Efficient channel allocation method

1 . A method, comprising:

receiving a first signal from a first device through a first channel of an IoT device, the first signal comprising a first communication request;

receiving a second signal from a second device through a second channel of the IoT device, the second signal comprising a second communication request;

determining a first priority degree corresponding to the first communication request and a second priority degree corresponding to the second communication request;

estimating a first data flow in the first signal over a schedule period and a second data flow in the second signal over the schedule period;

allocating the schedule period to the first channel and the second channel based on the first priority degree, the second priority degree, the estimated first data flow, and the estimated second data flow; and

receiving data from or transmitting data to the first channel and the second channel based on the allocation of the schedule period,

wherein the first priority degree is higher than the second priority degree, and the allocating of the schedule period to the first channel and the second channel comprises:

allocating at least a portion of the schedule period to the first channel;

determining whether a remaining time period of the schedule period is greater than a predetermined threshold after allocating the at least a portion of the schedule period to the first channel; and

in response to determining that the remaining time period of the schedule period is greater than the predetermined threshold,

allocating the remaining time period to the first channel and the second channel based on the estimated first data flow and the estimated second data flow.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a ratio between a first duration over the remaining time period allocated to the first channel and a second duration over the remaining time period allocated to the second channel is proportional to a ratio between the estimated first data flow and the estimated second data flow or a ratio between an estimated first count of data packets through the first channel and an estimated second count of data packets through the second channel.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein in response to determining that a remaining time period of the schedule period is not greater than the predetermined threshold, the method further comprises:

allocating the remaining time period to the first channel.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the schedule period is a time period between two channel allocation reference time points.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the two channel allocation reference time points each is either a Target Beacon Transmission Time (TBTT) of the first signal or a TBTT of the second signal.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein

the first data flow in the first signal over the schedule period is estimated based on a size of data received and transmitted in a preceding schedule period through the first channel and a size of data ready to be transmitted in the schedule period through the first channel, and

the second data flow in the second signal over the schedule period is estimated based on a size of data received and transmitted in the preceding schedule period through the second channel and a size of data ready to be transmitted in the schedule period through the second channel.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the first priority degree corresponding to the first communication request and the second priority degree corresponding to the second communication request comprises:

identifying a first communication task in the first communication request and a second communication task in the second communication request; and

determining the first priority degree and the second priority degree based on types of the first communication task and the second communication task.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein

the types of the first communication task and the second communication task include a management of connection, data of connection, or data transmission, and

a priority degree corresponding to the management of connection is higher than a priority degree corresponding to the data of connection and the priority degree corresponding to the data of connection is higher than a priority degree corresponding to the data transmission.

9 . An IoT device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the IoT device to:

receive a first signal from a first device through a first channel of the IoT device, the first signal comprising a first communication request;

receive a second signal from a second device through a second channel of the IoT device, the second signal comprising a second communication request;

determine a first priority degree corresponding to the first communication request and a second priority degree corresponding to the second communication request;

estimate a first data flow in the first signal over a schedule period and a second data flow in the second signal over the schedule period;

allocate the schedule period to the first channel and the second channel based on the first priority degree, the second priority degree, the estimated first data flow, and the estimated second data flow; and

receive data from or transmit data to the first channel and the second channel based on the allocation of the schedule period,

wherein the first data flow in the first signal over the schedule period is estimated based on a size of data received and transmitted in a preceding schedule period through the first channel and a size of data ready to be transmitted in the schedule period through the first channel,

wherein the second data flow in the second signal over the schedule period is estimated based on a size of data received and transmitted in the preceding schedule period through the second channel and a size of data ready to be transmitted in the schedule period through the second channel.

10 . The IoT device of claim 9 , wherein the first priority degree is higher than the second priority degree, and the communication schedule comprises:

allocate at least a portion of the schedule period to the first channel.

11 . The IoT device of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further configure the IoT device to:

determine whether a remaining time period of the schedule period is greater than a predetermined threshold after allocating the at least a portion of the schedule period to the first channel; and

in response to determining that the remaining time period of the schedule period is greater than the predetermined threshold,

allocate the remaining time period to the first channel and the second channel based on the estimated first data flow and the estimated second data flow.

12 . The IoT device of claim 11 , wherein a ratio between time over the remaining time period allocated to the first channel and time over the remaining time period allocated to the second channel is proportional to a ratio between the estimated first data flow and the estimated second data flow or a ratio between an estimated first count of data packets through the first channel and an estimated second count of data packets through the second channel.

13 . The IoT device of claim 11 , wherein in response to determining that a remaining time period of the schedule period is not greater than the predetermined threshold, the instructions further configure the IoT device to:

allocate the remaining time period to the first channel.

14 . The IoT device of claim 9 , wherein the schedule period is a time period between two channel allocation reference time points.

15 . The IoT device of claim 14 , wherein the two channel allocation reference time points each is either a Target Beacon Transmission Time (TBTT) of the first signal or a TBTT of the second signal.

16 . The IoT device of claim 9 , wherein to determine the first priority degree corresponding to the first communication request and the second priority degree corresponding to the second communication request, the instructions further configure the IoT device to:

identify a first communication task in the first communication request and a second communication task in the second communication request; and

determine the first priority degree and the second priority degree based on types of the first communication task and the second communication task.

17 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium including instructions that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a first signal from a first device through a first channel of an IoT device, the first signal comprising a first communication request;

receive a second signal from a second device through a second channel of the IoT device, the second signal comprising a second communication request;

determine a first priority degree corresponding to the first communication request and a second priority degree corresponding to the second communication request;

estimate a first data flow in the first signal over a schedule period and a second data flow in the second signal over the schedule period;

allocate the schedule period to the first channel and the second channel based on the first priority degree, the second priority degree, the estimated first data flow, and the estimated second data flow; and

receive data from or transmit data to the first channel and the second channel based on the allocation of the schedule period,

wherein to determine the first priority degree corresponding to the first communication request and the second priority degree corresponding to the second communication request, the instructions further cause the computer to:

identify a first communication task in the first communication request and a second communication task in the second communication request; and

determine the first priority degree and the second priority degree based on types of the first communication task and the second communication task.