U.S. patent application number 15/594417 was filed with the patent office on 2018-04-12 for interference test setup systems, structures and processes.
The applicant listed for this patent is NETGEAR, Inc.. Invention is credited to Peiman AMINI, Joseph Amalan Arul EMMANUEL.
Application Number | 20180102860 15/594417 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 61829045 |
Filed Date | 2018-04-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180102860 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
EMMANUEL; Joseph Amalan Arul ;
et al. |
April 12, 2018 |
INTERFERENCE TEST SETUP SYSTEMS, STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES
Abstract
Disclosed are methods and systems for interactive dynamic
interference testing of wireless environments, which can emulate
wireless traffic for multiple homes, apartments and offices. The
emulated wireless environment can emulate a wide variety of 802.11
traffic, as well as other types of traffic. Some embodiments can
also control any of the power level of interference, as well as the
attenuation between devices, such as between access points and
clients. The system and method can be used to monitor the
performance of a device under test (DUT) under one or more
interference conditions, and can be used to evaluate and modify the
dynamic behavior of the DUT and other devices under different
operating scenarios.
Inventors: |
EMMANUEL; Joseph Amalan Arul;
(Cupertino, CA) ; AMINI; Peiman; (Mountain View,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
NETGEAR, Inc. |
San Jose |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
61829045 |
Appl. No.: |
15/594417 |
Filed: |
May 12, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62406325 |
Oct 10, 2016 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01S 5/0294 20130101;
H04W 40/246 20130101; H04W 80/06 20130101; H04B 17/345 20150115;
H04W 72/082 20130101; G08B 13/2494 20130101; H04L 43/0888 20130101;
H04W 4/80 20180201; H04W 84/12 20130101; H04L 67/303 20130101; H04B
2001/7154 20130101; H04L 12/4633 20130101; H04W 72/0453 20130101;
H04W 36/20 20130101; H04W 12/1202 20190101; H04W 72/1231 20130101;
H04W 4/029 20180201; H04W 4/30 20180201; H04B 17/0085 20130101;
H04W 36/36 20130101; H04W 76/15 20180201; H04L 43/08 20130101; H04L
43/16 20130101; H04W 48/02 20130101; H04W 88/10 20130101; H04W
28/0289 20130101; H04W 88/08 20130101; H04W 4/023 20130101; H04W
12/08 20130101; H04W 36/0083 20130101; H04W 16/26 20130101; H04W
36/245 20130101; G01S 5/0289 20130101; H04W 28/18 20130101; H04W
28/0236 20130101; H04B 1/005 20130101; H04B 17/318 20150115; H04W
84/18 20130101; H04W 92/20 20130101; H04L 41/12 20130101; H04W
36/32 20130101; H04W 84/045 20130101; H04L 43/0864 20130101; H04W
76/11 20180201; G01S 19/46 20130101; H04W 4/70 20180201; H04W 8/005
20130101; H04B 1/713 20130101; H04W 36/0055 20130101; H04L 45/02
20130101; H04W 4/02 20130101; H04W 12/00502 20190101; H04W 12/00503
20190101; H04W 36/0072 20130101; H04W 36/0094 20130101; H04W 36/16
20130101; H04L 5/003 20130101; H04W 36/38 20130101; H04W 84/105
20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04B 17/345 20060101
H04B017/345; H04B 17/00 20060101 H04B017/00 |
Claims
1. A system for testing a wireless device under test (DUT),
comprising: a test region; an interference set that is configured
to provide a plurality of wireless signals with respect to the DUT;
a mechanism for setting one or more operating parameters for any of
the DUT and the interference set, for one or more interference test
conditions; a mechanism for monitoring the dynamic behavior of the
DUT with respect to the interference set under each of the
interference test conditions; a mechanism for monitoring the
dynamic behavior of the interference set with respect to the DUT
under each of the interference test conditions; and a mechanism for
modifying a dynamic operating parameter of any of the interference
set and the DUT, based on the monitored dynamic behavior.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the modified dynamic operating
parameter includes a modification of packet length corresponding to
any of input signals for receipt by the DUT or output signals for
transmission from the DUT.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the modification of packet length
is a decrease in the packet length in response to an increased
level of detected interference.
4. The system of claim 2, wherein the modification of packet length
is an increase in the packet length in response to a decreased
level of detected interference.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the modified dynamic operating
parameter includes a modification of a rate control parameter of
the DUT.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the DUT comprises any of a
wireless access point (AP) and a wireless bridge.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the interference set includes any
of an access point (AP), a wireless bridge, and a client
device.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the interference set includes any
of an appliance, a toy, a baby monitoring device, a gaming system,
a mobile phone, a computer, a printer, and a security device.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the interference set includes any
of 802.11 wi-fi traffic, traffic other than 802.11 wi-fi traffic,
and any combination thereof.
10. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a mechanism for
controlling power level of one or more wireless signal
transmissions for the interference set.
11. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a mechanism for
controlling attenuation of at least a portion of the interference
set.
12. The system of claim 7, wherein the controlled attenuated
portion of the interference set includes attenuation between an
access point (AP) and a client device.
13. The system of claim 1, further comprising: an antenna matrix
that includes one or more antennas that extend from the
interference set into the test chamber.
14. The system of claim 1, further comprising: an antenna that
extends from the DUT into the test chamber.
15. The system of claim 1, wherein any of the interference set and
the DUT is located within a shield box.
16. The system of claim 1, wherein the interference test set is
controllable to simulate any of different times of day, different
times of week, and different times of activity.
17. The system of claim 1, wherein the modified dynamic operating
parameters of the DUT includes instructions for modifying transmit
or receive parameters for the DUT to either increase performance
when detected interference exceeds a predetermined threshold, or
when detected interference is less than or equal to a lower
interference threshold, returning any of the transmit or receive
parameters toward common settings.
18. The system of claim 1, wherein the modified dynamic operating
parameters of the DUT includes instructions for detecting a
destination address in a header field of a received wireless
signal; and using the detected destination address for any of
dropping packet reception of the received wireless signal, or
listening in parallel to other packets.
19. The system of claim 1, wherein the modified dynamic operating
parameters of the DUT includes instructions for detecting any of
request to send (RTS) and clear to send (CTS) mechanisms of packets
for a received wireless signal from a local device that is not of
interest; and as a result of the detecting, either not listening to
an entire exchange from the local device, or keeping reception of
the DUT in a detection mode for packets received from the local
device that the DUT is interested in.
