Multi-channel decoder architecture

• US 9,992,124 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2015
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Seely, Danny Ray, McNamee, Michael David
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAGLO, EMMANUEL K
• Application Number:
  US14/879,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20170104684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/06 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/245 using preemption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2483 involving identification of individual flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An example method of receiving a data packet includes receiving a data packet at a channel receiver of at least one channel receiver each associated with a channel, providing the data packet to a data packet identification block that corresponds to the channel receiver, validating the data packet at the data packet identification block, and providing the validated data packet to an available decoder block of at least one decoder block capable of performing one or more decoding functions, where a quantity of the decoder blocks is less than a quantity of the data packet identification blocks and optimized according to one or more goals. If no decoder block is available and the validated data packet is a higher priority data packet, a decoder block processing a lower priority data packet may be forced to stop processing the lower priority data packet and process the higher priority data packet.

Claims

1. A radio receiver configured to receive data packets, comprising:

a channelizer bank of at least one channel receiver each associated with a channel configured to receive an incoming data packet; and

a decoder bank comprising;

a data packet identification bank comprising at least two data packet identification blocks, or comprising at least one data packet identification block with at least one data packet identification block comprising two or more sub-identification blocks, each data packet identification block associated with a corresponding channel to validate an incoming data packet received on the corresponding channel; and

a decoder block bank comprising at least one decoder block, each decoder block capable of performing one or more decoding functions, and a quantity of the decoder blocks being less than a quantity of the data packet identification blocks and optimized toward one or more goals,

wherein a data packet validated by any one of the at least one data packet identification blocks is to be provided to an available one of the at least one decoder blocks for further decoding.

2. The radio receiver of claim 1, wherein the data packet identification bank comprises at least one data packet identification block having two or more sub-identification blocks, and each sub-identification block is configured to count separately in the quantity of data packet identification blocks for optimization purposes.

3. The radio receiver of claim 2, wherein the channelizer bank includes a single channel receiver, and wherein the data packet identification bank comprises a single data packet identification block having two or more sub-identification blocks.

4. The radio receiver of claim 1, wherein if no decoder block is available to perform one or more decoding functions and the validated data packet is a higher priority data packet than one or more data packets being processed in the decoder block bank, a decoder block processing a lower priority data packet is forced to stop processing the lower priority data packet and process the higher priority data packet.

5. The radio receiver of claim 4, wherein the validated data packet is identified as at least one of:

a higher priority data packet due to having been received on a higher priority channel, or

a higher priority data packet based on priority data found in its preamble when validated at the data packet identification bank.

6. The radio receiver of claim 1, wherein the quantity of decoder blocks is based on one or more parameters depending on the one or more goals.

7. The radio receiver of claim 6, wherein the one or more goals includes one or more of minimizing data packet loss, using less parts, using lower cost parts, or consuming less power.

8. The radio receiver of claim 6, wherein the one or more parameters include one or more of:

number of endpoint devices, number of channels, transmission packet length, bubble-up rate, or time dithering value.

9. The radio receiver of claim 6, wherein the quantity of decoder blocks is predetermined by a previously conducted simulation using one or more of the parameters.

10. A method of receiving data packets, the method comprising:

receiving a data packet at a channel receiver of at least one channel receiver each associated with a channel;

providing the data packet to a data packet identification block that corresponds to the channel receiver, the data packet identification block being one of at least two data packet identification blocks in a data packet identification bank, or being one of at least one data packet identification block in the data packet identification bank with at least one data packet identification block comprising two or more sub-identification blocks;

validating the data packet at the data packet identification block; and

providing the validated data packet to an available decoder block of at least one decoder block capable of performing one or more decoding functions, wherein a quantity of the decoder blocks is less than a quantity of the data packet identification blocks and optimized according to one or more goals.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one data packet identification block includes two or more sub-identification blocks, and each sub-identification block is configured to count separately in the quantity of data packet identification blocks for optimization purposes.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one channel receiver includes a single channel receiver, and wherein the data packet identification block bank includes a single data packet identification block having two or more sub-identification blocks.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

processing the validated data packet at the available decoder block, making the available decoder block unavailable to other validated data packets;

upon completion of processing of the validated data packet, releasing the validated data packet as a decoded data packet; and

releasing the unavailable decoder block, making it available to other validated data packets.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein validating the data packet includes determining whether the data packet is a higher priority data packet than one or more data packets being processed by a decoder block, and wherein the method further comprises:

if no decoder block is available to perform one or more decoding functions and the validated data packet is a higher priority data packet than one or more data packets being processed by a decoder block, forcing a decoder block processing a lower priority data packet to stop processing the lower priority data packet and process the higher priority data packet.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the quantity of the decoder blocks is based on one or more parameters, the one or more parameters including one or more of:

number of endpoint devices, number of channels, transmission packet length, bubble-up rate, or time dithering value.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the quantity of decoder blocks is predetermined by a previously conducted simulation using one or more of the parameters.

17. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer program logic stored thereon, the computer program logic including instructions to cause a processor to direct a radio receiver to:

receive a data packet at a channel receiver of at least one channel receiver each associated with a channel;

provide the data packet to a data packet identification block that corresponds to the channel receiver, the data packet identification block being one of at least two data packet identification blocks in a data packet identification bank, or being one of at least one data packet identification block in the data packet identification bank with at least one data packet identification block comprising two or more sub-identification blocks;

validate the data packet at the data packet identification block; and

provide, for further decoding, the validated data packet to an available decoder block of at least one decoder block capable of performing one or more decoding functions, wherein a quantity of the decoder blocks is less than a quantity of the data packet identification blocks and optimized according to one or more goals.

18. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein at least one data packet identification block includes two or more sub-identification blocks, and each sub-identification block is configured to count separately in the quantity of data packet identification blocks for optimization purposes.

19. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the at least one channel receiver includes a single channel receiver, and wherein the data packet identification block bank includes a single data packet identification block having two or more sub-identification blocks.

20. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further include instructions to cause the processor to direct the radio receiver to:

process the validated data packet at the available decoder block, making the available decoder block unavailable to other validated data packets;

upon completion of processing of the validated data packet, release the validated data packet as a decoded data packet; and

release the unavailable decoder block, making it available to other validated data packets.

21. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein validating the data packet includes determining whether the data packet is a higher priority data packet than one or more data packets being processed by a decoder block, and wherein the instructions further include instructions to cause the processor to:

if no decoder block is available to perform one or more decoding functions and the validated data packet is a higher priority data packet than one or more data packets being processed by a decoder block, force a decoder block processing a lower priority data packet to stop processing the lower priority data packet and process the higher priority data packet.

22. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the quantity of the decoder blocks is based on one or more parameters, the one or more parameters including one or more of:

number of endpoint devices, number of channels, transmission packet length, bubble-up rate, or time dithering value.

23. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the quantity of decoder blocks is predetermined by a previously conducted simulation using one or more of the parameters.

24. A radio receiver for receiving data packets, comprising:

a channel receiver associated with a channel for receiving incoming data packets, the incoming data packets representative of one or more signals coming in on the channel; and

a decoder bank comprising;

a data packet identification block associated with the channel, the data packet identification block having two or more sub-identification blocks to validate incoming data packets received on the channel; and

a decoder block bank comprising at least one decoder block, each decoder block capable of performing one or more decoding functions, and a quantity of the decoder blocks being less than a quantity of the sub-identification blocks and optimized toward one or more goals,

wherein each of one or more validated data packets is to be provided from its respective sub-identification block to an available one of the at least one decoder block for further decoding.