Wireless communication system control apparatus and method

• US 7,089,014 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2002
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metrix Systems (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metric Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, William M., Bell, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cho, Un C.
• Application Number:
  US10/212,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20030027577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/452.3, 455/464, 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 455/67.14
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/16 Interfaces between hierarchically similar devices

Abstract

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a wireless communication system control apparatus and method to determine available wireless communication channels locally and remotely, and for sending a probe signal to a remote wireless communication control apparatus location on a determined available communication channel. A confirmation message is received from the remote wireless communication apparatus location to verify the establishment of the viable communication path.

Claims

1. In an undefined radio freguency environment having a plurality of wireless communication control apparatus disposed randomly at individual locations, wherein none of the individual ones of the apparatus are in communication with any other individual ones of the apparatus, each individual one of the plurality of wireless communication control apparatus, comprising:

means for dynamically and adaptively establishing a communication channel with other individual ones of the wireless communication control apparatus within radio frequency visibility to facilitate forming a defined wireless network with the plurality of wireless communication control apparatus in the undefined radio frequency environment;

wherein said means for dynamically and adaptively establishing a communication channel with other individual ones of said apparatus includes;

means for discovering open radio frequency spectra within a given spectra range; and

means for transforming discovered open radio freguency spectra within the given spectra range into a plurality of wireless communication links between the control apparatus disposed randomly at individual locations;

wherein said means for discovering open radio frequency spectra includes;

means for enabling local spectrum foraging;

wherein said means for enabling local spectrum foraging includes;

means for calculating an average local noise level;

means for using said average local noise level to determine a signal to noise ratio; and

means for using said signal to noise ratio to determine an expected bit rate error for the local environment of the wireless apparatus;

means for calculating channel statistics and dynamic parameters including at least propagation delay and transport time; and

wherein said means for transforming discovered open radio frequency spectra within the given spectra range into a plurality of wireless communication links between the control apparatus disposed randomly at individual locations includes;

means for performing an inter-node exchange between individual ones of said plurality of apparatus of their determined expected bit rate error for their local environment; and

means for using exchanged expected bit rate errors to confirm whether a communication path may be validly available between individual ones of said plurality of communication control apparatus.

2. The wireless communication control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for performing an inter-node exchange includes:

means for sending wirelessly a frequency chirped channel probe to other individual ones of said apparatus within radio frequency visibility of said probe; and

means for receiving wirelessly a frequency chimed channel probe transmitted from other individual ones of said apparatus within radio frequency visibility of said probe.

3. The wireless communication control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said means for transforming discovered open radio frequency spectra within the given spectra range into a plurality of wireless communication links between the control apparatus disposed randomly at individual locations further includes:

means for establishing a local catalog of available frequencies and confirmation identifications from each apparatus within radio frequency visibility;

means for using the established rules to select links extending between various ones of said plurality of apparatus; and

means for updating said catalog information to adaptively and dynamically select appropriate links between various ones of said plurality of apparatus for wireless communication purposes.

4. The wireless communication control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for establishing a channel catalog database;

means for using said channel catalog database to establish rules for each local apparatus relative to each other apparatus within radio frequency visibility, said rules being indicative of the fitness and robustness of each local apparatus to participate in a wireless network; and

means for exchanging established rules so each apparatus is characterized as to its availability to other apparatus and to what extent a connection can be made between said plurality of apparatus.

5. A wireless communication control apparatus comprising:

a circuit arrangement for dynamically and adaptively establishing a communication channel in an undefined radio frequency environment with other individual ones of wireless communication control apparatus within radio frequency visibility to facilitate forming a defined wireless network with at least one other wireless communication control apparatus in the undefined radio frequency environment;

wherein said circuit arrangement includes;

an analytical circuit for determining available wireless communication channels locally and remotely in said undefined radio frequency environment;

a communication circuit for sending a probe to a remote wireless communication control apparatus location in response to said analytical circuit determining the availability of a communication channel in said undefined radio frequency environment; and

another communication circuit for receiving a confirmation message from said remote wireless communication apparatus location to verify the establishment of a viable communication path in said undefined radio frequency environment;

wherein said analytical circuit includes;

a radio frequency circuit for discovering open radio frequency spectra within a given spectra range;

a linking circuit for transforming discovered open radio frequency spectra within the given spectra range into a plurality of wireless communication links between the control apparatus disposed randomly at individual locations; and

wherein said linking circuit includes;

an exchange circuit for performing an inter-node exchange between individual ones of said plurality of apparatus of their determined expected bit rate error for their local environment;

a confirming circuit for using exchanged expected bit rate errors to confirm whether a communication path may be validly available between with at least one other wireless communication control apparatus in the undefined radio frequency environment; and

a cataloging circuit for establishing a local catalog of available frequencies and confirmation identifications from each apparatus within radio frequency visibility; and

wherein said exchange circuit includes;

a chirping send circuit for facilitating sending wirelessly a frequency chirped channel probe to other individual ones of said apparatus within radio frequency visibility of said probe; and

a chirping receive circuit for facilitating receiving wirelessly a frequency chirped channel probe transmitted from other individual ones of said apparatus within radio frequency visibility of said probe.

