GATHERING AND REPORTING DATA CONCERNING COMMUNICATION CHANNEL CONDITIONS FOR A WIRELESS DEVICE IN A WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20100054146A1
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Rudland, Philip Andrew, Benjes, Immo
• Granted Patent: US 8,179,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality

Abstract

A device (200) for wireless communication with at least one node in a wireless network (100) is adapted to obtain statistical data regarding one or more selected communication channels over which the device is adapted to communicate (330), and to report from the device (200) to at least one other device at least one metric related to an availability of each of the one or more selected communications channels for communications (350).

Claims

1. A method (300) of reporting communication channel conditions for a wireless device (200) adapted to operate in a wireless network (100), the method (300) comprising:

for each of one or more selected communication channels among a plurality of communication channels over which the wireless device is adapted to communicate, performing a plurality of energy detection scans to obtain a plurality of energy values each corresponding to a maximum energy detected in the corresponding communication channel during an energy detection period (320);

for each of the selected communication channels, calculating at least one statistic from the energy values obtained in the plurality of energy detection scans (330);

for each of the selected communication channels, determining at least one metric related to the communication channel'"'"'s availability for communications, based on the at least one statistic (340); and

reporting the at least one metric for each of the selected communication channels to at least one other wireless device in the wireless network (350).

2. The method (300) of claim 1, further comprising receiving at the wireless device one or more messages requesting that the wireless device conduct an assessment of communication channel conditions for the wireless device (310).

3. The method (300) of claim 2, wherein the one or more messages indicate the one or more communication channels that are to be selected.

4. The method (300) of claim 2, wherein the one or more messages indicate the one or more statistics to be calculated.

5. The method (300) of claim 2, wherein the one or more messages indicate the metric to be reported by the wireless device (200).

6. The method (300) of claim 1, wherein the at least one metric is the same as at least one calculated statistic.

7. The method (300) of claim 1, wherein the at least one statistic is a minimum energy value obtained in the plurality of energy detection scans.

8. The method (300) of claim 1, wherein the at least one statistic is an average energy value obtained in the plurality of energy detection scans.

9. The method (300) of claim 1, wherein the at least one statistic is a maximum energy value obtained in the plurality of energy detection scans.

10. The method (300) of claim 1, wherein the at least one statistic includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an average of a lowest P energy values obtained in the plurality of energy detection scans;

an average energy value obtained by excluding an M highest energy values and a lowest P energy values obtained in the plurality of energy detection scans;

a difference between a maximum energy value and a minimum energy value obtained in the plurality of energy detection scans;

a percentage of the energy detection scans where the energy value obtained was greater than a threshold value; and

a percentage of the energy detection scans where the energy value obtained was less than a threshold value.

11. The method (300) of claim 1, wherein the at least one metric is an indication of the probability of receiving an arbitrary message from another wireless device (200) over the communication channel.

12. The method (300) of claim 1, wherein the at least one metric is a binary value identifying whether or not the communication channel is determined to be available for communications.

13. The method (300) of claim 1, wherein the at least one metric is a numerical value in a channel availability scale identifying an availability of the communication channel for communications.

14. The method (300) of claim 1, wherein the at least one metric identifies one of a plurality of enumerated scenarios for usage of the communication channel.

15. The method (300) of claim 14, wherein the enumerated scenarios include at least one scenario indicating availability of the communication channel only for only occasional use.

16. The method (300) of claim 14, wherein the enumerated scenarios include an indication of a type of data that can be communicated over the communication channel.

17. The method (300) of claim 1, wherein the at least one metric is a cost number indicating an estimated availability of the corresponding communication channel for communications.

18. The method (300) of claim 1, further including communicating to the at least one other wireless device an indication of the at least one metric being reported among a plurality of possible metrics that could be reported.

19. The method (300) of claim 1, including the calculation of a plurality of statistics from the energy values obtained in the plurality of energy detection scans.

20. The method (300) of claim 1, wherein the wireless device (200) reports a plurality of metrics related to the communication channel'"'"'s availability for communications.

21. The method (300) of claim 1, wherein a pseudo randomly selected delay is provided between energy detection scans for each communication channel.

22. A method (300) of operating a wireless device (200), comprising obtaining statistical data regarding each of one or more selected communication channels over which the wireless device is adapted to communicate (330), and reporting from the wireless device (200) to at least one other wireless device at least one metric related to an availability of each of the one or more selected communications channels for communications (350).

23. The method (300) of claim 22, wherein the statistical data and the at least one metric are each obtained from a single energy detection scan for the corresponding communication channel.

24. The method (300) of claim 22, wherein the at least one metric is an indication of a probability of receiving an arbitrary message from another wireless device over the communication channel.

25. The method (300) of claim 22, wherein the at least one metric is a binary value identifying whether or not the communication channel is determined to be available for communications.

26. The method (300) of claim 22, wherein the at least one metric is a numerical value in a channel availability scale identifying an availability of the communication channel for communications.

27. The method (300) of claim 22, wherein the at least one metric identifies one of a plurality of enumerated scenarios for channel usage.

28. The method (300) of claim 27, wherein the enumerated scenarios include at least one scenario indicating availability of the communication channel for only occasional use.

