Device and method for frequency scanning using two radios
View Patent ↗A device ( 100 ) and method for frequency scanning uses two radios. The device ( 100 ) includes a processor ( 515 ), a scan radio ( 130 ) including a receiver ( 135 ) coupled to the processor ( 515 ), and a data radio ( 105 ) including a transmitter ( 115 ) that is also coupled to the processor ( 515 ). The processor ( 515 ) determines a transmission schedule for the transmitter ( 115 ) of the data radio ( 105 ) in response to a capability to receive a frequency scanning signal at the receiver ( 135 ) of the scan radio ( 130 ).
1. A wireless communication device, comprising:
a processor;
a scan radio including a receiver coupled to the processor; and
a data radio including a transmitter coupled to the processor;
wherein the receiver of the scan radio performs frequency scanning to receive frequency scanning signals for the data radio, and further wherein the processor determines a transmission schedule for the transmitter of the data radio based upon maintaining a ratio of a number of received frequency scanning signals to a number of generated frequency scanning signals above a predetermined threshold.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the transmission schedule defines a transmission time for a virtual packet.
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein a percentage of virtual packets required to be scheduled for transmission is defined as a ratio of a difference between a current utilization rate of the transmitter and a threshold utilization rate of the transmitter to the threshold utilization rate of the transmitter.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein maintaining the ratio of the number of received frequency scanning signals to the number of generated frequency scanning signals is determined by a transmission rate of the transmitter.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein maintaining the ratio of the number of received frequency scanning signals to the number of generated frequency scanning signals is determined by a probability of the scan radio receiving the frequency scanning signals.
6. The device of claim 5 wherein the probability of the scan radio receiving the frequency scanning signals is determined by the following equation:
P
s
=
∑
all
i
t
idle_i
-
t
s
t
total
,
where P s is the probability, t idle — i is a duration of a silence period, t s is a beacon transmission time, and t total is a total sample time.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the transmission schedule is determined by nonlinear modeling of an estimated beacon receiving ratio of the scan radio.
8. The device of claim 7 , wherein a neural network controller operated by the processor performs the nonlinear modeling.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein transmissions from the data radio are performed according to the transmission schedule to maintain an actual beacon receiving ratio above the predetermined threshold, where the actual beacon receiving ratio is defined as a ratio of a number of received beacons to a number of generated beacons.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device is an access point in a wireless mesh network.
11. A method for frequency scanning at a wireless communication device, the method comprising:
determining a transmission schedule for a transmitter of a data radio coupled to the wireless communication device, wherein the transmission schedule is based upon maintaining a ratio of a number of received frequency scanning signals to a number of generated frequency scanning signals at a receiver of a scan radio coupled to the wireless communication device above a predetermined threshold;
performing transmissions from the transmitter of the data radio according to the transmission schedule; and
receiving, between transmissions from the transmitter of the data radio, the frequency scanning signals at the receiver of the scan radio.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the transmission schedule comprises scheduling when to transmit a virtual packet.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein a percentage of virtual packets required to be scheduled for transmission is defined as a ratio of a difference between a current utilization rate of the transmitter and a threshold utilization rate of the transmitter to the threshold utilization rate of the transmitter.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein maintaining the ratio of the number of received frequency scanning signals to the number of generated frequency scanning signals is determined by a transmission rate of the transmitter.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein maintaining the ratio of the number of received frequency scanning signals to the number of generated frequency scanning signals is determined by a probability of the scan radio receiving the frequency scanning signals.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the probability of the scan radio receiving the frequency scanning signals is determined by the following equation:
P
s
=
∑
all
i
t
idle_i
-
t
s
t
total
,
where P s is the probability, t idle — i is a duration of a silence period, t s is a beacon transmission time, and t total is a total sample time.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the transmission schedule comprises nonlinear modeling of an estimated beacon receiving ratio of the scan radio.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the nonlinear modeling employs a neural network controller.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein performing transmissions from the transmitter of the data radio maintains an actual beacon receiving ratio above the predetermined threshold, where the actual beacon receiving ratio is defined as a ratio of a number of received beacons to a number of generated beacons.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wireless communication device is an access point in a wireless mesh network.