Self-configuring, adaptive, three-dimensional, wireless network

• US 7,590,084 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2003
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: OnLive Incorporated
• Inventors: Perlman, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mills; Donald L
• Application Number:
  US10/367,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20040160907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,405 Days
• Field of Search: 370/277, 370/279, 370/293, 370/310.2, 370/315, 370319-322, 370/326, 370/492, 370/501, 455/11.1, 455/13.1, 455/15, 455/20
• US Class Current: 370/326
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A network for wireless transmission of a media data in a building includes a plurality of access points. A first access point receives the media data from a source and transmits the media data downstream at a first data rate. A plurality of additional access points is distributed about the building, each of which includes an upstream transceiver to receive the media content on a first channel and a downstream transceiver to re-transmit the media content at substantially the first data rate on a second channel. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A network for wireless transmission of digital data, the digital data including real-time audiovisual content, the network comprising:

a first wireless repeater having a first transceiver that receives the digital data on a first channel of a first frequency band, the first wireless repeater being configured for pipelined transmission of the digital data as packets, the first transceiver transmitting the packets at a certain data rate on the first channel non-interfering with any device simultaneously transmitting within an interference range of the wireless router, each packet being transmitted in a discrete time interval of a sequence of time intervals, each interval of the sequence being of equal duration, the wireless router receiving a first packet in a first time interval and transmitting the first packet in a second time interval, the second time interval immediately following the first time interval;

a second wireless repeater having a second transceiver to receive the packets of digital data on the first channel and a third transceiver to re-transmit the digital data on a second channel non-interfering with any device simultaneously transmitting within an interference range of the second wireless repeater, each packet being re-transmitted during an interval delayed by one interval from an interval when the packet was received;

a wireless receiver having a fourth transceiver to receive the packets of digital data on the second channel from the wireless repeater, the receiver being coupled to deliver the digital data to a destination device.

2. The network of claim 1 wherein the first, second, third, and fourth transceivers operate in a wireless spectrum shared by other devices not in the network operating on the first and second channels.

3. The network of claim 1 further comprising one or more additional wireless repeaters, each having a transceiver operable to receive the packets of digital video data on a transmission channel of a prior repeater and re-transmit the packets of digital data on the transmission channel non-interfering with any devices simultaneously transmitting within an interference range of the additional wireless repeater, each packet being re-transmitted at or near the certain data rate during an interval delayed by one interval from an interval when the packet was received.

4. The network of claim 3 wherein each of the one or more additional wireless repeaters further comprises an additional transceiver to transmit the digital data to one or more additional destination devices located in a nearby vicinity to the additional wireless repeater.

5. The network of claim 1 further comprising:

means for self-configuring the first and second channels of the wireless router and the wireless repeater.

6. The network of claim 1 wherein the first, second, third, and fourth transceivers operate in compliance with an 802.11x standard.

7. The network of claim 1 wherein the destination device is operable to present real-time audiovisual media to a user.

8. A network for wireless transmission of a digital data stream, the digital data stream including real-time audiovisual content, the network comprising:

a plurality of access points, including;

a first access point coupled to receive the digital data stream from a source, the first access point transmitting the data stream in a pipeline of packets on a transmission channel non-interfering with any device simultaneously transmitting within an interference range of the first access point, each packet being transmitted at a specified data rate during an even time interval of a sequence of time intervals, each time interval of the sequence being of equal duration;

a plurality of additional access points arranged in a topology wherein each of the one or more additional access points includes an upstream transceiver to receive the data stream on the transmission channel from an upstream access point, and a downstream transceiver to re-transmit the data stream on a different channel non-interfering with any device simultaneously transmitting within an interference range of the additional access point, each packet being re-transmitted at or near the specified data rate during an interval delayed by one interval from an interval when the packet was received.

9. The network of claim 8 wherein the first access point and the additional access points operate on channels in wireless spectrum shared by other devices not in the network.

10. The network of claim 8 wherein the digital data stream includes real-time audiovisual content.

11. The network of claim 8 wherein at least one of the additional access points further comprises an additional transceiver for communications with one or more wireless destination devices located in a nearby vicinity to the additional access point.

12. The network of claim 9 wherein the transmission channel and the different channel are included in the channels fall within the wireless spectrum shared by the other devices not in the network.

13. The network of claim 9 further comprising:

a computer-executable program to configure the first access point and the additional access points to operate in accordance with a set of channels so as to avoid interference with the other devices not in the network operating in the wireless spectrum.

14. The network of claim 13 wherein the computer-executable program runs on a processor of the first access point.

15. The network of claim 8 wherein the topology comprises a tree topology.

16. A network for wireless transmission of digital data, the digital data including real-time audiovisual content, the network comprising:

a first access point having a first transceiver configured to receive the digital data from a source and a second transceiver to transmit the digital data downstream across the network in a pipeline of packets on a transmission channel non-interfering with any device simultaneously transmitting within an interference range of the second transceiver, each packet being transmitted at a specified data rate in an odd-numbered time interval of a sequence of time intervals, each interval of the sequence being of equal duration;

a plurality of additional access points arranged in a topology, each additional access point including a third transceiver that receives the packets on the transmission channel and a fourth transceiver to re-transmit the packets on the transmission channel at substantially the specified data rate non-interfering with any device simultaneously transmitting within an interference range of the fourth transceiver, each packet being re-transmitted during an interval delayed by one interval from an interval when the packet was received.

17. The network of claim 16 wherein the transmission channel is in wireless spectrum shared by other devices not in the network.

18. The network of claim 16 wherein the first access point comprises a satellite tuner.

19. The network of claim 16 wherein the first access point comprises a cable television tuner.

20. The network of claim 16 further comprising means for allocating specific channels to the second transceiver of the first access point and to the fourth transceiver of the additional access points.

21. The network of claim 16 wherein the second transceiver and the fourth transceiver operate in compliance with an 802.11x standard.

22. The network of claim 17 wherein each of the additional access points further comprises:

circuitry that determines transmission signal quality between the additional access point and a neighboring additional access point in the topology; and

a display panel that provides a visual indication of the transmission signal quality.