Approach for managing the use of communications channels based on performance

• US 8,542,643 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2011
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bandspeed, LLC
• Original Assignee: Bandspeed, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Skafidas, Efstratios, Treister, Bijan, Gan, Hongbing
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Frank
• Application Number:
  US13/043,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20110216809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 370328-339, 375132-133
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7136 Arrangements for generation of hop frequencies, e.g. using a bank of frequency sources, using continuous tuning or using a transform
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/715 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/7154 with means for preventing interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

An approach for selecting sets of communications channels involves determining the performance of communications channels. A set of channels is selected based on the results of performance testing and specified criteria. The participant generates data that identifies the selected set of channels and provides that data to other participants of the communications network. The participants communicate over the set of channels, such as by using a frequency hopping protocol. When a specified time expires or monitoring of the performance of the channel set identifies poor performance of the set of channels, the participant selects another set of channels for use in communications based on additional performance testing. By selecting channels based on the initial performance testing and performance monitoring, the communications network adaptively avoids channels with poor performance.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

loading a set of default channels into a default channel register;

loading a set of good channels into a good channel register;

if a selection kernel addresses a bad channel stored in a particular location of the default channel register, then replacing, by the selection kernel, the bad channel stored in the particular location of the default channel register with a good channel selected from the set of good channels loaded in the good channel register;

wherein the method is performed using one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the good channel is randomly selected from the set of good channels loaded in the good channel register.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a channel hopping sequence in an order determined by the order of default channels stored in the default channel register.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing a particular good channel from the good channel register, based at least in part on a good channel usage timeout value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rescanning the default channels, based at least in part on the number of good channels.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for managing the use of communications channels for a communications system, wherein processing of the instructions by one or more processors causes:

loading a set of default channels into a default channel register;

loading a set of good channels into a good channel register;

if a selection kernel addresses a bad channel stored in a particular location of the default channel register, then replacing, by the selection kernel, the bad channel stored in the particular location of the default channel register with a good channel selected from the set of good channels loaded in the good channel register.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions, which when processed by the one or more processors, cause:

randomly selecting the good channel from the set of good channels loaded in the good channel register.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions, which when processed by the one or more processors, cause:

performing a channel hopping sequence in an order determined by the order of default channels stored in the default channel register.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions, which when processed by the one or more processors, cause:

removal of a particular good channel from the good channel register, based at least in part on a good channel usage timeout value.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions, which when processed by the one or more processors, cause:

rescanning the default channels, based at least in part on the number of good channels.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storing instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, causes;

loading a set of default channels into a default channel register,

loading a set of good channels into a good channel register,

if a selection kernel addresses a bad channel stored in a particular location of the default channel register, then replacing, by the selection kernel, the bad channel stored in the particular location of the default channel register with a good channel selected from the set of good channels loaded in the good channel register.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the good channel is randomly selected from the set of good channels loaded in the good channel register.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause performing a channel hopping sequence in an order determined by the order of default channels stored in the default channel register.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause removing a particular good channel from the good channel register, based at least in part on a good channel usage timeout value.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause rescanning the default channels, based at least in part on the number of good channels.