Permitting media contention in the presence of conflicting different wireless operations

Unbiased media contention in the presence of conflicting wireless operation of data transmission includes beginning media contention only during Bluetooth® operation; treating the Bluetooth® operation as a rejection of media transmission; holding a backoff timer associated with a backoff period steady for a specified duration; upon immediate completion of the Bluetooth® operation, WiFi contends with a small backoff value when media access is busy; using a small random number for the backoff period during a non-Bluetooth® data transfer period; and keeping an overall backoff timer unbiased for a duration of the data transmission. The specified duration may include an end of the Bluetooth® operation or a maximum backoff time that is reached. The random number for the backoff period includes uniform distribution in a contention window. A mean backoff timer value equals a uniform mean value minus a ratio of a Bluetooth® operation period to a total backoff period.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The embodiments herein generally relate to wireless technologies, and more particularly to WiFi and Bluetooth® technologies.

Description of the Related Art

A contention-based protocol (CBP) is a telecommunications media access protocol allowing several users to share the same broadcast medium (e.g., spectrum) by defining the events that must occur when multiple transmitters simultaneously try to access the same channel, and establishing rules for allowing a transmitter to provide reasonable chances for other transmitters to operate. The simultaneous transmissions may result in collisions whereby multiple data transfer demands are simultaneously made on equipment that can handle only one transmission at any given time. In order to help with collision avoidance or recovery after collisions occur, the CBP protocol includes procedures for initiating new data signal transmissions, determining whether the channel is available or unavailable (e.g., state of the channel), and managing retransmissions of data signals in the event of a busy channel. Such protocols are helpful when the wireless standards are the same. However, when the wireless standards are different (e.g., WiFi and Bluetooth® technologies), then the protocols are not sufficient. For example, a bias occurs in WiFi contention and a WiFi user has less chance to access data than other WiFi users without Bluetooth®. Accordingly, there remains a need for a new technique that eliminates this bias and permits media contention in the presence of conflicting (e.g., different wireless standard) wireless operation.

SUMMARY

In view of the foregoing, an embodiment herein provides a method of performing unbiased media contention in a presence of conflicting wireless operation of data transmission, the method comprising beginning media contention only during Bluetooth® operation; treating the Bluetooth® operation as a rejection of media transmission; holding a backoff timer associated with a backoff period steady for a specified duration; upon immediate completion of the Bluetooth® operation, WiFi contends with a small backoff value when media access is busy; using a small random number for the backoff period during a non-Bluetooth® data transfer period; and keeping an overall backoff timer unbiased for a duration of the data transmission. The specified duration may comprise an end of the Bluetooth® operation. Alternatively, the specified duration may comprise a maximum backoff time is reached. The random number for the backoff period comprises uniform distribution in a contention window. A mean backoff timer value equals a uniform mean value minus a ratio of a Bluetooth® operation period to a total backoff period. The method may further comprise using a combination WiFi and Bluetooth® chip to perform the unbiased media contention. The method may further comprise preventing WiFi media contention during the Bluetooth® operation. The method may further comprise immediately sensing media access upon completion of the Bluetooth® operation. The Bluetooth® operation has timing constraints and can only occur during a Bluetooth® data transfer period. The WiFi and Bluetooth® signals are shared and coexist in a time domain.

Another embodiment provides a system of performing unbiased media contention in a presence of conflicting wireless operation of data transmission, the system comprising a processor that begins media contention only during Bluetooth® operation and treats the Bluetooth® operation as a rejection of media transmission; and a backoff timer in communication with the processor and associated with a backoff period that is held steady for a specified duration, wherein the processor determines an immediate completion of the Bluetooth® operation and permits WiFi contention with a small backoff value when media access is busy, wherein the backoff timer uses a small random number for the backoff period during a non-Bluetooth® data transfer period, and wherein an overall backoff timer is kept unbiased for a duration of the data transmission. The specified duration comprises an end of the Bluetooth® operation. Alternatively, the specified duration comprises a maximum backoff time is reached. The random number for the backoff period comprises uniform distribution in a contention window. A mean backoff timer value equals a uniform mean value minus a ratio of a Bluetooth® operation period to a total backoff period. A combination WiFi and Bluetooth® chip is used to perform the unbiased media contention. The WiFi media contention is prevented during the Bluetooth® operation. The processor immediately senses media access upon completion of the Bluetooth® operation. The Bluetooth® operation has timing constraints and can only occur during a Bluetooth® data transfer period. The WiFi and Bluetooth® signals are shared and coexist in a time domain.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The embodiments herein provide an unbiased WiFi media contention in the presence of Bluetooth® operation. Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly toFIGS. 1 through 5, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown preferred embodiments.

