Approach for managing the use of communications channels based on performance
An approach for selecting sets of communications channels involves determining the performance of communications channels. A set of channels is selected based on the results of performance testing and specified criteria. The participant generates data that identifies the selected set of channels and provides that data to other participants of the communications network. The participants communicate over the set of channels, such as by using a frequency hopping protocol. When a specified time expires or monitoring of the performance of the channel set identifies poor performance of the set of channels, the participant selects another set of channels for use in communications based on additional performance testing. By selecting channels based on the initial performance testing and performance monitoring, the communications network adaptively avoids channels with poor performance.
1. A wireless communications device configured to perform wireless communications for achieving an acceptable level of transmission quality, wherein being configured to perform wireless communications for achieving the acceptable level of transmission quality includes being configured to:
receive information characterizing channel performance of a plurality of wireless communications channels available for performing spread spectrum wireless communications between two or more wireless communications devices of a wireless communications network;
determine a subset of said available communications channels that excludes one or more of said available wireless communications channels each characterized by said channel performance information as failing to exhibit a specified level of channel performance; and
cause a first duration of a particular instance of said spread spectrum wireless communications to be performed between the two or more wireless communications devices using a first communications channel of the subset.
2. The wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein being configured to perform wireless communications for achieving the acceptable level of transmission quality includes being configured to assess an amount of interference on each of the communications channels of the subset during the first duration of the particular instance of said spread spectrum wireless communications to determine when the first communications channel fails to exhibit an acceptable level of channel performance.
3. The wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein being configured to determine the subset includes being configured to perform a channel performance assessment for determining an amount of interference exhibited on each of said available wireless communications channels.
4. The wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said channel performance is characterized by an amount of energy on a particular one of said available wireless communications channels when the particular one of said available wireless communications channels is free of wireless communications thereon.
5. The wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein being configured to receive information characterizing channel performance includes being configured to perform an energy detection scan on each said available wireless communications channels.
6. The wireless communications device of claim 5 wherein being configured to perform the energy detection scan includes being configured to listen on each of said available wireless communications channels for determining an amount of interference exhibited thereon.
7. The wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein the specified level of channel performance is defined by an energy threshold.
8. The wireless communications device of claim 7 wherein said energy is in the form of interference.
9. The wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications device being configured to perform wireless communications for achieving the acceptable level of transmission quality includes the wireless communications device being further configured to:
monitor channel performance of each of the communications channels of the subset during the first duration of the particular instance of said spread spectrum wireless communications; and
cause a second duration of the particular instance of said spread spectrum wireless communications different than the first duration thereof to be performed using a second communications channel of the subset different than the first communications channel thereof when said channel performance of the first communications channel as compared to said channel performance of the second communications channel indicates that the second communications channel enables improved communications performance between at least two of the two or more wireless communications device in comparison to the first communications channel.
10. The wireless communications device of claim 9 wherein being configured to cause the second duration of the particular instance of said spread spectrum wireless communications to be performed using the second communications channel includes being configured to:
assess said monitored channel performance for determining an amount of energy exhibited on each of the communications channels of the subset;
specify the amount of energy exhibited on the first communications channel as an energy threshold; and
identify the second communications channel as a function of the energy threshold.
11. The wireless communications device of claim 9 wherein being configured to monitor said channel performance of each of the communications channels of the subset includes being configured to monitor interference on each of the communications channels of the subset.
12. A network managing device of a wireless communications network comprising a plurality of wireless communications devices, the network managing device having a non-transitory computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions to select communications channels for enabling wireless communications between two or more of the wireless communications devices, and execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
performing a channel performance assessment for characterizing channel performance of a plurality of wireless communications channels available for performing spread spectrum wireless communications between two or more wireless communications devices of the wireless communications network;
determining a subset of said available communications channels that excludes one or more of said available wireless communications channels each determined in the channel performance assessment to exhibit unacceptable channel performance; and
causing said spread spectrum wireless communications to be performed between the two or more wireless communications devices using a first communications channel of the subset and a second communications channel of the subset different than the first communications channel thereof, wherein a first duration of a particular instance of said spread spectrum wireless communications is performed using the first communications channel and a second duration of the particular instance thereof different than the first duration thereof is performed using the second communications channel.
