Approach for selecting communications channels based on performance

US 7,027,418 B2
Filed: 09/06/2001
Issued: 04/11/2006
Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2001
Status: Expired due to Term

- Alert
- Pin

Associated Cases

Associated Defendants

First Claim

Patent Images

1. A method for selecting communications channels for a communications system, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

selecting, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels at a first time and channel selection criteria, a first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;

selecting, based upon performance of the plurality of communications channels at a second time that is later than the first time and the channel selection criteria, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;

wherein the communications system is a frequency hopping communications system and the plurality of communications channels correspond to a set of frequencies to be used based on a hopping sequence according to a frequency hopping protocol; and

wherein at each hop in the hopping sequence, only one communications channel is used for communications between a pair of participants.

View all claims

7 Assignments

Timeline View

Assignment View

Litigations

0 Petitions

Reexaminations

Accused Products

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.

225 Citations

128 Claims

1. A method for selecting communications channels for a communications system, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
- selecting, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels at a first time and channel selection criteria, a first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
  
  selecting, based upon performance of the plurality of communications channels at a second time that is later than the first time and the channel selection criteria, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
  
  wherein the communications system is a frequency hopping communications system and the plurality of communications channels correspond to a set of frequencies to be used based on a hopping sequence according to a frequency hopping protocol; and
  
  wherein at each hop in the hopping sequence, only one communications channel is used for communications between a pair of participants.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- - 2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the channel selection criteria specifies that for a particular communications channel to be selected, the particular communications channel (a) receives a specified number of affirmative votes to use the particular communications channel from a plurality of participants and (b) does not receive a negative vote from a particular participant to not use the particular communications channel.
  - 3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of communications channels communicatively couple at least a plurality of wireless devices.
  - 4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the plurality of wireless devices includes one or more mobile devices.
  - 5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
    - generating first channel identification data that identifies the first set of two or more communications channels;
      
      transmitting the first channel identification data to one or more participants in the communications system over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol;
      
      generating second channel identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels; and
      
      transmitting the second channel identification data to one or more participants in the communications system over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol.
  - 6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:
    - the channel selection criteria specifies that for a particular communications channel to be selected, the particular communications channel receives a first specified number of votes to use the particular communications channel from among a plurality of votes;
      
      each participant in a plurality of participants except for a particular participant casts one vote of the plurality of votes; and
      
      the particular participant casts a second specified number of votes.
  - 7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the channel selection criteria include a channel performance threshold.
  - 8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
    - generating first channel performance data that indicates the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the first time; and
      
      generating second channel performance data that indicates the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the second time.
  - 9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:
    - the channel selection criteria specifies that for a particular communications channel to be selected, the particular communications channel receives a specified number of votes to use the particular communications channel from among a plurality of votes; and
      
      each participant in a plurality of participants casts one vote of the plurality of votes.
  - 10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
    - communicating, prior to the second time, over the first set of two or more communications channels, according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      communicating, after a third time that is not earlier than the second time, over the second set of two or more communications channels, according to the frequency hopping protocol.
  - 11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
    - determining the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the first time; and
      
      determining the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the second time.
  - 12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the performance of the plurality of communications channels is based on channel performance data that is transmitted over one or more of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol.
  - 13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the performance of the plurality of communications channels is based on additional channel performance data that is based on transmitting the channel performance data over one or more of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol.

14. A method for selecting communications channels for a frequency hopping communications system, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
- selecting, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels at a first time and channel selection criteria, a first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels, wherein the plurality of communications channels correspond to a set of frequencies to be used based on a hopping sequence according to a frequency hopping protocol, and wherein at each hop in the hopping sequence, only one communications channel is used for communications between a pair of participants;
  
  determining, based upon performance of the first set of two or more communications channels at a second time that is later than the first time, a number of communications channels from the first set of two or more communications channels that satisfy the channel selection criteria; and
  
  if the number of communications channels from the first set of two or more communications channels that satisfy the channel selection criteria at the second time is less than a specified number, thenselecting, based upon performance of the plurality of communications channels at a third time that is later than the second time and the channel selection criteria, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels in the frequency hopping communications system.

15. A method for communicating with a participant in a communications arrangement, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
- selecting, based on first performance data that indicates performance of a plurality of communications channels at a first time and at least a first performance criterion, a first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
  
  generating first identification data that identifies the first set of two or more communications channels;
  
  providing the first identification data to the participant;
  
  communicating with the participant over the first set of two or more communications channels, wherein the plurality of communications channels correspond to a set of frequencies to be used based on a hopping sequence according to a frequency hopping protocol;
  
  wherein at each hop in the hopping sequence, only one communications channel is used for communications between a pair of participants; and
  
  wherein the first identification data is provided to the participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol.
- View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
- - 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the participant is selected from the group consisting of a wireless device and a mobile device.
  - 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first performance data indicates performance for each communications channel of the plurality of communications channels.
  - 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of providing the first identification data to the participant comprises the computer-implemented steps of:
    - encrypting the first identification data; and
      
      providing the encrypted first identification data to the participant.
  - 19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
    - selecting, based on second performance data that indicates performance of the plurality of communications channels at a second time that is different than the first time and at least a second performance criterion, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      generating second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
      
