REMOTE CONTROL OF TRANSMITTER-SIDE RATE ADAPTATION

• US 20110286340A1
• Filed: 05/19/2010
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DSP Group Incorporated (Synaptics Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: DSP Group Incorporated (Synaptics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dillon, Daniel Robert, Janecek, John Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,705,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0036 arrangements specific to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1829 Arrangements specially adapted for the receiver end

Abstract

In general, this disclosure is directed to techniques for remotely controlling a transmitter-side rate adaptation algorithm. According to one aspect, a method includes detecting, with a receiver device, that a packet received from a transmitter is corrupted. The method further includes sending, with the receiver device, a positive acknowledgement for the packet to the transmitter in response to at least detecting that the packet is corrupted. According to another aspect, a method includes determining, with a receiver device, a targeted outcome for a rate adaptation algorithm performed by a transmitter. The method further includes using, with the receiver device, positive acknowledgements to remotely control the rate adaptation algorithm performed by the transmitter based on at least the targeted outcome.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, with a receiver device, that a packet received from a transmitter is corrupted; and

sending, with the receiver device, a positive acknowledgement for the packet to the transmitter in response to at least detecting that the packet is corrupted.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether to send the positive acknowledgement for the packet to the transmitter in response to at least detecting that the packet is corrupted,

wherein sending the positive acknowledgement comprises sending the positive acknowledgement to the transmitter in response to at least detecting that the packet is corrupted and determining to send the positive acknowledgement.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether to send the positive acknowledgement comprises determining whether to send the positive acknowledgement based on at least one or more characteristics of channel interference.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether to send the positive acknowledgement based on at least the one or more characteristics of the channel interference comprises:

determining an estimated time period between bursts of the channel interference; and

determining whether to send the positive acknowledgement based on at least the estimated time period between bursts of the channel interference.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining whether to send the positive acknowledgement based on at least the estimated time period between bursts of the channel interference comprises:

determining a packet transmission time period that would result from a reduction in transmission rate by the transmitter;

comparing the packet transmission time period to a percentage of the time period between bursts of the channel interference; and

determining to send the positive acknowledgement based on at least the comparison.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the channel interference is based on interference generated by at least one of a mobile phone device, a hands-free device, a cordless telephone device, a device that communicates according to a Bluetooth®

communications protocol, a Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) device, an Enhanced Digital Cordless Telecommunications (EDCT) device, and a World Digital Cordless Telecommunications (WDCT) device, and a device that communicates according to a cordless protocol.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the channel interference occupies at least part of a 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) frequency band.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the channel interference is generated by a device that communicates according to a time division multiplexing (TDM) protocol.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether to send the positive acknowledgement comprises determining whether to send the positive acknowledgement based on at least a link quality metric.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether to send the positive acknowledgement based on at least the link quality metric comprises:

determining, based on the link quality metric, a level of link quality; and

sending the positive acknowledgement if the level of link quality is higher than a threshold level of link quality.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the link quality metric comprises at least one of a power level metric indicative of the power level of a received signal from the transmitter and a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the link quality metric is derived from at least one of a retry bit contained within control data of the packet, a number of retries that have been performed by the transmitter during a time window, and a history of physical layer transmission rates for the transmitter during a time window.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether to send the positive acknowledgement comprises determining whether to send the positive acknowledgement based on at least a threshold transmission rate, wherein the threshold transmission rate is based on at least one of interference characteristics, link quality information, and transmit history information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the positive acknowledgement indicates to the transmitter that the packet was successfully received and not corrupted.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet was transmitted by the transmitter to the receiver device according to an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard communications protocol.

16. A method comprising:

determining, with a receiver device, a targeted outcome for a rate adaptation algorithm performed by a transmitter; and

using, with the receiver device, positive acknowledgements to remotely control the rate adaptation algorithm performed by the transmitter based on at least the targeted outcome.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein using the positive acknowledgements to remotely control the rate adaptation algorithm comprises:

sending a positive acknowledgement in response to identifying one or more corrupted data packets.

