Method and system for improving wireless data packet delivery

• US 6,700,902 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1998
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Meyer, Peter Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Sam, Phirin
• Application Number:
  US09/174,720
• Time in Patent Office: 1,961 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/230, 370/234, 370/235, 370/310.2, 370/329, 370/332, 370/333, 370/335, 370/336, 370/338, 370/342, 370/345, 370/328, 370/341, 370/376, 370/382, 370/383, 370/395.7, 370/413, 370/415, 370/417, 370/431, 370/437, 370/436, 370/468
• US Class Current: 370/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0007 by modifying the frame length
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365

Abstract

A system and method for improving the delivery of data between a first signal transmitter/receiver device and a second signal transmitter/receiver device. Data is dynamically sized into at least one data packet having a data packet size that is no greater than an operational maximum data packet size capable of being transferred between the first wireless signal transmitter/receiver device and the second wireless signal transmitter/receiver device. At least one data packet is transferred from the first signal transmitter/receiver device to the second signal transmitter/receiver device until all data has been delivered.

Claims

1. A method for improving the delivery of data between a first signal transmitter/receiver device and a second signal transmitter/receiver device, comprising the steps of:

dynamically sizing said data into at least one data packet having a data packet size that is no greater than an operational maximum data packet size capable of being transferred between said first wireless signal transmitter/receiver device and said second wireless signal transmitter/receiver device; and

transferring said at least one data packet from said first signal transmitter/receiver device to said second signal transmitter/receiver device until all data has been delivered,

wherein said step of dynamically sizing said data into said at least one data packet further comprises the steps of;

reading a stored data packet size from a memory at said second signal transmitter/receiver device;

determining an operational maximum allowable data packet size;

increasing said data packet size and storing it in said memory, if said stored data packet size is less than said operational maximum allowable packet size;

decreasing said data packet size and storing it in said memory, if said stored data packet size is greater than said operational maximum allowable packet size; and

packaging said data into at least one data packet, each said at least one data packet having said data packet size.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of dynamically sizing said data into said at least one data packet further comprises the steps of:

determining an operational maximum allowable packet size capable of being transferred between said first signal transmitter/receiver device and said second signal transmitter/receiver device; and

setting said data packet size of said at least one data packet to said data packet size no greater than said operational maximum allowable data packet size.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of determining an operational maximum allowable packet size further comprises the steps of transmitting a signal having said stored data packet size between said first signal transmitter/receiver device and said second signal transmitter/receiver device, determining whether said data packet is successfully transferred, and sizing said data packet size by increasing or decreasing said stored data-packet size until a successful transfer of data is determined.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said step of determining whether said data packet is successfully transferred further comprises the step of performing a calculation of a Bit Error Rate (BER) of said transferred data packet, and determining if said calculated BER is within an acceptable BER.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of increasing said stored packet size further comprises doubling the size of said stored data packet size.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of decreasing said data packet size further comprises halving said stored data packet size.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transferring further comprises the steps of transmitting said at least one data packet, and receiving said at least one data packet between said first signal transmitter/receiver device and said second signal transmitter/receiver device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of transmitting further comprises the step of transmitting said data packet over a conventional open system architecture network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said conventional network further comprises an ARDIS two-way, wireless data communication system.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of transmitting said data packet further comprises the step of digitally modulating said data packet.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of digitally modulating said data packet further comprises using a pure ALOHA scheme of digital modulation.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of transmitting said data packet further comprises using one of X.25 PTP protocol and asynchronously.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of receiving said at least one data packet further comprises the steps of performing the inverse of said digital modulation scheme, calculating a bit error rate (BER) for said received data packet, and determining if said calculated BER is within a predetermined acceptable BER.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of reading said packet size further comprises the steps of sending a request signal from said first signal transmitter/receiver device to said second signal transmitter/receiver device for said second transmitter/receiver device to read a stored packet size from a memory of said second transmitter/receiver device, and reading said stored data packet size.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of packaging data into at least one data packet further comprises the steps of segmenting a string of data and encapsulating said segmented data into at least one data packet having said operational maximum allowable data packet size.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of storing said increased packet size and said decreased data packet size further comprises storing said data packet size in said memory of said second signal transmitter/receiver device.

17. A system for improving data packet delivery of wireless communications, comprising:

a first wireless signal transmitter/receiver device having a transmitter, a receiver, a memory, and a microprocessor, said first signal transmitter/receiver device for transmitting a data packet;

a second wireless signal transmitter/receiver device having a transmitter, a receiver, a memory, and a microprocessor, said second signal transmitter/receiver device for receiving said data packet; and

means for dynamically sizing a data packet for improving data packet delivery between said first signal transmitter/receiver device and said second signal transmitter/receiver device, said means comprising;

a reader for reading a stored data packet size from a memory at said second signal transmitter/receiver device;

a processor for determining an operational maximum allowable data packet size and,

increasing said data packet size and storing it in said memory, if said stored data packet size is less than said operational maximum allowable packet size, and

decreasing said data packet size and storing it in said memory, if said stored data packet size is greater than said operational maximum allowable packet size; and

a packager for packaging said data into at least one data packet, each said at least one data packet having said data packet size.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said first signal transmitter/receiver device further comprises one of a base station, a network carrier, and a tower.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said second signal transmitter/receiver device further comprises one of a RF device, a modem, or an end-user.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said means for dynamic packet sizing further comprises means for dynamically segmenting data and encapsulating said segmented data into at least one data packet having a data packet size that is an operational maximum data packet size.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said operational maximum data packet size is a data packet size substantially close to and not greater than a maximum data packet size capable of being successfully transferred between said first signal transmitter/receiver device and said second signal transmitter/receiver device.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein said data packet has a size in the range between about 15 bytes and about 512 bytes.

