WIRELESS COMMUNICATION METHODS UTILIZING A SINGLE ANTENNA WITH MULTIPLE CHANNELS AND THE DEVICES THEREOF

• US 20100091712A1
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyphy Networks Co., Ltd
• Original Assignee: Skyphy Networks Co., Ltd
• Inventors: TAI, Jack Han Chin, QIANG, Gang, LU, Hui, YANG, Hui, ZHANG, Shao Jie, ZHENG, Hong Helena
• Granted Patent: US 8,289,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0866 using a dedicated channel for access

Abstract

The present invention provides wireless communication methods utilizing a single antenna with multiple channels and the devices thereof. The method includes providing a plurality of communication channels within the single antenna. The plurality of communication channels may include a probe channel and a data channel. The single antenna may selectively switch between the probe channel and the data channel based on a probe signal transmitted in the probe channel so as to facilitate data transmission.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method utilizing a single antenna, said method comprising:

providing a plurality of communication channels in said single antenna, said plurality of communication channels having a probe channel and a data channel; and

enabling said single antenna to selectively switch between said probe channel and said data channel based on a probe signal sent from said probe channel so as to facilitate a data transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording a channel status of each of said plurality of communication channels in a channel status table so as to facilitate said data transmission.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising maintaining said channel status table locally.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said channel status table includes a channel reference number and a channel status parameter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said probe signal is a Request To Send (RTS) signal so as to request for said data transmission.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said RTS signal includes a channel status of said data channel available for said data transmission.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said probe signal is a Clear To Send (CTS) signal so as to indicate that said data channel in said plurality of communication channels can be used for establishing a link.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said CTS signal includes a channel status of said data channel that can be used for establishing said link

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said probe signal is an acknowledge character (ACK) signal so as to indicate a completion of said data transmission.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said ACK signal can be sent from said data channel and said probe channel, respectively, or only from said data channel.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising updating said channel status table.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein said channel status in said channel status table can be set to an unknown status by default.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein said channel status table further includes a working time period.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said working time period can be set as a maximum time by default, and if a CTS signal is received within said maximum time, then said maximum time is updated with a new maximum time between a working time period indicated in said CTS signal and a remaining time of said maximum time.

15. The method of claim 9, if said ACK signal is received within a new maximum time, then a channel status of said data channel to be used for said data transmission is set to an available status.

16. The method of claim 2, further comprising dividing said data into a plurality of data packets, and if a last data packet is successfully transmitted, then said channel status of said data channel used for transmitting said last data packet is set to an available status, and if said last data packet is not transmitted successfully, then said channel status of said data channel used for transmitting said last data packet is set to an unknown status.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) method is utilized for transmitting said data so as to avoid a collision in said data channel.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein if no channel status of said data channel in said channel status table is set to an available status, then a time period is allowed to pass until an acknowledge character (ACK) signal is received, or until said time period expires.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said time period includes a short interface space (SIFS) and a random number of slot time.

20. The method of claim 2, further comprising checking said channel status table.

21. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

during said data transmission in said link, setting said channel status of said data channel to a busy status based on a time value within said CTS signal.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing loss compensation with respect to said probe signal.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing loss compensation with respect to data transmitted in said data channel.

24. A method for performing loss compensation with respect to a probe signal in wireless communication, said method comprising:

setting a probe signal ratio;

comparing said probe signal ratio with an upper limit of said probe signal ratio and a lower limit of said probe signal ratio, respectively, so as to modify a probe margin value; and

performing said loss compensation with respect to said probe signal with said probe margin value.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein if said probe signal ratio is greater than said upper limit, then said probe margin value is decreased by a unit, and if said probe signal ratio is less than said lower limit, then said probe margin value is increased by a unit.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising utilizing an exponential weighted moving average formula to calculate said probe signal ratio.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said formula is set forth as CRR=CUR_CRR*β

+OLD_CRR*(1−

β

), wherein CUR_CRR is a current value of said probe signal ratio, β

is a configuration value set within a wireless communication device, OLD_CRR is an old value of said probe signal ratio.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

setting said probe signal ratio back to zero so as to recalculate said probe signal ratio.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising setting an initial value for said probe margin value.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said initial value for said probe margin value is set to zero.

31. The method of claim 24, further comprising transmitting a plurality of probe signals.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said probe signals are Request To Send (RTS) signals.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein an initial value of said data margin value is set to zero or said current value of said probe signal ratio in claim 27.

64. The device of claim 42, wherein said device performs loss compensation with respect to a probe signal sent from said probe channel in accordance with claim 24.

33. A method for performing loss compensation with respect to data in wireless communication, said method comprising:

setting an upper limit for a data yield value and a lower limit for a data yield value;

calculating a transmitted data count (Tx_data_cnt) and a received data count (Rx_data_cnt);

comparing a ratio of said received data count to said transmitted data count with said upper limit of said data yield value and said lower limit of said data yield value so as to obtain a data margin value; and

performing said loss compensation with respect to said data with said data margin value, wherein each data may be compensated with a different data margin value.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein if said ratio is less than said lower limit of said data yield value, then said data margin value is increased by one unit, and if said ratio is greater than said upper limit of said data yield value, then said data margin value is decreased by one unit.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein said ratio of said received data count to said transmitted data count is calculated by an exponential weighted moving average formula, wherein said formula is set forth as ADR=CUR_ADR*β

+OLD_ADR*(1−

β

), wherein CUR_ADR is a current value of said ratio of said received data count to said transmitted data count, β

is a configuration value set within a wireless communication device, OLD_ADR is an old value of said ratio of said received data count to said transmitted data count.

37. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

setting said transmitted data count and said received data count to zero so as to recalculate said ratio.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein said received data count is obtained based on information within an acknowledge character (ACK) signal.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein said received data count is obtained based on a Clear To Send (CTS) signal and said transmitted data count.

40. The method of claim 33, further comprising transmitting a plurality of probe signals.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said plurality of probe signals is RTS signals.

65. The device of claim 42, wherein said device performs loss compensation with respect to data sent from said data channel in accordance with claim 33.

42. A wireless communication device, said device comprising:

a single antenna having a plurality of communication channels, said plurality of communication channels having a probe channel and a data channel, wherein said single antenna selectively switch between said probe channel and said data channel based on a probe signal sent from said probe channel so as to facilitate a data transmission.

43. The device of claim 42, wherein said single antenna of said device is capable of rapidly switching between said probe channel and a plurality of said data channels without affecting a performance of said device.

44. The device of claim 42, further comprising a channel status table for recording a channel status of each of said plurality of communication channels so as to facilitate said data transmission.

45. The device of claim 44, wherein said channel status table is maintained locally.

46. The device of claim 44, wherein said channel status table includes a channel reference number and a channel status parameter.

47. The device of claim 42, wherein said probe signal is a Request To Send (RTS) signal so as to request said data transmission.

48. The device of claim 47, wherein said RTS signal includes a channel status of said data channel available for said data transmission.

49. The device of claim 42, wherein said probe signal is a Clear To Send (CTS) signal so as to indicate said data channel available for establishing a link.

50. The device of claim 49, wherein said CTS signal includes a channel status of said data channel available for establishing said link.

51. The device of claim 42, wherein said probe signal is an acknowledge character (ACK) signal so as to indicate a completion of said data transmission.

52. The device of claim 51, wherein said ACK signal can be sent from both said data channel and said probe channel, or only from said data channel.

53. The device of claim 44, wherein said channel status table can be updated.

54. The device of claim 44, wherein said channel status in said channel status table can be set to an unknown status by default.

55. The device of claim 44, wherein said channel status table further includes a working time period.

56. The device of claim 55, wherein said working time period can be set to a maximum time by default, and if a Clear To Send (CTS) signal is received within said maximum time, then said maximum time is updated with a new maximum time between a working time period indicated in said CTS signal and a remaining time of said maximum time.

57. The device of claim 51, if said ACK signal is received in a new maximum time, then a channel status of said data channel for said data transmission is set to an available status.

58. The device of claim 42, wherein data can be divided into a plurality of data packets, and if a last data packet is successfully transmitted, then said channel status of said data channel used for transmitting said last data packet is set to an available status, and if said last data packet is not successfully transmitted, then said channel status of said data channel used for transmitting said last data packet is set to an unknown status.

59. The device of claim 42, wherein a Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) method is utilized for said data transmission so as to avoid a collision in said data channel.

60. The device of claim 44, if no channel status of said data channel in said channel status table is set to an available status, then said device waits for a period of time until an ACK signal is received, or until said time period expires.

61. The device of claim 60, wherein said period of time includes a short interface space (SIFS) and a random number of slot time.

62. The device of claim 44, wherein said channel status table can be checked.

63. The device of claim 49, wherein during said data transmission in said link, said channel status is set to a busy status based on a time value obtained from said CTS signal.