Selecting a communication medium for data transmission

• US 9,178,714 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Rajkotia, Purva R., Krishnam, Manjunath Anandarama
• Primary Examiner(s): Jagannathan, Melanie
• Application Number:
  US14/018,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20150063134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/407 with decentralised control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]

Abstract

A method for transmitting data from within a wired communication system is disclosed. A first network-enabled device can select one of a plurality of communication mediums for transmitting the data stream to the second device and transmit the data stream to the second device using the selected communication medium. The first device determines that the transmission of the data stream using the selected communication medium is being interfered with by transmission of other data from the first device to a third device on another of the plurality of communication mediums. In response to determining that the transmission of the data stream to the second device on the selected communication medium is being interfered with by the transmission of the other data to the third device using the other communication medium, the first device turns off the transmission of the other data to the third device on the other communication medium.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data from a first device to a second device within a wired communication system, the method being performed by the first device and comprising:

determining that a data stream is to be transmitted to the second device;

selecting one of a plurality of communication mediums for transmitting the data stream to the second device;

transmitting the data stream to the second device using the selected communication medium;

determining that the transmission of the data stream to the second device using the selected communication medium is being interfered with by transmission of other data from the first device to a third device on another of the plurality of communication mediums; and

in response to determining that the transmission of the data stream to the second device on the selected communication medium is being interfered with by the transmission of the other data to the third device using the other communication medium, turning off the transmission of the other data to the third device on the other communication medium.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third device and the second device are the same device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of the plurality of communication mediums comprises:

determining, for each of the plurality of communication mediums, an equivalent bandwidth based on a utilization information of the corresponding communication medium, an error rate of the corresponding communication medium, and a data rate of the corresponding communication medium.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting one of the plurality of communication mediums further comprises:

comparing the determined equivalent bandwidths for each of the plurality of communication mediums; and

selecting the communication medium having a highest equivalent bandwidth.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting one of the plurality of communication mediums further comprises:

determining that one or more of the plurality of communication mediums has an error rate that is equal to or greater than a threshold rate; and

selecting one of the communication mediums that has an error rate less than the threshold rate.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

periodically monitoring at least one of the utilization information, the error rates, or the data rates of each of the plurality of communication mediums.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein monitoring the error rates of each of the plurality of communication mediums comprises:

sampling a set of error rates of each of the plurality of communication mediums at different instances in time; and

averaging the sampled set of error rates.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication mediums comprises an Ethernet transmission line, a co-axial cable, and a power line.

9. A communication device, comprising:

a network interface to transmit a data stream to a second device using a selected one of a plurality of communication mediums;

a processor coupled to the network interface; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to;

determine that the data stream is to be transmitted to the second device;

select one of the plurality of communication mediums to be used by the network interface to transmit the data stream to the second device;

determine that the transmission of the data stream to the second device using the selected communication medium is being interfered with by transmission of other data from the communication device to a third device on another of the plurality of communication mediums; and

in response to determining that the transmission of the data stream to the second device on the selected communication medium is being interfered with by the transmission of the other data to the third device using the other communication medium, turn off the transmission of the other data to the third device on the other communication medium.

10. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the third device and the second device are the same device.

11. The communication device of claim 9, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the communication device to selects the one of the plurality of communication mediums by determining, for each of the plurality of communication mediums, an equivalent bandwidth based on a utilization information of the corresponding communication medium, an error rate of the corresponding communication medium, and a data rate of the corresponding communication medium.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the communication device to selects the one of the plurality of communication mediums by (i) comparing the determined equivalent bandwidths for each of the plurality of communication mediums, and (ii) selecting the communication medium having a highest equivalent bandwidth.

13. The communication device of claim 11, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the communication device to selects the one of the plurality of communication mediums by (i) determining that one or more of the plurality of communication mediums has an error rate that is equal to or greater than a threshold rate, and (ii) selecting one of the communication mediums that has an error rate less than the threshold rate.

14. The communication device of claim 11, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the communication device to periodically monitors at least one of the utilization information, the error rates, or the data rates of each of the plurality of communication mediums.

15. The communication device of claim 14, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the communication device to monitors the error rates of each of the plurality of communication mediums by (i) sampling a set of error rates of each of the plurality of communication mediums at different instances in time, and (ii) averaging the sampled set of error rates.

16. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of communication mediums comprises an Ethernet transmission line, a co-axial cable, and a power line.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to perform operations comprising:

determine that a data stream is to be transmitted to a second device;

select one of a plurality of communication mediums for transmitting the data stream to the second device;

transmit the data stream to the second device using the selected communication medium;

determine whether the transmission of the data stream to the second device using the selected communication medium is being interfered with by transmission of other data from the communication device to a third device on another of the plurality of communication mediums; and

turn off the transmission of the other data to the third device on the other communication medium if transmission of the data stream to the second device on the selected communication medium is being interfered with by the transmission of the other data to the third device using the other communication medium.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the third device and the second device are the same device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein execution of the program instructions causes the communication device to select one of the plurality of communication mediums by determining, for each of the plurality of communication mediums, an equivalent bandwidth based on a utilization information of the corresponding communication medium, an error rate of the corresponding communication medium, and a data rate of the corresponding communication medium.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein execution of the program instructions causes the communication device to select one of the plurality of communication mediums by (i) comparing the determined equivalent bandwidths for each of the plurality of communication mediums, and (ii) selecting the communication medium having a highest equivalent bandwidth.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein execution of the program instructions causes the communication device to select one of the plurality of communication mediums by (i) determining that one or more of the plurality of communication mediums has an error rate that is equal to or greater than a threshold rate, and (ii) selecting one of the communication mediums that has an error rate less than the threshold rate.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein execution of the program instructions causes the communication device to periodically monitor at least one of the utilization information, the error rates, or the data rates of each of the plurality of communication mediums.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein execution of the program instructions causes the communication device to monitor the error rates of each of the plurality of communication mediums by (i) sampling a set of error rates of each of the plurality of communication mediums at different instances in time, and (ii) averaging the sampled set of error rates.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the plurality of communication mediums comprises an Ethernet transmission line, a co-axial cable, and a power line.