      providing the second identification data to the participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      communicating with the participant over the second set of two or more communications channels, according to the frequency hopping protocol.
  - 20. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising the computer-implemented step of:
    - after selecting the first set of two or more communications channels, causing the first set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into a register of the participant.
  - 21. The method of claim 19, wherein the participant is a first participant, and wherein the method further comprises the computer-implemented steps of:
    - providing the first identification data to a second participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      communicating with the second participant over the first set of two or more communications channels while communicating with the first participant over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 22. The method of claim 19, wherein:
    - the second set of two or more communications channels is different than the first set of two or more communications channels; and
      
      the first performance criterion is different than the second performance criterion.
  - 23. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the participant is a first participant, wherein a default set of two or more communications channels is associated with the hopping sequence and is not changed based on the performance of the plurality of communications channels, and the method further comprises the computer-implemented steps of:
    - communicating with a second participant over the default set of two or more communications channels while communicating with the first participant over the first set of two or more communications channels.
  - 24. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of selecting the first set of two or more communications channels comprises the computer-implemented steps of:
    - classifying the performance of at least one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the first performance data and one or more classification criteria that includes at least the first performance criterion; and
      
      selecting the first set of two or more communications channels based on the at least one classified communications channel and one or more selection criteria.
  - 25. The method of claim 15, further comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
    - after expiration of a specified amount of time,selecting, based on second performance data that indicates performance of the plurality of communications channels and at least a second performance criterion, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      generating second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
      
      providing the second identification data to the participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      communicating with the participant over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 26. The method of claim 15, further comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
    - determining, based on second performance data that indicates performance of the first set of two or more communications channels at a second time that is later than the first time, a number of communications channels from the first set of two or more communications channels that satisfy at least a second performance criterion;
      
      if the number of communications channels from the first set of two or more communications channels is less than a specified number, then;
      
      selecting, based on third performance data that indicates performance of the plurality of communications channels at a third time that is at or later than the second time and at least a third performance criterion, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      generating second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
      
      providing the second identification data to the participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      communicating with the participant over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 27. The method of claim 15, further comprising the computer-implemented step of:
    - if performance data for at least one communications channel of the first set of two or more communications channels satisfies at least a second performance criterion, thenselecting, based on second performance data that indicates performance of the plurality of communications channels at a different time and at least a third performance criterion, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      generating second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
      
      providing the second identification data to the participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      communicating with the participant over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 28. The method of claim 15, wherein the first performance data for the plurality of communications channels is determined by the computer-implemented steps of:
    - transmitting first data to the participant over at least one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels;
      
      receiving, from the participant, second data that indicates a measurement of performance of the at least one communications channel, wherein the measurement is based on transmitting the first data over the at least one communications channel; and
      
      determining the first performance data based on at least the second data.
  - 29. The method of claim 15, wherein the first performance data for the plurality of communications channels is determined by the computer-implemented steps of:
    - transmitting first data to the participant over at least one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels;
      
      receiving, from the participant over at least one additional communications channel of the plurality of communications channels, second data that indicates a measurement of performance of the at least one communications channel based on transmitting the first data over the at least one communications channel;
      
      generating an additional measurement of performance of the at least one additional communications channel based on receiving the second data over the at least one additional communications channel; and
      
      determining the first performance data based on at least the second data and the additional measurement.
  - 30. The method of claim 15, wherein the first performance data for the plurality of communications channels is determined by the computer-implemented steps of:
    - transmitting first data to the participant over at least one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels, wherein the first data includes one or more copies of a specified data string;
      
      receiving, from the participant, second data that indicates a measurement of performance of the at least one communications channel based on whether errors occur in the one or more copies of the specified data string of the first data as a result of transmitting the first data to the participant over the at least one communications channel; and
      
      determining the first performance data based on at least the second data.
  - 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first data is a data packet and wherein the one or more copies of the specified data string are included in a portion of the data packet selected from the group consisting of a payload portion of the data packet and a preamble portion of the data packet.
  - 32. The method of claim 15, wherein:
    - the participant is designated to be a slave; and
      
      a master performs the steps of selecting, generating, providing, and communicating.
  - 33. The method of claim 15, wherein the first performance data for the plurality of communications channels is based on a channel performance testing technique selected from the group consisting of a received signal strength indicator, a header error check, a cyclic redundancy check, a packet loss ratio, a number of error bits, and forward error correction.
  - 34. The method of claim 15, wherein the first performance data for the plurality of communications channels is determined by the computer-implemented steps of:
    - performing a specified number of communications channel performance tests on each communication channel in the plurality of communications channels; and
      
      determining the first performance data based on results of the specified number of communications channel performance tests.
  - 35. The method of claim 15, wherein the first performance data for the plurality of communications channels is determined by the computer-implemented steps of:
    - performing a specified number of communications channel performance tests on each communication channel in the plurality of communications channels;
      
      receiving channel performance data from the participant;
      
      determining the first performance data based on results of the specified number of communications channel performance tests and the channel performance data from the participant.
  - 36. The method of claim 15, wherein the participant is a first participant, and wherein the method further comprises the computer-implemented steps of:
    - providing the first identification data to a second participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      communicating with the second participant over the first set of two or more communications channels.
  - 37. The method of claim 15, wherein the participant is a first participant, and wherein the method further comprises the computer-implemented steps of:
    - communicating with a second participant over the plurality of communications channels.
  - 38. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of communicating with the participant over the first set of two or more communications channels includes communicating with the participant over the over the first set of two or more communications channels according to a frequency hopping protocol defined by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.15.1 Wireless Personal Area Network Standard.
  - 39. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of communicating with the participant over the first set of two or more communications channels includes communicating with the participant over the first set of two or more communications channels according to a frequency hopping protocol that conforms to a Bluetooth communications standard for transmissions over a 2.4 GHz band.
  - 40. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of selecting the first set of two or more communications channels comprises the computer-implemented steps of:
    - classifying, based on the first performance data and at least the first performance criterion, at least two communications channels of the plurality of communications channels as good or bad; and
      
      selecting at least two communications channels of the plurality of communications channels that are classified as good.

