Method of managing interference in a wireless communication system

• US 9,215,722 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2015
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Samuel, Louis Gwyn, Claussen, Holger, Karimi, Hamid Reza, Ho, Lester Tse Wee
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilodeau, David
• Application Number:
  US14/589,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20150111501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/10 Means associated with receiver for limiting or suppressing noise or interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/085 collision avoidance

Abstract

The present invention provides methods of managing interference in a wireless communication system. The methods may include receiving information indicative of a portion of an interfering signal received by a first wireless communication device, decoding the portion of the interfering signal, and providing at least one back-off instruction destined for a second wireless communication device based on the decoded portion of the interfering signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver to receive information indicative of at least a portion of an interfering signal received by a first wireless communication device, the interfering signal being transmitted by a second wireless communication device;

a controller to determine an identity of the second wireless communication device by decoding the received portion of the interfering signal using at least one protocol used to encode the interfering signal; and

a transmitter to provide at least one back-off instruction destined for the second wireless communication device using the identity of the second wireless communication device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiver is to receive at least one packet including encapsulated information indicative of the portion of the interfering signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is to determine that the interfering signal is an encoded signal provided by the second wireless communication device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is to determine that the interfering signal is an encoded signal provided by a hidden wireless communication device.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is to determine said at least one protocol that the second wireless communication device used to encode the interfering signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller is to determine said at least one protocol based on at least one protocol library maintained at the server.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller is to determine said at least one protocol using information indicative of said at least one protocol provided by the first wireless communication device.

8. A first wireless communication device configured to:

receive an interfering signal;

determine whether the interfering signal was received from at least one second wireless communication device;

provide samples of at least a portion of the interfering signal in response to determining that the interfering signal was received from said at least one second wireless communication device; and

receive information indicative of at least one back-off instruction destined for said at least one second wireless communication device.

9. The first wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the first wireless communication device is configured to compare the interfering signal strength with an ambient noise level.

10. The first wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the first wireless communication device is configured to determine that the interfering signal was provided by said at least one second wireless communication device when the interfering signal strength exceeds the ambient noise level.

11. The first wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the first wireless communication device is configured to form the samples by sampling a portion of the interfering signal.

12. The first wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the first wireless communication device is configured to form at least one packet by encapsulating the samples.

13. The first wireless communication device of claim 12, wherein the first wireless communication device is configured to provide said at least one packet including encapsulated samples to a server.

14. The first wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the first wireless communication device is configured to provide said at least one back-off instruction to said at least one second wireless communication device.