Device and method supporting cognitive, dynamic media access control

• US 8,743,708 B1
• Filed: 08/01/2005
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Robertson, Richard L., Frank, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): ONAMUTI, GBEMILEKE J
• Application Number:
  US11/194,782
• Time in Patent Office: 3,228 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/338, 370/349, 370/465, 370/466, 370/469, 370/345, 370/252, 455/561, 342/357.1
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0006 Assessment of spectral gaps suitable for allocating digitally modulated signals, e.g. for carrier allocation in cognitive radio for spectrum sharing between different networks H04W16/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters

Abstract

A method and a device for reconfiguring communication transmission characteristics in response to a changing communication environment is provided. An environment at a communication device is characterized to determine if a transmission parameter associated with processing of a communication signal at a physical layer or a network interface layer should change based on current conditions at the communication device. If a need is identified, a second transmission parameter is selected based on the environment monitoring. A request identifying the second transmission parameter is sent to a second communication device using an existing communication link. A response from the second communication device is received indicating acceptance or rejection of use of the second transmission parameter. If the response indicates acceptance of use of the second transmission parameter, the physical layer and/or the network interface layer are reconfigured based on the selected second transmission parameter.

Claims

1. A method of reconfiguring communication transmission characteristics in response to a changing communication environment, the method comprising:

receiving a communication signal from a first communication device at a second communication device, the communication signal being processed based on a first SIS/MAC transmission pair, wherein the first SIS/MAC transmission pair having a SIS parameter associated with processing of the communication signal by a physical layer implemented at the second communication device and a MAC parameter associated with processing of the communication signal at a network interface layer implemented at the second communication device, wherein the first SIS/MAC pair is selected using a world model, the world model including world model data for a local environment, the world model data including a source emitter schedule, the source emitter schedule including predictive information on source emitter operation, the predictive information including peace time and war time operational profiles;

sensing a local environment at the second communication device to obtain environment characterization data, the environment characterization data including a location;

identifying if there is a need to change the first SIS/MAC pair;

if a need is identified, selecting a second transmission SIS/MAC pair different from the first SIS/MAC pair based on the environment characterization data, wherein the selecting uses a solution space including a channel selection dimension, a latitude dimension, a longitude dimension, an altitude dimension and a time dimension, the time dimension being used to select frequency and modulation schemes based upon the source emitter schedule; and

sending a request to the first communication device from the second communication device, wherein the request includes an indication of the selected second SIS/MAC pair.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network interface layer includes a media access control sub-layer, and further wherein the MAC parameter is associated with a transmission technology supported at the media access control sub-layer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the SIS-parameter is selected from the group consisting of a frequency, a bandwidth, and a parameter associated with a transmission technology.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising reconfiguring at least one of the physical layer and the network interface layer at the second communication device based on the second transmission SIS/MAC pair.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical layer and the network interface layer are separately reconfigurable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical layer can be reconfigured without reconfiguring the network interface layer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical layer and the network interface layer are reconfigured as a pair.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the need is identified based on a bandwidth usage.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the need is identified based on a spectral environment change.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying new transmission frequencies and modulation schemes available for use in a second SIS/MAC in response to an update to the world model.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the spectral environment change results from a time change.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the spectral environment change results from an environment change.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the need is identified based on an operational environment change.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational environment change is a change in a relative velocity between the first communication device and the second communication device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing the local environment includes sampling of a frequency spectrum of a communication channel.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein an input to a cognitive algorithm includes an environment characterization datum associated with sensing the local environment, the cognitive algorithm accessing the world model and selecting the second SIS/MAC pair.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a processor, cause the processor to reconfigure communication transmission characteristics in response to a changing communication environment using steps comprising:

characterizing an environment, to obtain environment characterization data, the environment characterization data including at least one of weather data and atmospheric data;

identifying if there is a need to change a first transmission parameter, wherein the first transmission parameter is associated with processing of a communication signal received from a communication device by at least one of a physical layer and a network interface layer;

if a need is identified, selecting a second transmission parameter different from the first transmission parameter based on the environment characterization data, wherein the selecting uses a world model including a source emitter schedule, the source emitter schedule based on a priori information rather than empirical observation, the information regarding times of operation and non-operation for a source emitter; and

sending a request to the communication device, wherein the request includes an indication of the selected second transmission parameter.

18. A communication device, the communication device comprising:

a receiver, the receiver receiving a communication signal from a first communication device, the communication signal processed based on a first SIS/MAC combination, wherein the first SIS/MAC combination including a first SIS parameter associated with processing of the communication signal by a physical layer and a first MAC parameter associated with processing of the communication signal associated with a network interface layer, the physical layer and the network interface layer operatively connected with the receiver;

an environment monitor, wherein the environment monitor senses the environment to obtain environment characterization data;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising

identifying if there is a need to change the first transmission SIS/MAC combination;

if a need is identified, selecting a second SIS/MAC combination different from the first SIS/MAC combination based on the environment characterization data, the second SIS/MAC combination being selected from a predetermined list of SIS/MAC combinations, the selecting using a latitude, longitude, a channel, and a time parameter and a world model including a source emitter schedule with advance information for source emitters operating on a scheduled basis, the source emitter schedule including a war time schedule and a peace time schedule.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein sensing the local environment comprises sensing a position or a velocity of the first communication device or the second communication device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein sensing the local environment comprises sensing atmospheric data at the second communication device.