41. A method for communicating among a network of communications devices according to a frequency hopping protocol, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
- determining first performance data for a plurality of communications channels based on one or more performance measurements of the plurality of communications channels, wherein the plurality of communications channels correspond to a set of frequencies to be used based on a hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol, and wherein at each hop in the hopping sequence, only one communications channel is used for communications between a pair of communications devices;
  
  determining classifications, based on the first performance data and at least a first performance criterion, of at least two communications channels of the plurality of communications channels;
  
  selecting, based upon the classifications of the at least two communications channels, a first set of two or more communications channels;
  
  generating first identification data that identifies the first set of two or more communications channels;
  
  providing the first identification data to a communications device of the network of communications devices over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol;
  
  communicating with the communications device over the first set of two or more communications channels according to the frequency hopping protocol;
  
  determining performance data for the first set of two or more communications channels; and
  
  if the performance data indicates that at least a specified number of communications channels of the first set of two or more communications channels do not satisfy specified performance criteria, thendetermining second performance data for the plurality of communications channels based on one or more additional performance measurements of the plurality of communications channels;
  
  determining additional classifications, based on the second performance data and at least a second performance criterion, of at least two communications channels of the plurality of communications channels;
  
  selecting, based upon the additional classifications of the at least two communications channels, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
  
  generating second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
  
  providing the second identification data to the communications device of the network of communications devices over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
  
  communicating with the communications device over the second set of two or more communications channels according to the frequency hopping protocol.
- View Dependent Claims (42)
- - 42. The method of claim 41, wherein the classifications include good and bad, and wherein the step of selecting the first set of two or more communications channels includes selecting the first set of two or more communications channels from communications channels that are determined to have classifications of good, and wherein the step of selecting the second set of two or more communications channels includes selecting the second set of two or more communications channels from communications channels that are determined to have classifications of good.

43. A communications device for use in a network of devices, comprising:
- a memory containing identification data that identifies a first set of two or more communications channels from a plurality of communications channels, wherein channel performance of the first set of two or more communications channels and at least one performance criterion are used to select the first set of two or more communications channels;
  
  a transceiver that is communicatively coupled to the memory and that is configured to transmit and receive, based on the identification data, over the first set of two or more communications channels, according to a frequency hopping protocol;
  
  wherein the plurality of communications channels correspond to a set of frequencies to be used based on a hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
  
  wherein at each hop in the hopping sequence, only one communications channel is used for communications between a pair of participants.
- View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
- - 44. The communications device of claim 43, wherein the frequency hopping protocol conforms to a Bluetooth communications standard for transmissions over a 2.4 GHz band.
  - 45. The communications device of claim 43, wherein the transceiver receives a transmission of first data from another device, and wherein the communications device further comprises:
    - a processor that is communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the memory includes one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;
      
      generate a measurement of channel performance based on the transmission of the first data;
      
      wherein the transceiver transmits, to another communications device, second data that includes performance data that indicates the measurement of channel performance; and
      
      wherein the first set of two or more communications channels is selected based at least in part on the measurement of channel performance.
  - 46. The communications device of claim 43, wherein the transceiver receives a transmission of first data from another device, wherein the first data includes one or more copies of a specified data string, and wherein the communications device further comprises:
    - a processor that is communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the memory includes one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;
      
      generate a measurement of channel performance based on whether errors occur in the one or more copies of the specified data string of the first data as a result of the transmission of the first data;
      
      wherein the transceiver transmits second data, to another communications device, that includes performance data that indicates the measurement of channel performance; and
      
      wherein the first set of two or more communications channels is selected based at least in part on the measurement of channel performance.
  - 47. The communications device of claim 43, wherein:
    - the communications device is designated to be a slave.
  - 48. The communications device of claim 43, wherein:
    - the communications device is selected from the group consisting of a wireless communications device and a mobile communications device.
  - 49. The communications device of claim 43, wherein the frequency hopping protocol is defined by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.15.1 Wireless Personal Area Network Standard.

50. A communications device for use in a network of devices, comprising:
- a memory for storing one or more sequences of instructions;
  
  a processor that is communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the memory includes one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;
  
  select, based on first performance data that indicates performance of a plurality of communications channels at a first time and at least a first performance criterion, a first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
  
  generate and store in the memory first identification data that identifies the first set of two or more communications channels;
  
  cause the first identification data to be transmitted to another communications device;
  
  a transceiver that is communicatively coupled to the memory and that is configured to transmit to and receive from the other communications device, based on the first identification data, over the first set of two or more communications channels, according to a frequency hopping protocol, wherein the plurality of communications channels correspond to a set of frequencies to be used based on a hopping sequence according to a frequency hopping protocol;
  
  wherein at each hop in the hopping sequence, only one communications channel is used for communications between a pair of participants; and
  
  the first identification data is transmitted to the other communications device over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol.
- View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
- - 51. The communications device of claim 50, wherein:
    - the communications device is designated to be a first mobile device; and
      
      the other communications device is designated to be a second mobile device.
  - 52. The communications device of claim 50, wherein:
    - the communications device is designated to be a first wireless device; and
      
