Approach For Managing The Use Of Communications Channels Based On Performance

US 20090122837A1
Filed: 01/12/2009
Published: 05/14/2009
Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2001
Status: Active Grant

First Claim

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1. A computer-implemented method for selecting a particular participant with which to communicate in a communications system, comprising:

determining a first set of performance data of a first communications channel between a specified participant and a plurality of other participants;

selecting, based upon the first set of performance data and at least one selection criterion, the particular participant from the plurality of other participants; and

wherein the plurality of communications channels correspond to a set of frequencies and communications on the plurality of communication channels are based on a hopping sequence among at least two communications channels of the plurality of communications channels according to a frequency hopping protocol.

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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.

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24 Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for selecting a particular participant with which to communicate in a communications system, comprising:
- determining a first set of performance data of a first communications channel between a specified participant and a plurality of other participants;
  
  selecting, based upon the first set of performance data and at least one selection criterion, the particular participant from the plurality of other participants; and
  
  wherein the plurality of communications channels correspond to a set of frequencies and communications on the plurality of communication channels are based on a hopping sequence among at least two communications channels of the plurality of communications channels according to a frequency hopping protocol.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- - 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
    - sending a first communication over the first communications channel from the specified participant to the particular participant.
  - 3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:
    - determining a second set of performance data of a plurality of communications channels;
      
      selecting, based upon the second set of performance data and at least one performance criterion, a second communications channel from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      generating channel identification data that identifies the second communications channel;
      
      providing the channel identification data to a second participant; and
      
      receiving at the specified participant a second communication from the second participant over a third communications channel, wherein the third communications channel is determined based on the channel identification data that identifies the second communications channel.
  - 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the second participant is not the particular participant.
  - 5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the second participant is the particular participant.
  - 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein:
    - the first communication includes the channel identification data; and
      
      the second communication is received in response to the first communication.
  - 7. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the channel identification data specifies that the second communications channel is to be used by the second participant for the second communication, and wherein the third communications channel is the second communications channel.
  - 8. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the channel identification data specifies that the second communications channel is not to be used by the second participant for the second communication, and wherein the third communications channel is not the second communications channel.
  - 9. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of communications channels is used according to an order of the plurality of communications channels, wherein the channel identification data specifies that the second communications channel is not to be used by the second participant for the second communication when the second communications channel is selected for use based on the order, and wherein the third communications channel immediately follows the second communications channel in the order.
  - 10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
    - determining a third set of performance data of a second communications channel between the specified participant and the plurality of other participants;
      
      selecting, based upon the third set of performance data and at least one selection criterion, a third participant from the plurality of other participants, wherein the third participant is not the particular participant; and
      
      sending a third communication over the second communications channel from the specified participant to the third participant.
  - 11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
    - maintaining first channel performance data that is based upon the performance of the first communications channel; and
      
      wherein the step of selecting the particular participant comprises the step of;
      
      selecting, based upon the first channel performance data and the at least one selection criterion, the particular participant from the plurality of other participants.
  - 12. The method of claim 1, wherein:
    - the particular participant is a first participant that is selected from the group consisting of a slave, a first wireless device, and a first mobile device;
      
      a second participant is selected from the group consisting of a master, a second wireless device, and a second mobile device; and
      
      the second participant performs the steps of determining and selecting.

13. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for selecting a particular participant with which to communicate in a communications system, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
- determining a first set of performance data of a first communications channel between a specified participant and a plurality of other participants;
  
  selecting, based upon the first set of performance data and the plurality of other participants and at least one selection criterion, the particular participant from the plurality of other participants; and
  
  wherein the plurality of communications channels correspond to a set of frequencies and communications from the particular participant are based on a hopping sequence among at least two communications channels of the plurality of communications channels according to a frequency hopping protocol.
- View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
- - 14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising one or more sequences of instructions, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the step of:
    - sending a first communication over the first communications channel from the specified participant to the particular participant.
  - 15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising one or more sequences of instructions, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - determining a second set of performance data of a plurality of communications channels;
      
      selecting, based upon the second set of performance data and at least one performance criterion, a second communications channel from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      generating channel identification data that identifies the second communications channel;
      
      providing the channel identification data to a second participant; and
      
      receiving at the specified participant a second communication from the second participant over a third communications channel, wherein the third communications channel is determined based on the channel identification data that identifies the second communications channel.
  - 16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second participant is not the particular participant.
  - 17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second participant is the particular participant.
  - 18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:
    - the first communication includes the channel identification data; and
      
      the second communication is received in response to the first communication.
  - 19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the channel identification data specifies that the second communications channel is to be used by the second participant for the second communication, and wherein the third communications channel is the second communications channel.
  - 20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the channel identification data specifies that the second communications channel is not to be used by the second participant for the second communication, and wherein the third communications channel is not the second communications channel.
  - 21. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of communications channels is used according to an order of the plurality of communications channels, wherein the channel identification data specifies that the second communications channel is not to be used by the second participant for the second communication when the second communications channel is selected for use based on the order, and wherein the third communications channel immediately follows the second communications channel in the order.
  - 22. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising one or more sequences of instructions, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - determining a second set of performance data of a second communications channel between the specified participant and the plurality of other participants;
      
      selecting, based upon the second set of performance data and at least one selection criterion, a third participant from the plurality of other participants, wherein the third participant is not the particular participant; and
      
      sending a third communication over the second communications channel from the specified participant to the third participant.
  - 23. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising one or more sequences of instructions, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - maintaining first channel performance data that is based upon the performance of the first communications channel; and
      
      wherein the instructions for selecting the particular participant further comprise one or more sequences of instructions, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the step of;
      
      selecting, based upon the first channel performance data and the at least one selection criterion, the particular participant from the plurality of other participants.
  - 24. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein:
    - the particular participant is a first participant that is selected from the group consisting of a slave, a first wireless device, and a first mobile device;
      
      a second participant is selected from the group consisting of a master, a second wireless device, and a second mobile device; and
      
      the second participant performs the steps of determining and selecting.

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Current Assignee
Bandspeed, LLC
Original Assignee
Bijan Treister, Efstratios Skafidas, Hongbing Gan
Inventors
Gan, Hongbing, Skafidas, Efstratios, Treister, Bijan

Granted Patent

US 7,903,608 B2
Time in Patent Office

Days
Field of Search
US Class Current

375/132
CPC Class Codes

H04B 1/7136   Arrangements for generation...

H04B 1/715   Interference-related aspects

H04B 2001/7154   with means for preventing i...

H04L 2101/622   Layer-2 addresses, e.g. med...

H04L 5/006   Quality of the received sig...

H04L 69/28   Timers or timing mechanisms...

H04W 24/08   Testing, supervising or mon...

H04W 4/80   Services using short range ...

H04W 72/0446   Resources in time domain, e...

H04W 72/542   using measured or perceived...

H04W 84/12   WLAN [Wireless Local Area N...

H04W 84/18   Self-organising networks, e...

H04W 84/20   Master-slave selection or c...

Approach For Managing The Use Of Communications Channels Based On Performance

First Claim

2 Assignments

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Abstract

45 Citations

24 Claims

Specification

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Approach For Managing The Use Of Communications Channels Based On Performance

First Claim

2 Assignments

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0 Petitions

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Accused Products

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Abstract

45 Citations

24 Claims

Specification

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Solutions

Use Cases

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