20. A method for testing a wireless device under test (DUT),
comprising: establishing an interference set to provide a plurality
of wireless signals with respect to the DUT within a test chamber;
setting one or more operating parameters for any of the DUT and the
interference set for one or more interference test conditions;
monitoring the dynamic behavior of the DUT with respect to the
interference set under each of the interference test conditions;
monitoring the dynamic behavior of the interference set with
respect to the DUT under each of the test conditions; and modifying
one or more operating parameters of any of the interference set and
the DUT, based on the monitored dynamic behaviors.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the modifying the dynamic
operating parameter includes modifying a packet length
corresponding to any of input signals received by the DUT or output
signals transmitted from the DUT.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the modifying the packet length
is a decrease in the packet length in response to an increased
level of detected interference.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein the modifying the packet length
is an increase in the packet length in response to a decreased
level of detected interference.
24. The method of claim 20, wherein the modifying the dynamic
operating parameter includes a modification of a rate control
parameter of the DUT.
25. The method of claim 20, further comprising: retesting any of
the dynamic behavior of the DUT and the dynamic behavior of the
interference set after the modifying the operating parameters of
any of the interference set and the DUT.
26. The method of claim 20, further comprising: configuring the DUT
to dynamically respond to changing interference conditions during
subsequent operation of the DUT.
27. The method of claim 20, wherein the DUT comprises any of a
wireless access point (AP) and a wireless bridge.
28. The method of claim 20, wherein the interference set includes
any of an access point (AP), a wireless bridge, and a client
device.
29. The method of claim 20, wherein the interference set includes
any of an appliance, a toy, a baby monitoring device, a gaming
system, a mobile phone, a computer, a printer, and a security
device.
30. The method of claim 20, further comprising: controlling output
power of one or more wireless signal transmissions for the
interference set.
31. The method of claim 20, further comprising: controlling
attenuation of at least a portion of the interference set.
32. The method of claim 31, wherein the attenuation of at least a
portion of the interference set includes controlling attenuation
between an access point (AP) and a client device.
33. The method of claim 20, wherein the modifying of the dynamic
operating parameters of the DUT includes any of: modifying transmit
or receive parameters for the DUT to increase performance when
detected interference exceeds a predetermined threshold: or
returning any of the transmit and receive parameters toward common
settings when detected interference is less than or equal to a
lower interference threshold.
34. The method of claim 20, wherein the modifying of the dynamic
operating parameters of the DUT includes modifying instructions
for: detecting a destination address in a header field of a
received wireless signal; and using the detected destination
address for any of dropping packet reception of the received
wireless signal, or listening in parallel to other packets.
35. The method of claim 20, wherein the modifying of the dynamic
operating parameters of the DUT includes modifying instructions
for: detecting any of request to send (RTS) and clear to send (CTS)
mechanisms of packets for a received wireless signal from a local
device that is not of interest; and as a result of the detecting,
either not listening to an entire exchange from the local device,
or keeping reception of the DUT in a detection mode for packets
received from the local device that the DUT is interested in.
36. The method of claim 20, wherein the modifying of the dynamic
operating parameters of the DUT includes modifying instructions
for: detecting a rogue access point (AP) that gets more packets
through than the device under test (DUT); and fully or partially
ignoring the detected rogue AP.
37. A method for operating a wireless device in a wireless
interference environment, comprising: monitoring wireless
communication performance of the wireless device in the wireless
interference environment; when the monitored wireless communication
performance of the wireless device exceeds a predetermined
threshold, dynamically modifying any of transmit and receive
dynamic operating parameters for the wireless device; and repeating
the monitoring of the wireless communication performance of the
wireless device in the wireless interference environment using the
modified dynamic operating parameters.
38. The method of claim 37, wherein the modifying any of the
transmit or the receive dynamic operating parameters for the
wireless device includes modifying a packet length corresponding to
any of input signals received by the wireless device or output
signals transmitted from the wireless device.
39. The method of claim 38, wherein the modifying the packet length
is a decrease in the packet length in response to an increased
level of detected interference.
40. The method of claim 38, wherein the modifying the packet length
is an increase in the packet length in response to a decreased
level of detected interference.
41. The method of claim 37, wherein the modifying any of the
transmit or the receive dynamic operating parameters for the
wireless device includes a modification of a rate control parameter
of the wireless device.
42. The method of claim 37, further comprising: when the monitored
wireless communication performance of the wireless device is less
than or equal to a lower interference threshold, modifying any of
transmit and receive dynamic operating parameters toward default
dynamic operating parameter settings.
43. The method of claim 37, wherein the modifying of the dynamic
operating parameters of the wireless device includes any of:
modifying transmit or receive parameters for the DUT to increase
performance when detected interference exceeds a predetermined
threshold: or returning any of the transmit and receive parameters
toward common settings when detected interference is less than or
equal to a lower interference threshold.
44. The method of claim 37, wherein the modifying of the dynamic
operating parameters of the wireless device includes modifying
instructions for: detecting a destination address in a header field
of a received wireless signal; and using the detected destination
address for any of dropping packet reception of the received
wireless signal, or listening in parallel to other packets.
45. The method of claim 37, wherein the modifying of the dynamic
operating parameters of the wireless device includes modifying
instructions for: detecting any of request to send (RTS) and clear
to send (CTS) mechanisms of packets for a received wireless signal
from a local device that is not of interest; and as a result of the
detecting, either not listening to an entire exchange from the
local device, or keeping reception of the wireless device in a
detection mode for packets received from the local device that the
wireless device is interested in.
46. The method of claim 37, wherein the modifying of the dynamic
operating parameters of the wireless device includes modifying
instructions for: detecting a rogue access point (AP) that gets
more packets through than the wireless device; and fully or
partially ignoring the detected rogue AP.
47. The method of claim 37, wherein the wireless device is a device
under test (DUT).
48. The method of claim 37, further comprising: transmitting
information regarding the monitored wireless communication
performance of the wireless device to an interference test system
for remote testing of a corresponding device under test (DUT) using
the transmitted information.
49. The method of claim 37, further comprising: receiving
information from an interference test system as a result of testing
a device under test (DUT) in a remote interference test
environment; and updating one or more operating parameters of the
wireless device using the received information.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This Application claims priority from U.S. Provisional
Application No. 62/406,325, filed Oct. 10, 2016, which is
incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference thereto.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] At least one embodiment of the present invention pertains to
systems and processes for interference testing within wireless
environments. At least one embodiment of the present invention
pertains to systems and processes for dynamic modification of one
or more operating parameters of a wireless device in a wireless
environment.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Wi-Fi devices are often set up or otherwise configured based
on an assumption that the surrounding wireless environment includes
little or no interference, and that neighboring wireless devices
are also Wi-Fi devices, which operate in an expected manner.
[0004] However, many wireless devices that generally comply with
IEEE 802.11 standards do not fully or partially implement enhanced
distributed channel access (EDCA) 802.11 standards, and are often
not "fair" in how they operate in wireless environments that are
shared with other devices.
