METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORWARD ERROR CORRECTION (FEC) IN A RESOURCE-CONSTRAINED NETWORK
An electronic device may utilize or support adaptive use of forward error correction (FEC) in a resource-constrained network. The adaptive FEC use may comprise determining whether use of FEC encoding in transmissions from another electronic device to the electronic device is necessary, desirable, and/or feasible, and when use of FEC encoding is deemed feasible and either necessary or desirable, instructing the another electronic device to utilize FEC encoding when transmitting signals destined for the electronic device. Use of FEC encoding may be determined to be feasible, necessary and/or desirable based on power loss associated with the communications from the another electronic device; based on determination of latency associated with the communications from the another electronic device; and/or based on power and/or processing related resources in the electronic device. The electronic device may separately and selectively apply FEC encoding to transmissions to the another electronic device.
1 . A method, comprising:
in an electronic device comprising a communication interface for communicating over a physical medium:
determining whether use of forward error correction (FEC) encoding in communications from another electronic device to said electronic device is necessary, desirable, and/or feasible; and
when use of FEC encoding is feasible and either necessary or desirable, instructing said another electronic device to utilize FEC encoding when transmitting signals destined for said electronic device.
2 . The method of claim 1 , comprising determining whether use of FEC encoding is feasible and either necessary or desirable based on a determination of power loss associated with said communications from said another electronic device to said electronic device.
3 . The method of claim 2 , comprising determining said power loss based on measurement of received signal strength indication (RSSI) for packets received from said another electronic device and based on original transmit power for packets received from said another electronic device, said original transmit power being obtained from information embedded in said received packets.
4 . The method of claim 2 , comprising determining that use of FEC encoding is not necessary and is not desirable when said power loss is below a minimum threshold.
5 . The method of claim 2 , comprising instructing said another electronic device to cease transmission to said electronic device when said power loss exceeds a maximum threshold.
6 . The method of claim 1 , comprising determining when use of FEC encoding is necessary or desirable based on determination of latency associated with said communications from said another electronic device to said electronic device is necessary and/or feasible.
7 . The method of claim 1 , comprising determining when use of FEC encoding is feasible based on one or more parameters that are pertinent to FEC decoding handling in said electronic device.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said one or more parameters comprise power, storage and/or processing related resources in said electronic device.
9 . The method of claim 1 , comprising instructing said another electronic device to utilize FEC encoding by specifying one or more FEC-capable channels for use by said another electronic device when transmitting said signals destined for said electronic device.
10 . The method of claim 1 , comprising selectively applying FEC encoding to transmissions to said another electronic device, wherein said selective use of FEC encoding is based on, at least in part, a determination of whether FEC decoding is feasible in said another electronic device.
11 . A system, comprising:
an electronic device comprising a communication interface for communicating over a physical medium, said electronic device being operable to:
determine whether use of forward error correction (FEC) encoding in communications from another electronic device to said electronic device is necessary, desirable, and/or feasible; and
when use of FEC encoding is feasible and either necessary or desirable, instruct said another electronic device to utilize FEC encoding when transmitting signals destined for said electronic device.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein said electronic device is operable to determine whether use of FEC encoding is feasible and either necessary or desirable based on a determination of power loss associated with said communications from said another electronic device to said electronic device.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein said electronic device is operable to determine said power loss based on measurement of received signal strength indication (RSSI) for packets received from said another electronic device and based on original transmit power for packets received from said another electronic device, said original transmit power being obtained from information embedded in said received packets.
14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein said electronic device is operable to determine that use of FEC encoding is not necessary and is not desirable when said power loss is below a minimum threshold.
15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein said electronic device is operable to instruct said another electronic device to cease transmission to said electronic device when said power loss exceeds a maximum threshold.
16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein said electronic device is operable to determine when use of FEC encoding is necessary or desirable based on determination of latency associated with said communications from said another electronic device to said electronic device is necessary and/or feasible.
17 . The system of claim 11 , wherein said electronic device is operable to determine when use of FEC encoding is feasible based on one or more parameters that are pertinent to FEC decoding handling in said electronic device.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein said one or more parameters comprise power, storage and/or processing related resources in said electronic device.
19 . The system of claim 11 , wherein said electronic device is operable to instruct said another electronic device to utilize FEC encoding by specifying one or more FEC-capable channels for use by said another electronic device when transmitting said signals destined for said electronic device.
20 . The system of claim 11 , wherein said electronic device is operable to selectively apply FEC encoding to transmissions to said another electronic device, wherein said selective use of FEC encoding is based on, at least in part, a determination of whether FEC decoding is feasible in said another electronic device.
21 . A system, comprising:
an electronic device comprising a communication interface for communicating over a physical medium, said electronic device being operable to:
selectively use forward error correction (FEC) encoding when communicating with another electronic device, wherein said selective use of FEC encoding is based on, at least in part, information received from said another electronic device, said information specifying one or more channels that said another electronic device authorized said electronic device to use when transmitting to said another electronic device.
22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein said electronic device is operable to determine when to apply FEC encoding based on determination of type of said one or more channels.
23 . The system of claim 21 , wherein said electronic device is operable to apply FEC encoding when said determined type of said one or more channels indicates that said one or more channels are FEC channels.
24 . The system of claim 21 , wherein said selective use of FEC encoding is based on a determination of power loss of signals communicated between said another electronic device and said electronic device.