      the other communications device is designated to be a second wireless device.
  - 53. The communications device of claim 50, wherein:
    - the communications device is designated to be a master; and
      
      the other communications device is designated to be a slave.
  - 54. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the first performance data indicates performance for each communications channel of the plurality of communications channels.
  - 55. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the memory includes one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
    - encrypt the first identification data; and
      
      cause the encrypted first identification data to be transmitted to the other communications device.
  - 56. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the memory includes one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
    - select, based on second performance data that indicates performance of the plurality of communications channels at a second time that is different than the first time and at least a second performance criterion, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      generate and store in the memory second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
      
      cause the second identification data to be transmitted to the other communications device over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit to and receive from the other communications device, based on the second identification data, over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 57. The communications device of claim 56, wherein the other communications device is a first communications device, and wherein the memory includes one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
    - cause the first identification data to be transmitted to a second communications device over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      wherein the transceiver communicates with the second communications device over the first set of two or more communications channels while communicating with the first communications device over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 58. The communications device of claim 56, wherein:
    - the second set of two or more communications channels is different than the first set of two or more communications channels; and
      
      the first performance criterion is different than the second performance criterion.
  - 59. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions that cause the processor to select the first set of two or more communications channels comprises one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
    - classify, based on the first performance data and at least the first performance criterion, at least two communications channels of the plurality of communications channels are good or bad; and
      
      select at least two communications channels of the plurality of communications channels that are classified as good.
  - 60. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions that cause the processor to select the first set of two or more communications channels comprises one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
    - classify the performance of at least one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the first performance data and one or more classification criteria that includes at least the first performance criterion; and
      
      select the first set of two or more communications channels based on the at least one classified communications channel and one or more selection criteria.
  - 61. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the memory includes one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
    - after expiration of a specified amount of time,select, based on second performance data that indicates performance of the plurality of communications channels and at least a second performance criterion, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      generate and store in the memory second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
      
      cause the second identification data to be transmitted to the other communications device over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit to and receive from the other communications device, based on the second identification data, over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 62. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the memory includes one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
    - determine, based on second performance data that indicates performance of the first set of two or more communications channels at a second time that is later than the first time, a number of communications channels from the first set of two or more communications channels that satisfy at least a second performance criterion;
      
      if the number of communications channels from the first set of two or more communications channels is less than a specified number, then;
      
      select, based on third performance data that indicates performance of the plurality of communications channels at a third time that is at or later than the second time and at least a third performance criterion, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      generate second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels; and
      
      cause the second identification data to be transmitted to the other communications device over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit to and receive from the other communications device, based on the second identification data, over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 63. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the memory includes one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
    - if performance data for at least one communications channel of the first set of two or more communications channels satisfies at least a second performance criterion, then;
      
      select, based on second performance data that indicates performance of the plurality of communications channels at a different time and at least a third performance criterion, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      generate and store in the memory second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
      
      cause the second identification data to be transmitted to the other communications device over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit to and receive from the other communications device, based on the second identification data, over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 64. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the transceiver is configured to:
    - transmit first data to the other communications device over at least one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels;
      
      receive, from the other communications device, second data that indicates a measurement of performance of the at least one communications channel based on transmitting the first data over the at least one communications channel; and
      
      wherein the memory includes one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;
      
      determine the first performance data based on at least the second data.
  - 65. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the transceiver is configured to:
    - transmit first data to the other communications device over at least one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels;
      
      receive from the other communications device over at least one additional communications channel of the plurality of communications channels, second data that indicates a measurement of performance of the at least one communications channel based on transmitting the first data over the at least one communications channel; and
      
      wherein the memory includes one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;
      
      generate an additional measurement of performance of the at least one additional communications channel based on receiving the second data over the at least one additional communications channel; and
      
      determine the first performance data based on at least the second data and the additional measurement.
  - 66. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the transceiver is configured to:
    - transmit first data to the other communications device over at least one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels,wherein the first data includes one or more copies of a specified data string;
      
      receive, from the other communications device, second data that indicates a measurement of performance of the at least one communications channel based on whether errors occur in the one or more copies of the specified data string of the first data as a result of transmitting the first data to the other communications device over the at least one communications channel; and
      
      wherein the memory includes one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;
      
      determine the first performance data based on at least the second data.
  - 67. The communications device of claim 66, wherein:
    - the first data is a data packet; and
      
      the one or more copies of the specified data string are included in a portion of the data packet selected from the group consisting of a payload portion of the data packet and a preamble portion of the data packet.
  - 68. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit and receive over the first set of two or more communications channels according to a frequency hopping protocol that conforms to a Bluetooth communications standard for transmissions over a 2.4 GHz band.
  - 69. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the first performance data for the plurality of communications channels is based on a channel performance testing technique selected from the group consisting of a received signal strength indicator, a header error check, a cyclic redundancy check, a packet loss ratio, a number of error bits, and forward error correction.
  - 70. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the first performance data for the plurality of communications channels is determined by one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
    - perform a specified number of communications channel performance tests on each communication channel in the plurality of communications channels; and
      
      determine the first performance data based on results of the specified number of communications channel performance tests.
  - 71. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the first performance data for the plurality of communications channels is determined by one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
    - perform a specified number of channel performance tests on each communication channel in the plurality of communications channels;
      
      receive channel performance data from the other communications device;
      
      determine the first performance data based on results of the specified number of communications channel performance tests and the channel performance data from the other communications device.
  - 72. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the transceiver is configured to:
    - transmit the first identification data to a third communications device over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      transmit to and receive from the third communications device, based on the first identification data, over the first set of two or more communications channels.
  - 73. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the transceiver is configured to:
    - transmit to and receive from a third communications device over the plurality of communications channels.
  - 74. The communications device of claim 50, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit and receive over the first set of two or more communications channels according to a frequency hopping protocol defined by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.15.1 Wireless Personal Area Network Standard.