[0005] As well, some wireless devices that generally comply with
IEEE 802.11 standards do not have good receivers, and as such, do
not adequately detect other communication packets in densely
populated areas.
[0006] In addition, non Wi-Fi interference often occurs in Wi-Fi
bands that have different protocols and physical layers, such as
associated with any of Bluetooth devices that operate with respect
to IEEE 802.15.4 standards, e.g., baby monitors, intercoms, or
other commonly used devices.
[0007] New protocols are being introduced for 802.11 bands, which
do not follow 802.11 back off and rate control mechanisms, such as
for long-term evolution (LTE) devices that operate in unlicensed
spectrum (LTE-U), which use carrier-sensitive adaptive transmission
(CSAT) to sense other users, and can adjust on/off LTE cycling, or
LTE-LAA, such as to abide by region specific "listen before talk"
(LBT) policy, such as to sense channel availability, and
subsequently adjust on/off LTE cycling.
[0008] Wireless devices are often configured to increase back-off
when they detect interference, which often does not help when the
devices share a medium with other devices.
[0009] As well, data rates can drop as a function of rate control
for a wireless device. As a result, when the length of packets
increases in time, the performance can decrease, because the
increased length of packets inherently increases the probability of
collisions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] One or more embodiments of the present invention are
illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of
the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate
similar elements.
[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an illustrative wireless
environment having a plurality of buildings and related
infrastructure located within a region in which a variety of
wireless devices operate, and in which operation of a device can be
adversely effected by interference.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an illustrative wireless
environment associated with a residential, commercial or industrial
building, in which operation of a device can be adversely effected
by interference from local and/or external sources.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative embodiment
of an illustrative interference test system that can be configured
to provide interference testing and monitoring.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an alternate illustrative
embodiment of an interference test system.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of further alternate
illustrative embodiment of an interference test system.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a partial cutaway view of an illustrative
interference test environment for DUT interference testing.
[0017] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an illustrative method for DUT
interference testing.
[0018] FIG. 8 is an illustrative schematic view of one or more test
parameters that can be implemented to conduct interference testing
and monitoring of a device under test (DUT).
[0019] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of an illustrative wireless
device.
[0020] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an illustrative method for
establishing or updating dynamic performance parameters to a
wireless device based on the results of enhanced interference
testing.
[0021] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of an illustrative method for testing
dynamic behavior of devices in an interference environment.
[0022] FIG. 12 is a flowchart of an illustrative method for
dynamically modifying the operating parameters of a wireless device
based on the detection of interference conditions.
[0023] FIG. 13 is a high-level block diagram showing an example of
a processing device that can represent any of the systems described
herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] References in this description to "an embodiment", "one
embodiment", or the like, mean that the particular feature,
function, structure or characteristic being described is included
in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Occurrences of
such phrases in this specification do not necessarily all refer to
the same embodiment. On the other hand, the embodiments referred to
also are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
[0025] Disclosed are methods and systems for interactive dynamic
interference testing of wireless environments, which can emulate
wireless traffic for multiple homes, apartments and offices. The
emulated wireless environment can emulate a wide variety of 802.11
traffic, as well as other types of traffic. Some embodiments can
also control any of the power level of interference, as well as the
attenuation between devices, such as between access points and
clients. The system and method can be used to monitor the
performance of a device under test (DUT) under one or more
interference conditions, and can be used to evaluate and modify the
dynamic behavior of the DUT and other devices under different
operating scenarios.
[0026] For instance, some embodiments of the systems and methods
disclosed herein provide an enhanced testing environment for
wireless devices, which provides adjustable interference conditions
for testing of a device under test (DUT), performance monitoring of
the DUT within one or more interference conditions, as well as
dynamic adjustment of operational parameters for the DUT, wherein
the operation of the DUT, or that of another wireless device, can
be improved, such as during a test session, or before retesting
under the same or different interference conditions.
[0027] In certain embodiments, the techniques introduced here
provide dynamic adjustment of a wide variety of operational
parameters for the DUT or related wireless devices, including any
of rate control parameters, transmitter operation parameters, and
receiver operation parameters.
[0028] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an illustrative wireless
environment 10 having a plurality of buildings 12 and related
infrastructure 16 located within a region 14, e.g., a populated
residential, business or industrial environment 14, in which a
variety of wireless devices 18,20,22 operate, and in which
operation of a device 18,20,22 can be adversely effected by
interference.
[0029] An illustrative building, e.g., a residence or business 12,
seen in FIG. 1 is located in a populated area 14, in which an
access point 18 and one or more devices 20 are configured to
operate. For example, a wide variety of access points 18 and
devices 20 are commonly used within a residential, business or
industrial environment 14, in which many of the devices 18,20,22
are configured to send and/or receive wireless signals 66 (FIG. 2),
such as between devices 20, and or between a wireless device 20 and
an access point 18, either directly or through a wireless bridge
22. As well, numerous other devices, such as appliances, remote
controllers, toys, consumer electronics, security systems, heaters,
ventilation and/or air conditioning (HVAC) units, vehicles, and/or
tools that commonly operate within a residential business or
industrial environment 14 can often interfere with wireless
communication.
[0030] The illustrative wireless environment 14 seen in FIG. 1 also
includes numerous neighboring buildings 12, which can similarly
include one or more access points 18, bridges 22, and a wide
variety of devices 20, such as those that are configured to operate
wirelessly within the environment, as well as other devices and/or
appliances 20 that can contribute to interference 80 (FIG. 2). Some
wireless environments 12 can include one or more wireless bridges
22, such as to extend the range between wireless devices 20 and an
access point 18. In some wireless environments 14, one or more
access points 18 can be configured as bridges 22, such as between
access points, or as a connection 62 (FIG. 2) between an access
point 18 and a router 63 (FIG. 2) for connection to an external
network 62 (FIG. 2).
[0031] Interference 80 can also arise from other sources 78 (FIG.
2), such as from the use of mobile devices, vehicles, equipment,
and/or even from the infrastructure 16 itself, e.g., utility
delivery, utility monitoring, content reception and transmission,
community routers, etc.
[0032] FIG. 2 shows an illustrative local wireless environment 60
associated with a building or property 12, in which operation of a
device, such as an access point 18, a wireless bridge 22, or other
wireless device 20, can be adversely effected by interference from
any of local or external sources. The illustrative building 12 seen
in FIG. 2, such as located within a populated area 14 (FIG. 1),
includes a wireless access point 18, which is connected 62 to an
external network 64, such as through a router 63.
[0033] The illustrative access point 18 seen in FIG. 2 is
configured to communicate with wireless devices 20 over a Wi-Fi
network 84, such as directly or through an intermediate bridge 22,
using wireless signals 66, such as by transmitting a downlink
signal 68 to a wireless device 20, and/or by receiving an uplink
signal 70 from the wireless device 20. While some wireless devices
20, e.g., 20a, are specifically configured to communicate over a
single Wi-Fi network 84, other devices 20 can be configured to
operate over one or more available channels, e.g., 3G, 4G, LTE,
etc.
