Methods and apparatus for performance optimization of heterogeneous wireless system communities

• US 8,995,996 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bims, Harry V.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TIMOTHY X
• Application Number:
  US12/540,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20110039554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,057 Days
• Field of Search: 455/434, 455/450
• US Class Current: 455/434
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0033 arrangements specific to the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for enhancing the operation and capacity of a wireless coexistence community having devices with multiple differing air interfaces that share physical or spectral access resources such as time, frequency, code, etc. These methods and apparatus allow the multiple devices to manage interference among one another fairly or according to one or more policy objectives, despite having different physical layer operations and implementations. In one embodiment, a mathematics-based model is utilized in accordance with device profiles to intelligently optimize the operation of one or more of the wireless devices according to a “good neighbor” paradigm.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing one or more operations of at least one of a plurality of wireless devices operating within an environment where interference and competition for resources occurs, the method comprising:

at a first wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices;

transmitting first profile data to a second wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices;

receiving second profile data from the second wireless device; and

utilizing the first profile data and the second profile data to perform a linear programming optimization that optimizes one or more operations of the first wireless device or one or more operations of the second wireless device, according to one or more linear objective functions,

wherein the first profile data comprises application sensitivity information associated with one or more applications running at the first wireless device or the second profile data comprises application sensitivity information associated with one or more applications running at the second wireless device;

wherein the linear programming optimization comprises utilization of a fairness equation to ensure that both the first wireless device and the second wireless device are provided with adequate electromagnetic spectrum resources for communicating application data without jitter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first wireless device comprises a plurality of air interfaces associated with different communication protocols; and

the second wireless device comprises at least one air interface in common with at least one of the plurality of air interfaces of the first wireless device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the first profile data comprises transmitting data using a communication protocol that is agnostic to at least one of the plurality of air interfaces of the first wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the interference comprises an interference between at least the first wireless device and the second wireless device; and

the competition for resources comprises a contention for a common portion of electromagnetic spectrum resources between at least the first wireless device and the second wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first profile data or the second profile data further comprises:

(i) data indicating one or more communication capabilities of the first wireless device or the second wireless device;

(ii) one or more optimization factors or priorities for the first wireless device or the second wireless device; and

(iii) data indicating one or more detected environmental factors that cause radio interference for the first wireless device or the second wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the application sensitivity information is utilized in the linear programming optimization to optimize one or more application operations of the first wireless device or one or more application operations of the second wireless device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application sensitivity information is dynamic information that changes according to variable data communication requirements of one or more applications running at the first wireless device or one or more applications running at the second wireless device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first profile data or the second profile data further comprises network information associated with an underlying network utilized to communicate application data associated with one or more applications running at the first wireless device or application data associated with one or more applications running at the second wireless device.

9. A method of allocating resources between or amongst a plurality of wireless devices operating in proximity to one another, the method comprising:

at a first wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices;

transmitting first profile data to a second wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices using a common air interface;

receiving second profile data from the second wireless device; and

utilizing the first profile data and the second profile data to optimize one or more operations of the first wireless device or one or more operations of the second wireless device, in accordance with at least one operational goal or objective,

wherein the first profile data comprises application sensitivity information associated with one or more applications running at the first wireless device or the second profile data comprises application sensitivity information associated with one or more applications running at the second wireless device, and

wherein optimization of one or more operations of the first wireless device or one or more operations of the second wireless device ensures that both the first wireless device and the second wireless device are provided with adequate electromagnetic spectrum resources for communicating application data without jitter.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the optimization of one or more operations of first wireless device or one or more operations of the second wireless device comprises adjusting at least one operational parameter associated with an air interface of the first wireless device or the second wireless device that is different from the common air interface.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the first profile data comprises transmitting data using an interface-agnostic communication protocol.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the interface-agnostic communication protocol comprises a lightweight protocol adapted to communicate only low bandwidth data.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein utilizing the first profile data and the second profile data to optimize one or more operations of the first wireless device or one or more operations of the second wireless device is performed iteratively or periodically.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the optimization of one or more operations of the first wireless device or one or more operations of the second wireless device is performed in response to an initiation of an application at the first wireless device or an initiation of an application at the second wireless device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the application sensitivity information is utilized to optimize one or more application operations of the first wireless device or one or more application operations of the second wireless device.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the first profile data or the second profile data further comprises network information associated with an underlying network utilized to communicate application data associated with one or more applications running at the first wireless device or application data associated with one or more applications running at the second wireless device.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the application sensitivity information is dynamic information that changes according to variable data communication requirements of one or more applications running at the first wireless device or one or more applications running at the second wireless device.