75. A communications channel selector apparatus comprising:
- means for selecting, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels at a first time and channel selection criteria, a first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
  
  means for selecting, based upon the performance of the plurality of communications channels at a second time that is later than the first time and the channel selection criteria, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
  
  wherein the plurality of communications channels correspond to a set of frequencies to be used based on a hopping sequence according to a frequency hopping protocol; and
  
  wherein at each hop in the hopping sequence, only one communications channel is used for communications between a pair of participants.
- View Dependent Claims (76, 77)
- - 76. The communications channel selector apparatus of claim 75, wherein the plurality of communications channels is associated with a communications system and wherein the communications channel selector apparatus further comprises:
    - means for generating first channel identification data that identifies the first set of two or more communications channels;
      
      means for transmitting the first channel identification data to one or more participants in the communications system over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol;
      
      means for generating second channel identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels; and
      
      means for transmitting the second channel identification data to one or more participants in the communications system over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol.
  - 77. The communications channel selector apparatus of claim 75, wherein the communications channel selector apparatus further comprises:
    - means for determining the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the first time; and
      
      means for determining the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the second time.

78. A communications apparatus comprising:
- means for selecting, based on first performance data that indicates performance of a plurality of communications channels at a first time and at least a first performance criterion, a first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
  
  means for generating first identification data that identifies the first set of two or more communications channels;
  
  means for providing the first identification data to a participant;
  
  means for communicating with the participant over the first set of two or more communications channels, wherein the plurality of communications channels correspond to a set of frequencies to be used based on a hopping sequence according to a frequency hopping protocol;
  
  wherein at each hop in the hopping sequence, only one communications channel is used for communications between a pair of participants; and
  
  wherein the first identification data is provided to the participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol.
- View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84)
- - 79. The communications apparatus of claim 78, further comprising:
    - means for selecting, based on second performance data that indicates performance of the plurality of communications channels at a second time that is different than the first time and at least a second performance criterion, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      means for generating second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
      
      means for providing the second identification data to the participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      means for communicating with the participant over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 80. The communications apparatus of claim 78, further comprising:
    - means for selecting, after expiration of a specified amount of time and based on second performance data that indicates performance of the plurality of communications channels and at least a second performance criterion, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      means for generating, after expiration of the specified amount of time, second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
      
      means for providing, after expiration of the specified amount of time, the second identification data to the participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      means for communicating, after expiration of the specified amount of time, with the participant over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 81. The communications apparatus of claim 78, further comprising:
    - means for determining, based on second performance data that indicates performance of the first set of two or more communications channels at a second time that is later than the first time, a number of communications channels from the first set of two or more communications channels that satisfy at least a second performance criterion;
      
      means for selecting, when the number of communications channels from the first set of two or more communications channels is less than a specified number and based on third performance data that indicates performance of the plurality of communications channels at a third time that is at or later than the second time and at least a third performance criterion, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      means for generating, when the number of communications channels from the first set of two or more communications channels is less than the specified number, second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
      
      means for providing, when the number of communications channels from the first set of two or more communications channels is less than the specified number, the second identification data to the participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      means for communicating, when the number of communications channels from the first set of two or more communications channels is less than the specified number, with the participant over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 82. The communications apparatus of claim 78, further comprising:
    - means for selecting, when performance data for at least one communications channel of the first set of two or more communications channels satisfies at least a second performance criterion and based on the second performance data that indicates performance of the plurality of communications channels at a different time and at least a third performance criterion, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      means for generating, when performance data for at least one communications channel of the first set of two or more communications channels satisfies at least the second performance criterion, second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
      
      means for providing, when performance data for at least one communications channel of the first set of two or more communications channels satisfies at least the second performance criterion, the second identification data to the participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      means for communicating, when performance data for at least one communications channel of the first set of two or more communications channels satisfies at least the second performance criterion, with the participant over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 83. The communications device apparatus of claim 78, further comprising:
    - means for transmitting first data to the participant over at least one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels;
      
      means for receiving, from the participant, second data that indicates a measurement of performance of the at least one communications channel based on transmitting the first data over the at least one communications channel; and
      
      means for determining the first performance data based on at least the second data.
  - 84. The communications device apparatus of claim 78, further comprising:
    - means for transmitting first data to the participant over at least one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels;
      
      means for receiving, from the participant over at least one additional communications channel of the plurality of communications channels, second data that indicates a measurement of performance of the at least one communications channel based on transmitting the first data over the at least one communications channel;
      
      means for generating an additional measurement of performance of the at least one additional communications channel based on receiving the second data over the at least one additional communications channel; and
      
      means for determining the first performance data based on at least the second data and the additional measurement.

85. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for selecting communications channels for 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:
- selecting, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels at a first time and channel selection criteria, a first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
  
  selecting, based upon performance of the plurality of communications channels at a second time that is later than the first time and the channel selection criteria, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
  
  wherein the communications system is a frequency hopping communications system and the plurality of communications channels correspond to a set of frequencies to be used based on a hopping sequence according to a frequency hopping protocol; and
  
  wherein at each hop in the hopping sequence, only one communications channel is used for communications between a pair of participants.
- View Dependent Claims (86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92)
- - 86. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 85, wherein the plurality of communications channels communicatively couple at least a plurality of wireless devices.
  - 87. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 86, wherein the plurality of wireless devices includes one or more mobile devices.
  - 88. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 85, further comprising one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - generating first channel identification data that identifies the first set of two or more communications channels;
      
      transmitting the first channel identification data to one or more participants in the communications system over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol;
      
      generating second channel identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels; and
      
      transmitting the second channel identification data to one or more participants in the communications system over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol.
  - 89. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 85, wherein the channel selection criteria include a channel performance threshold.
  - 90. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 85, further comprising one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - generating first channel performance data that indicates the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the first time; and
      
      generating second channel performance data that indicates the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the second time.
  - 91. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 85, further comprising one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - communicating, prior to the second time, over the first set of two or more communications channels, according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      communicating, after a third time that is not earlier than the second time, over the second set of two or more communications channels, according to the frequency hopping protocol.
  - 92. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 85, further comprising one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - determining the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the first time; and
      
      determining the performance of the plurality of communications channels at the second time.

93. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for communicating among a network of communications devices according to a frequency hopping protocol, 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 first performance data for a plurality of communications channels based on one or more performance measurements of the plurality of communications channels, wherein the plurality of communications channels correspond to a set of frequencies to be used based on a hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol, and wherein at each hop in the hopping sequence, only one communications channel is used for communications between a pair of communications devices;
  
  determining classifications, based on the first performance data and at least a first performance criterion, of at least two communications channels of the plurality of communications channels;
  
  selecting, based upon the classifications of the at least two communications channels, a first set of two or more communications channels;
  
  generating first identification data that identifies the first set of two or more communications channels;
  
  providing the first identification data to a communications device of the network of communications devices over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol;
  
  communicating with the communications device over the first set of two or more communications channels according to the frequency hopping protocol;
  
  determining performance data for the first set of two or more communications channels; and
  
  if the performance data indicates that at least a specified number of communications channels of the first set of two or more communications channels do not satisfy specified performance criteria, thendetermining second performance data for the plurality of communications channels based on one or more additional performance measurements of the plurality of communications channels;
  
  determining additional classifications, based on the second performance data and at least a second performance criterion, of at least two communications channels of the plurality of communications channels;
  
  selecting, based upon the additional classifications of the at least two communications channels, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
  
  generating second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
  
  providing the second identification data to the communications device over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
  
  communicating with the communications device over the second set of two or more communications channels according to the frequency hopping protocol.

94. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for selecting communications channels for a frequency hopping 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:
- selecting, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels at a first time and channel selection criteria, a first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels, wherein the plurality of communications channels correspond to a set of frequencies to be used based on a hopping sequence according to a frequency hopping protocol, and wherein at each hop in the hopping sequence, only one communications channel is used for communications between a pair of participants;
  
  determining, based upon performance of the first set of two or more communications channels at a second time that is later than the first time, a number of communications channels from the first set of two or more communications channels that satisfy the channel selection criteria; and
  
  if the number of communications channels from the first set of two or more communications channels that satisfy the channel selection criteria at the second time is less than a specified number, thenselecting, based upon performance of the plurality of communications channels at a third time that is later than the second time and the channel selection criteria, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels in the frequency hopping communications system.

95. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for communicating with a participant in a communications arrangement, 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:
- selecting, based on first performance data that indicates performance of a plurality of communications channels at a first time and at least a first performance criterion, a first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
  
  generating first identification data that identifies the first set of two or more communications channels;
  
  providing the first identification data to the participant;
  
  communicating with the participant over the first set of two or more communications channels, wherein the plurality of communications channels correspond to a set of frequencies to be used based on a hopping sequence according to a frequency hopping protocol;
  
  wherein at each hop in the hopping sequence, only one communications channel is used for communications between a pair of participants; and
  
  wherein the first identification data is provided to the participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol.
- View Dependent Claims (97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119)
- - 97. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, wherein:
    - the participant is designated to be a slave; and
      
      at least one processor in a master performs executes the instructions to perform the steps of selecting, generating, providing, and communicating.
  - 98. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform the step of selecting the first set of two or more communications channels comprises one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - classifying, based on the first performance data and at least the first performance criterion, at least two communications channels of the plurality of communications channels as good or bad; and
      
      selecting at least two communications channels of the plurality of communications channels that are classified as good.
  - 99. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform the step of communicating with the participant over the first set of two or more communications channels includes one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of communicating with the participant over the first set of two or more communications channels according to a frequency hopping protocol that conforms to a Bluetooth communications standard for transmissions over a 2.4 GHz band.
  - 100. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform the step of communicating with the participant over the first set of two or more communications channels includes one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of communicating with the participant over the over the first set of two or more communications channels according to a frequency hopping protocol defined by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.15.1 Wireless Personal Area Network Standard.
  - 101. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, wherein the participant is a first participant, and wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of:
    - communicating with a second participant over the plurality of communications channels.
  - 102. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, wherein the participant is a first participant, and wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - providing the first identification data to a second participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      communicating with the second participant over the first set of two or more communications channels.
  - 103. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, wherein the first performance data for the plurality of communications channels is determined by one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - performing a specified number of communications channel performance tests on each communication channel in the plurality of communications channels;
      
      receiving channel performance data from the participant;
      
