Approach for managing the use of communications channels based on performance

• US 8,873,500 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2013
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bandspeed, LLC
• Original Assignee: Bandspeed, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Skafidas, Efstratios, Treister, Bijan, Gan, Hongbing
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Frank
• Application Number:
  US14/034,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20140023118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 370328-339, 375132-133
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7136 Arrangements for generation of hop frequencies, e.g. using a bank of frequency sources, using continuous tuning or using a transform
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/715 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/7154 with means for preventing interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

An approach for selecting sets of communications channels involves determining the performance of communications channels. A set of channels is selected based on the results of performance testing and specified criteria. The participant generates data that identifies the selected set of channels and provides that data to other participants of the communications network. The participants communicate over the set of channels, such as by using a frequency hopping protocol. When a specified time expires or monitoring of the performance of the channel set identifies poor performance of the set of channels, the participant selects another set of channels for use in communications based on additional performance testing. By selecting channels based on the initial performance testing and performance monitoring, the communications network adaptively avoids channels with poor performance.

Claims

1. A method performed by a master device in a frequency hopping wireless communication system, the method comprising:

communicating with a slave device over a plurality of communication channels according to a default hopping sequence;

testing the plurality of communication channels;

selecting a subset of the plurality of communication channels based on results of the testing;

communicating with the slave device over the subset of communication channels according to an adapted hopping sequence;

monitoring the subset of communications channels;

based on results of the monitoring or after a specified period of time, reverting back to communicating with the slave device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after reverting back to communicating with the slave device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence;

selecting a second subset of the plurality of communication channels based on results of testing the plurality of communication channels again;

communicating with the slave device over the second subset of communication channels according to a second adapted hopping sequence.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the results of the testing comprise channel classifications for the plurality of communication channels;

and wherein selecting the subset of the plurality of communication channels based on results of the testing comprises selecting the subset of the plurality of communication channels based on the channel classifications for the plurality of communication channels.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the channel classifications for the plurality of communication channels comprise one of two values for each channel of the plurality of communication channels, one of the two values indicating the channel is occupied and the other of the two values indicating the channel is clear.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising reverting back to communicating with the slave device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence based on results of the monitoring.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the results of the monitoring comprise channel classifications for the subset of communication channels;

and wherein reverting back to communicating with the slave device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence based on results of the monitoring comprises reverting back to communicating with the slave device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence based on the channel classifications for the subset of communication channels.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the channel classifications for the subset of communication channels comprise one of two values for each channel of the subset of communication channels, one of the two values indicating the channel is occupied and the other of the two values indicating the channel is still clear.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising reverting back to communicating with the slave device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence after a specified period of time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein reverting back to communicating with the slave device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence after a specified period of time comprises reverting back to communicating with the slave device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence after a clear channel usage timeout.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein testing the plurality of communication channels comprises testing each channel of the plurality of communication channels multiple times.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a packet identifying the subset of communication channels to the slave device prior to communicating with the slave device over the subset of communication channels according to the adapted hopping sequence.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one channel of the plurality of communication channels is repeated in the adapted hopping sequence.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein monitoring the subset of communications channels is performed while communicating with the slave device over the subset of communication channels according to the adapted hopping sequence.

14. A method performed by a master device in a frequency hopping wireless communication system, the method comprising:

communicating with a slave device over a plurality of communication channels according to a default hopping sequence;

testing the plurality of communication channels;

classifying the plurality of communication channels based on results of the testing;

selecting a subset of the plurality of communication channels based on the classifying;

communicating with the slave device over the subset of communication channels according to an adapted hopping sequence;

reverting back to communicating with the slave device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence after a specified period of time.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

monitoring the subset of communications channels;

classifying the subset of communication channels based on results of the monitoring.

16. A frequency hopping wireless communication device comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes;

communicating with another frequency hopping wireless communication device over a plurality of communication channels according to a default hopping sequence;

testing the plurality of communication channels;

selecting a subset of the plurality of communication channels based on results of the testing;

communicating with the other device over the subset of communication channels according to an adapted hopping sequence;

monitoring the subset of communications channels;

based on results of the monitoring or after a specified period of time, reverting back to communicating with the other device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence.

17. The device of claim 16, the memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes:

after reverting back to communicating with the other device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence;

selecting a second subset of the plurality of communication channels based on results of testing the plurality of communication channels again;

communicating with the other device over the second subset of communication channels according to a second adapted hopping sequence.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the results of the testing comprise channel classifications for the plurality of communication channels;

and wherein selecting the subset of the plurality of communication channels based on results of the testing comprises selecting the subset of the plurality of communication channels based on the channel classifications for the plurality of communication channels.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the channel classifications for the plurality of communication channels comprise one of two values for each channel of the plurality of communication channels, one of the two values indicating the channel is occupied and the other of the two values indicating the channel is clear.

20. The device of claim 16, the memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes reverting back to communicating with the other device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence based on results of the monitoring.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the results of the monitoring comprise channel classifications for the subset of communication channels;

and wherein reverting back to communicating with the other device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence based on results of the monitoring comprises reverting back to communicating with the other device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence based on the channel classifications for the subset of communication channels.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the channel classifications for the subset of communication channels comprise one of two values for each channel of the subset of communication channels, one of the two values indicating the channel is occupied and the other of the two values indicating the channel is still clear.

23. The device of claim 16, the memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes reverting back to communicating with the other device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence after a specified period of time.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein reverting back to communicating with the other device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence after a specified period of time comprises reverting back to communicating with the other device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence after a clear channel usage timeout.

25. The device of claim 16, wherein testing the plurality of communication channels comprises testing each channel of the plurality of communication channels multiple times.

26. The device of claim 16, the memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes transmitting a packet identifying the subset of communication channels to the other device prior to communicating with the other device over the subset of communication channels according to the adapted hopping sequence.

27. The device of claim 16, wherein at least one channel of the plurality of communication channels is repeated in the adapted hopping sequence.

28. The device of claim 16, wherein monitoring the subset of communications channels is performed while communicating with the other device over the subset of communication channels according to the adapted hopping sequence.

29. A frequency hopping wireless communication device comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes;

communicating with another frequency hopping wireless communication device over a plurality of communication channels according to a default hopping sequence;

testing the plurality of communication channels;

classifying the plurality of communication channels based on results of the testing;

selecting a subset of the plurality of communication channels based on the classifying;

communicating with the other device over the subset of communication channels according to an adapted hopping sequence.

reverting back to communicating with the other device over the plurality of communication channels according to the default hopping sequence based on a clear channel usage timeout.

30. The device of claim 29, the memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes:

monitoring the subset of communications channels;

classifying the subset of communication channels based on results of the monitoring.

31. The device of claim 29, wherein the device is a master device in a frequency hopping communication system and the other device is a slave device in the frequency hopping communication system.