Configuring transmission parameters based on a congestion quality metric

• US 8,780,755 B1
• Filed: 08/02/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Gopi, Paramesh, Bidichandani, Sameer, Mohan, Aswath
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, MARCUS
• Application Number:
  US13/565,734
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0017 where the mode-switching is based on Quality of Service requirement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0231 based on communication conditions dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition based on channel quality criteria H04W72/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

In at least one aspect, a system includes a wireless client and a server. The wireless client generates a congestion quality metric based on a number of packet transmission retries and a received signal strength. The server generates configuration data for configuring one or more transmission parameters of the wireless client based on the congestion quality metric, and the wireless client configures the one or more transmission parameters according to the configuration data.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

circuitry that generates a congestion quality metric based on a number of packet transmission retries and a received signal strength at a wireless client, wherein the circuitry generates the congestion quality metric further based on both a first rate at which the number of packet transmission retries is changing and a second rate at which the received signal strength is changing, wherein the first rate at which the number of packet transmission retries is changing is determined based on a difference between a current number of packet transmission retries and a previous number of packet transmission retries, and wherein the second rate at which the received signal strength is changing is determined based on a difference between a current received signal strength and a previous received signal strength;

circuitry that receives configuration data generated by a querying system based on the congestion quality metric; and

circuitry that configures one or more transmission parameters of the wireless client according to the configuration data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the congestion quality metric represents a high level of packet congestion when the number of packet transmission retries represents a high number of packet transmission retries and the received signal strength represents a strong signal strength.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the congestion quality metric represents a low level of packet congestion when the number of packet transmission retries represents a high number of packet transmission retries and the received signal strength represents a weak signal strength.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration data comprises data for decreasing a contention window parameter of the wireless client when the congestion quality metric represents a high level of packet congestion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration data comprises data for increasing a retry count threshold parameter of the wireless client when the congestion quality metric represents a high level of packet congestion.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration data comprises data for decreasing an interframe space parameter of the wireless client when the congestion quality metric represents a high level of packet congestion.

7. An apparatus comprising:

circuitry that receives a congestion quality metric generated based on a number of packet transmission retries, a received signal strength at a wireless client, and both a first rate at which the number of packet transmission retries is changing and a second rate at which the received signal strength is changing, wherein the first rate at which the number of packet transmission retries is changing is determined based on a difference between a current number of packet transmission retries and a previous number of packet transmission retries, and wherein the second rate at which the received signal strength is changing is determined based on a difference between a current received signal strength and a previous received signal strength;

circuitry that generates configuration data based on the congestion quality metric; and

circuitry that transmits the configuration data for configuring one or more transmission parameters of the wireless client.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuitry that generates the configuration data comprises:

circuitry that generates data for decreasing a contention window parameter of the wireless client when the congestion quality metric represents a high level of packet congestion.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuitry that generates the configuration data comprises:

circuitry that generates data for increasing a retry count threshold parameter of the wireless client when the congestion quality metric represents a high level of packet congestion.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuitry that generates the configuration data comprises:

circuitry that generates data for decreasing an interframe space parameter of the wireless client when the congestion quality metric represents a high level of packet congestion.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

circuitry that receives user input selecting net usage parameters of the wireless client, the net usage parameters defining data rates at which the wireless client transmits or receives data.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the circuitry that generates the configuration data comprises:

circuitry that generates the configuration data further based on the selected net usage capabilities.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

circuitry that receives user input selecting performance parameters of one or more computer data services of the wireless client, the one or more computer data services comprising one or more of processor usage, memory usage, or Internet download rate.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the circuitry that generates the configuration data comprises:

circuitry that generates the configuration data further based on the selected performance capabilities of the one or more computer data services of the wireless client.

15. A system comprising:

a wireless client comprising at least one hardware processor and at least one memory device, the wireless client generates a congestion quality metric based on a number of packet transmission retries and a received signal strength, wherein the wireless client generates the congestion quality metric further based on both a first rate at which the number of packet transmission retries is changing and a second rate at which the received signal strength is changing, wherein the first rate at which the number of packet transmission retries is changing is determined based on a difference between a current number of packet transmission retries and a previous number of packet transmission retries, and wherein the second rate at which the received signal strength is changing is determined based on a difference between a current received signal strength and a previous received signal strength; and

a server comprising at least one hardware processor and at least one memory device, the server generates configuration data for configuring one or more transmission parameters of the wireless client based on the congestion quality metric,

wherein the wireless client configures the one or more transmission parameters according to the configuration data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the congestion quality metric represents a high level of packet congestion when the number of packet transmission retries represents a high number of packet transmission retries and the received signal strength represents a strong signal strength.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the configuration data comprises data for decreasing a contention window parameter of the wireless client when the congestion quality metric represents a high level of packet congestion.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the configuration data comprises data for increasing a retry count threshold parameter of the wireless client when the congestion quality metric represents a high level of packet congestion.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the configuration data comprises data for decreasing an interframe space parameter of the wireless client when the congestion quality metric represents a high level of packet congestion.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the wireless client that generates the congestion quality metric based on the number of packet transmission retries and the received signal strength comprises:

the wireless client that generates the congestion quality metric based on a linear combination of a first time derivative of the number of packet transmission retries, a second time derivative of the number of packet transmission retries, a first time derivative of the received signal strength, and a second time derivative of the received signal strength.