Method and system for adaptive power control in a networking system

• US 6,988,212 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamdi, Rabah
• Primary Examiner(s): DU, THUAN N
• Application Number:
  US09/675,533
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/310, 713/320, 713/321, 455/39, 455/68, 455/69, 455/522, 370/329, 370/332, 370/335, 375/135, 375/136, 375/146, 375/147
• US Class Current: 713/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters

Abstract

A method and system for adaptively controlling the power of transmissions between nodes in a networking system in order to reduce the potential for cross-talk interference or noise in other communications services coupled to the same transmission media. The inventive system provides a method for sending transmissions at the minimum power level needed in order to ensure reliable communications between nodes in the network thereby reducing potential interference with other systems using the same transmission media. For example, the inventive system and method can be utilized in home networking systems to reduce cross-talk between the network devices and xDSL or POTS devices coupled to the same telephone wiring.

Claims

1. A method of adaptive power control in a computer network having a plurality of nodes coupled to a common transmission media, comprising:

when no communications are present on the transmission media, sending a training packet from a transmission node of the network to a receiving node in the network at a predetermined power level known by the receiving node;

receiving the training packet at a received power level;

determining a preferred power level for reliable communications between the transmission node and the receiving node based on a comparison of the received power level to the predetermined power level;

sending a configuration packet from said receiving node to said transmission node including the preferred power level for communication; and

sending a primary data communication from the transmission node to the receiving node at the preferred power level.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing collision detection at the transmission node and waiting until there are no communications on the transmission media of the network before sending the training packet.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining an average noise level on the transmission media of the network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the preferred power level for reliable communications between the transmission node and the receiving node comprises:

determining an average noise level on the transmission media of the network;

determining a signal level necessary at the receiving node given the average noise level and required signal-to-noise ratio for reliable communication to the receiving node;

determining an amount of attenuation suffered by the training packet between the transmission node and the receiving node; and

determining a proper transmit level by summing the signal level necessary at the receiving node and the amount of attenuation.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein determining the signal level necessary at the receiving node given the average noise level and required signal-to-noise ratio for reliable communication to the receiving node comprises:

adding the average noise level to the signal-to-noise ratio to determine the signal level necessary at the receiving node.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising adding a margin for error to the proper transmit level.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein determining the amount of attenuation suffered by the training packet between the transmission node and the receiving node comprises:

determining an average power level of the training packet as received at the receiving node; and

comparing a power level of the training packet at the receiving node to the predetermined power level at which the training packet was sent to determine the amount of attenuation.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the training packet is sent at full power as predetermined by the network protocol.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the preferred power level for communications between the transmission node and the receiving node is a minimum power level for reliable communications.

10. A system for performing adaptive power control of communications between a transmission node and a receiving node in a network, comprising:

a line interface coupled to the transmission media of the network;

a receiver operating in the receiving node of the network, comprising;

receiver signal monitoring logic coupled to said line interface to monitor the status of the transmission media of the network;

receiver signal processing logic coupled to said line interface to receive and extract data from transmissions on the transmission media;

receiver control logic coupled to said receiver signal monitoring logic and said receiver signal processing logic, wherein, based on a predetermined power level at which a training packet is transmitted to the receiving node, the receiver control logic determines a preferred power level for transmissions received from the transmission node in the network and transmits the preferred power level to the transmission mode; and

wherein said receiver signal monitoring logic determines an average noise level on the transmission media when the line is quiet and communicates this level to the control logic.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said receiver signal monitoring logic determines if a training packet sent by the transmission node is intended for the receiving node.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said receiver signal monitoring logic determines an average power level of the training packet as received and communicates this level to the receiver control logic.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said receiver control logic determines an attenuation between the receiving node and the transmission node by comparing a power level of the average power level of the training packet as received to the predetermined power level at which the training packet was originally sent.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein said receiver control logic determines an attenuation between the receiving node and the transmission node.

15. A system for performing adaptive power control of communications between a transmission node and a receiving node in a network, comprising:

a line interface coupled to the transmission media of the network;

a receiver operating in the receiving node of the network, comprising;

receiver signal monitoring logic coupled to said line interface to monitor the status of the transmission media of the network;

receiver signal processing logic coupled to said line interface to receive and extract data from transmissions on the transmission media;

receiver control logic coupled to said receiver signal monitoring logic and said receiver signal processing logic, wherein, based on a predetermined power level at which a training packet is transmitted to the receiving node, the receiver control logic determines the preferred power level for transmissions received from the transmission node in the network and transmits a preferred power level to the transmission mode; and

wherein said receiver control logic determines the preferred power level from noise level on the transmission media, attenuation between the receiving node and the transmission node, and required signal to noise ratio for reliable communication with the receiving node.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said receiver control logic sends the preferred power level to a transmitter of the receiving node for transmission in a configuration packet to the transmission node.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said receiver control logic controls said receiver signal processing logic to extract the data from a data transmission to the receiving node.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the receiving node confirms success of communication between the transmission node and the receiving node by sending an acknowledgment to the transmission node.

19. A system for performing adaptive power control of communications between nodes in a network, comprising:

a line interface coupled to a transmission media of the network;

a transmitter operating in a transmission node of the network, comprising;

transmitter signal processing logic coupled to said line interface to send transmissions to the transmission media;

transmitter control logic coupled to said signal processing logic, where the transmitter control logic directs the transmitter signal processing logic to send a training packet to the receiving node at a predetermined power level to enable the receiving node to specify a preferred transmission power level based on the predetermined power level of the training packet, waits for a configuration packet containing the preferred power level from the receiving node, and then directs the transmitter signal processing logic to send a primary data transmission to the receiving node at the preferred power level; and

wherein said training packet is only sent once the transmission media is quiet.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said transmitter control logic uses the preferred power level to adjust certain parameters and settings in the transmitter signal processing logic so that the primary data transmission is sent at the preferred power level.