[0034] As further illustrated in FIG. 2, a local environment 60 can
often include a wide variety other devices 20 that can communicate
66 with other devices 20, directly and/or through an access point
18. For instance, such devices can include any of entertainment
systems and gaming devices 20b, security systems, HVAC controllers,
ZigBee devices (IEEE 802.15 devices), and local wireless monitors
20c and receivers 20d, e.g., baby monitoring systems. As well,
other devices 74 can contribute unintended signals 76 to a local
environment, even without intended wireless communication. For
example, microwave ovens 74 and/or other appliances or tools are
often operated in residential and/or business environments 14, and
can produce signals 76 during use that can interfere with the
wireless operation of other devices 18,20,22.
[0035] As also seen in FIG. 2, interference signals 80 from one or
more external sources 78 can cause further interference within a
local environment 60, just as the operation of devices 18,20,22,74
in the local environment 12 can result in interference that can be
problematic for wireless operation in neighboring local
environments 60.
[0036] As seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the specific environment 14,60
in which wireless devices 18,20,22 are required to operate can be
extremely varied, such that interference experienced by the devices
18,20,22 can often result in the loss or incomplete transmission or
reception of downlink signals 68 and/or uplink signals 70.
[0037] A specific environment in which a device 18,20,22 operates
can change significantly over time, both in the near term (e.g.,
time of day, day of the week, time of year, etc.) or in the long
term, such as with the introduction of more and different devices
and/or communication standards, which can contribute to
interference.
[0038] For example, within a business environment 10, numerous
devices 20, such as computers, printers, copiers, are often powered
and operated during limited hours of operation during a business
day, while many of these devices 20 are powered off at other times,
such as at night, and/or on weekends. While some devices 20 can be
powered during other times, they may not require bandwidth for
receiving and/or transmitting wireless signals during such
downtime. Some devices are often required to be used at all times
in a business environment, such as for HVAC systems, refrigerators,
security and monitoring systems, servers and/or access points 18.
Other devices are commonly used as needed during active business
hours, such as microwave ovens, copiers, printers, and/or
tools.
[0039] The operating environment within a residence 12 can also
change significantly, such as based on the requirements, habits and
interests of the occupants. For instance, an illustrative residence
12 can include one or more access points 18, one or more bridges
22, computers, wireless phones, entertainment systems, and gaming
consoles. In some households, one or more of the occupants can
leave the residence during work and/or school hours. At other
times, many of the occupants can be at home, and increase their use
of wireless devices. In multiple-family buildings, the local
interference 80 can increase significantly, in which some devices
20 are operated on an as-needed basis, while other devices 20 are
powered continuously.
[0040] Furthermore, a local wireless environment 60 can suffer from
external interference 80 (FIG. 2) caused by the operation of other
stationary and/or mobile sources, besides those related to
neighboring buildings 12.
[0041] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative embodiment
of an interactive dynamic interference test setup system 100, e.g.,
100a, which can emulate traffic from high-density environments 14,
60, such as experienced around multiple homes, apartments and/or
offices 12, which can include a multitude of Wi-Fi devices 18,20,22
and non-Wi-Fi devices, e.g., 74 (FIG. 2). The illustrative test
system 100a seen in FIG. 3 includes a device under test (DUT) 110,
such as controlled 106 by a DUT controller 112 and monitored by a
DUT monitor 114, in which the illustrative DUT 110 can be similar
to a wireless device 20, a wireless access point 18, or a wireless
bridge 22, as seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.
[0042] The illustrative test system 100a seen in FIG. 3 also
includes an interference set 120, such as controlled by an
interference set controller 122 and monitored 108 by an
interference set monitor 124. While the illustrative interference
set controller 122 and interference set monitor 124 are shown as
discrete components, in some system embodiments, the functions of
the interference set controller 122 and interference set monitor
124 can be performed by an integrated system controller.
Furthermore, in some system embodiments 100, the functions of the
interference set controller 122 and interference set monitor 124
can be performed with a combined system controller that can also
perform DUT control 112 and/or monitoring 114.
[0043] The interference set 120 seen in FIG. 3 can be used to
emulate one or more wireless signals 66 or other interference
signals 76,80 (FIG. 2) within a test region 103, such as related to
devices 20 which can cause interference for the DUT 110, or which
may be adversely affected by interference from the DUT 110.
[0044] The illustrative DUT 110 seen in FIG. 3 can be located
within a shield box 116, such as located outside or inside the test
region 103 of a test enclosure 102. The illustrative interference
test system 100a seen in FIG. 3 also includes a DUT antenna 104
that extends from the DUT 110 into the test region 103, such as to
send and receive wireless signals 66, as well as other interference
signals 160 during interference testing.
[0045] The illustrative interference set 120 seen in FIG. 3 is
established with respect to the test system 100a, to controllably
provide a variety of interference conditions with which to test one
or more DUTs 110. As seen in FIG. 3, the interference set 120 can
be powered and controlled through an interference set controller
122 under testing conditions to provide controlled interference
160, and the operation of the interference set 120 can be monitored
by an interference set monitor 124. In some embodiments of the test
system 100, the interference controller 122 and the interference
monitor 124 can implemented by an integrated interference
controller 122 and monitor 124. Furthermore, the control parameters
and monitored performance can be captured, stored and/or displayed,
such as for analysis by testing personnel U.
[0046] The illustrative interference set 120 seen in FIG. 3 can be
located within a shield box 130, such as located outside or inside
the test region 103 of a test enclosure 102. The illustrative
interference test system 100a seen in FIG. 3 also includes an array
136 of antennas 138, e.g., 138a-138d, that extends from the
interference set 120 into the test region 103, such as to send and
receive wireless signals 66, as well as to apply one or more
interference signals 140 during interference testing.
[0047] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an alternate illustrative
embodiment of a dynamic interference system 100, e.g., 100b, which
can emulate traffic from high density wireless communication
environments 14,60, such as experienced around multiple homes
apartments and/or offices. The illustrative interference test
system 110b can include a multitude of Wi-Fi devices, e.g.,
18,20,22, and non Wi-Fi devices, e.g., 74 (FIG. 2). While the
interference set 120 itself can be operated such as shown in FIG.
3, such as to emulate one or more devices, the interference test
system 100, such as seen in FIG. 4, can be configured to separately
introduce wireless traffic from other sources, such as from other
devices 20, access points 18, and/or bridges 22, either to
communicate with the DUT 110, or to apply interference signals 140
within the test region 103.