23. A system for improving data packet delivery of wireless communications between a first signal transmitter/receiver device and a second signal transmitter/receiver device, comprising:

means for reading a stored data packet size;

means for determining an operational maximum data packet size;

means for increasing and storing said data packet size if said stored data packet size is less than said operational maximum data packet size;

means for decreasing and storing said data packet size if said stored data packet size is greater than said operational maximum data packet size;

means for packaging data into at least one data packet having said operational maximum data packet size;

means for transmitting said data packet between said first signal transmitter/receiver device and said second signal transmitter/receiver device; and

means for receiving said data packet between said first signal transmitter/receiver device and said second signal transmitter/receiver device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said means for reading a stored data packet size further comprises means for reading a stored data packet size from a memory of said second signal transmitter/receiver device.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said means for determining an operational maximum allowable packet size further comprises means for transmitting a signal having a predetermined data packet size between said first signal transmitter/receiver device and said second signal transmitter/receiver device, means for determining whether said data packet is successfully transferred, and means for dynamically sizing said data packet by increasing or decreasing said data packet size until said data packet is successfully transferred.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said means for determining whether said data packet is successfully transferred further comprises means for calculating a Bit Error Rate (BER), means for determining if said calculated BER is within an acceptable BER, and means for sending an acknowledgment signal, if said calculated BER is acceptable.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein said means for increasing said data packet size further comprises means for doubling the size of said stored data packet size and said means for storing said data packet size further comprises means for storing said increased data packet size in said memory of said second signal transmitter/receiver device.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said increased packet size and said decreased data packet size is stored in said memory.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein said decreasing means further comprises means for halving said stored data packet size, and said storing means for storing said decreased packet size further comprises means for storing said halved data packet size in said memory of said second device.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein said packaging means further comprises means for segmenting the data, and encapsulating said segmented data into at least one data packet having said operational maximum data packet size.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein said transmitting means further comprises a transmitter using a digital modulation scheme with built-in error correction.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said digital modulation scheme comprises a pure ALOHA scheme.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein said transmitting means further comprises one of X.25 PTP protocol and asynchronously.

34. The system of claim 23, wherein said receiving means further comprises a receiver for receiving an RF signal containing said data packets, means for assembling said individual data packets, and means for determining if said data packet was successfully received.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said means for assembling said at least one data packet further comprises means for performing the inverse of said digital modulation scheme with built-in error correction, and said means for determining if said data packet was successfully received further comprises means for determining a bit error rate (BER) for said received data packet and comparing it to a predetermined acceptable BER.

36. A system for improving data packet delivery of wireless communications, comprising:

a network;

a plurality of wireless transmitter/receiver devices;

a connectivity means between said network and said wireless transmitter/receiver devices; and

a dynamic packet sizer,

wherein said connectivity means comprises a standard data communication protocol,

wherein said connectivity means further comprises one of UDP/IP, TCP/IP SNA/3270, X.25, Asynch protocols and the MTP/1 transport protocol.

37. A method of increasing the RF coverage for telemetry wireless communications, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of RF devices;

dynamically sizing at least one data packet using dynamic packet sizing;

wherein the step of dynamically sizing at least one data packet further comprises;

increasing a stored data packet size;

decreasing said stored data packet size if said data packet cannot be successfully delivered; and

transferring said at least one data packet between said plurality of RF devices.

38. A method for improving the delivery of data between a first signal transmitter/receiver device and a second signal transmitter/receiver device, comprising the steps of:

dynamically sizing said data into at least one data packet having a data packet size that is no greater than an operational maximum data packet size capable of being transferred between said first wireless signal transmitter/receiver device and said second wireless signal transmitter/receiver device;

determining an operational maximum allowable packet size capable of being transferred between said first signal transmitter/receiver device and said second signal transmitter/receiver device; and

wherein said step of determining an operational maximum allowable packet size further comprises the steps of transmitting a signal having said stored data packet size between said first signal transmitter/receiver device and said second signal transmitter/receiver device, determining whether said data packet is successfully transferred, and sizing said data packet size by increasing or decreasing said stored data packet size until a successful transfer of data is determined;

setting said data packet size of said at least one data packet to said data packet size no greater than said operational maximum allowable data packet size; and

transferring said at least one data packet from said first signal transmitter/receiver device to said second signal transmitter/receiver device until all data has been delivered.