian signaling data traffic format.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein when the pilot format corresponding to a flash signaling data traffic format is used, the pilot signal from the first device is sent on a fraction of the transmission resource of the entire pilot channel.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the fraction is less than twenty percent and the fraction is the same as the fraction of transmission resource of flash signaling data traffic format in the data traffic slot.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein determining a pilot format being used by the first device further comprises:

determining a fraction of the transmission resource in the pilot channel to be used by the first device assuming that the pilot format used by the first device corresponds to flash signaling data traffic format;

measuring the average power of the pilot signal in the fraction of the transmission resource in the pilot channel and the average power of the pilot signal in the entire pilot channel; and

determining that the pilot format used by the first device corresponds to flash signaling data traffic format, if the measured average power on the fraction of transmission resource is at least 10 dB stronger than the measured average power in the pilot channel.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein calculating the interference power further comprises:

determining a fraction of transmission resources in the pilot channel over which the measured average received power is at least 10 dB stronger than the measured average power in the pilot channel, and wherein the calculated interference power is calculated based on the received signal in the remaining fraction of transmission resources in the pilot channel.

7. A second wireless device having a connection with a first wireless device in a peer-to-peer communication network, comprising:

a transmitter and receiver for establishing a wireless peer-to-peer communication connection with the first wireless device;

a processing circuit coupled to the transmitter and receiver, wherein the processing circuit is adapted to;

monitor to receive a pilot signal from the first device in a pilot channel associated with a data traffic slot;

determine a pilot format being used by the first device based on the received pilot signal;

determine a data traffic format to be used in the data transmission slot based on the determined pilot format;

calculate the interference power based on the determined pilot format and received pilot signal; and

determine a data rate based on calculated interference power and determined data packet format.

8. The second wireless device of claim 7, wherein the data traffic format being one of a flash signaling data traffic format and a Gaussian signaling data traffic format.

9. The second wireless device of claim 8, wherein when the pilot format corresponding to a flash signaling data traffic format is used, the pilot signal from the first device is sent on a fraction of the transmission resource of the entire pilot channel.

10. The second wireless device of claim 9, wherein the fraction is less than twenty percent and the fraction is the same as the fraction of transmission resource of flash signaling data traffic format in the data traffic slot.

11. The second wireless device of claim 8, wherein determining a pilot format being used by the first device, the processing circuit is further adapted to:

determine a fraction of the transmission resource in the pilot channel to be used by the first device assuming that the pilot format used by the first device corresponds to flash signaling data traffic format;

measure the average power of the pilot signal in the fraction of the transmission resource in the pilot channel and the average power of the pilot signal in the entire pilot channel; and

determine that the pilot format used by the first device corresponds to flash signaling data traffic format, if the measured average power on the fraction of transmission resource is at least 10 dB stronger than the measured average power in the pilot channel.

12. The second wireless device of claim 9, wherein calculating the interference power, the processing circuit is further adapted to:

determine a fraction of transmission resources in the pilot channel over which the measured average received power is at least 10 dB stronger than the measured average power in the pilot channel, and wherein the calculated interference power is calculated based on the received signal in the remaining fraction of transmission resources in the pilot channel.

13. A second wireless device having a connection with a first wireless device in a peer-to-peer communication network, comprising:

means for monitoring to receive a pilot signal from the first device in a pilot channel associated with a data traffic slot;

means for determining a pilot format being used by the first device based on the received pilot signal;

means for determining a data traffic format to be used in the data transmission slot based on the determined pilot format;

means for calculating the interference power based on the determined pilot format and received pilot signal; and

means for determining a data rate based on calculated interference power and determined data packet format.

14. The second wireless device of claim 13, wherein the data traffic format being one of a flash signaling data traffic format and a Gaussian signaling data traffic format.

15. The second wireless device of claim 14, wherein when the pilot format corresponding to a flash signaling data traffic format is used, the pilot signal from the first device is sent on a fraction of the transmission resource of the entire pilot channel.

16. The second wireless device of claim 15, wherein the fraction is less than twenty percent and the fraction is the same as the fraction of transmission resource of flash signaling data traffic format in the data traffic slot.