[0048] In the test system 100b seen in FIG. 4, the additional
devices 20, e.g., 20a-20g, access points 18, e.g., 18a-18d, and/or
bridges 22 e.g., 22a-20c, can be located within the test enclosure
102, such as within shield boxes 130 (FIG. 3), or can be located
externally to the test enclosure 102, with antennas, e.g., 138
extending into the test region 103 (FIG. 3).
[0049] The illustrative additional device 20 seen in FIG. 4 can be
controlled by a device controller 132 and monitored by a device
monitor 134, and can be used to provide one or more wireless
signals 66 within the test region 103, such as for any of
communicating with the DUT 110, applying interference signals 140
within the test region 103, or for tracking interference at the
device 20 that may be caused by operation of the DUT 110.
[0050] The illustrative test system 100b seen in FIG. 4 can also
include an access point (AP) 18, such as controlled by a AP
controller 142 and monitored by a AP monitor 144. The illustrative
test system 100b seen in FIG. 4 can also include a wireless bridge
22, such as controlled by a bridge controller 152 and monitored by
a bridge monitor 154. The access point 18 and/or the bridge 22 can
be configured for communication with the DUT 110, and/or can be
configured for configured with the interference set 120, the device
20, and/or with each other.
[0051] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative embodiment
of a further dynamic interference test setup system 100, e.g.,
100c, which can emulate traffic from high-density environments 14,
60, such as experienced around multiple homes, apartment
structures, and/or offices 12, and which can include a multitude of
Wi-Fi devices, e.g., 18,20,22 and non-Wi-Fi devices, e.g., 74 (FIG.
2). The illustrative test system 100c seen in FIG. 5 can include
one or more devices under test 110, e.g., 110a-110e, one or more
interference sets 120, e.g., 120a-120f, one or more other devices
20, e.g., 20a-20g, one or more access points 18, e.g., 18a-18d, and
one or more bridges 22, e.g., 22a-22c.
[0052] In some embodiments of the interference test system 100,
such as seen in FIGS. 3-5, the interference sets 120 can integrate
the transmission and/or reception of wireless signals 66
contributed by the other devices 20, access points 18, and/or
bridges 22. For example, wireless signals corresponding to one or
more devices 18,20,22 can be controllably introduced into a test
region 103 though one or more antennas 138, e.g., 138a-138d (FIG.
5) operating on one or more bands.
[0053] The illustrative test systems seen in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 can
be implemented with a test enclosure 102 having a test region 103
defined within, which provides an environment for controlled
interference testing of one or more DUTs 110. As seen in FIG. 4 and
FIG. 5, each device under test (DUT) 110, such as an access point
18, a bridge 22, or a wireless device 20, can be powered and
controlled through a DUT controller 112, under testing conditions
that can include controlled interference 140, wherein the operation
of each DUT 110 can be monitored by a DUT monitor 114. In some
embodiments of the test system 100, the DUT controller 112 and the
DUT monitor 114 can implemented by an integrated controller 112 and
monitor 114, which in some embodiments can be used to control and
monitor additional devices under test DUT 110. Furthermore, the
control parameters and monitored performance can be captured,
stored and/or displayed, such as for analysis by testing personnel
U.
[0054] The interactive dynamic interference test setup system 100,
e.g., 100a-100c can be used to develop, operate, evaluate and
modify the hardware and/or operating parameters of wireless devices
18,20,22, such as to meet the demands of a wide-variety of
operating environments 10,60. As a result of such iterative
interference testing of a device under test (DUT) 110, such as
during development, the hardware and/or operation of subsequent
devices 110, i.e., production units, can be configured and/or
updated to meet and/or exceed performance specifications.
[0055] The illustrative interference test systems 100a-100c seen in
FIGS. 3-5 can be configured to run different types of traffic on
one or more interference sets 120, and can control the power level
of applied interference 140. The illustrative interference systems
100a-100c can also control the attenuation between access points
(AP) 18 and client devices 20, while monitoring the performance of
one or more devices under test (DUTs) 110. In some embodiments, the
test system 100 can implement interference by creating multiple
sets of access points (APs) 18 and bridges 22 on various channels,
and then running traffic between each AP 18 and bridge 22. Each AP
18 and bridge 22 can be located in a shield box 130 (FIG. 3) such
as within the test chamber 102 or located externally to the test
chamber 102 and connected to a corresponding antenna structure 136.
The test system 100 can independently manage each set 120, such as
to emulate crowded network environment 14,60 in a home or
office.
[0056] The interference test system 100, e.g., 100a-100c, can
control attenuation between the shield box 130 and the DUT 110,
such as to control the simulated distance of wireless signals 66
that correspond to an interference set 120 and the DUT 110. The
interference test system 100 can also control attenuation between
the DUT 110 and an uplink side 70 of a wireless link 66, to test
and evaluate DUT performance for clients at different distances,
and can run full rate vs. range (RvR) testing on the DUT 110, to
evaluate the effect of interference 140.
[0057] The interference test system 100 can also check the dynamic
behavior of the DUT 110. For instance, the system 100 can inject
interference signals 140, e.g., 66,72,74,80 for a duration, after
which time the interference 140 is removed, wherein it can be
determined how the DUT 110 recovers from the interference
event.
[0058] In some embodiments, different modulation and coding schemes
(MCS) can be run with applied interference 140, to simulate
different types of clients and different distances, to determine
the effects. In some embodiments, the test system 100 can also
measure other parameters such as packet error rate (PER) and/or
delay, to see how the DUT 110 behaves in different interference
scenarios.
[0059] As noted above, a wide variety of supplementary devices
often operate in different environments 12, 60, which are not
necessarily configured to wirelessly communicate through a local
network, but can nonetheless interfere with the proper operation of
other devices 18,20. For instance, microwave ovens 74 are commonly
used in a home or office environment, on an as needed basis. During
operation, which can include one or more modes, spurious signals
from such a supplementary device can adversely affect the
transmission and/or reception of communication packets between
devices 18,20.
[0060] Therefore, some embodiments of the interference testing
system 100 provide a wide variety of different interference
scenarios with which a device can be tested. As well, the some
embodiments of the interference testing system 100 provide a wide
variety of methods by which a device under test (DUT) 110 can be
adjusted or altered in function, to test how the device functions,
to determine whether the communication performance of the DUT 110
is improved or not, ad/or to determine if the operation of other
neighboring devices has been changed based on the modified
operation of the DUT 110.
