Coordinated and distributed frequency separation during coexisting communication
An electronic device that coordinates frequencies of coexisting communication protocols is described. During operation, the electronic device may receive messages with beacon information for a communication protocol, where the beacon information is sourced from one or more gateways and is associated with a second electronic device, and wherein the beacon information in a given message includes a frequency of a given beacon and a given received signal strength of the given beacon. Then, the electronic device may provide, from the interface circuit, an instruction addressed to the second electronic device, where the instruction restricts frequencies of beacons from the second electronic device based at least in part on a band of frequencies associated with a second communication protocol used by at least one of the one or more gateways. For example, the instruction may eliminate beacons having one of the beacon frequencies that overlaps the band of frequencies.
1. An electronic device, comprising:
a network node;
an interface circuit communicatively coupled to the network node;
a processor coupled to the interface circuit; and
memory, coupled to the processor, configured to store program instructions, wherein, when executed by the processor, the program instructions cause the electronic device to perform operations, comprising:
receiving, at the interface circuit, messages with beacon information for a communication protocol sourced from one or more gateways, wherein the beacon information is associated with a second electronic device, and wherein the beacon information in a given message comprises a frequency of a given beacon and a given received signal strength of the given beacon; and
providing, from the interface circuit, an instruction addressed to the second electronic device, wherein the instruction comprises a restriction for causing the second electronic device to restrict frequencies of beacons from the second electronic device based at least in part on a band of frequencies associated with a second communication protocol used by at least one of the one or more gateways.
2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the restriction causes the second electronic device to eliminate beacons having one of the beacon frequencies that overlaps the band of frequencies.
3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the communication protocol comprises Bluetooth low energy (BLE).
4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second communication protocol comprises an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 communication protocol.
5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more gateways comprise an access point or an eNodeB.
6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise providing one or more instructions addressed to the second electronic device; and
wherein the one or more instructions comprise commands to prevent at least one of the gateways, the second electronic device or both from locally selecting and transmitting on an overlapping frequency.
7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise providing one or more instructions addressed to at least the one of the gateways or the second electronic device; and
wherein the one or more instructions indicate that the communication protocol or the second communication protocol are to be terminated on a current channel and the communication protocol or the second communication protocol are to be relocated to another channel.
8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise providing one or more instructions addressed to multiple instances of the second electronic device and
wherein the one or more instructions indicate that the multiple instances of the second electronic devices are to terminate their communications on their current channels and are to relocate the communication protocol or the second communication protocol to other channels where no two channels overlap.
9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise providing one or more instructions addressed to multiple instances of the second electronic device; and
wherein the one or more instructions indicate that the multiple instances of the second electronic devices are to terminate their communications on their current channels and are to relocate the communication protocol or the second communication protocol to other channels where overlap by the multiple instances of the second electronic device on each channel are evenly distributed.
10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise providing one or more instructions addressed to multiple instances of the second electronic device; and
wherein the one or more instructions indicate that the multiple instances of the second electronic devices are to terminate their communications on their current channels and are to relocate the communication protocol or the second communication protocol to other channels where average minimum physical distance of multiple instances of the second electronic device on a given channel is to be maximized based at least in part on known or predetermined locations of the multiple instances of the second electronic device.
11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use in conjunction with an electronic device, the computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions that, when executed by the electronic device, coordinates frequencies of coexisting communication protocols by causing the electronic device to perform operations comprising:
receiving messages with beacon information for a communication protocol sourced from one or more gateways, wherein the beacon information is associated with a second electronic device, and wherein the beacon information in a given message comprises a frequency of a given beacon and a given received signal strength of the given beacon; and
providing an instruction addressed to the second electronic device, wherein the instruction comprises a restriction for causing the second electronic device to restrict frequencies of beacons from the second electronic device based at least in part on a band of frequencies associated with a second communication protocol used by at least one of the one or more gateways.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the restriction causes the second electronic device to eliminate beacons having one of the beacon frequencies that overlaps the band of frequencies.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the communication protocol comprises Bluetooth low energy (BLE).
14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the second communication protocol comprises an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 communication protocol.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the one or more gateways comprise an access point or an eNodeB.
16. A method for coordinating frequencies of coexisting communication protocols, comprising:
by an electronic device:
receiving messages with beacon information for a communication protocol sourced from one or more gateways, wherein the beacon information is associated with a second electronic device, and wherein the beacon information in a given message comprises a frequency of a given beacon and a given received signal strength of the given beacon; and
providing an instruction addressed to the second electronic device, wherein the instruction comprises a restriction for causing the second electronic device to restrict frequencies of beacons from the second electronic device based at least in part on a band of frequencies associated with a second communication protocol used by at least one of the one or more gateways.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the restriction causes the second electronic device to eliminate beacons having one of the beacon frequencies that overlaps the band of frequencies.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the communication protocol comprises Bluetooth low energy (BLE).
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second communication protocol comprises an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 communication protocol.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the one or more gateways comprise an access point or an eNodeB.