Remedial action based on inter-packet receive power
In order to maintain performance during wireless communication, a transmitting electronic device may selectively perform a remedial action based on a received power in a channel during time intervals between received packets (e.g., due to interference) and/or a metric associated with the measured received power. In particular, when the received power is less than a threshold value (e.g., when the interference is insufficient to stop transmission by the transmitting electronic device), the transmitting electronic device performs the remedial action based on the measured received power and/or the metric. For example, the remedial action may include: selecting a modulation technique; selecting the receiving electronic device; selecting an antenna pattern for the one or more antennas; reducing a transmit power; selecting a data rate; determining a cumulative distribution function; and/or estimating a channel capacity. Next, the transmitting electronic device transmits a packet in the channel to a receiving electronic device.
1. A transmitting electronic device, comprising:
an interface circuit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least a receiving electronic device, and wherein the transmitting electronic device is configured to:
measure, at an input node of the interface circuit of the transmitting electronic device, received power associated with a channel during time intervals between received packets;
compare the measured received power to a threshold value and a second threshold value, wherein the threshold value is always greater than the second threshold value;
when the measured received power is between the second threshold value and the threshold value, the transmitting electronic device is configured to:
perform a remedial action based at least in part on one of: the measured received power, and a metric associated with the measured received power; and
transmit, to an output node of the interface circuit of the transmitting electronic device, a packet for the receiving electronic device in a manner consistent with the remedial action, wherein the remedial action comprises selectively transmitting, based at least in part on the received power, the packet for the receiving electronic device, and wherein the remedial action is other than a handover between transmitting electronic devices; and
when the measured received power is greater than the threshold value, the transmitting electronic device is configured to not transmit packets on the channel while maintaining a connection between the transmitting electronic device and the receiving electronic device.
2. The transmitting electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the remedial action comprises selecting a modulation technique for the packet.
3. The transmitting electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the modulation technique is further based at least in part on a channel correlation interval.
4. The transmitting electronic device of claim 1 , wherein transmitting electronic device further comprises one or more antennas coupled to at least one of the input node and the output node, and the remedial action comprises selecting an antenna pattern for the one or more antennas; and
wherein the antenna pattern is used in at least one of: transmitting information to the output node for the receiving electronic device; and receiving information from the input node associated with the receiving electronic device.
5. The transmitting electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the remedial action comprises reducing a transmit power used when transmitting the packet.
6. The transmitting electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the remedial action comprises selecting a data rate for use when transmitting the packet.
7. The transmitting electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the remedial action comprises:
determining a cumulative distribution function based at least in part on the measured received power; and
estimating a channel capacity based at least in part on the determined cumulative distribution function.
8. The transmitting electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the remedial action further comprises setting a clear channel assessment based at least in part on the determined cumulative distribution function.
9. The transmitting electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the measured received power is aggregated across the channel.
10. The transmitting electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the measured received power is determined per subcarrier in the channel.
11. The transmitting electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the remedial action is performed on a per-measurement basis for the measured received power.
12. The transmitting electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting electronic device is configured to determine a cumulative distribution function based at least in part on the measured received power; and
wherein the metric corresponds to a noise floor in the cumulative distribution function.
13. The transmitting electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting electronic device further comprises one or more antennas coupled to at least one of the input node and the output node.
14. The transmitting electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting electronic device further comprises:
a processor; and
a memory, coupled to the processor, which is configured to store a program module, wherein, when executed by the processor, the program module causes the transmitting electronic device to perform one or more operations comprising: measuring the received power associated with the channel; comparing the measured received power to the threshold value and the second threshold value; performing the remedial action; and transmitting the packet to the output node.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use in conjunction with a transmitting electronic device, the computer-program product storing a program module to perform a remedial action, wherein, when executed by the transmitting electronic device, the program module causes the transmitting electronic device to perform one or more operations comprising:
measuring, at an input node of an interface circuit of the transmitting electronic device, received power associated with a channel during time intervals between received packets;
comparing the measured received power to a threshold value and a second threshold value, wherein the threshold value is always greater than the second threshold value;
when the measured received power is between the second threshold value and the threshold value, the one or more operations comprises:
performing a remedial action based at least in part on one of the measured received power and a metric associated with the measured received power; and
transmitting, to an output node of an interface circuit of the transmitting electronic device, a packet for a receiving electronic device in a manner consistent with the remedial action, wherein the remedial action comprises selectively transmitting, based at least in part on the received power, the packet for the receiving electronic device, and wherein the remedial action is other than a handover between transmitting electronic devices; and
when the measured received power is greater than the threshold value, the one or more operations comprise not allowing the transmitting electronic device to transmit packets on the channel while maintaining a connection between the transmitting electronic device and the receiving electronic device.
16. The computer-program product of claim 15 , wherein the remedial action comprises one of: selecting a modulation technique for the packet; selecting an antenna pattern for one or more antennas that is used in one of transmitting information to the output node for the receiving electronic device and receiving information from the input node associated with the receiving electronic device; reducing a transmit power used when transmitting the packet; and selecting a data rate for use when transmitting the packet.
17. The computer-program product of claim 15 , wherein the remedial action comprises:
determining a cumulative distribution function based at least in part on the measured received power; and
estimating a channel capacity based at least in part on the determined cumulative distribution function.
18. The computer-program product of claim 15 , wherein the remedial action is performed on a per-measurement basis for the measured received power.
19. A method for performing a remedial action, wherein the method comprises:
by a transmitting electronic device:
measuring, from an input node of an interface circuit of the transmitting electronic device, received power associated with a channel during time intervals between received packets;
comparing the measured received power to a threshold value and a second threshold value, wherein the threshold value is always greater than the second threshold value;
when the measured received power is between the second threshold value and the threshold value, the method comprises:
performing a remedial action based at least in part on one of the measured received power and a metric associated with the measured received power; and
transmitting, to an output node of an interface circuit of the transmitting electronic device, a packet for a receiving electronic device in a manner consistent with the remedial action, wherein the remedial action comprises selectively transmitting, based at least in part on the received power, the packet for the receiving electronic device, and wherein the remedial action is other than a handover between transmitting electronic devices; and
when the measured received power is greater than the threshold value, the method comprises not allowing the transmitting electronic device to transmit packets on the channel while maintaining a connection between the transmitting electronic device and the receiving electronic device.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the remedial action comprises selecting a modulation technique for the packet and the modulation technique is further based at least in part on a channel correlation interval.