Patent ID: 8428101
Filing Date: 2013-04-23
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. A method of interference-triggered frequency hopping in a wireless communication system, comprising: providing in the wireless communication system a master in wireless communication with a plurality of slave nodes configured to use different preselected communication frequencies to permit frequency hopping; selecting a current channel from among a plurality of channels in the wireless communication system in which the master and at least some of the slave nodes send and receive wireless communications, wherein the plurality of channels is stored in a list, each of the channels using different ones of the preselected communication frequencies; detecting interference in the current channel with communications between the master and a selected one of the slave nodes that use the current channel, wherein the detecting includes comparing an actual noise floor determined based on a received signal strength in the current channel and a signal to interference and noise ratio, with an expected noise floor; selecting a new channel of the channels different from the current channel only in response to detecting the interference; and switching from the current channel to the new channel such that communications between the master and the selected slave node use the new channel.