Method and apparatus for estimating collision probability in a wireless network

• US 7,839,793 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2008
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Patente GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications GmbH and Co KG (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Balan, Radu Victor, Rosca, Justinian
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Huy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): HASPEL, AMY C
• Application Number:
  US12/206,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20090135726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 370/252
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method for estimating packet collisions within a wireless network, comprising: for each transmit packet an Access Point (AP) of the network records statistics transmission information; based on this statistical information the AP computes: Total number of slot times generated during this transmission, n; Total number of deferrals, m; and Total number of unsuccessful transmissions, Q s; and using a sequence (m,n,Q) of statistics for each access category (AC), the AP computes the probability of collision for unsuccessful packets, p.

Claims

1. A method for estimating packet collisions within a wireless network, comprising:

for each transmit packet an Access Point (AP) of the network records statistics about transmission of information;

based on this statistical information the AP computes;

total number of slot times generated during the transmission, n;

total number of deferrals, m; and

total number of unsuccessful transmissions, Q; and

using sequences (m,n,Q) of statistics for each access category (AC), the AP computes a probability of collision for unsuccessful packets, p, for each access category; and

wherein p is selected to maximize;

2. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising determining in the AP whether the computed probability of collision is greater than a predetermined threshold or

utilizing a state machine to compare at least one predetermined threshold of at least one feature derived from at least one estimate of the probability of collision for at least one respective access category.

3. The method recited in claim 2 wherein if the computed probability is greater than the predetermined threshold or the computed probability is greater than the at least one predetermined threshold of at least one feature for the at least one respective access category, the AP either influences admission control for one or all access categories or adjusts some portion of present traffic in order to alleviate potential problems.