Data transmission rate control

• US 7,392,016 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2005
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Liu, Jiewen, Tsien, Chih C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US11/127,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20050215263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/522, 455/226.2, 455/226.3, 455/277.2, 455/278.1, 455/67.13, 375/254, 375/222, 375/225, 375/296
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method includes monitoring a variable-rate data communication channel to determine its signal-to-noise ratio, and adjusting the data transmission rate of the variable rate data communication channel based on its signal-to-noise ratio.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless communication device to determine a signal-to-noise ratio associated with a variable-rate data communication channel, and to iteratively adjust a data transmission rate of the variable-rate data communication channel if the signal-to-noise ratio cannot be determined for a defined period of time, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to determine the signal-to-noise ratio of the variable-rate data communication channel from a data signal strength factor and a noise signal strength factor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device comprises at least one of a personal computer memory card international association card, a wireless access point, or a wireless network interface card.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to compare the signal-to-noise ratio of the variable rate data communication channel to a plurality of signal-to-noise ratio ranges.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to select a signal-to-noise ratio range that encompasses the signal-to-noise ratio of the variable rate data communication channel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device comprises:

a signal-to-noise ratio last successful calculation time monitor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the variable-rate data communication channel comprises a bidirectional channel including a receive side to receive data from a remote device and a transmit side to transmit data to the remote device.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless communication device to determine a signal-to-noise ratio associated with a variable-rate data communication channel, and to iteratively adjust a data transmission rate of the variable-rate data communication channel if the signal-to-noise ratio cannot be determined for a defined period of time, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to determine the signal-to-noise ratio of the variable-rate data communication channel using a data signal strength factor comprising a difference between a received signal strength factor and a noise signal strength factor.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless communication device to determine a signal-to-noise ratio associated with a variable-rate data communication channel, and to iteratively adjust a data transmission rate of the variable-rate data communication channel if the signal-to-noise ratio cannot be determined for a defined period of time, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to set the data transmission rate of the variable rate data communication channel to a specific data transmission rate associated with a selected signal-to-noise ratio range.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) determination process to monitor a variable-rate data communication channel during a non-transmission period to determine its signal-to-noise ratio; and

an iterative rate determination process, responsive to the SNR determination process being unable to determine the signal-to-noise ratio for a defined period of time, to set a data transmission rate of the variable rate data communication channel, wherein the SNR determination process includes a received signal determination process to determine a received signal strength factor for a receive side of the variable-rate data communication channel during a transmission period, and a noise signal determination process to determine a noise signal strength factor for the receive side of the variable-rate data communication channel.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a signal-to-noise ratio comparison process to compare the signal-to-noise ratio of the variable-rate data communication channel to a plurality of signal-to-noise ratio ranges.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a range selection process to select one of the plurality of signal-to-noise ratio ranges that encompasses the signal-to-noise ratio of the variable-rate data communication channel.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the SNR determination process includes a data signal determination process to determine a difference between the received signal strength factor and the noise signal strength factor, wherein the difference comprises a data signal strength factor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the SNR determination process includes a signal-to-noise ratio calculation process to determine the signal-to-noise ratio of the variable-rate data communication channel from the data signal strength factor and the noise signal strength factor.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the iterative rate determination process include an initial rate setting process to set the data transmission rate to a selected rate that corresponds to a last-determined SNR.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) determination process to monitor a variable-rate data communication channel during a non-transmission period to determine its signal-to-noise ratio; and

an iterative rate determination process, responsive to the SNR determination process being unable to determine the signal-to-noise ratio for a defined period of time, to set a data transmission rate of the variable rate data communication channel, wherein the iterative rate determination process includes a transmission ratio determination process to determine a transmission ratio indicative of a ratio of a number of data packets received by a remote device versus a number of data packets transmitted to the remote device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the iterative rate determination process includes a transmission rate adjustment process to adjust the data transmission rate in response to the transmission ratio being outside of a defined acceptability ratio range.

17. A system, comprising:

a first wireless communication device to determine a first signal-to-noise ratio associated with a variable-rate data communication channel, and to iteratively adjust a first data transmission rate of the variable-rate data communication channel if the first signal-to-noise ratio cannot be determined for a first defined period of time; and

a first computer including a display, the first computer to be coupled to the first wireless communication device,

wherein the first wireless communication device is configured to monitor the variable-rate data communication channel during a non-transmission period to determine the first signal-to-noise ratio, and to set the first data transmission rate in response to a failure to determine the first signal-to-noise ratio during the first defined period of time.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first wireless communication device comprises at least one of a personal computer memory card international association card, a wireless access point, or a wireless network interface card.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a second wireless communication device to determine a second signal-to-noise ratio associated with the variable-rate data communication channel, and to iteratively adjust a second data transmission rate of the variable-rate data communication channel if the second signal-to-noise ratio cannot be determined for a second defined period of time.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a remote device to receive data transmitted by the first wireless communication device.

21. An article comprising a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

iteratively adjust a data transmission rate of a variable-rate data communication channel if a signal-to-noise ratio associated with the variable-rate data communication channel cannot be determined for a defined period of time, wherein a wireless communication device is configured to determine the signal-to-noise ratio of the variable-rate data communication channel from a data signal strength factor and a noise signal strength factor.

22. The article of claim 21, further comprising instructions to cause the processor to:

determine the signal-to-noise ratio; and

select the data transmission rate associated with a signal-to-noise ratio range including the signal-to-noise ratio.

23. The article of claim 21, further comprising instructions to cause the processor to:

monitor the variable-rate data communication channel during a non-transmission period to determine the signal-to-noise ratio.

24. The article of claim 21, further comprising instructions to cause the processor to:

monitor the defined period of time as a period of time since the signal-to-noise ratio was last successfully calculated.

25. The article of claim 21, further comprising instructions to cause the processor to:

determine a transmission ratio comprising a number of packets successfully received divided by a number of packets transmitted over the variable-rate data communication channel.

26. The article of claim 25, further comprising instructions to cause the processor to:

select one of lowering the transmission data rate to a next lower rate, and raising the transmission data rate to a next higher rate, responsive to the transmission ratio.