Wireless sensor base station with coexistence of multiple homogeneous radios

• US 9,232,566 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Inventors: Amini, Peiman, Yongyuth, Arms, Skeoch, Steve, Emmanuel, Joseph Amalan Arul
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilodeau, David
• Application Number:
  US14/089,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20140370826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/525 with means for reducing leakage of transmitter signal into the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03006 Arrangements for removing intersymbol interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9005 using dynamic buffer space allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/323 in the physical layer [OSI layer 1]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/386 centralized, e.g. when the radio network controller or equivalent takes part in the power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/566 of the information or information source or recipient
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for reducing interference, in a network device, among multiple radio circuits operating in a same or similar frequency band and in close physical proximity. In some embodiments, a network device includes a first and a second wireless network circuit. The network circuits operate in a same radio frequency band and are collocated. The second network circuit is assigned a higher priority than the first network circuit. The device further includes a coexistence controller coupled to the network circuits via a communication bus and configured to selectively suppress transmitting operations of the first network circuit during receiving operations of the second network circuit. Among other benefits, the embodiments can increase wireless network bandwidth and reduce mobile device power consumption by providing coordination among the radio circuits so that the transmitting and receiving operations are performed in a way that they do not interfere with their respective antennas.

Claims

1. A network device, comprising:

a first and a second wireless network circuit, each of the network circuits operating in a same radio frequency band, wherein the second network circuit is assigned a higher priority than the first network circuit; and

a coexistence controller coupled to the network circuits via a communication bus and configured to selectively suppress transmitting operations of the first network circuit during receiving operations of the second network circuit, wherein the coexistence controller is further configured to;

receive a power status from each of a plurality of wireless sensors;

assign a priority level to said each of the plurality of wireless sensors based on the received power status; and

prioritize communication among the plurality of wireless sensors, to which the second network circuit is configured to couple, based on a comparison of the respective power supply status and the priority assigned of each wireless sensor.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the coexistence controller is to suppress the transmitting operations of the first network circuit in a way that reduces interference or desensitization to receiving operations of the second network circuits so that the receiving operations are not disrupted or corrupted.

3. The network device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more buffers coupled to the first and second network circuits for storing data,

wherein the coexistence controller is further configured to adjust resource allocation of the buffers between the first and the second network circuits during the suppression.

4. The network device of claim 3, wherein the coexistence controller is further configured to adjust a buffer rate of the buffers based on workload of the network circuits.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein the coexistence controller is further configured to determine, for selectively suppressing the transmitting operations, a reservation schedule based on status signals received from one or more wireless sensors to which the second network circuit is configured to couple.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein the coexistence controller is further configured to communicate with one or more wireless sensors, to which the second network circuit is configured to couple, so as to cause the wireless sensors not to interfere with one another'"'"'s data transmission.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein the coexistence controller is further configured to selectively allow the first network circuit, during the suppression, to respond to high priority communication after every predetermined time period.

8. The network device of claim 1, wherein the coexistence controller suppresses the transmitting operations by disabling the first network circuit.

9. The network device of claim 1, wherein the coexistence controller suppresses the transmitting operations by attenuating the transmitting power of the first network circuit.

10. The network device of claim 1, wherein the coexistence controller suppresses the transmitting operations by reducing a transmission rate of the first network circuit.

11. The network device of claim 1, wherein the second network circuit operates a modified version of wireless network protocol that has relaxed link upkeep standards, including an increased acknowledgement (ACK) packet response time.

12. The network device of claim 1, wherein the first and second network circuits each include individual media access control (MAC) layer and physical (PHY) layer circuitry.

13. The network device of claim 1, wherein the network circuits are collocated on the network device.

14. The network device of claim 1, wherein the second circuit is configured to be coupled to one or more wireless sensors that are battery-powered.

15. A method for reducing interference for a plurality of wireless network circuits, the method comprising:

using a coexistence controller, coupled to the plurality of network circuits, to selectively suppress transmitting operations of a first network circuit during receiving operations of a second network circuit, wherein the plurality of network circuits operate in a same radio frequency band and are collocated, and wherein the second network circuit is assigned a higher priority than the first network circuit;

receiving, by the coexistence controller, a power status from each of a plurality of wireless sensors;

assigning, by the coexistence controller, a priority level to said each of the wireless sensors based on the received power status; and

prioritizing communication among the plurality of wireless sensors, to which the second network circuit is configured to couple, based on a comparison of the respective power supply status and the priority assigned of each wireless sensor.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

suppressing the transmitting operations of the first network circuit in a way that reduces interference or desensitization to receiving operations of the second network circuits so that the receiving operations are not disrupted or corrupted.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein one or more buffers are coupled to the first and second network circuits for storing data, the method further comprising:

adjusting resource allocation of the buffers between the first and the second network circuits during the suppression.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

adjusting a buffer rate of the buffers based on workload of the network circuits.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, for the selectively suppressing, a reservation schedule based on status signals received from one or more wireless sensors to which the second network circuit is configured to couple.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

communicating with one or more wireless sensors, to which the second network circuit is configured to couple, so as to cause the wireless sensors not to interfere with one another'"'"'s data transmission.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

selectively allowing the first network circuit, during the suppression, to respond to high priority communication after every predetermined time period.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the suppression comprises one or more of:

(i) disabling the first network circuit;

(ii) attenuating the transmitting power of the first network circuit;

or (iii) reducing a transmission rate of the first network circuit.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the second network circuit is to operate a modified version of wireless network protocol that has relaxed link upkeep standards, including an increased acknowledgement (ACK) packet response time.