29. The method (300) of claim 27, wherein the enumerated scenarios include an indication of a type of data that can be communicated over the communication channel.

30. The method (300) of claim 22, wherein the at least one metric is a cost number indicating an estimated availability of the corresponding communication channel for communications.

31. The method (300) of claim 22, further including communicating to the at least one other wireless device an indication of the at least one metric being reported among a plurality of possible metrics that could be reported.

32. A device (200) adapted to communicate with at least one node in a wireless network (100), the device (200) comprising:

a transmitter (210);

a receiver (220) adapted to operate over a plurality of communication channels;

an energy detector (230) coupled to the receiver (220) and adapted to perform an energy detection scan in a selected communication channel; and

one or more processors (250) configured to execute an algorithm, including;

employing the energy detector (230) to perform a plurality of energy detection scans for each of one or more selected communication channels among a plurality communication channels over which the device (200) is adapted to communicate, to obtain an energy value corresponding to a maximum energy detected in the corresponding communication channel during an energy detection period;

for each of the selected communication channels, calculating at least one statistic from the energy values obtained in the plurality of energy detection scans;

for each of the selected communication channels, determining at least one metric related to the communication channel'"'"'s availability for communications, based on the at least one statistic; and

providing to the transmitter (210) for transmission, the at least one metric for each of the selected communication channels.

33. The device (200) of claim 32, wherein at least one metric is the same as at least one calculated statistic.

34. The device (200) of claim 32, wherein the at least one statistic is a minimum energy value obtained in the plurality of energy detection scans.

35. The device (200)0 of claim 32, wherein the at least one statistic is an average energy value obtained in the plurality of energy detection scans.

36. The device (200) of claim 32, wherein the at least one statistic is a maximum energy value obtained in the plurality of energy detection scans.

37. The device (200) of claim 32, wherein the at least one statistic includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an average of a lowest P energy values obtained in the plurality of energy detection scans;

an average energy value obtained by excluding an M highest energy values and a lowest P energy values obtained in the plurality of energy detection scans;

a difference between a maximum energy value and a minimum energy value obtained in the plurality of energy detection scans;

a percentage of the energy detection scans where the energy value obtained was greater than a threshold value; and

a percentage of the energy detection scans where the energy value obtained was less than a threshold value.

38. The device (200) of claim 32, wherein the at least one metric is an indication of a probability of receiving an arbitrary message from another device over the communication channel.

39. The device (200) of claim 32, wherein the at least one metric is a binary value identifying whether or not the communication channel is determined to be available for communications.

40. The device (200) of claim 32, wherein the at least one metric is a numerical value in a channel availability scale identifying an availability of the communication channel for communications.

41. The device (200) of claim 32, wherein the metric is a value corresponding to one of a plurality of enumerated scenarios for usage of the communication channel.

42. The device (200) of claim 41, wherein the enumerated scenarios include at least one scenario indicating availability of the communication channel for only occasional use.

43. The device (200) of claim 41, wherein the enumerated scenarios include an indication of a type of data to be communicated over the communication channel.

44. The device (200) of claim 32, wherein the algorithm further includes providing to the transmitter for transmission, an indication of the at least one metric being reported among a plurality of possible metrics that could be reported.

45. The device (200) of claim 32, wherein the algorithm includes calculating a plurality of statistics from the energy values obtained in the plurality of energy detection scans.

46. The device (200) of claim 32, wherein the device (200) reports a plurality of metrics related to the communication channel'"'"'s availability.

47. The device (200) of claim 32, wherein the at least one metric is a cost number indicating an estimated availability of the corresponding communication channel for communications.

48. The device (200) of claim 32, wherein a pseudo randomly selected delay is provided between energy detection scans for each communication channel.

49. A device (200) adapted to wirelessly communicate with at least one node in a wireless network (100), wherein the device (200) is adapted to obtain statistical data regarding each of one or more selected communication channels over which the device is adapted to communicate (330), and to report from the device (200) to at least one other device at least one metric related to an availability of each of the one or more selected communications channels for communications (350).

50. The device (200) of claim 49, wherein the device (200) is adapted to perform an energy detection scan over each of the one or more selected communication channels, and wherein the statistical data and the at least one metric are each obtained from a single energy detection scan for the corresponding communication channel.

51. The device (200) of claim 49, wherein the at least one metric is an indication of a probability of receiving an arbitrary message from another device over the communication channel.

52. The device (200) of claim 49, wherein the at least one metric is a binary value identifying whether or not the communication channel is determined to be available for communications.

53. The device (200) of claim 49, wherein the at least one metric is a numerical value in a channel availability scale identifying an availability of the communication channel for communications.

54. The device (200) of claim 49, wherein the at least one metric identifies one of a plurality of enumerated scenarios for channel usage.

55. The device (200) of claim 54, wherein the enumerated scenarios include at least one scenario indicating availability of the communication channel for only occasional use.

56. The device (200) of claim 54, wherein the enumerated scenarios include an indication of a type of data that can be communicated over the communication channel.

57. The device (200) of claim 49, wherein the at least one metric is a cost number indicating an estimated availability of the corresponding communication channel for communications.

58. The device (200) of claim 49, wherein the device (200) is further adapted to communicate to the at least one other device an indication of the at least one metric being reported among a plurality of possible metrics that could be reported.