Adaptive transmission channel allocation method and system for ISM and unlicensed frequency bands

• US 20060227741A1
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Antti Lappetelainen
• Original Assignee: Antti Lappetelainen
• Inventors: Lappetelainen, Antti
• Granted Patent: US 7,567,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria

Abstract

A method and system for establishing a non-frequency-hopping connection link between a slave device with another slave device in a communications network having a plurality of frequency channels within a radio frequency band known as the unlicensed ISM band, wherein the connection links between slave devices are capable of being carried out in a frequency-hopping fashion. The non-frequency-hopping connection link can be established after the channel conditions, including the carrier power of the channel and the interference and noise levels adversely affecting the connection link, are measured.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A method of communication between a plurality of network devices in a communication network, the communication devices including a first network device and a second network device, said method comprising:

establishing a non-frequency-hopping connection link between the first network device and the second network device if said non-frequency-hopping connection link is available; and

establishing or maintaining the frequency-hopping connection link between the first network device and the second network device, if said non-frequency-hopping connection link is unavailable.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the communication network has a plurality of frequency channels for establishing the connection links, said method further comprising:

measuring channel conditions in at least a portion of the plurality of frequency channels for determining whether said non-frequency-hopping connection link is available based on the measured conditions.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the channel conditions include carrier power of the measured channel, and interference and noise levels affecting the non-frequency-hopping connection link.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the measurement of the channel conditions is carried out by the first network device.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

providing the first network device a plurality of measurement parameters, including measurement time and frequencies to be measured; and

measuring channel conditions in at least a portion of the plurality of frequency channels for determining whether said non-frequency-hopping connection link is available based on the measured conditions, wherein the measurement of the channel conditions is carried out by the first network device based on the measurement parameters.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the communication network has a further network device, said method further comprising:

establishing a frequency-hopping connection link between the first network device and the further network device, and between the second network device and the further network device;

measuring channel conditions in at least a portion of the plurality of frequency channels for determining whether said non-frequency-hopping connection link is available based on the measured conditions, wherein the measurement of the channel conditions is carried out by the first network device; and

providing the further network device a measurement report including results of the channel condition measurements.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

selecting a frequency for establishing said non-frequency-hopping connection link based on the measurement report.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

providing the first network device and the second network device a plurality of channel parameters including the selected frequency for use in the non-frequency-hopping connection link.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the channel parameters further include a modulation code rate.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the channel parameters further include a quality of service requirement.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein whether the frequency channel for said non-frequency-hopping connection link is available is also determined based on transmission power of the first network device.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein whether the frequency channel for said non-frequency-hopping connection link is available is also determined based on transmission power of the second network device.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein the communication network has a further device capable of communicating with the network devices, said method further comprising:

sending a request from the first network device to the further device requesting establishment of said non-frequency-hopping connection link.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the first and second devices are slave devices in the communication network and the further network work device is a master device in the communication network.

34. A system for adaptive allocation of communications channels between a first network device and a second network device in a communications network, said system comprising:

a first mechanism for determining whether a non-frequency-hopping connection link between the first network device and the second network device is available; and

a second mechanism for

establishing the non-frequency hopping connection link between the first network device and the second network device if the non-frequency-hopping connection link is available, and

maintaining or establishing the frequency hopping connection link between the first network device and the second network device if the non-frequency-hopping connection link is unavailable.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the communications network has a plurality of frequency channels for establishing the communication links, and wherein the first mechanism is configured to determine whether the non-frequency-hopping connection link is available based on channel conditions including carrier power of the frequency channels and interference and noise levels, which may affect the non-frequency-hopping connection link, said system further comprising a third mechanism for measuring the channel conditions.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the channel conditions are measured based on a plurality of measurement parameters including measurement time and frequencies to be measured.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the communication network also includes a further network device, said system further comprising:

a fourth mechanism for providing the further network device a measurement report including results of the channel condition measurements so as to allow the further network device to select a frequency for establishing said non-frequency-hopping connection link based on the measurement report.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein whether the communication channel for the non-frequency-hopping connection link is available is also determined based on transmission power of the first network device.

39. The system of claim 34, wherein whether the communication channel for the non-frequency-hopping connection link is available is also determined based on transmission power of the second network device.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the further network device is a master device and the first and second devices are slave devices in the communication network, said system further comprising a further mechanism for establishing a frequency hoping connection between the first network device and the further network device, and between a second network device and the further network device.

41. A network device in a communications network, comprising:

a linking mechanism for establishing a frequency hopping connection link between the network device and a different network device in the communications network; and

a request mechanism for requesting a non-frequency hopping connection link between the network device and said different network device;

wherein

the linking mechanism is configured to establish said non-frequency hopping connection link if said non-frequency hopping connection link is available, and to maintain the frequency hopping connection link if said non-frequency hopping connection link is unavailable.

42. The network device of claim 41, wherein the communications network has a plurality of frequency channels for establishing the non-frequency hopping connection link, said device further comprising:

a measurement mechanism for measuring channel conditions in at least a part of the plurality of frequency channels for determining whether said non-frequency hopping connection link is available based on the measured conditions.

43. The network device of claim 41, wherein the communications network comprises a further network device capable of communicating with the network device and said different network device, and wherein the request for establishing the non-frequency hopping connection link is carried out through the further network device.

44. The network device of claim 43, further comprising:

a reporting mechanism for reporting a measurement report including results of the measured conditions to the further network device so as to allow the further network device to select a frequency channel for establishing said non-frequency hopping connection link based on the measurement report.