Providing link quality intelligence from physical layer to higher protocol layers
First Claim
1. A device that operates within a piconet, the device comprising:
- a PHY (physical layer) that includes link quality intelligence gathering functionality; and
a MAC (Medium Access Controller) that is directly coupled to the PHY; and
wherein;
the link quality intelligence gathering functionality is operable to assess a plurality of operational parameters that corresponds to a PHY link that communicatively couples the PHY of the device to a PHY of at least one additional device within the piconet;
the PHY of the device is operable to provide assessed information corresponding to the plurality of operational parameters to the MAC;
the MAC processes the assessed information corresponding to the plurality of operational parameters;
based on the processed assessed information, the MAC modifies at least one operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters;
the MAC directs the link quality intelligence gathering functionality of the PHY to assess a first plurality of operational parameters that is a first subset of the plurality of operational parameters;
the PHY of the device provides assessed information corresponding to the first plurality of operational parameters to the MAC;
the MAC processes the assessed information corresponding to the first plurality of operational parameters to the MAC; and
based on the processed assessed information corresponding to the first plurality of operational parameters to the MAC, the MAC directs the link quality intelligence gathering functionality of the PHY to assess a second plurality of operational parameters that is a second subset of the plurality of operational parameters.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Providing link quality intelligence from physical layer to higher protocol layers. The PHY (physical layer) of devices operating within wireless communication systems assess 1 or more operational parameters corresponding to a PHY link that communicatively couples 2 or more devices. These PHYs provide this assessed intelligence to the devices'"'"' higher protocol layers so that these higher protocol layers have greater visibility of the operational parameters of the PHY link. These higher protocol layers may use this assessed intelligence to make decisions about how future communication are governed across the PHY links. For example, based on a change of the operational parameter(s), the higher protocol layers may modify the operational parameter(s) for future communications. The higher protocol layers may direct the PHY to assess a particular set of operational parameters, and the higher protocol layers may assess different operational parameters at different times.
31 Citations
61 Claims
-
1. A device that operates within a piconet, the device comprising:
-
a PHY (physical layer) that includes link quality intelligence gathering functionality; and a MAC (Medium Access Controller) that is directly coupled to the PHY; and
wherein;the link quality intelligence gathering functionality is operable to assess a plurality of operational parameters that corresponds to a PHY link that communicatively couples the PHY of the device to a PHY of at least one additional device within the piconet; the PHY of the device is operable to provide assessed information corresponding to the plurality of operational parameters to the MAC; the MAC processes the assessed information corresponding to the plurality of operational parameters; based on the processed assessed information, the MAC modifies at least one operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters; the MAC directs the link quality intelligence gathering functionality of the PHY to assess a first plurality of operational parameters that is a first subset of the plurality of operational parameters; the PHY of the device provides assessed information corresponding to the first plurality of operational parameters to the MAC; the MAC processes the assessed information corresponding to the first plurality of operational parameters to the MAC; and based on the processed assessed information corresponding to the first plurality of operational parameters to the MAC, the MAC directs the link quality intelligence gathering functionality of the PHY to assess a second plurality of operational parameters that is a second subset of the plurality of operational parameters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A device that operates within a piconet, the device comprising:
-
a PHY (physical layer) that includes link quality intelligence gathering functionality that is operable to assess a plurality of operational parameters that corresponds to a PHY link that communicatively couples the PHY of the device to a PHY of at least one additional device within the piconet; and a MAC (Medium Access Controller) that is directly coupled to the PHY; and
wherein;the PHY of the device is operable to provide assessed information corresponding to the plurality of operational parameters to the MAC; the MAC processes the assessed information corresponding to the plurality of operational parameters; based on the processed assessed information, the MAC is operable to modify at least one operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters; the MAC directs the link quality intelligence gathering functionality of the PHY to assess a first plurality of operational parameters that is a first subset of the plurality of operational parameters; the PHY of the device provides assessed information corresponding to the first plurality of operational parameters to the MAC; the MAC processes the assessed information corresponding to the first plurality of operational parameters to the MAC; and based on the processed assessed information corresponding to the first plurality of operational parameters to the MAC, the MAC directs the link quality intelligence gathering functionality of the PHY to assess a second plurality of operational parameters that is a second subset of the plurality of operational parameters. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A device that operates within a piconet, the device comprising:
-
a PHY (physical layer) that includes link quality intelligence gathering functionality; and a MAC (Medium Access Controller) that is directly coupled to the PHY; and
wherein;the link quality intelligence gathering functionality is operable to assess a plurality of operational parameters that corresponds to a PHY link that communicatively couples the PHY of the device to a PHY of at least one additional device within the piconet; the PHY of the device is operable to provide assessed information corresponding to the plurality of operational parameters to the MAC; during a first time, the MAC directs the link quality intelligence gathering functionality of the PHY to assess a first plurality of operational parameters that is a first subset of the plurality of operational parameters; during a second time, the MAC directs the link quality intelligence gathering functionality of the PHY to assess a second plurality of operational parameters that is a second subset of the plurality of operational parameters; the MAC processes at least one of assessed information corresponding to the first plurality of operational parameters and assessed information corresponding to the second plurality of operational parameters; and based on the processed assessed information, the MAC modifies at least one operational parameter of at least one of the first plurality of operational parameters and the second plurality of operational parameters. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. A method for providing link quality intelligence from a PHY (physical layer) to at least one higher protocol layer of a device that operates within a piconet, the method comprising:
-
within the PHY, employing link quality intelligence gathering functionality to assess a plurality of operational parameters that corresponds to a PHY link that communicatively couples the PHY of the device to a PHY of at least one additional device within the piconet; employing a MAC (Medium Access Controller) of the device to direct the link quality intelligence gathering functionality of the PHY to assess a first plurality of operational parameters that is a first subset of the plurality of operational parameters providing assessed information corresponding to the first plurality of operational parameters from the PHY to the MAC of the device; employing the MAC to process information corresponding to the plurality of operational parameters; based on the processed assessed information, employing the MAC to modify at least one operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters; based on the processed assessed information, employing the MAC of the device to direct the link quality intelligence gathering functionality of the PHY to assess a second plurality of operational parameters that is a second subset of the plurality of operational parameters; and wherein the MAC (Medium Access Controller) is directly coupled to the PHY. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
-
-
50. A method for providing link quality intelligence from a PHY (physical layer) to at least one higher protocol layer of a device that operates within a piconet, the method comprising:
-
within the PHY, wherein the PHY includes link quality intelligence gathering functionality, assessing a plurality of operational parameters that corresponds to a PHY link that communicatively couples the PHY of the device to a PHY of at least one additional device within the piconet; providing assessed information corresponding to the plurality of operational parameters from the PHY to a MAC (Medium Access Controller) of the device, wherein the MAC is directly coupled to the PHY; employing the MAC to process the assessed information corresponding to the plurality of operational parameters; based on the processed assessed information, employing the MAC to modify at least one operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters; during a first time, employing the MAC to direct the link quality intelligence gathering functionality of the PHY to assess a first plurality of operational parameters that is a first subset of the plurality of operational parameters; and during a second time, based on the processed assessed information corresponding to the first plurality of operational parameters to the MAC, employing the MAC to direct the link quality intelligence gathering functionality of the PHY to assess a second plurality of operational parameters that is a second subset of the plurality of operational parameters, wherein the first plurality of operational parameters and the second plurality of operational parameters include at least one common operational parameter. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
-
Specification