17. The second wireless device of claim 14, further comprising:

means for determining a fraction of the transmission resource in the pilot channel to be used by the first device assuming that the pilot format used by the first device corresponds to flash signaling data traffic format;

means for measuring the average power of the pilot signal in the fraction of the transmission resource in the pilot channel and the average power of the pilot signal in the entire pilot channel; and

means for determining that the pilot format used by the first device corresponds to flash signaling data traffic format, if the measured average power on the fraction of transmission resource is at least 10 dB stronger than the measured average power in the pilot channel.

18. The second wireless device of claim 15, further comprising:

means for determining a fraction of transmission resources in the pilot channel over which the measured average received power is at least 10 dB stronger than the measured average power in the pilot channel, and wherein the calculated interference power is calculated based on the received signal in the remaining fraction of transmission resources in the pilot channel.

19. A circuit for facilitating communications over a peer-to-peer network, wherein the circuit operates in a second wireless device having a connection with a first wireless device in a peer-to-peer communication network, wherein the circuit is adapted to:

monitor to receive a pilot signal from the first device in a pilot channel associated with a data traffic slot;

determine a pilot format being used by the first device based on the received pilot signal;

determine a data traffic format to be used in the data transmission slot based on the determined pilot format;

calculate the interference power based on the determined pilot format and received pilot signal; and

determine a data rate based on calculated interference power and determined data packet format.

20. The circuit of claim 19, wherein the data traffic format being one of a flash signaling data traffic format and a Gaussian signaling data traffic format.

21. The circuit of claim 20, wherein when the pilot format corresponding to a flash signaling data traffic format is used, the pilot signal from the first device is sent on a fraction of the transmission resource of the entire pilot channel.

22. The circuit of claim 21, wherein the fraction is less than twenty percent and the fraction is the same as the fraction of transmission resource of flash signaling data traffic format in the data traffic slot.

23. The circuit of claim 20, wherein the circuit is further adapted to:

determine a fraction of the transmission resource in the pilot channel to be used by the first device assuming that the pilot format used by the first device corresponds to flash signaling data traffic format;

measure the average power of the pilot signal in the fraction of the transmission resource in the pilot channel and the average power of the pilot signal in the entire pilot channel; and

determine that the pilot format used by the first device corresponds to flash signaling data traffic format, if the measured average power on the fraction of transmission resource is at least 10 dB stronger than the measured average power in the pilot channel.

24. The circuit of claim 21, wherein the circuit is further adapted to:

determine a fraction of transmission resources in the pilot channel over which the measured average received power is at least 10 dB stronger than the measured average power in the pilot channel, and wherein the calculated interference power is calculated based on the received signal in the remaining fraction of transmission resources in the pilot channel.

25. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions for a second wireless device having a connection with a first wireless device in a peer to peer communication network, which when executed by a processor causes the processor to:

monitor to receive a pilot signal from the first device in a pilot channel associated with a data traffic slot;

determine a pilot format being used by the first device based on the received pilot signal;

determine a data traffic format to be used in the data transmission slot based on the determined pilot format;

calculate the interference power based on the determined pilot format and received pilot signal; and

determine a data rate based on calculated interference power and determined data packet format.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the data traffic format being one of a flash signaling data traffic format and a Gaussian signaling data traffic format.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 26, wherein when the pilot format corresponding to a flash signaling data traffic format is used, the pilot signal from the first device is sent on a fraction of the transmission resource of the entire pilot channel.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the fraction is less than twenty percent and the fraction is the same as the fraction of transmission resource of flash signaling data traffic format in the data traffic slot.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 26, further comprising instructions to cause the processor to:

determine a fraction of the transmission resource in the pilot channel to be used by the first device assuming that the pilot format used by the first device corresponds to flash signaling data traffic format;

measure the average power of the pilot signal in the fraction of the transmission resource in the pilot channel and the average power of the pilot signal in the entire pilot channel; and

determine that the pilot format used by the first device corresponds to flash signaling data traffic format, if the measured average power on the fraction of transmission resource is at least 10 dB stronger than the measured average power in the pilot channel.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, further comprising instructions to cause the processor to:

determine a fraction of transmission resources in the pilot channel over which the measured average received power is at least 10 dB stronger than the measured average power in the pilot channel, and wherein the calculated interference power is calculated based on the received signal in the remaining fraction of transmission resources in the pilot channel.