COLLISION PROTECTION BASED ON PACKET ERROR RATE

• US 20150334745A1
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ruckus Wireless, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhao, Shiwei
• Granted Patent: US 9,949,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance

Abstract

In order to maintain performance during wireless communication, a transmitting electronic device may selectively enable use of pre-authorization messages during communication with one or more receiving electronic devices. In particular, the transmitting electronic device may monitor a performance metric associated with the communication. If the performance metric is less than a threshold, the transmitting electronic device may selectively enable the use of the pre-authorization messages before communicating data to the one of the receiving electronic devices. Subsequently, the transmitting electronic device monitors a pre-authorization performance metric associated with the communication of the pre-authorization messages. If the pre-authorization performance metric is less than a pre-authorization threshold, the transmitting electronic device may selectively disable the use of the pre-authorization messages. Moreover, if the use of pre-authorization messages is disabled, the transmitting electronic device reverts to monitoring the performance metric.

Claims

1. A transmitting electronic device, comprising:

an antenna; and

an interface circuit, coupled to the antenna, configured to communicate with one or more receiving electronic devices, wherein the interface circuit is configured to;

monitor a performance metric associated with the communication with one of the receiving electronic devices;

compare the performance metric associated with the communication to a threshold;

selectively enable use of pre-authorization messages before communicating data to the one of the receiving electronic devices based on the comparison of the performance metric and the threshold, wherein the pre-authorization message is transmitted to the one or more receiving electronic devices;

monitor a pre-authorization performance metric associated with the communication of the pre-authorization messages;

compare the pre-authorization performance metric to a pre-authorization threshold; and

selectively disable the use of the pre-authorization messages based on the comparison of the pre-authorization performance metric to the pre-authorization threshold, wherein, if the use of the pre-authorization messages is selectively disabled, the interface circuit reverts to monitoring the performance metric.

2. The transmitting electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the performance metric and the pre-authorization performance metric includes one of:

an error rate, a throughput and a data rate.

3. The transmitting electronic device of claim 1, wherein the pre-authorization messages include a request-to-send message.

4. The transmitting electronic device of claim 3, wherein the pre-authorization messages includes a clear-to-send message received from the one of the receiving electronic devices.

5. The transmitting electronic device of claim 1, wherein, prior to selectively enabling the use of the pre-authorization messages, the interface circuit is further configured to compare a temporal overhead associated with the pre-authorization messages with an additional data-communication time associated with an error rate for communication of data;

and

wherein the pre-authorization messages are selectively enabled if the temporal overhead is less than the additional data-communication time; and

wherein otherwise the interface circuit continues to monitor the performance metric associated with the communication.

6. The transmitting electronic device of claim 5, wherein the additional data-communication time equals a product of the error rate and a temporal duration of a data frame divided by one minus the error rate.

7. The transmitting electronic device of claim 1, wherein the transmitting electronic device further comprises:

a processor; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, which stores a program module configured to be executed by the processor, the program module including;

instructions for monitoring the performance metric;

instructions for comparing the performance metric;

instructions for selectively enabling the use of the pre-authorization messages;

instructions for monitoring the pre-authorization performance metric;

instructions for comparing the pre-authorization performance metric; and

instructions for selectively disabling the use of the pre-authorization messages.

8. The transmitting electronic device of claim 1, wherein the communication with the one or more receiving electronic devices occurs via a shared medium.

9. A computer-program product for use in conjunction with a transmitting electronic device, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a computer-program mechanism embedded therein to selectively enable use of pre-authorization messages, the computer-program mechanism including:

instructions for monitoring a performance metric associated with communication with one of receiving electronic devices;

instructions for comparing the performance metric associated with the communication to a threshold;

instructions for selectively enabling use of the pre-authorization messages before communicating data to the one of the receiving electronic devices based on the comparison of the performance metric and the threshold, wherein the pre-authorization message is transmitted to the one or more receiving electronic devices;

instructions for monitoring a pre-authorization performance metric associated with the communication of the pre-authorization messages;

instructions for comparing the pre-authorization performance metric to a pre-authorization threshold; and

instructions for selectively disabling the use of the pre-authorization messages based on the comparison of the pre-authorization performance metric to the pre-authorization threshold, wherein, if the use of the pre-authorization messages is selectively disabled, the computer-program mechanism reverts to the instructions for monitoring the performance metric.

10. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein at least one of the performance metric and the pre-authorization performance metric includes one of:

an error rate, a throughput, a data rate and a combination of at least two of the error rate, the throughput and the data rate.

11. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the pre-authorization messages include a request-to-send message.

12. The computer-program product of claim 11, wherein the pre-authorization messages includes a clear-to-send message received from the one of the receiving electronic devices.

13. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the computer-program mechanism further includes, prior to the instructions for selectively enabling the use of the pre-authorization messages, instructions for comparing a temporal overhead associated with the pre-authorization messages with an additional data-communication time associated with an error rate for communication of data;

and

wherein the pre-authorization messages are selectively enabled if the temporal overhead is less than the additional data-communication time; and

wherein otherwise the computer-program mechanism continues the instructions for monitoring the performance metric associated with the communication.

14. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein the additional data-communication time equals a product of the error rate and a temporal duration of a data frame divided by one minus the error rate.

15. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the communication with the one or more receiving electronic devices occurs via a shared medium.

16. A method for selectively enabling use of pre-authorization messages, wherein the method comprises:

monitoring a performance metric associated with communication with one of receiving electronic devices;

comparing the performance metric associated with the communication to a threshold;

selectively enabling use of the pre-authorization messages before communicating data to the one of the receiving electronic devices based on the comparison of the performance metric and the threshold, wherein the pre-authorization message is transmitted to the one or more receiving electronic devices;

monitoring a pre-authorization performance metric associated with the communication of the pre-authorization messages;

comparing the pre-authorization performance metric to a pre-authorization threshold; and

selectively disabling the use of the pre-authorization messages based on the comparison of the pre-authorization performance metric to the pre-authorization threshold, wherein, if the use of the pre-authorization messages is selectively disabled, the method reverts to monitoring the performance metric.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the performance metric and the pre-authorization performance metric includes one of:

an error rate, a throughput and a data rate.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the pre-authorization messages include a request-to-send message.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the pre-authorization messages includes a clear-to-send message received from the one of the receiving electronic devices.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein, prior to selectively enabling the use of the pre-authorization messages, the method further comprises comparing a temporal overhead associated with the pre-authorization messages with an additional data-communication time associated with an error rate for communication of data;

and

wherein the pre-authorization messages are selectively enabled if the temporal overhead is less than the additional data-communication time; and

wherein otherwise the method continues monitoring the performance metric associated with the communication.

21. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a node configured to couple to an antenna; and

an interface circuit, electrically coupled to the node, configured to communicate with one or more receiving electronic devices, wherein the interface circuit is configured to;

monitor a performance metric associated with the communication with one of the receiving electronic devices;

compare the performance metric associated with the communication to a threshold;

selectively enable use of pre-authorization messages before communicating data to the one of the receiving electronic devices based on the comparison of the performance metric and the threshold, wherein the pre-authorization message is transmitted to the one or more receiving electronic devices;

monitor a pre-authorization performance metric associated with the communication of the pre-authorization messages;

compare the pre-authorization performance metric to a pre-authorization threshold; and

selectively disable the use of the pre-authorization messages based on the comparison of the pre-authorization performance metric to the pre-authorization threshold, wherein, if the use of the pre-authorization messages is selectively disabled, the interface circuit reverts to monitoring the performance metric.