      determining the first performance data based on results of the specified number of communications channel performance tests and the channel performance data from the participant.
  - 104. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, wherein the first performance data indicates performance for each communications channel of the plurality of communications channels.
  - 105. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, wherein the participant is selected from the group consisting of a wireless device and a mobile device.
  - 106. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform the step of providing the first identification data to the participant comprises one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the computer-implemented steps of:
    - encrypting the first identification data; and
      
      providing the encrypted first identification data to the participant.
  - 107. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, further comprising one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - selecting, based on second performance data that indicates performance of the plurality of communications channels at a second time that is different than the first time and at least a second performance criterion, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      generating second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
      
      providing the second identification data to the participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      communicating with the participant over the second set of two or more communications channels, according to the frequency hopping protocol.
  - 108. The computer-readable medium of claim 107, wherein the participant is a first participant, and wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the computer-implemented steps of:
    - providing the first identification data to a second participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      communicating with the second participant over the first set of two or more communications channels while communicating with the first participant over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 109. The computer-readable medium of claim 107, wherein:
    - the second set of two or more communications channels is different than the first set of two or more communications channels; and
      
      the first performance criterion is different than the second performance criterion.
  - 110. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform the step of selecting the first set of two or more communications channels comprises one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the computer-implemented steps of:
    - classifying the performance of at least one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the first performance data and one or more classification criteria that includes at least the first performance criterion; and
      
      selecting the first set of two or more communications channels based on the at least one classified communications channel and one or more selection criteria.
  - 111. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, further comprising one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - after expiration of a specified amount of time,selecting, based on second performance data that indicates performance of the plurality of communications channels and at least a second performance criterion, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      generating second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
      
      providing the second identification data to the participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      communicating with the participant over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 112. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, further comprising one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - determining, based on second performance data that indicates performance of the first set of two or more communications channels at a second time that is later than the first time, a number of communications channels from the first set of two or more communications channels that satisfy at least a second performance criterion;
      
      if the number of communications channels from the first set of two or more communications channels is less than a specified number, then;
      
      selecting, based on third performance data that indicates performance of the plurality of communications channels at a third time that is at or later than the second time and at least a third performance criterion, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      generating second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
      
      providing the second identification data to the participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      communicating with the participant over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 113. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, further comprising one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - if performance data for at least one communications channel of the first set of two or more communications channels satisfies at least a second performance criterion, thenselecting, based on second performance data that indicates performance of the plurality of communications channels at a different time and at least a third performance criterion, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
      
      generating second identification data that identifies the second set of two or more communications channels;
      
      providing the second identification data to the participant over one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol; and
      
      communicating with the participant over the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 114. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, wherein the first performance data for the plurality of communications channels is determined by one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - transmitting first data to the participant over at least one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels;
      
      receiving, from the participant, second data that indicates a measurement of performance of the at least one communications channel, wherein the measurement is based on transmitting the first data over the at least one communications channel; and
      
      determining the first performance data based on at least the second data.
  - 115. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, wherein the first performance data for the plurality of communications channels is determined by one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - transmitting first data to the participant over at least one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels;
      
      receiving, from the participant over at least one additional communications channel of the plurality of communications channels, second data that indicates a measurement of performance of the at least one communications channel based on transmitting the first data over the at least one communications channel;
      
      generating an additional measurement of performance of the at least one additional communications channel based on receiving the second data over the at least one additional communications channel; and
      
      determining the first performance data based on at least the second data and the additional measurement.
  - 116. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, wherein the first performance data for the plurality of communications channels is determined by one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - transmitting first data to the participant over at least one communications channel of the plurality of communications channels, wherein the first data includes one or more copies of a specified data string;
      
      receiving, from the participant, second data that indicates a measurement of performance of the at least one communications channel based on whether errors occur in the one or more copies of the specified data string of the first data as a result of transmitting the first data to the participant over the at least one communications channel; and
      
      determining the first performance data based on at least the second data.
  - 117. The computer-readable medium of claim 116, wherein the first data is a data packet and wherein the one or more copies of the specified data string are included in a portion of the data packet selected from the group consisting of a payload portion of the data packet and a preamble portion of the data packet.
  - 118. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, wherein the first performance data for the plurality of communications channels is based on a channel performance testing technique selected from the group consisting of a received signal strength indicator, a header error check, a cyclic redundancy check, a packet loss ratio, a number of error bits, and forward error correction.
  - 119. The computer-readable medium of claim 95, wherein the first performance data for the plurality of communications channels is determined by one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
    - performing a specified number of communications channel performance tests on each communication channel in the plurality of communications channels; and
      
      determining the first performance data based on results of the specified number of communications channel performance tests.

96. The computer-readable medium of claim 96, wherein:
- vthe classifications include good and bad;
  
  the instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform the step of selecting the first set of two or more communications channels includes one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of selecting the first set of two or more communications channels from communications channels that are determined to have classifications of good; and
  
  the instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform the step of selecting the second set of two or more communications channels includes one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of selecting the second set of two or more communications channels from communications channels that are determined to have classifications of good.

