System and method for best effort scheduling

• US 8,144,669 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Le, Lich, Kapur, Ash, Zhodzishsky, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEHRA, INDER P
• Application Number:
  US11/615,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20070097941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,922 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/456.2, 455/517, 455/521, 709/227, 379/88.17, 370/230, 370/277, 370/280, 370/294, 370/321, 370/328, 370/337, 370/347, 370/28.O
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system and method for increasing bandwidth usage between an access point and a wireless device are described. One embodiment can include an access point, a prioritizer, and a priority storage device. These components can increase bandwidth usage between an access point and a wireless device by allocating previously unused transmission slots.

Claims

1. A method for providing wireless communications over allocated and unallocated transmission slots of a polling cycle in a Bluetooth system, comprising:

polling a first Bluetooth-enabled wireless device according to a Bluetooth protocol;

recording upload activity received from the first wireless device in response to the polling to determine whether one or more allocated transmission slots allocated to the first wireless device are being used to transfer a maximum amount of data allowed by the one or more allocated transmission slots; and

allocating one or more of a plurality of unallocated transmission slots to the first wireless device based on the recorded upload activity if it is determined that the one or more allocated transmission slots allocated to the first wireless device are being used to transfer the maximum amount of data allowed by the one or more allocated transmission slots, wherein the Bluetooth system is configurable to reallocate transmission slots in the cycle in which the recorded upload activity is received and configurable to reallocate transmission slots in a subsequent cycle to the cycle in which the recorded upload activity is received.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

determining a first priority for the first wireless device based on the recorded upload activity.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

polling a second wireless device; and

recording the upload activity by the second wireless device.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising:

determining a priority for the second wireless device based on the recorded upload activity for the second wireless device.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising:

determining a priority for the first wireless device based on the recorded upload activity for the first wireless device.

6. The method according to claim 5, comprising:

determining which wireless device has a higher priority.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the wireless device with the higher priority can change from cycle to cycle.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recording of the upload activity comprises recording an amount of data uploaded from the first wireless device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recording of the upload activity comprises recording an indicator that more data needs to be uploaded from the first wireless device.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communications comprises Bluetooth wireless communications.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first wireless device comprises a Bluetooth-enabled personal digital assistant (PDA).

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a Bluetooth-enabled access point.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is performed by an access point.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communications are bursty.

15. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

calculating a number of the plurality of unallocated transmission slots to be allocated to the first wireless device in a present cycle based upon the recorded upload activity from the first wireless device over a previous cycle.

16. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

calculating a number of the plurality of unallocated transmission slots to be allocated to the first wireless device in a present cycle based upon the recorded upload activity from the first wireless device over a plurality of previous cycles.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein a present cycle comprises N transmission slots that include the one or more allocated transmission slots and the one or more unallocated transmission slots, wherein M wireless devices are connected and polled, wherein the M wireless devices includes the first wireless device, wherein N and M are integers, wherein M is less than N, wherein M of the N transmission slots are allocated to the M wireless devices, and wherein N-M of the N transmission slots are allocated to the first wireless device because the first wireless device has a highest calculated priority of the M wireless devices based on a previous cycle or previous cycles.

18. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

polling a second wireless device in a same cycle as the polling of the first wireless device;

recording the upload activity received from the second wireless device in response to the polling of the second wireless device to determine whether one or more allocated transmission slots allocated to the second wireless device are being used to transfer a maximum amount of data allowed by the one or more allocated transmission slots; and

allocating one or more of the plurality of unallocated transmission slots to the first wireless device and the second wireless device if it is determined that the one or more allocated transmission slots allocated to the first wireless device and the second wireless device are being used to transfer the maximum amount of data allowed by the one or more allocated transmission slots.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the allocation of the one or more of the plurality of unallocated transmission slots in a present polling cycle to the first wireless device and the second wireless device is based on a calculation of a priority that is calculated over a previous polling cycle.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the allocation of the one or more of the plurality of unallocated transmission slots in a present polling cycle to the first wireless device and the second wireless device is based on a calculation of a priority that is calculated over a plurality of previous polling cycles, and wherein the calculation of the priority is based on a straight average of the recorded upload activity over the plurality of previous polling cycles.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the allocation of the one or more of the plurality of unallocated transmission slots in a present polling cycle to the first wireless device and the second wireless device is based on a calculation of a priority that is calculated over a plurality of previous polling cycles, and wherein the calculation of the priority is based on a weighted average of the recorded upload activity over the plurality of previous polling cycles.

