Communication channel selection apparatus and methods

• US 9,532,365 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sorin CRM USA (MicroPort Scientific Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sorin CRM USA (MicroPort Scientific Corp.)
• Inventors: Scordilis, Thierry
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bousono, Orlando
• Application Number:
  US14/473,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20140370926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/382 for resource allocation, admission control or handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for communicating between an apparatus, such as a medical device, and a remote device are provided. One method includes determining a first indicator representative of a long-term availability for each of a plurality of channels for communication between a medical device and a remote device. The method further includes receiving a communication request from the remote device and, in response to the communication request, determining a second indicator representative of a short-term availability for each of the plurality of channels. The method further includes selecting a communication channel from the plurality of channels based on the first and second indicators.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a medical device, a first indicator representative of a long-term availability for each of a plurality of channels for communication between the medical device and a remote device, the first indicator comprising a first confidence index based on signal strength and noise measurements, the first indicator comprising a first sliding average over a long-term time frame;

receiving, by the medical device, a communication request from the remote device;

in response to the communication request, determining, by the medical device, a second indicator representative of a short-term availability for each of the plurality of channels, the second indicator comprising a second confidence index based on signal strength and noise measurements, the second indicator comprising a second sliding average over a short-term time frame that is shorter than the long-term time frame; and

selecting a communication channel from the plurality of channels based on a combined confidence index that is a weighted combination of the first confidence index and the second confidence index.

2. The method of claim 1, the step of determining the first indicator comprising periodically scanning and analyzing the plurality of channels.

3. The method of claim 1, determining at least one of the first indicator or the second indicator comprising comparing a signal level of each of the plurality of channels to a predetermined threshold level of baseline noise.

4. The method of claim 3, determining at least one of the first indicator or the second indicator further comprising, for each channel having a signal level above the predetermined threshold level of baseline noise, discriminating a signal type by differentiating a data frame signal and a noise signal.

5. The method of claim 4, the step of discriminating a signal type comprising:

low-pass filtering unfiltered signals over a temporal window of a predetermined duration to generate at least one filtered signal;

comparing the at least one filtered signal and at least one unfiltered signal; and

generating a first signal type indicator based on the comparison of the at least one filtered signal and the at least one unfiltered signal.

6. The method of claim 5, the step of discriminating a signal type further comprising:

detecting a peak signal level;

comparing the peak signal level and the at least one filtered signal; and

generating a second signal type indicator based on the comparison of the peak signal level and the at least one filtered signal.

7. An apparatus configured to communicate with a remote device, the apparatus comprising:

at least one circuit configured to;

determine a first indicator representative of a long-term availability for each of a plurality of channels for communication between the apparatus and the remote device, the first indicator comprising a first confidence index based on signal strength and noise measurements, the first indicator comprising a first sliding average over a long-term time frame;

receive a communication request from the remote device;

in response to the communication request, determine a second indicator representative of a short-term availability for each of the plurality of channels, the second indicator comprising a second confidence index based on signal strength and noise measurements, the second indicator comprising a second sliding average over a short-term time frame that is shorter than the long-term time frame; and

select a communication channel from the plurality of channels based on a combined confidence index that is a weighted combination of the first confidence index and the second confidence index.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

an attenuator for receiving signals on the plurality of channels from the remote device; and

a channel filter for selectively receiving signals on the communication channel of the plurality of channels that was selected.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, the at least one circuit configured to determine the first indicator by periodically scanning and analyzing the plurality of channels.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, the at least one circuit configured to determine at least one of the first indicator or the second indicator by comparing a signal level of each of the plurality of channels to a predetermined threshold level of baseline noise.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, the at least one circuit further configured to determine the at least one of the first indicator or the second indicator by, for each channel having a signal level above the predetermined threshold level of baseline noise, discriminating a signal type by differentiating a data frame signal and a noise signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, the at least one circuit comprising:

a low-pass filter configured to filter unfiltered signals over a temporal window of a predetermined duration to generate at least one filtered signal; and

a comparator configured to compare the at least one filtered signal and at least one unfiltered signal;

the at least one circuit further configured to generate a first signal type indicator based on the comparison of the at least one filtered signal and the at least one unfiltered signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, the at least one circuit further comprising a peak signal level detector configured to detect a peak signal level, the at least one circuit further configured to compare the peak signal level and the at least one filtered signal and generate a second signal type indicator based on the comparison of the peak signal level and the at least one filtered signal.

14. A medical device comprising:

an attenuator for receiving signals on a plurality of channels from a remote device;

a channel filter for selectively receiving signals on a selected channel of the plurality of channels; and

at least one circuit configured to;

periodically scan and analyze the plurality of channels to determine a first indicator representative of a long-term availability for each of the plurality of channels, the first indicator comprising a first confidence index based on signal strength and noise measurements, the first indicator comprising a first sliding average over a long-term time frame;

receive a communication request from the remote device;

in response to the communication request, scan and analyze the plurality of channels to determine a second indicator representative of a short-term availability for each of the plurality of channels, the second indicator comprising a second confidence index based on signal strength and noise measurements, the second indicator comprising a second sliding average over a short-term time frame that is shorter than the long-term time frame; and

select a communication channel from the plurality of channels based on a combined confidence index that is a weighted combination of the first confidence index and the second confidence index.

15. The medical device of claim 14, the at least one circuit configured to determine at least one of the first indicator or the second indicator by comparing a signal level of each of the plurality of channels to a predetermined threshold level of baseline noise.

16. The medical device of claim 15, the at least one circuit further configured to determine the at least one of the first indicator or the second indicator by, for each channel having a signal level above the predetermined threshold level of baseline noise, discriminating a signal type by differentiating a data frame signal and a noise signal.

17. The medical device of claim 16, the at least one circuit comprising:

a low-pass filter configured to filter unfiltered signals over a temporal window of a predetermined duration to generate at least one filtered signal; and

a comparator configured to compare the at least one filtered signal and at least one unfiltered signal;

the at least one circuit further configured to generate a first signal type indicator based on the comparison of the at least one filtered signal and the at least one unfiltered signal.

18. The medical device of claim 17, the at least one circuit further comprising a peak signal level detector configured to detect a peak signal level, the at least one circuit further configured to compare the peak signal level and the at least one filtered signal and generate a second signal type indicator based on the comparison of the peak signal level and the at least one filtered signal.