SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTERFERENCE TRIGGERED FREQUENCY HOPPING

• US 20140044151A1
• Filed: 05/02/2013
• Published: 02/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aviat U.S., Inc. (Aviat Networks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Redline Communications Inc. (Aviat Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sarca, Octavian, Popov, Yuriy, Picu, Aurel, Cretu, Serban
• Granted Patent: US 8,976,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/133
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/715 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7183 Synchronisation

Abstract

Systems and methods of interference-triggered frequency hopping in a wireless communication system. A master is provided in the wireless communication system in wireless communication with slave nodes each configured to use different preselected communication frequencies to permit frequency hopping. A current channel is selected from among multiple channels in the wireless communication system in which the master and at least some of the slave nodes send and receive wireless communications. Each of the channels uses different ones of the preselected communication frequencies. In the current channel, interference with communications between the master and a selected one of the slave nodes that use the current channel is detected. A new channel is selected only in response to detecting the interference. The system switches from the current channel to the new channel such that communications between the master and the selected slave node use the new channel.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A method of interference-triggered frequency hopping in a wireless communication system, comprising:

providing in the wireless communication system a master in wireless communication with a plurality of slave nodes configured to use different preselected communication frequencies to permit frequency hopping;

selecting a current channel from among a plurality of channels in the wireless communication system in which the master and at least some of the slave nodes send and receive wireless communications, each of the channels using different ones of the preselected communication frequencies;

maintaining wireless communications between the master and a selected one of the slave nodes in the current channel such that no frequency hopping occurs away from the current channel until interference is detected in the current channel;

detecting interference in the current channel with communications between the master and the selected slave node that uses the current channel, wherein the detecting includes comparing an actual noise floor determined based on a received signal strength in the current channel and a signal to interference and noise ratio, with an expected noise floor;

selecting a new channel of the channels different from the current channel; and

switching from the current channel to the new channel in response to detecting the interference, such that communications between the master and the selected slave node use the new channel.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising scanning a channel different to the current channel to determine the performance of the scanned channel.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the switching to the new channel includes making one or more channel switch announcements to the selected slave node, and responsive thereto, the selected slave node carrying out the switching to the new channel.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the scanning occurs prior to the detecting of interference.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the current channel and the new channel are selected from a list of channels available for selection.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising removing the current channel from the list of channels available for selection responsive to detecting interference in the current channel.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising returning the current channel to the list of channels available for selection.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising, if the performance of the scanned channel is acceptable, setting the new channel selected during the selecting to the scanned channel.

35. The method of claim 30, further comprising, if the performance of the scanned channel is unacceptable, removing the scanned channel from a list of channels available for selection.

36. The method of claim 32, further comprising notifying of the removing of the current channel.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the list of channels available for selection is divided into a plurality of tiers,

wherein each of said plurality of tiers

corresponds to a different level of channel performance, and

is separated from one or more adjacent tiers by at least one threshold;

and wherein the method further comprises

determining a tier to insert a channel available for selection, and

inserting the available channel into one of the tiers.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the selecting of the new channel is based on a pre-computed frequency hop sequence, and wherein the order of the channels within the sequence depends on the tier the channel was inserted into.

39. The method of claim 27, wherein selecting of the new channel is based on a pre-defined frequency hopping algorithm and weights for the channels, said weights being based on the performances of the channels.

40. The method of claim 27, wherein the selecting of the new channel is based on a pre-computed frequency hop sequence, and wherein the order of the channels within the sequence depends on the performances of the channels.

41. The method of claim 29, wherein each of said one or more channel switch announcements comprises an indication of the time at which said switching to the new channel occurs.

42. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, implement a method of interference-triggered frequency hopping in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

providing in the wireless communication system a master in wireless communication with a plurality of slave nodes configured to use different preselected communication frequencies to permit frequency hopping;

selecting a current channel from among a plurality of channels in the wireless communication system in which the master and at least some of the slave nodes send and receive wireless communications, each of the channels using different ones of the preselected communication frequencies;

maintaining wireless communications between the master and a selected one of the slave nodes in the current channel such that no frequency hopping occurs away from the current channel until interference is detected in the current channel;

detecting interference in the current channel with communications between the master and the selected slave node that use the current channel, wherein the detecting includes comparing an actual noise floor determined based on a received signal strength in the current channel and a signal to interference and noise ratio, with an expected noise floor;

selecting a new channel of the channels different from the current channel; and

switching from the current channel to the new channel in response to detecting the interference, such that communications between the master and the selected slave node use the new channel.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 42, further comprising scanning a channel different to the current channel to determine the performance of the scanned channel.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the switching to the new channel includes making one or more channel switch announcements to the selected slave node, and responsive thereto, the selected slave node carrying out the switching to the new channel.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the scanning occurs prior to the detecting of interference.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the current channel and the new channel are selected from a list of channels available for selection.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 46, further comprising removing the current channel from the list of channels available for selection responsive to detecting interference in the current channel.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, further comprising returning the current channel to the list of channels available for selection.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 45, further comprising, if the performance of the scanned channel is acceptable, setting the new channel selected during the selecting to the scanned channel.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 45, further comprising, if the performance of the scanned channel is unacceptable, removing the scanned channel from a list of channels available for selection.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, further comprising notifying of the removing of the current channel.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 46, wherein the list of channels available for selection is divided into a plurality of tiers,

wherein each of said plurality of tiers corresponds to a different level of channel performance, and is separated from one or more adjacent tiers by at least one threshold;

and wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises determining a tier to insert a channel available for selection, and inserting the available channel into one of the tiers.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 52, wherein the selecting of the new channel is based on a pre-computed frequency hop sequence, and wherein the order of the channels within the sequence depends on the tier the channel was inserted into.

54. The method of claim 42, wherein selecting of the new channel is based on a pre-defined frequency hopping algorithm and weights for the channels, said weights being based on the performances of the channels.

55. The method of claim 42, wherein selecting of the new channel is based on a pre-computed frequency hop sequence, and wherein the order of the channels within the sequence depends on the performances of the channels.

56. The method of claim 44, wherein each of said one or more channel switch announcements comprise an indication of the time at which said switching to the new channel occurs.