The embodiments herein utilize a WiFi and Bluetooth® combination chip22(ofFIG. 5). In accordance withFIG. 1, WiFi has to backoff from data transfer for a random period of time before contending for media if the media is busy. The backoff period is a random number with uniform distribution between zero and a maximum (e.g., the contention window (CW)). When Bluetooth® transmission is operational, then WiFi is prohibited to contend during Bluetooth® operation.

The embodiments herein provide a technique to remove this bias as indicated inFIG. 2, with reference toFIGS. 1, 3, and 5. First (50), media contention is started by the processor210(ofFIGS. 3 and 5) only during Bluetooth® operation. Second (52), the Bluetooth® operation is treated as a media rejection. Third (54), the backoff timer212(ofFIGS. 3 and 5) is held until the end of the Bluetooth® operation region or until the maximum backoff time is reached. The backoff period is used to initiate the backoff timer212. Fourth (56), when the Bluetooth® operation is completed, WiFi contends immediately thereafter with a small backoff value if the media is busy. The backoff value is used for scheduling a next attempted retransmission. Fifth (58), during a non-Bluetooth® data transfer period, a smaller random number is used for the backoff period. Sixth (60), the overall backoff timer212is kept unbiased. The timer mean value can be calculated as follows:

FIG. 3, with reference toFIGS. 1 through 2, illustrates an exploded view of a receiver200having a memory202comprising a computer set of instructions. The receiver200further includes a bus204, a display206, a speaker208, and a processor210capable of processing a set of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies herein, according to an embodiment herein. The processor210may also enable analog content to be consumed in the form of output via one or more displays206or audio for output via speaker and/or earphones208. The processor210and backoff timer212may also carry out the methods described herein and in accordance with the embodiments herein. The content may also be stored in the memory202for future processing or consumption. A user of the receiver200may view this stored information on display206. When the content is selected, the processor210may pass information. The content may be passed among functions within the receiver200using bus204. The receiver200may be operatively connected to a front end100for communication within a wireless communication network25(ofFIG. 4).

The embodiments herein can include both hardware and software elements. The embodiments that are implemented in software include but are not limited to, firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.

FIG. 5, with reference toFIGS. 1 through 4, illustrates a system block diagram according to an embodiment herein. The system220performs unbiased media contention in the presence of conflicting wireless operation of data transmission, wherein the system comprises a processor210that begins media contention only during Bluetooth® operation and treats the Bluetooth® operation as a rejection of media transmission. A backoff timer212is in communication with the processor210and is associated with a backoff period that is held steady for a specified duration, wherein the processor210determines an immediate completion of the Bluetooth® operation and permits WiFi contention with a small backoff value when media access is busy, wherein the backoff timer uses a small random number for the backoff period during a non-Bluetooth® data transfer period, and wherein the overall backoff timer212is kept unbiased for a duration of the data transmission. The specified duration comprises an end of the Bluetooth® operation. Alternatively, the specified duration comprises a maximum backoff time is reached.

The random number for the backoff period comprises uniform distribution in a contention window. A mean backoff timer value equals a uniform mean value minus a ratio of a Bluetooth® operation period to a total backoff period. A combination WiFi and Bluetooth® chip225is used to perform the unbiased media contention. The WiFi media contention is prevented during the Bluetooth® operation. The processor210immediately senses media access upon completion of the Bluetooth® operation. The Bluetooth® operation has timing constraints and can only occur during a Bluetooth® data transfer period. The WiFi and Bluetooth® signals are shared and coexist in a time domain.