SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING DATA COLLISIONS IN WIRELESS NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20090080455A1
• Filed: 09/24/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synapse Wireless Incorporated (Mcwane Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Synapse Wireless Incorporated (Mcwane Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ewing, David B., Banks, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,852,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0014 by adapting the source coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0019 in which mode-switching is based on a statistical approach
• 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

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for reducing data collisions in wireless networks. In one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a node of a wireless network monitors traffic from at least one foreign network. The node attempts to identify patterns of communication in the foreign network. Based on an identified pattern, the node schedules a transmission during time period for which it is likely that the foreign network is not attempting a transmission that would otherwise interfere with the node'"'"'s signal. Accordingly, the probability of a data collision is reduced.

Claims

1. A network node within range of a foreign network such that transmissions by the network node are susceptible to data collisions with transmissions of the foreign network, comprising:

a transceiver; and

logic configured to monitor transmissions of the foreign network and to identify at least one transmission pattern of the foreign network, the logic configured to schedule a transmission via the transceiver based on the identified transmission pattern such that the transmission is scheduled to occur during a predicted quiet period for the foreign network, wherein the logic is configured to initiate the transmission during the predicted quiet period.

2. The network node of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured to estimate a duration of the quiet period based on the identified transmission pattern, and wherein the logic is configured to limit a length of the transmission based on the estimated duration.

3. The network node of claim 1, wherein the network node is configured to snoop a header of a data packet received from the foreign network, and wherein the network node is configured to identify the transmission pattern based on the header.

4. The network node of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured to determine durations for transmissions received by the transceivers from the foreign network, and wherein the logic is configured to identify the transmission pattern based on the determined durations.

5. The network node of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured to transmit information indicative of the identified pattern to another network node.

6. A method for reducing data collisions in network communications, comprising the steps of:

receiving transmissions of a foreign network;

storing data indicative of the received transmissions;

analyzing the data;

identifying a transmission pattern of the foreign network based on the analyzing step;

predicting a quiet period for the foreign network based on the identified transmission pattern and at least one transmission received from the foreign network; and

transmitting a message during the quiet period based on the predicting step.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

estimating a duration of the quiet period based on the identified transmission pattern; and

controlling a length of the message based on the estimated duration.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of snooping a header of one of the received transmissions, wherein the identifying step is based on the snooping step.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of determining durations for the received transmissions, wherein the identifying step is based on the determining step.

10. A method for reducing data collisions in network communications, comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a node of a network, transmissions from a foreign network;

storing data indicative of the received transmissions;

analyzing the data;

identifying a transmission pattern of the foreign network based on the analyzing step;

wirelessly transmitting a message from the node; and

controlling a timing of the transmitting step based on the identified transmission pattern.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of predicting a quiet period for the foreign network based on the identified transmission pattern, wherein the controlling step is based on the predicting step.