RANKING AND SWITCHING OF WIRELESS CHANNELS IN A BODY AREA NETWORK OF MEDICAL DEVICES
First Claim
1. A method of operating a wireless coordinator device in a body area network of wireless medical devices, the method comprising:
- detecting loss of wireless synchronization, for a current wireless data communication channel, between the wireless coordinator device and a wireless end node device of the body area network of medical devices;
in response to detecting loss of wireless synchronization, obtaining a measure of quality for the current wireless data communication channel;
when the obtained measure of quality fails to satisfy a threshold criteria, selecting a new wireless data communication channel for the wireless coordinator device; and
thereafter, transmitting wireless beacons with the wireless coordinator device, using the new wireless data communication channel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Operating techniques and methodologies for a body area network of medical devices are provided. One technique relates to an intelligent channel hopping scheme that detects loss of wireless synchronization on an initial wireless channel, thereafter obtains a measure of quality for the initial wireless channel, and then selects a new wireless channel when the obtained measure of quality fails to satisfy a threshold criteria. Another operating technique dynamically adapts an ordered list of available wireless channels in accordance with a quality measure of the available wireless channels. Thus, when quality degradation associated with a first wireless channel is detected, the ordered list can be updated to indicate a lower preference for the first wireless channel and to indicate a higher preference for a second wireless channel that does not suffer from quality degradation. Another channel hopping or switching technique selects wireless channels in a manner that is influenced by the current geographic position of the medical device.
191 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of operating a wireless coordinator device in a body area network of wireless medical devices, the method comprising:
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detecting loss of wireless synchronization, for a current wireless data communication channel, between the wireless coordinator device and a wireless end node device of the body area network of medical devices; in response to detecting loss of wireless synchronization, obtaining a measure of quality for the current wireless data communication channel; when the obtained measure of quality fails to satisfy a threshold criteria, selecting a new wireless data communication channel for the wireless coordinator device; and thereafter, transmitting wireless beacons with the wireless coordinator device, using the new wireless data communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of operating a wireless coordinator device in a wireless network that includes a wireless end node device, the method comprising:
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obtaining, at the wireless coordinator device, a ping schedule for the wireless end node device, the ping schedule indicating time slots during which the wireless coordinator device should expect to receive pings from the wireless end node device; configuring the wireless coordinator device to monitor for pings sent by the wireless end node device in accordance with the ping schedule; the wireless coordinator device performing wireless data communication with the wireless end node device, using a current wireless data communication channel; detecting that the wireless coordinator device missed a number of expected pings as indicated by the ping schedule; in response to the detecting step, testing quality of the current wireless data communication channel; when the quality of the current wireless data communication channel is below a threshold quality measure, selecting a new wireless data communication channel; and thereafter, the wireless coordinator device using the new wireless data communication channel to transmit wireless beacons. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A wireless medical device for a body area network of medical devices, the wireless medical device comprising:
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a processor; a memory element coupled to the processor and configured to store a ping schedule for a wireless end node device; and a wireless communication module coupled to the processor and configured to receive ping messages from the wireless end node device using a current wireless data communication channel; wherein the processor is configured to; detect when the wireless communication module has missed a number of expected pings from the wireless end node device, as indicated by the ping schedule; test a quality characteristic of the current wireless data communication channel when the wireless communication module has missed the number of expected pings; and switch from the current wireless data communication channel to a new wireless data communication channel when the quality characteristic fails to satisfy predetermined quality criteria. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of operating a wireless coordinator device in a wireless network that includes at least one wireless end node device, the method comprising:
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maintaining, at the wireless coordinator device, an ordered list of available wireless channels for wireless data communication between the wireless coordinator device and the at least one wireless end node device, wherein the ordered list is arranged in accordance with a quality measure of the available wireless channels, and wherein the ordered list includes an entry for a first wireless channel utilized by the wireless coordinator device; detecting quality degradation associated with the first wireless channel; in response to detecting the quality degradation, testing a quality characteristic of a second wireless channel in the ordered list; and when the quality characteristic satisfies a quality criteria for the wireless coordinator device, updating the ordered list of available wireless channels to indicate a higher preference for the second wireless channel and a lower preference for the first wireless channel. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of operating a wireless device in a wireless network having a wireless coordinator device, the method comprising:
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receiving, from the wireless coordinator device in the wireless network, an initial ordered list of available wireless channels for wireless data communication between the wireless device and the wireless coordinator device, wherein the ordered list is arranged in accordance with a quality measure of the available wireless channels, and wherein the ordered list includes an entry for a first wireless channel; wirelessly communicating with the wireless coordinator device, using the first wireless channel; determining that wireless connectivity with the wireless coordinator device has been lost; and in response to the determining step, searching for wireless beacons sent by the wireless coordinator device using the available wireless channels, other than the first wireless channel, wherein the searching step traverses the available wireless channels sequentially in accordance with the ordered list. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A wireless coordinator device for a network of wireless devices, the wireless coordinator device comprising:
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a processor; a memory element coupled to the processor and configured to store a list of available wireless channels, wherein the list is ordered in accordance with interference or noise associated with the available wireless channels; and a wireless communication module coupled to the processor and configured to send the list of available wireless channels to a wireless end node device in the network, using a first wireless channel; wherein the processor is configured to detect quality degradation associated with the first wireless channel and, in response thereto, reorder the list of available wireless channels; and wherein the wireless communication module is configured to send the reordered list of available wireless channels to the wireless end node device. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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Specification