6. The wireless communication control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said radio frequency circuit includes:

a foraging circuit for enabling local spectrum foraging.

7. The wireless communication control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said forging circuit includes:

an averaging circuit for calculating an average local noise level;

a signal to noise circuit for using said average local noise level to determine a signal to noise ratio;

a bit rate error circuit for using said signal to noise ratio for determining an expected bit rate error for the local environment of the wireless apparatus; and

a propagation transit time circuit for determining an radio frequency wave transit time between nodes.

8. A wireless communication control apparatus, comprising:

a circuit arrangement for dynamically and adaptively establishing a communication channel in an undefined radio frequency environment with other individual ones of wireless communication control apparatus within radio frequency visibility to facilitate forming a defined wireless network with at least one other wireless communication control apparatus in the undefined radio frequency environment;

a database circuit for establish in a channel catalog database;

a rules based circuit for using a channel catalog database to establish rules for each local apparatus relative to each other apparatus within radio freguency visibility, said rules being indicative of the fitness and robustness of each local apparatus to participate in a network;

an exchange circuit for exchanging established rules so each apparatus is characterized as to its availability to other apparatus and to what extent a connection can be made between said plurality of apparatus; and

a link selection circuit for using the established rules to select links extending between various ones of said plurality of apparatus.

9. The wireless communication control apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

an updating circuit for updating said catalog information to adaptively and dynamically select appropriate links between various ones of said plurality of apparatus for wireless communication purposes.

10. A wireless communication system control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the other wireless communication control apparatus communicates with another communication control apparatus for estabiishing desired communication paths therebetween.

11. A wireless communication system control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said at least one of the other wireless communication control apparatus includes means for determining available wireless communication channels in at least one of the remote locations.

12. A wireless communication system control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said at least one of the other wireless communication control apparatus includes means for determining possible communication device links.

13. A wireless communication system control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said at least one of the other wireless communication control apparatus includes means for creating and storing a link catalog.

14. A wireless communication system control apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said at least another communication system controlling apparatus includes means for establishing rules for each link.

15. A wireless communication system control apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said at least one of the other wireless communication control apparatus includes means for establishing a desired route.

16. A wireless communication control apparatus comprising:

a circuit arrangement for dynamically and adaptively establishing a communication channel in an undefined radio frequency environment with other individual ones of wireless communication control apparatus within radio frequency visibility to facilitate forming a defined wireless network with at least one other wireless communication control apparatus in the undefined radio frequency environment;

wherein said circuit arrangement includes;

a circuit for discovering how to coexist within a set of spectral and volumetric boundaries in an undefined radio frequency environment; and

another circuit for sharing an arbitrary radio frequency spectrum with a plurality of radio frequency communication nodes disposed in said undefined radio frequency environment by sending, exchanging, and propagating channel information catalogs among said plurality of radio frequency communication nodes;

wherein each individual one of said plurality of radio frequency communication nodes within radio frequency visibility of at least one other individual one of said plurality of radio frequency communication nodes form a defined wireless communication network; and

wherein each individual one of said plurality of radio frequency communication nodes in said defined wireless communication network is characterized as to its availability to other individual ones of the radio frequency communication nodes and to what extent a communication channel connection can be made between said plurality of radio frequency communication nodes in said defined wireless communication network.

17. The wireless communication control apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said circuit for discovering how to coexist within a set of spectral and volumetric boundaries in an undefined radio frequency environment discovers and channelizes spectrum according to the capacity of the wireless communication control apparatus to support different modulations and data rates.

18. The wireless communication control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said circuit for discovering how to coexist within a set of spectral and volumetric boundaries in an undefined radio frequency environment discovers and channelizes spectrum by analyzing and categorizing noise in a multidimensional manner to enable said plurality of radio frequency communication nodes in said defined wireless communication network to coexist using common or different frequencies or bandwidths in said undefined radio frequency environment.