13. The network managing device of claim 12 wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors further causes the one or more processors to perform the step of assessing an amount of interference on each of the communications channels of the subset during the first duration of the particular instance of said spread spectrum wireless communications to determine when the first communications channel fails to exhibit an acceptable level of channel performance.
14. The network managing device of claim 12 wherein performing the channel performance assessment includes determining an amount of interference exhibited on each said available wireless communications channels.
15. The network managing device of claim 12 wherein said channel performance is characterized by an amount of energy on a particular one of said available wireless communications channels when the particular one of said available wireless communications channels is free of wireless communications thereon.
16. The network managing device of claim 12 wherein performing the channel performance assessment includes performing an energy detection scan on each said available wireless communications channels.
17. The network managing device of claim 16 wherein performing the energy detection scan includes listening on each of said available wireless communications channels for determining an amount of interference exhibited thereon.
18. The network managing device of claim 12 wherein the specified level of channel performance is defined by an energy threshold.
19. The network managing device of claim 18 wherein said energy is in the form of interference.
20. The network managing device of claim 12 wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors further causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
monitoring channel performance of each of the communications channels of the subset during said spread spectrum wireless communications being performed using a first communications channel of the subject to determine when the first communications channel fails to exhibit acceptable channel performance; and
causing said spread spectrum wireless communications to be performed using the second communications channel of the subset in response to determining that the first communications channel exhibits greater interference than the second communications channel.
21. The network managing device of claim 20 wherein causing the second duration of the particular instance of said spread spectrum wireless communications to be performed using the second communications channel includes:
assessing said monitored channel performance for determining an amount of energy exhibited on each of the communications channels of the subset;
specifying the amount of energy exhibited on the first communications channel as an energy threshold; and
identifying the second communications channel as a function of the energy threshold.
22. The network managing device of claim 20 wherein said monitoring includes monitoring interference on each of the communications channels of the subset.
23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for selecting communications channels to enable spread spectrum wireless communications between wireless communications devices of a wireless communications network, execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
performing a channel performance assessment for characterizing channel performance of a plurality of wireless communications channels available for performing spread spectrum wireless communications between two or more wireless communications devices of the wireless communications network;
determining a subset of said available communications channels that excludes one or more of said available wireless communications channels each determined in the channel performance assessment as failing to exhibit a specified level of channel performance; and
causing said spread spectrum wireless communications to be performed between the two or more wireless communications devices using a first communications channel of the subset and a second communications channel of the subset different than the first communications channel thereof, wherein a first duration of a particular instance of said spread spectrum wireless communications is performed using the first communications channel and a second duration of the particular instance of said spread spectrum wireless communications different than the first duration thereof is performed using the second communications channel.
24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors further causes the one or more processors to perform the step of assessing an amount of interference on each of the communications channels of the subset during the first duration of the particular instance of said spread spectrum wireless communications to determine when the first communications channel fails to exhibit an acceptable level of channel performance.
25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein performing the channel performance assessment includes determining an amount of interference exhibited on each said available wireless communications channels.
26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein said channel performance is characterized by an amount of energy on a particular one of said available wireless communications channels when the particular one of said available wireless communications channels is free of wireless communications thereon.
27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein:
performing the channel performance assessment includes performing an energy detection scan on each said available wireless communications channels; and
performing the energy detection scan includes listening on each of said available wireless communications channels for determining an amount of interference exhibited thereon.
28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein:
the specified level of channel performance is defined by an energy threshold; and
said energy is in the form of interference.
29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors further causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
monitoring channel performance of each of the communications channels of the subset during the first duration of the particular instance of said spread spectrum wireless communications; and
causing said spread spectrum wireless communications to be performed using the second communications channel of the subset in response to determining that the first communications channel exhibits greater interference than the second communications channel.
30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29 wherein causing the second duration of the particular instance of said spread spectrum wireless communications to be performed using the second communications channel includes:
assessing said monitored channel performance for determining an amount of energy exhibited on each of the communications channels of the subset;
specifying the amount of energy exhibited on the first communications channel as an energy threshold; and
identifying the second communications channel as a function of the energy threshold.