Permitting media contention in the presence of conflicting different wireless operations
View Patent ↗Unbiased media contention in the presence of conflicting wireless operation of data transmission includes beginning media contention only during Bluetooth® operation; treating the Bluetooth® operation as a rejection of media transmission; holding a backoff timer associated with a backoff period steady for a specified duration; upon immediate completion of the Bluetooth® operation, WiFi contends with a small backoff value when media access is busy; using a small random number for the backoff period during a non-Bluetooth® data transfer period; and keeping an overall backoff timer unbiased for a duration of the data transmission. The specified duration may include an end of the Bluetooth® operation or a maximum backoff time that is reached. The random number for the backoff period includes uniform distribution in a contention window. A mean backoff timer value equals a uniform mean value minus a ratio of a Bluetooth® operation period to a total backoff period.
1. A method of performing unbiased media contention in a presence of conflicting wireless operation of data transmission, the method comprising:
determining, by a processor, an end of a first wireless transmission using a first wireless communications protocol;
determining, by the processor, a media contention for the wireless medium associated with a second wireless communications protocol, where the second wireless communications protocol is different than the first wireless communications protocol;
determining, by the processor, a backoff time for the media contention, where the backoff time is determined based on a random number and a duration of the first wireless transmission, wherein the backoff time is a mean backoff time equal to a uniform mean backoff time minus a ratio of the first wireless transmission duration to a total backoff period;
determining, by the processor, if the backoff time is reached by a backoff timer; and
responsive to the backoff time being reached, starting, by the processor, the second wireless transmission using the second wireless communications protocol.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless communications protocol is Bluetooth® and the second wireless communications protocol is WiFi®.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the random number is based on a uniform distribution of backoff time values over a media contention time window.
4. A system of performing unbiased media contention in a presence of conflicting wireless operation of data transmission, the system comprising:
a processor;
a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
determining an end of a first wireless transmission using a first wireless communications protocol;
determining a media contention for the wireless medium associated with a second wireless communications protocol that is different than the first wireless communications protocol;
determining a backoff time for the media contention, where the backoff time is determined based on a random number and a duration of the first wireless transmission, wherein the backoff time is a mean backoff time equal to a uniform mean backoff time minus a ratio of the first wireless transmission duration to a total backoff period;
determining if the backoff time is reached by a backoff timer; and
responsive to the backoff time being reached by the backoff timer, starting the second wireless transmission using the second wireless communications protocol.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first wireless communications protocol is Bluetooth® and the second wireless communications protocol is WiFi®.
6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the random number is based on a uniform distribution of backoff time values over a media contention time window.
7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the system is included in a single integrated circuit chip.
8. An integrated circuit device comprising:
a timer;
a processor configured to:
determine an end of a first wireless transmission using a first wireless communications protocol;
determine a media contention for the wireless medium associated with a second wireless communications protocol that is different than the first wireless communications protocol;
determine a backoff time for the media contention, where the backoff time is determined based on a random number and a duration of the first wireless transmission, wherein the backoff time is a mean backoff time equal to a uniform mean backoff time minus a ratio of the first wireless transmission duration to a total backoff period;
determine if the second backoff time is reached by the timer; and
responsive to the backoff time being reached by the timer, start the second wireless transmission using the second wireless communications protocol.
9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the first wireless communications protocol is Bluetooth® and the second wireless communications protocol is WiFi®.
10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the random number is based on a uniform distribution of backoff time values over a media contention time window.