Collision rectification in wireless communication devices
View Patent ↗Wireless communication networks utilize various communication protocols to exchange data between wireless network devices. Overlapping communication frequencies between data exchange protocols present a collision problem when data transmissions interfere with one another during wireless transit. A device for moderating transmission traffic in a wireless network where overlapping communication frequencies coexist is described to reduce or avoid interference caused by signal collisions.
1. A method for collision avoidance in a wireless network wherein a first protocol and a second protocol are utilized by a plurality of data transfer terminals to transmit data over at least partially overlapping frequencies, the method comprising:
acquiring timing statistics reflective of a first data schedule for the first protocol and the second protocol during the data transmission between the plurality of data transfer terminals;
analyzing the timing statistics of the first data schedule to identify impending collisions resulting from frequency-overlap in data transmission in the first and the second protocols;
constructing a second data schedule in which the data transmission in the first and the second protocol are arranged in a non-colliding order; and
transmitting a jamming signal to manipulate the data transmission in at least one of the protocols thereby conforming the data transmission to the second data schedule such that subsequent data transmission occurs without collision.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the timing statistics further comprises identifying traffic types within the data exchange and determining quality of service for the traffic types.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the traffic types comprise a voice quality traffic type and a data quality traffic type.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein constructing the second data schedule comprises prioritizing the traffic types based on the timing statistics.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein constructing the second data schedule further comprises prioritizing the traffic types based on predetermined levels of quality of service.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first protocol is a frequency-hopping spread spectrum protocol.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the frequency-hopping spread spectrum protocol is a Bluetooth protocol.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second protocol is a direct-sequence spread spectrum protocol.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the direct-sequence spread spectrum protocol is a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol or an IEEE 802.11B protocol.
10. A data collision rectification device for use in a wireless communication network wherein frequency-overlapping protocols comprising a first protocol and a second protocol are used to exchange information between a plurality of data transfer nodes and result in periodic collisions when information is transmitted by the first and the second protocol in frequency-overlapping manner, the device comprising:
a coordination component which receives and transmits information using at least one of the protocols and moderates the exchange of information by emitting a jamming signal which delays the transmission of information in at least one of the protocols; and
a synchronization component which receives timing statistics during the exchange of information between the plurality of data transfer nodes using at least one of the protocols and subsequently assesses the timing statistics to determine if data collisions are imminent and furthermore directs the coordination component to moderate subsequent information exchange using the jamming signal to reduce data collisions between the frequency-overlapping protocols.
11. The device of claim 10 , wherein a transmission verification sequence is used to determine an available channel to transmit data in a non-frequency overlapping manner and wherein the jamming signal is used to temporarily and selectively exert a busy status within the wireless communication network such the second protocol is inhibited from transmitting data while the first protocol is allowed to transmit data in a non-conflicting manner.
12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the first protocol is a frequency-hopping spread spectrum protocol or a direct-sequence spread spectrum protocol.
13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the second protocol is a direct-sequence spread spectrum protocol or a frequency-hopping spread spectrum protocol.
14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the frequency-hopping spread spectrum protocol is a Bluetooth protocol.
15. The device of claim 13 , wherein the direct-sequence spread spectrum protocol is a WLAN protocol or IEEE 802.11B protocol.
16. The device of claim 10 , wherein the data collision rectification device uses a control point transmission verification sequence to coordinate transmission traffic in the wireless communication network.
17. A method for maintaining a desired quality of service in a wireless communication network having a plurality of traffic types broadcast over at least partially overlapping frequencies, the method comprising:
assigning a priority to each of the traffic types;
associating at least one quality of service threshold to each of the plurality of traffic types;
assessing a current quality of service for at least one of the traffic types; and
applying a decision making sequence to prioritize the traffic types in order to maintain the current quality of service within the at least one quality of service threshold for each traffic type, the decision making sequence further capable of moderating broadcast of at least one of the plurality of traffic types with a jamming signal, wherein use of the jamming signal is based on the priority and the at least one quality of service threshold of at least one of the traffic types.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the decision making sequence detects a reduction of the current quality of service for a first traffic type and applies the jamming signal to insert a delay in at least a portion of a second traffic type with a lower priority to permit increased throughput of the first traffic type with a higher priority.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the decision making sequence detects a reduction of the current quality of service for the second traffic type below the desired level of quality of service level and removes the jamming signal to halt the delay and permit the second traffic type to increase throughput to achieve the desired quality of service level.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the decision making sequence detects a reduction of the current quality of service for a first traffic type and delays the transmission of a second traffic type with a lower priority to permit increased throughput of the first traffic type with a higher priority.
21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first traffic type comprises a Bluetooth protocol and the second traffic types comprises a WLAN or IEEE 802.11B protocol, the first and second traffic types being simultaneously broadcast in the wireless communication network.
22. A method for traffic coordination in a wireless communication network wherein a plurality of communication devices transmit information using a plurality of frequency-overlapping protocols and wherein a control point issues sequencing signals to manage traffic over the plurality of frequency-overlapping protocols to reduce collisions, the method comprising:
listening to the traffic of the communication devices;
determining an order in the traffic which reduces collision between the frequency-overlapping protocols; and
transmitting the sequencing signals to stall traffic in at least one of the frequency-overlapping protocols thereby ordering the traffic.
23. The method for traffic coordination of claim 22 , wherein the sequencing signals comprise jamming signals issued by the control point to selectively order the traffic by stalling at least one of the frequency-overlapping protocols thereby permitting information transmission through other frequency-overlapping protocols such that data reduced collisions are reduced.
24. The method for traffic coordination of claim 23 , wherein the jamming signals are transmitted on the selected frequency-overlapping protocol at a power above a threshold level which results in wireless communication devices using the selected protocol to perceive a busy status temporarily stalling traffic in the selected protocol.
25. The method for traffic coordination of claim 23 , wherein the jamming signals arc recognized as valid data-transmission packets containing information interpreted by wireless communication devices using the selected frequency-overlapping protocol to indicate the selected frequency-overlapping protocol is busy.
26. The method for traffic coordination of claim 23 , wherein the jamming signals are recognized as invalid data-transmission packets which stall the selected frequency-overlapping protocols.
27. The method for traffic coordination of claim 23 , wherein the jamming signals are recognized as time reservation packets containing information interpreted by wireless communication devices using the selected frequency-overlapping protocols to wait for permission to transmit.
28. The method for traffic coordination of claim 22 , wherein the frequency-overlapping protocols are frequency-hopping spread spectrum protocols or direct-sequence spread spectrum protocols.
29. The method for traffic coordination of claim 22 , wherein the frequency-overlapping protocols comprise a Bluetooth protocol and a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol.