Providing link quality intelligence from physical layer to higher protocol layers
View Patent ↗Providing link quality intelligence from physical layer to higher protocol layers. The PHY (physical layer) of devices operating within wireless communication systems assess 1 or more operational parameters corresponding to a PHY link that communicatively couples 2 or more devices. These PHYs provide this assessed intelligence to the devices' higher protocol layers so that these higher protocol layers have greater visibility of the operational parameters of the PHY link. These higher protocol layers may use this assessed intelligence to make decisions about how future communication are governed across the PHY links. For example, based on a change of the operational parameter(s), the higher protocol layers may modify the operational parameter(s) for future communications. The higher protocol layers may direct the PHY to assess a particular set of operational parameters, and the higher protocol layers may assess different operational parameters at different times.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a physical layer (PHY) including link quality intelligence gathering functionality for assessing any of a plurality of operational parameters corresponding to a PHY link between the apparatus and at least one additional apparatus; and
a media access controller (MAC), directly coupled to the PHY, for adaptively directing the link quality intelligence gathering functionality of the PHY to assess respective subsets of the plurality of operational parameters corresponding to the PHY link.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the MAC processing a first subset of the plurality of operational parameters; and
based on the processed first subset of the plurality of operational parameters, the MAC directing the link quality intelligence gathering functionality to assess a second subset of the plurality of operational parameters.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the MAC processing a first operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters; and
based on the processed first operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters, the MAC directing the link quality intelligence gathering functionality to assess a second operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the MAC processing a first operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters; and
based on the processed first operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters, the MAC modifying at least one of the first operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters and a second operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
during a first time, the MAC directing the link quality intelligence gathering functionality to assess a first subset of the plurality of operational parameters; and
during a second time, the MAC directing the link quality intelligence gathering functionality to assess a second subset of the plurality of operational parameters.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first subset of the plurality of operational parameters or the second subset of the plurality of operational parameters includes all of the plurality of operational parameters.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
a first subset of the plurality of operational parameters and a second subset of the plurality of operational parameters respectively include at least one common operational parameter.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the apparatus employing orthogonal signaling for communication with the at least one additional apparatus via the PHY link.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the orthogonal signaling corresponding to signaling employing a time frequency code (TFC), code division multiple access (CDMA) signaling, or orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signaling.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the apparatus being a DEV (user piconet device); and
the at least one additional apparatus being a PNC (piconet coordinator).
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
an operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters corresponding to at least one of:
a distance between the apparatus and the at least one additional apparatus;
a location of the apparatus;
a location of the at least one additional apparatus;
interference of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a data rate of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a QoS (Quality of Service) of the PHY link;
a SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a PN (Pseudo-Noise) code employed to spread UWB (Ultra Wide Band) pulses of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a power level of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a code rate of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a modulation of a signal transmitted via the PHY link; and
a TFC (time frequency code) that modulates OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) symbols of a signal transmitted via the PHY link.
12. An apparatus, comprising:
a physical layer (PHY) including link quality intelligence gathering functionality for assessing a first subset of a plurality of operational parameters corresponding to a PHY link supporting orthogonal signaling for communication between the apparatus and at least one additional apparatus; and
a media access controller (MAC), directly coupled to the PHY, for processing the first subset of the plurality of operational parameters; and wherein:
based on the processed first subset of the plurality of operational parameters, the MAC adaptively directing the link quality intelligence gathering functionality to assess a second subset of the plurality of operational parameters.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the first subset of the plurality of operational parameters or the second subset of the plurality of operational parameters includes all of the plurality of operational parameters.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
a first subset of the plurality of operational parameters and a second subset of the plurality of operational parameters respectively include at least one common operational parameter.
15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the orthogonal signaling corresponding to signaling employing a time frequency code (TFC), code division multiple access (CDMA) signaling, or orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signaling.
16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the apparatus being a DEV (user piconet device); and
the at least one additional apparatus being a PNC (piconet coordinator).
17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
an operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters corresponding to at least one of:
a distance between the communication device and the at least one additional communication device;
a location of the communication device;
a location of the at least one additional communication device;
interference of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a data rate of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a QoS (Quality of Service) of the PHY link;
a SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a PN (Pseudo-Noise) code employed to spread UWB (Ultra Wide Band) pulses of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a power level of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a code rate of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a modulation of a signal transmitted via the PHY link; and
a TFC (time frequency code) that modulates OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) symbols of a signal transmitted via the PHY link.
18. A method for operating a communication device, the method comprising:
employing link quality intelligence gathering functionality, included within a physical layer (PHY) of the communication device, for assessing any of a plurality of operational parameters corresponding to a PHY link between the communication device and at least one additional communication device; and
employing a media access controller (MAC), directly coupled to the PHY, for adaptively directing the link quality intelligence gathering functionality of the PHY to assess respective subsets of the plurality of operational parameters corresponding to the PHY link.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein:
employing the MAC for processing a first subset of the plurality of operational parameters; and
based on the processed first subset of the plurality of operational parameters, employing the MAC for directing the link quality intelligence gathering functionality to assess a second subset of the plurality of operational parameters.
20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
employing the MAC for processing a first operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters; and
based on the processed first operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters, employing the MAC for directing the link quality intelligence gathering functionality to assess a second operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters.
21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
employing the MAC for processing a first operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters; and
based on the processed first operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters, employing the MAC for modifying at least one of the first operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters and a second operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters.
22. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
during a first time, employing the MAC for directing the link quality intelligence gathering functionality to assess a first subset of the plurality of operational parameters; and
during a second time, employing the MAC for directing the link quality intelligence gathering functionality to assess a second subset of the plurality of operational parameters.
23. The method of claim 18 , wherein:
a first subset of the plurality of operational parameters and a second subset of the plurality of operational parameters respectively include at least one common operational parameter.
24. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
employing orthogonal signaling for communication with the at least one additional communication device via the PHY link.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein:
the orthogonal signaling corresponding to signaling employing a time frequency code (TFC), code division multiple access (CDMA) signaling, or orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signaling.
26. The method of claim 18 , wherein:
an operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters corresponding to at least one of:
a distance between the communication device and the at least one additional communication device;
a location of the communication device;
a location of the at least one additional communication device;
interference of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a data rate of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a QoS (Quality of Service) of the PHY link;
a SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a PN (Pseudo-Noise) code employed to spread UWB (Ultra Wide Band) pulses of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a power level of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a code rate of a signal transmitted via the PHY link;
a modulation of a signal transmitted via the PHY link; and
a TFC (time frequency code) that modulates OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) symbols of a signal transmitted via the PHY link.