18. The method of claim 16,

wherein determining the targeted outcome comprises determining whether to prevent the rate adaptation algorithm from reducing a physical layer data transmission rate, and

wherein using the positive acknowledgements to remotely control the rate adaptation algorithm comprises using the positive acknowledgements to remotely control the rate adaptation algorithm in response to determining to prevent the rate adaptation algorithm from reducing a physical layer data transmission rate.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the rate adaptation algorithm comprises a dynamic rate switching algorithm that dynamically selects a physical layer data transmission rate for transmission of packets based on positive acknowledgements.

20. A receiver device comprising:

a controller configured to detect that a packet received at the receiver device from a transmitter is corrupted, and send a positive acknowledgement for the packet to the transmitter in response to at least the error detection module detecting that the packet is corrupted.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether to send the positive acknowledgement for the packet to the transmitter in response to at least the error detection module detecting that the packet is corrupted, and send the positive acknowledgement to the transmitter in response to at least the error detection module detecting that the packet is corrupted and the remote rate control module determining to send the positive acknowledgement.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether to send the positive acknowledgement based on at least one or more characteristics of channel interference.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the controller is further configured to determine an estimated time period between bursts of the channel interference, and determine whether to send the positive acknowledgement based on at least the estimated time period between bursts of the channel interference.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a packet transmission time period that would result from a reduction in transmission rate by the transmitter, compare the packet transmission time period to a percentage of the time period between bursts of the channel interference, and determine to send the positive acknowledgement based on at least the comparison.

25. The device of claim 22, wherein the channel interference is based on interference generated by at least one of a mobile phone device, a hands-free device, a cordless telephone device, a device that communicates according to a Bluetooth®

communications protocol, a Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) device, an Enhanced Digital Cordless Telecommunications (EDCT) device, a World Digital Cordless Telecommunications (WDCT) device, and a device that communicates according to a cordless protocol.

26. The device of claim 22, wherein the channel interference occupies at least part of a 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) frequency band.

27. The device of claim 22, wherein the channel interference is generated by a device that communicates according to a time division multiplexing (TDM) protocol.

28. The device of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether to send the positive acknowledgement based on at least a link quality metric.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the controller is further configured to determine, based on the link quality metric, a level of link quality, and send the positive acknowledgement if the level of link quality is higher than a threshold level of link quality.

30. The device of claim 28, wherein the link quality metric comprises at least one of a power level metric indicative of the power level of a received signal from the transmitter and a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

31. The device of claim 28, wherein the link quality metric is derived from at least one of a retry bit contained within control data of the packet, a number of retries that have been performed by the transmitter during a time window, and a metric derived from a history of transmission rates for the transmitter during a time window.

32. The device of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether to send the positive acknowledgement based on at least a threshold transmission rate, wherein the threshold transmission rate is based on at least one of interference characteristics, link quality information, and transmit history information.

33. The device of claim 20, wherein the positive acknowledgement indicates to the transmitter that the packet was successfully received and not corrupted.

34. The device of claim 20, wherein the packet was transmitted by the transmitter to the receiver device according to an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard communications protocol.

35. A receiver device comprising:

a controller configured to determine a targeted outcome for a rate adaptation algorithm performed by a transmitter, and use positive acknowledgements to remotely control the rate adaptation algorithm performed by the transmitter based on at least the targeted outcome.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein the controller is further configured to send a positive acknowledgement in response to identifying one or more corrupted data packets.

37. The device of claim 35, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether to prevent the rate adaptation algorithm from reducing a physical layer data transmission rate, and to use the positive acknowledgements to remotely control the rate adaptation algorithm in response to determining to prevent the rate adaptation algorithm from reducing a physical layer data transmission rate.

38. The device of claim 35, wherein the rate adaptation algorithm comprises a dynamic rate switching algorithm that dynamically selects a physical layer data transmission rate for transmission of packets based on positive acknowledgements.

39. A receiver device comprising:

means for detecting that a packet received from a transmitter is corrupted; and

means for sending a positive acknowledgement for the packet to the transmitter in response to at least detecting that the packet is corrupted.

40. A receiver device comprising:

means for determining a targeted outcome for a rate adaptation algorithm performed by a transmitter; and

means for using transmission of positive acknowledgements to remotely control the rate adaptation algorithm performed by the transmitter based on at least the targeted outcome.