22. A wireless communications system that provides wireless communications over allocated and unallocated transmission slots of a polling cycle in a Bluetooth system, comprising:

a processor;

a storage device operatively coupled to the processor; and

a plurality of instructions stored in the storage device, the plurality of instructions configured to cause the processor to poll a first Bluetooth wireless device according to a Bluetooth protocol, to record upload activity received from the first wireless device in response to the polling to determine whether one or more allocated transmission slots allocated to the first wireless device are being used at full capacity to transfer a maximum amount of data allowed by the one or more allocated transmission slots, and to allocate one or more of a plurality of unallocated transmission slots to the first wireless device based on the recorded upload activity if it is determined that the one or more allocated transmission slots allocated to the first wireless device are being used at full capacity to transfer the maximum amount of data allowed by the one or more allocated transmission slots,

wherein the wireless communications system is configurable to reallocate transmission slots in the cycle in which the recorded upload activity is received and configurable to reallocate transmission slots in a subsequent cycle to the cycle in which the recorded upload activity is received.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to determine a first priority for the first wireless device based on the recorded upload activity.

24. The system according to claim 22, wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to poll a second wireless device and to record the upload activity by the second wireless device.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to determine a priority for the second wireless device based on the recorded upload activity for the second wireless device.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to determine a priority for the first wireless device based on the recorded upload activity for the first wireless device.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to determine which wireless device has a higher priority.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the wireless device with the higher priority can change from cycle to cycle.

29. The system according to claim 22, wherein the plurality of instructions configured to cause the processor to record the upload activity comprises instructions configured to cause the processor to record an amount of data uploaded from the first wireless device.

30. The system according to claim 22, wherein the plurality of instructions configured to cause the processor to record the upload activity comprises instructions configured to cause the processor to record an indicator that more data needs to be uploaded from the first wireless device.

31. The system according to claim 22, wherein the wireless communications system comprises a Bluetooth-enabled wireless communications system.

32. The system according to claim 22, wherein the first wireless device comprises a Bluetooth-enabled wireless device.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein the first wireless device comprises a personal digital assistant (PDA).

34. The system according to claim 22, wherein the processor and the storage device are part of a Bluetooth-enabled access point.

35. The system according to claim 22, wherein the processor and the storage device are part of an access point.

36. The system according to claim 22, wherein wireless communications on the wireless communications system are bursty.

37. The system according to claim 22, wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to calculate a number of the plurality of unallocated transmission slots to be allocated to the first wireless device in a present cycle based upon the recorded upload activity from the first wireless device over a previous cycle.

38. The system according to claim 22, wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to calculate a number of the plurality of unallocated transmission slots to be allocated to the first wireless device in a present cycle based upon the recorded upload activity from the first wireless device over a plurality of previous cycles.

39. The system according to claim 22,

wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to poll a second wireless device in a same cycle as the polling of the first wireless device,

wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to record the upload activity received from the second wireless device in response to the polling of the second wireless device to determine whether one or more allocated transmission slots allocated to the second wireless device are being used to transfer a maximum amount of data allowed by the one or more allocated transmission slots, and

wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to allocate one or more of the plurality of unallocated transmission slots to the first wireless device and the second wireless device if it is determined that the one or more allocated transmission slots allocated to the first wireless device and the second wireless device are being used to transfer the maximum amount of data allowed by the one or more allocated transmission slots.

40. The system according to claim 39, wherein the allocation of the one or more of the plurality of unallocated transmission slots in a present polling cycle to the first wireless device and the second wireless device is based on a calculation of a priority that is calculated over a previous polling cycle.

41. The system according to claim 39, wherein the allocation of the one or more of the plurality of unallocated transmission slots in a present polling cycle to the first wireless device and the second wireless device is based on a calculation of a priority that is calculated over a plurality of previous polling cycles, and wherein the calculation of the priority is based on a straight average of the recorded upload activity over the plurality of previous polling cycles.

42. The system according to claim 39, wherein the allocation of the one or more of the plurality of unallocated transmission slots in a present polling cycle to the first wireless device and the second wireless device is based on a calculation of a priority that is calculated over a plurality of previous polling cycles, and wherein the calculation of the priority is based on a weighted average of the recorded upload activity over the plurality of previous polling cycles.

43. The system according to claim 22, wherein a present cycle comprises N transmission slots that include the one or more allocated transmission slots and the one or more unallocated transmission slots, wherein M wireless devices are connected and polled, wherein the M wireless devices includes the first wireless device, wherein N and M are integers, wherein M is less than N, wherein M of the N transmission slots are allocated to the M wireless devices, and wherein N-M of the N transmission slots are allocated to the first wireless device because the first wireless device has a highest calculated priority of the M wireless devices based on a previous cycle or previous cycles.