[0061] FIG. 6 is a partial cutaway view 200 of an illustrative
interference test environment 12 for DUT setup and testing, e.g.,
300 (FIG. 7), 500 (FIG. 8), 700 (FIG. 10), 800 (FIG. 10). In some
embodiments of the test chamber 12, any of the DUT 110 or the
matrix 136 of antennas 138, e.g., 138a-138d, can be moveable 208 in
relation to each other. For example, as seen in FIG. 6, a movement
mechanism 206 may preferably provide controlled movement 208 of a
device under test DUT 110 in one or more directions 202, e.g., such
as comprising movement 208 in an X-direction 202x, in a Y-direction
202y, and/or in a Z-direction 202z. The illustrative test chamber
12 seen in FIG. 6 includes a DUT region 204a, such as defining the
interior interference test region 103, an interconnection region
204b, such as for connection to one or more interference sets 120
and other devices 18,20,22, and a control region 204c. The
illustrative test chamber 12 seen in FIG. 6 can also include
shielding 210 and user access 214.
[0062] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an illustrative method 300 for
interference testing. As needed, the illustrative method 300 can
include the establishment or set up 302 of an interference test
environment 12, such as for testing a device 110 to be tested under
a conditions having controlled interference sets 120.
[0063] As seen in FIG. 7, a device DUT 110 to be tested is
connected to or otherwise installed 304 within the test environment
12. As also seen in FIG. 7, a test mode can be set up 306, wherein
the device DUT 110 and/or the interference set up 120 can be
initialized or otherwise set 306 to operate with a controlled set
of parameters. For instance, the DUT 110 can be initialized to for
any of operating bands, operating modes, transmission or receive
parameters, and/or handshaking procedures. As well, one or more
interference sets 120 and/or the operation of other devices
20,18,22 can be controlled, such as to define a specific
interference environment 102.
[0064] For a specific interference set up, an interference test can
then be performed 308 on a DUT 110, e.g., a prototype,
pre-production unit or a production unit 110, such as to test one
or more steady state or dynamic conditions with which the DUT 110
or subsequent device, e.g., a production device 20, access point
18, or bridge 22 may be subjected to in a "real-world" environment.
During testing 308, the operation of the DUT 100 can be monitored,
such as to gather operating data. The results of the interference
test 308 can be compared 310 to one or more standards, and/or can
be compared to the relative performance of other interference tests
308.
[0065] As seen in FIG. 7, if the interference performance of the
device DUT 110 does not 312 meet a standard 310 for a specific
interference test 308, the interference test method 300 can provide
an output 314 to indicate the failure 312, and can proceed 316 to
determine 320 if there are any remaining or alternate tests 308 to
be performed. If so 322, one or more parameters for the DUT 110
and/or test environment 102 can be modified 324, to set up an
updated test mode 306 before retesting 308.
[0066] As also seen in FIG. 7, if the interference performance of
the device DUT meets 318 a specific standard 310 for the
interference test 308, the illustrative interference test method
300 can provide and/or store the results of the current
interference test 308, and can proceed to determine 320 if there
are any remaining or alternate tests 308 to be performed. If so
322, one or more parameters for the DUT 110, interference test set
120 and/or test environment 102,120 can be modified 324, to set up
an updated test mode 306 before retesting 308.
[0067] As further seen in FIG. 7, if there are no remaining tests
326, the system 100, such as through the device monitor 114 and/or
interference set monitor 124, can store, provide and/or output 328
the results of the suite of tests 308.
[0068] FIG. 8 is s schematic block diagram 500 showing one or more
illustrative test mode parameters 502, e.g., 502a-502k, that can be
implemented to set up 306 (FIG. 7) one or more interference test
modes during interference testing 300 of a DUT 110. For instance,
the test system 100 can be set up 502a with different types of
traffic for one or more interference sets 120. As well, the test
system 100 can be adjusted to control 502b power levels for one or
more devices within the test environment 102, such as for the DUT
110, for one or more signals corresponding to an interference set
120, or for one or more other devices, e.g., 18, 20,22. For some
testing, the attenuation can be controlled 502c, such as between
access points 18 and client devices 20. In addition to setting up
or adjusting an interference set 120, one or more actual devices,
e.g., 18, 20, 22, can also be set up, added, or removed 502d. For
some testing 300, simulated device signals can be set up or
modified 502e. In some testing, the specific mode or operating
parameters for the DUT 110 or for other devices are controlled or
modified 502f. As well, other parameters can be set or modified
502k, such as before, during, or after other testing 300.
[0069] FIG. 9 is a schematic view 600 of an illustrative wireless
device 600, such as representing an access point 18, a bridge 22, a
device under test 110, or other wireless device 20. For instance,
an illustrative wireless device 600 can include functional
components within a housing 602, and an internal or external
antenna or antenna port 612 for wireless communication 66. The
illustrative wireless device 600 includes a processor 604 in
communication with a memory 606, which typically stores operating
parameters 608 for the wireless device 600. The dynamic operating
parameters 608 can be implemented across one or more layers of the
operating system of wireless devices 600, e.g., 18,20,22,110.
[0070] The illustrative DUT 110 seen in FIG. 9 also includes a
transceiver module 610 between the processor 604 and the antenna
612, for processing incoming and outgoing communication signals. A
power module 614 and corresponding port 616 provide power for the
DUT 110. The illustrative DUT 110 seen in FIG. 9 also includes a
port 618 and a user interface 620, such as for initial set up,
interference testing, or subsequent use or updating.
[0071] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an illustrative method 700 for
establishing or updating dynamic performance parameters to a
wireless device, e.g., an access point 18, a wireless bridge 22, a
DUT 110, or other wireless device 20, based on the results of
enhanced interference testing. The illustrative method 700 seen in
FIG. 10 shows the determination 702 of desired dynamic operating
parameters for such a wireless device, such as based on the
intended use of a DUT 110, or based on the results of prior
interference testing. The dynamic operating parameters for the DUT
110 are established or updated 704, such as through interaction
with the DUT processor 604 through port 618 and/or through
interface 620 (FIG. 9). The DUT 110 can then either be deployed
706, such as for operation in a real-world environment 10,60, or
can be subjected 708 to further testing and development. As also
seen in FIG. 10, the process 700 can proceed 710 to subsequently
monitor and/or test a device, such as the DUT 110 or a related
wireless device (e.g., a production device), such as based on
operational experience in a real-world environment 10,60, and can
then be returned 712 to service.
