Use of separate control channel to mitigate interference problems in wireless networking

• US 7,440,728 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bahl, Paramvir, Madhavan, Poovanpilli G., Abhishek, Abhishek, Mundie, Craig J., Westerinen, William J., Poncini, Victoria M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Guzman; April S
• Application Number:
  US11/004,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20060121854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 455/434, 455/450, 455/452.1, 455/62, 455/63.1, 455/63.3, 455/63
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

Described is a system and method for transporting interference-related control data and other information between nodes in a wireless network, using a control channel that is distinct from a content channel used to transport content. The control channel may be a different channel in the same unlicensed band as the content channel, a channel in a different unlicensed band, or a channel in a licensed band, and thereby not subject to the same interference-related problems that the unlicensed content channel may experience. As a result, management information for adjusting the content channel'"'"'s communication parameters may still be communicated between the nodes, whereby mitigation actions may occur. For example, the content channel may be changed to another frequency, compression may be implemented or varied, and/or the data transfer rate may be varied. The control data can also be used to change the control channel'"'"'s communication parameters.

Claims

1. In a peer-to-peer network, a method of mitigating communication interference in an unlicensed wireless band used to exchange content data between two peer devices by using a control channel to exchange control data between the two peer devices in order to dynamically vary the unlicensed wireless communication, the method comprising:

establishing a peer-to-peer communication between two devices;

transmitting between the two devices content data on a main data channel in the unlicensed band;

providing a control channel, different from the main channel, for transferring control data directly between the two devices such that control data sent from one of the two devices is specifically directed at another;

exchanging control data directly between the two devices on the control channel, the control data including interference-related information for managing the transmission of the content data on the main data channel, and wherein the exchange includes both a transmission and reception of the control data by each of the two devices and directed at each other, which allows each of the two devices to know the radio frequency environment of each other for the peer-to-peer communication between the two devices on the main data channel in the unlicensed band; and

varying at least one parameter that performs an action to mitigate interference-related communication problems on the main data channel based on the exchange of the control data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the control channel for transferring control data is a channel in a licensed band.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the control channel for transferring control data is a channel in an unlicensed band.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the control channel for transferring control data is a different channel in the same unlicensed band.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the control channel for transferring control data is a in a different unlicensed band.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein varying at least one parameter comprises varying compression of data sent on the main data channel.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein varying at least one parameter comprises varying change a frequency of transmission on the main data channel.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein varying at least one parameter comprises varying a rate of data sent on the main data channel.

9. At least one computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform the method of claim 1.

18. At least one computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform the method of claim 1.

10. In a peer-to-peer network, a method of mitigating communication interference in an unlicensed wireless band used to exchange content data between two peer devices by using a control channel to exchange control data between the two peer devices in order to dynamically vary the unlicensed wireless communication, the method comprising:

establishing a peer-to-peer communication between two nodes in a network;

communicating content data between the two nodes, on a first main data channel in the unlicensed band;

providing a control channel, the control channel being different from the first main data channel and operating for transferring of control data directly between the two nodes such that control data sent from one of the two nodes is specifically directed at the other node;

exchanging control data on the control channel and directly between the nodes, the control data including interference-related information related to the communication of the content data on the first main data channel, and wherein the exchanging of control data includes both a transmission and reception of the control data by each of the two nodes and directed at each other, which allows each of the nodes to know the radio frequency environment of each other for the peer-to-peer communication between the two devices on the first main data channel in the unlicensed band; and

based on the exchanging of control data between the nodes via the control channel, changing the first main data channel to a second main data channel in the unlicensed band in order to mitigate interference-related communication problems on the main channel.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the control data includes interference-related information, and wherein exchanging the control data is performed to mitigate interference problems with communications on the first main channel.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein exchanging the control data comprises communicating on a channel in a licensed band.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein exchanging the control data comprises communicating on a channel in an unlicensed band.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein communicating on the channel in the unlicensed band channel comprises selecting a channel in the same unlicensed band as the main data channel that is different from the main data channel.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein communicating on the channel in the unlicensed band channel comprises selecting a channel in a different unlicensed band from the unlicensed band of the main data channel.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising exchanging the control data to vary compression of content data transmitted on the main data channel.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising exchanging the control data to vary a rate of transmitting content data on the main data channel.

19. In a wireless communication environment, a system configured to mitigate communication interference in an unlicensed wireless band used to exchange content data between peer-to-peer devices by using a control channel to exchange control data and dynamically vary the unlicensed communication, the system comprising:

a plurality of nodes in a peer-to-peer system that communicate directly with one each other, each node comprising;

a main content transmission mechanism including a first radio that transmits content on an unlicensed content channel to at least one other node; and

a control transmission mechanism including a second radio that transmits control data on a control channel that is in a licensed band and different from the content channel, the control channel allowing the second radio to transmit control data specifically directed to other peer nodes, and the control data including interference-related information that can be exchanged directly between the nodes such that an exchange of the control data, which exchange includes both a transmission and reception of the control data by each of the two peer nodes, allows each node to know the radio frequency environment of each other for communication on the main data channel that is in the unlicensed content channel; and

wherein the peer nodes exchange the control data directly therebetween to vary communication of the content in order to mitigate problems caused by interference on the content channel.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein in order to mitigate problems caused by interference on the content channel, the nodes communicate the control data to change the content channel.