120. A method for selecting communications channels for a frequency hopping communications system, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
- selecting, based upon performance of a plurality of communications channels at a first time and channel selection criteria, a first set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
  
  after selecting the first set of two or more communications channels, causing the first set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into a first register of a first participant and a second register of a second participant;
  
  causing the first participant and the second participant to communicate over the first set of two or more communications channels based on a hopping sequence according to a frequency hopping protocol;
  
  selecting, based upon performance of the plurality of communications channels at a second time that is later than the first time and the channel selection criteria, a second set of two or more communications channels from the plurality of communications channels;
  
  after selecting the second set of two or more communications channels, causing the second set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into the first register of the first participant and the second register of the second participant; and
  
  causing the first participant and the second participant to communicate over the second set of two or more communications channels based on the hopping sequence according to the frequency hopping protocol.
- View Dependent Claims (121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128)
- - 121. The method of claim 120, wherein the frequency hopping protocol is defined by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.15.1 Wireless Personal Area Network Standard.
  - 122. The method of claim 120, wherein the frequency hopping protocol conforms to a Bluetooth communications standard for transmissions over a 2.4 GHz band.
  - 123. The method as recited in claim 120, wherein:
    - a first number of communications channels in the first set of two or more communications channels is less than a first number of slots in the first register and a second number of slots in the second register;
      
      causing the first set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into the first register of the first participant and the second register of the second participant further comprises;
      
      causing the first set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into the first number of slots of the first register of the first participant and the second number of slots of the second register of the second participant; and
      
      causing a third number of communications channels of the first set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into the third number of slots following the first number of slots of the first register of the first participant;
      
      wherein the third number is equal to the first number of slots in the first register minus the first number of communications channels in the first set of two or more communications channels;
      
      causing a fourth number of communications channels of the first set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into the fourth number of slots following the second number of slots of the second register of the second participant; and
      
      wherein the fourth number is equal to the second number of slots in the second register minus the second number of communications channels in the first set of two or more communications channels.
  - 124. The method as recited in claim 123, wherein:
    - a second number of communications channels in the second set of two or more communications channels is less than the first number of slots in the first register and the second number of slots in the second register;
      
      causing the second set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into the first register of the first participant and the second register of the second participant further comprises;
      
      causing the second set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into the first number of slots of the first register of the first participant and the second number of slots of the second register of the second participant; and
      
      causing a fifth number of communications channels of the second set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into the fifth number of slots following the first number of slots of the first register of the first participant;
      
      wherein the fifth number is equal to the first number of slots in the first register minus the second number of communications channels in the second set of two or more communications channels; and
      
      causing a sixth number of communications channels of the second set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into the sixth number of slots following the second number of slots of the second register of the second participant; and
      
      wherein the sixth number is equal to the second number of slots in the second register minus the second number of communications channels in the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 125. The method as recited in claim 120, wherein:
    - prior to selecting the first set of two or more communications channels, the first register of the first participant and the second register of the second participant are loaded with a default set of two or more communications channels;
      
      causing the first set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into the first register of the first participant and the second register of the second participant further comprises causing one or more communications channels of the default set of two or more communications channels to be replaced by one or more communications channels of the first set of two or more communications channels; and
      
      causing the second set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into the first register of the first participant and the second register of the second participant further comprises causing one or more communications channels of the default set of two or more communications channels to be replaced by one or more communications channels of the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 126. The method as recited in claim 125, wherein:
    - causing the one or more communications channels of the default set of two or more communications channels to be replaced by the one or more communications channels of the first set of two or more communications channels further comprises;
      
      randomly selecting the one or more communications channels of the first set of two or more communications channels;
      
      causing the one or more communications channels of the default set of two or more communications channels to be replaced by the one or more randomly selected communications channels of the first set of two or more communications channels;
      
      causing the one or more communications channels of the default set of two or more communications channels to be replaced by the one or more communications channels of the second set of two or more communications channels further comprises;
      
      randomly selecting the one or more communications channels of the second set of two or more communications channels;
      
      causing the one or more communications channels of the default set of two or more communications channels to be replaced by the one or more randomly selected communications channels of the second set of two or more communications channels.
  - 127. The method as recited in claim 120, wherein prior to selecting the first set of two or more communications channels, the first register and the second register are loaded with a default set of two or more communications channels, and the method further comprises the computer-implemented steps of:
    - after causing the first participant and the second participant to communicate over the first set of two or more communications channels and prior to selecting the second set of two or more communications channels,causing the first register of the first participant and the second register of the second participant to be loaded with the default set of two or more communications channels; and
      
      causing the first participant and the second participant to communicate over the default set of two or more channels.
  - 128. The method as recited in claim 127, wherein causing the first register of the first participant and the second register of the second participant to be loaded with the default set of two or more communications channels further comprises the computer-implemented step of:
    - after expiration of a specified amount of time after causing the first set of two or more communications channels to be loaded into the first register of the first participant and the second register of the second participant, causing the first register of the first participant and the second register of the second participant to be loaded with the default set of two or more communications channels.

Specification

Resources

Litigation Campaign Assessment

Litigation Data

Current Assignee
Bandspeed, LLC
Original Assignee
Bandspeed, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
Inventors
Skafidas, Efstratios, Treister, Bijan, Gan, Hongbing
Primary Examiner(s)
Duong, Frank

Application Number

US09/948,488
Publication Number

US 20020136268A1
Time in Patent Office

1,678 Days
Field of Search

370328-334, 370/431, 370/436, 370/437, 370/464, 370/465, 375132-136, 450/450, 450/451, 450/452.1, 450/452.2
US Class Current

370/329
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 selecting communications channels based on performance

First Claim

7 Assignments

Litigations

0 Petitions

Reexaminations

Accused Products

Abstract

225 Citations

128 Claims

Specification

Use Cases

Quick Links

Others

Approach for selecting communications channels based on performance

First Claim

7 Assignments

Subscription Required

Subscription Required

Litigations

0 Petitions

Subscription Required

Reexaminations

Accused Products

Subscription Required

Abstract

225 Citations

128 Claims

Specification

Subscription Required

Use Cases

Quick Links

Others