[0072] While the illustrative method 700 seen in FIG. 10 can be
implemented to test a device under test 110, the method 700 can
readily be used as a test bed to establish or update parameters to
be applied in other production devices 18,20,22. For instance, the
results of DUT interference testing 700 can subsequently be used to
establish operating parameters 608 of production devices, e.g., 18,
20, 22, and/or can be used to establish updated parameters, such as
based on knowledge gained from testing, which can then be sent to
update the operating parameters 608 of deployed devices, and/or can
be used to establish the design basis for new wireless devices,
e.g., 18, 20, 22. In some embodiments, the interference test system
can be configured to receive 710 interference and/or related
performance information from production devices 18, 22 or 20 that
are in operation in a real-world environment. For instance, in some
embodiments, statistical information can be captured from a device
being operated by a customer user, such as based on a customer
licensing agreement. In some embodiments, statistical information
can be collected in operation logs, which can be communicated,
e.g., pushed or pulled, from one or more remote wireless devices,
with or without customer interaction. The received 710 information
can then be used for subsequent testing, troubleshooting, and/or
development, such as for emulating one or more conditions that were
experienced by one or more remote devices, iteratively conducting
testing 708 using the emulated conditions on a related DUT 110, and
if needed, modifying the operating parameters of the DUT 110, to
improve the dynamic performance of the DUT 110. After such testing
and modification, the system can be used to establish modified
operating parameters for one or more related devices, i.e.,
installed devices and/or subsequent production devices, after which
the modified operating parameters can be used to update e.g., such
as by 712 (FIG. 10), the software and/or firmware of the related
wireless devices, which can then be returned to service, e.g., 706
(FIG. 10).
[0073] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of an illustrative method 800 for
testing dynamic behavior of devices 18,20, 22,110 in a simulated
interference environment 10,60, such as within a test environment
102. The illustrative method 800 seen in FIG. 10 includes setting
802 parameters to simulate an interference environment 10,60. For
instance, the operating parameters of the DUT 110 can be set or
updated 804a, while the operating parameters of the interference
set 120 can also be set or updated 804b. As well, the parameters of
other devices 18,20,22 that are included in the test environment 12
can be set and/or confirmed 804c, and other test parameters can be
set or changed 804d as desired (e.g., power levels, attenuation,
distance, shielding, etc.).
[0074] After setup 802, dynamic testing 806 can be performed, such
as to determine 808a the dynamic behavior of the DUT 110, and/or to
determine the dynamic behavior 808b of the interference set 120 or
other devices, 18,20,22. After testing, if it is determined 810
that further tests 806 are required 812, the method can return 814
to update the setup 802 of one or more test parameters 804. Once
the testing 806 is considered to be complete 816, the test results
can be output 820, such as to establish and/or update 822 operating
parameters 608 (FIG. 9). In addition to the establishment of
steady-state operating parameters 608, the results of dynamic
testing 806 can be used to program the dynamic behavior of the DUT
110 or related devices 18,20,22, such as to include operating
parameters 608 that are responsive to a dynamic interference
conditions 140.
[0075] The interference test systems 100 and corresponding methods
300,700,800 can readily be configured to provide an interactive
dynamic interference test setup to emulate traffic from
high-density environments 14,60, such as experienced around
multiple homes, apartments and/or offices, which often include a
multitude of Wi-Fi and non Wi-Fi devices 20. The interference test
system 100 can be configured to run different types of traffic on
different interference sets 120, and can control the power level
502 of applied interference 140. The interference test systems 100
can also control the attenuation 502c between access points (AP) 18
and client devices 20, while monitoring the performance of device
under test (DUT) 110.
[0076] In some embodiments, the interference test system implements
interference 140 by creating multiple sets of access points (APs)
18 and bridges 22 on various channels, and then running traffic
between each AP 18 and bridge 22. Each AP 18 and bridge 22 can be
located in shield boxes 130, to independently manage each set, such
as to emulate crowded network environment in a home or office. The
system 100 can control attenuation 502c between each shield box 130
and the DUT 110, such as to control the simulated distance between
a corresponding interference set 120 and the DUT 110. The system
100 and method 300 can also control attenuation between the DUT 110
and opposite side of a wireless link 66, to test and evaluate DUT
performance for client devices 20 at different distances, and can
run full rate vs. range (RvR) testing on the DUT 110, to evaluate
the effect of interference 140.
[0077] The interference test system 100 and corresponding methods
300,700,800 can also check the dynamic behavior of the DUT 110. For
instance, the interference test system 100 and method 300 can
inject a specific interference event 140 for a duration of time,
after which time the specific interference event 140 is removed,
wherein it can be determined how the DUT 110 recovers from the
interference event 140.
[0078] In some embodiments, different modulation and coding schemes
(MCS) can be run with the applied interference 140, to simulate
different types of client devices 20 and different distances, to
determine the effects. The interference test system 100 and
corresponding methods 300,700,800 can also measure other parameters
such as packet error rate (PER) and/or delays, to see how the DUT
110 behaves in different interference scenarios 140.
[0079] As seen in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, one or more other devices 20
can be operated with the test environment 102, such as to function
as part of an interference environment, or to be tested as devices
under test 110. Such devices 20 can include any of Wi-Fi devices,
and/or non-Wi-Fi devices, such as cordless phones, Bluetooth
devices, baby monitors, devices operating in cellular bands,
appliances, computers, printers, radio-controlled devices, and/or
tools. For instance, 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz base stations or cordless
phones or remote controllers are common devices that can readily be
operated or tested with the interference test system 100 and
corresponding methods 300,700,800. As well, one or more hardware or
operating parameters and protocols can be tested for different
devices.
[0080] In some system embodiments 100, the interference sets 120
can be configured to generate signals for one or more devices in a
simulated wireless environment. As well, in some system embodiments
100, the interference sets 120 can be configured to incorporate
signals from actual devices that operate over different operating
modes, e.g., microwave ovens and/or baby monitors. For instance,
different modes of baby monitor operation, such as stand-by,
voice-activated output signals, system test, music modes, and/or
voice return signals can be incorporated within a suite of testing
modes 306. Similarly, different modes of microwave oven operations
can be tested, such as to coincide with oven used during typical
hours, such as lunch time (e.g., 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, dinner time
(e.g., 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM), snack times (e.g., 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
and 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM), etc.
[0081] Some embodiments of the interference test system 100 and
corresponding methods 300,700,800 can be used to test, switch
and/or alter a mode of operation of a device under test 110, based
on steady state or dynamic operation of other devices within the
simulated wireless environment 10,60. For example, it may be
determined during testing that the packet length of an output
signal 70 or an input signal 68 should be shortened in an
environment 10,60 having high levels of interference, such as
during peak periods, to increase signal reception), or can be
lengthened in an environment having lower levels of interference,
such as during off-peak periods, to increase throughput.
[0082] As well, some embodiments of the interference test system
100 and corresponding methods 300,700,800 can be used to test,
switch and/or alter a mode of operation of a DUT 110, such as to
alter an initialization or handshaking with other another device,
and/or to alter the operation band or mode of a neighboring device.
In this manner, some embodiments of the interference test system
100 and corresponding methods 300,700,800 can be used to test the
dynamic performance of a DUT 110, such that in situ intelligence
can be established for a device to be implemented in a real-world
environment 14,60, which can change the operation of local device
18,20,22, or prompt other devices to operate cooperatively, such
that all of the devices within a wireless environment 14,60 can
operate without detriment to other devices.
