Wireless sensor base station with coexistence of multiple homogeneous radios
Techniques are disclosed for reducing interference, in a network device, among multiple radio circuits operating in a same or similar frequency band and in close physical proximity. In some embodiments, a network device includes a first and a second wireless network circuit. The network circuits operate in a same radio frequency band and are collocated. The second network circuit is assigned a higher priority than the first network circuit. The device further includes a coexistence controller coupled to the network circuits via a communication bus and configured to selectively suppress transmitting operations of the first network circuit during receiving operations of the second network circuit. Among other benefits, the embodiments can increase wireless network bandwidth and reduce mobile device power consumption by providing coordination among the radio circuits so that the transmitting and receiving operations are performed in a way that they do not interfere with their respective antennas.
1. A network device, comprising:
a first and a second wireless network circuit, wherein the second network circuit is assigned a higher priority than the first network circuit; and
a coexistence controller coupled to the network circuits and configured to selectively suppress transmitting operations of the first network circuit during receiving operations of the second network circuit,
wherein the second network circuit operates a modified version of wireless network protocol that has relaxed link upkeep standards, including an increased acknowledgement (ACK) packet response time, as compared to link upkeep standards operating on the first network circuit.
2. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the coexistence controller is to suppress the transmitting operations of the first network circuit in a way that reduces interference or desensitization to receiving operations of the second network circuits so that the receiving operations are not disrupted or corrupted.
3. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the coexistence controller is further configured to adjust resource allocation of the buffers between the first and the second network circuits during the suppression.
4. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the coexistence controller is further configured to determine, for selectively suppressing the transmitting operations, a reservation schedule based on status signals received from one or more wireless sensors to which the second network circuit is configured to couple.
5. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the coexistence controller is further configured to communicate with one or more wireless sensors, to which the second network circuit is configured to couple, so as to cause the wireless sensors not to interfere with one another's data transmission.
6. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the coexistence controller is further configured to prioritize communication among one or more wireless sensors, to which the second network circuit is configured to couple, based on respective power supply status of the wireless sensors.
7. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the coexistence controller is further configured to selectively allow the first network circuit, during the suppression, to respond to high priority communication after every predetermined time period.
8. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the coexistence controller suppresses the transmitting operations by disabling the first network circuit.
9. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the coexistence controller suppresses the transmitting operations by attenuating the transmitting power of the first network circuit.
10. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the coexistence controller suppresses the transmitting operations by reducing a transmission rate of the first network circuit.
11. The network device of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more buffers coupled to the first and second network circuits for storing data,
wherein the coexistence controller is further configured to adjust a buffer rate of the buffers based on workload of the network circuits.
12. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second network circuits each include individual media access control (MAC) layer and physical (PHY) layer circuitry.
13. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the network circuits are collocated on the network device.
14. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the second circuit is configured to be coupled to one or more wireless sensors that are battery-powered.
15. A method for reducing interference for a plurality of wireless network circuits, the method comprising:
using a coexistence controller, coupled to the plurality of network circuits, to selectively suppress transmitting operations of a first network circuit during receiving operations of a second network circuit,
wherein the plurality of network circuits are collocated,
wherein the second network circuit is assigned a higher priority than the first network circuit, and
wherein the second network circuit operates a modified version of wireless network protocol that has relaxed link upkeep standards, including an increased acknowledgement (ACK) packet response time, as compared to link upkeep standards operating on the first network circuit.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
suppressing the transmitting operations of the first network circuit in a way that reduces interference or desensitization to receiving operations of the second network circuits so that the receiving operations are not disrupted or corrupted.
17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
adjusting resource allocation of the buffers between the first and the second network circuits during the suppression.
18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining, for the selectively suppressing, a reservation schedule based on status signals received from one or more wireless sensors to which the second network circuit is configured to couple.
19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
communicating with one or more wireless sensors, to which the second network circuit is configured to couple, so as to cause the wireless sensors not to interfere with one another's data transmission.
20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
prioritizing communication among one or more wireless sensors, to which the second network circuit is configured to couple, based on respective power supply status of the wireless sensors.
21. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
selectively allowing the first network circuit, during the suppression, to respond to high priority communication after every predetermined time period.
22. The method of claim 15 , wherein the suppression comprises one or more of: (i) disabling the first network circuit; (ii) attenuating the transmitting power of the first network circuit; or (iii) reducing a transmission rate of the first network circuit.
23. The method of claim 15 , wherein one or more buffers are coupled to the first and second network circuits for storing data; and the method further comprising:
adjusting a buffer rate of the buffers based on workload of the network circuits.