Method and apparatus for WiFi long range radio coordination

• US 8,218,564 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2008
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trilliant Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Trilliant Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Frei, Randall Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Sinkantarakorn, Pao
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zaidi, Iqbal
• Application Number:
  US12/229,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20090059794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/245, 370/235, 370265-269, 370335-339, 370346-350, 370400-427, 370450-451, 455450-451, 455/426
• US Class Current: 370/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference

Abstract

A method and apparatus for WiFi long range radio coordination is described. In one embodiment, a method for facilitating radio coordination in order to prevent simultaneous exchanges of data includes processing status information associated with a first radio and a second radio within a node and scheduling signal communications of the first radio and second radio based on the status information to avoid interference between the first radio and the second radio.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating radio coordination in order to prevent simultaneous exchanges of data, comprising:

processing status information associated with a first radio and a second radio within a node, wherein the status information comprises at least one of a start time for transmission or reception of data corresponding to at least one of the first radio or the second radio, wherein processing the status information further comprises polling at least one of the first radio or the second radio in order to access the status information; and

scheduling signal communications of the first radio and second radio based on the processed status information to avoid interference between the first radio and the second radio, wherein scheduling the signal communications of the first radio and second radio further comprises (i) when the second radio is not communicating data as indicated by the processed status information, commencing at least one of a transmission or a reception of a frame at the first radio, and (ii) generating a coordination message to be transmitted from the first radio to the second radio to prevent a signal transmission at the second radio during a signal reception at the first radio.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling the signal communications of the first radio and second radio further comprises when the second radio is communicating data as indicated by the status information, delaying at least one of a transmission or a reception of a frame at the first radio until the second radio halts.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling the signal communications of the first radio and second radio further comprises waiting for signal communications at the second radio to halt before at least one of a transmission or a reception of a frame at the first radio.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling the signal communications of the first radio and second radio further comprises delaying signal communications at the first radio until at least one of a transmission or a reception of a frame at the second radio finishes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the status information further comprises instructing at least one of the first radio or the second radio to transmit an internal event having the status information.

6. A node for facilitating radio coordination in order to prevent simultaneous exchanges of data, comprising:

a transceiver, comprising at least two radios; and

a coordination module for scheduling signal communications of the at least two radios based on status information to avoid interference between the at least two radios,

wherein the coordination module commences at least one of a transmission or a reception of a frame at a first radio of the at least two radios, wherein the coordination module performs at least one of polling the at least two radios in order to access the status information or instructing the at least two radios to transmit an internal event having the status information, wherein the coordination module generates a coordination message to be transmitted from a first radio of the at least two radios to a second radio of the at least two radios to prevent a signal transmission at the second radio during a signal reception at the first radio, and wherein the status information indicates that a second radio of the at least two radios is not communicating data, and wherein the status information comprises at least one of a start time for transmission or reception of data corresponding to at least one of the first radio or the second radio.

7. The node of claim 6, wherein the coordination module delays at least one of a transmission or a reception of a frame at a first radio of the at least two radios until a second radio of the at least two radios halts, wherein the status information indicates that the second radio of the at least two radios is communicating data.

8. The node of claim 6, wherein the coordination module delays signal communications at a first radio of the at least two radios until at least one of a transmission or a reception of a frame at a second radio of the at least two radios finishes.

9. The node of claim 6, wherein each node of the at least two radios is coupled to a different antenna.

10. A system facilitating radio coordination in order to prevent simultaneous exchanges of data, comprising:

a plurality of nodes for receiving and transmitting at least one frame of data, wherein each node comprising;

a transceiver, comprising at least two radios, and

a coordination module for processing status information associated with the at least two radios to schedule signal communications of the at least two radios based on the status information to avoid interference between the at least two radios, wherein the coordination module polls the at least two radios in order to access the status information, and wherein the coordination module delays signal communications at a first radio of the at least two radios until at least one of a transmission or a reception of a frame at a second radio of the at least two radios finishes, wherein the coordination module generates a coordination message to be transmitted from a first radio of the at least two radios to a second radio of the at least two radios to prevent a signal transmission at the second radio during a signal reception at the first radio, and wherein the status information comprises at least one of a start time for transmission or reception of data corresponding to at least one of the first radio or the second radio and;

an access point coupled to the plurality of nodes for routing the signal communications of the at least two radios.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the coordination module instructs the at least two radios to transmit an internal event having the status information.