[0083] During and as a result of interference testing 300,700,800,
the interference test system can readily be used to provide dynamic
adjustment for a device under test 110, such as to establish
dynamic operation parameters 608 for a production device 18,20,22
in a real-world interference environment 10,60, e.g., to
dynamically adjust any of rate control, power level, transmitter
operation, and receiver operation.
[0084] FIG. 12 is a flowchart of an illustrative method for
dynamically modifying the operating parameters of a wireless, i.e.,
WLAN device 600, e.g., 18,20,22,110, based on the detection of
interference conditions. For instance, a wireless device 600 can be
configured to begin upon power up to operate in a wireless
environment 10,60 using default or preset communication parameters
608. In a typical embodiment, an access point 18, bridge 22 or
other wireless device 20,110 can include one or more default
settings with which to initialize wireless communication, and can
include one or more previously established settings 608, such as
settings that were established during initial installation of the
device 600.
[0085] Upon startup 902 using default operation parameters 608, the
processor 604 associated with the wireless device 600 can determine
or detect 904 local interference conditions 140 that limit wireless
reception and/or transmission of wireless signals 66. The
illustrative device 600 can also determine 906 if the current
interference conditions are substantial enough, such as compared to
one or more predetermined thresholds, to require dynamically
adjusting or modifying 914 one or more operating parameters 608 of
the device 600. If not, 908, the device 600 can continue 910 to
operate using previously established operation parameters. If the
current interference conditions are determined 906 to be
substantial 912, the device 600 can be configured to modify 914 one
or more operation parameters 608, and then operate 916 the device
600 using the modified parameters 608, after which time the device
600 is configured to return 918 to the determination 906 of the
current interference conditions. During subsequent operation 916,
if it is determined 904,906 that the local interference has
increased, decreased, or otherwise changed, the device 600, as
controlled by the processor 604 and parameters 608, can again
modify the dynamic operating parameters 608, such as to optimize
wireless communication 66 under the changing interference
conditions 140.
[0086] The dynamic adjustment 916 of operating parameters 608 can
be used to increase and/or optimize the performance of a production
device 18,20,22 in a real-world home and office environment 10,60,
such as by modifying the standard procedure of the production
device 18,20,22, i.e., to improve transmit and/or receive results
in an environment 14,60 otherwise having low throughput (TPUT), or
no TPUT with large delay.
[0087] For example, many wireless devices that generally comply
with enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) 802.11 standards do
not have good receivers, and as such, do not adequately detect
other packets in densely populated areas. Standard EDCA operation
can often result in extremely large back offs. As well, commonly
used rate control can result in low rates, larger packets, and
decreased performance.
[0088] The assumption that neighboring devices 20 behave according
to 802.11 specification is often not valid due to several reasons,
such as due to poor 802.11 implementation, standards other than
802.11, or the use of modified 802.11 procedures.
[0089] As a result of testing of DUTs 110 in controlled and
uncontrolled interference environment 102 provided by the
interference test system 100 and corresponding methods 300,700,800,
the operating parameters of production device 18,20,22 can be
dynamically modified, to improve performance for wireless
transmission and/or reception.
[0090] While the system 100 and methods 300,700,800 can be
implemented to dynamically modify transmit and receive parameters
when interference is detected, to improve performance, the system
100 and methods 300,700,800 can also be implemented to provide
dynamic operating parameters 608 that revert back to common
settings, such as when there is little or no interference.
[0091] As discussed above, some 802.11 devices do not fully or
partially implement 802.11 EDCA and are not "fair" in how they
operate in a shard environment. As well, some 802.11 devices 20 do
not have good receivers, and do not hear other communication
packets in densely populated area 10,60. Furthermore, there are non
Wi-Fi interference in Wi-Fi bands which have different protocols
and physical layers e.g., Bluetooth devices, 802.15.4 compliant
devices, analog baby monitors, etc. As well, some devices operate
in 802.11 bands that do not follow 802.11 back off and rate control
mechanisms (LTE-U, LTE-LAA) etc. Many wireless devices are
configured to increase back off when they detect interference,
which does not help when they are sharing a wireless environment
14,60 with one or more problematic devices. Data rates are often
dropped during rate control by a wireless device, and as result,
the length of packets can continue to increase over time, which
make performance even worse as it increases the probability of
collision. As well, packet sizes are commonly not modified when
interference is detected. As a result, packet sizes that would
otherwise optimize wireless performance are not commonly used.
[0092] While some software and hardware solutions are currently
available for wireless devices that operate in a wireless local
area network (WLAN), which allow some settings for such wireless
devices to be changed to improve performance, the interference
system 100 and corresponding methods 300,700,800,900 extend beyond
what is already available, such as to provide enhanced wireless
performance and dynamic response to changing interference
conditions. Beyond basic interference detection, the interference
test system 100 and corresponding methods 300,700,800,900 can
include enhanced interference detection and one or more dynamic
responses, which in some embodiments is applied on top of what is
already available in driver or application layers.
[0093] Enhanced Interference Detection.
[0094] While the duty cycle for a WLAN device includes a basic
service set (BSS) for operating within an environment that can
include both Wi-Fi and non Wi-Fi traffic, some embodiments of the
interference test system 100 and corresponding methods
300,700,800,900 can utilize remaining portions of the available
duty cycle to detect interference 140. For instance, the detection
of long back offs without successful packet transition, or the
tracking of the number of successful packet transmissions, when
there is interference 140, can be used to detect interference. In
some embodiments, the scanning channels on the same band or an
adjacent band can be used to detect the current interference
conditions 140.
[0095] Implementation of Receiving (Rx) Solutions.
[0096] In some embodiments implemented using the interference test
system and corresponding methods 300,700,800, the processor 604 of
a wireless device 600 can include instructions to detect the
destination address in MAC header field of a received wireless
signal 66, e.g., a downlink signal 68 or an uplink signal 70, and
use the detected destination address, in heavy interference
environment 10,60, to either drop the packet reception, or to
listen in parallel to other packets when applicable. This operation
can be used to detect the correct incoming packet associated with a
received signal 66, which may arrive at the middle of another
competing signal in the interference environment 16,60.
[0097] For some wireless protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.11), the device
600 and processor 604 are configured to detect request to send
(RTS) and/or clear to send (CTS) mechanisms of packets for a
wireless signal 66 that are not of interest, and as a result of
such a detection, either not listening to whole exchange, or
keeping the local receiver (e.g., transceiver 610 (FIG. 9)) in
detection mode, for packets that the local device 600 is interested
in.
[0098] In some embodiments, the device 600 and processor 604 can be
configured to configured to dynamically detect rogue access points
18 that receive significantly more communication packets than the
local device 600, and then ignore those access points 18, either
completely or partially, when applicable. For instance, an access
point 18 can be considered to be rogue when it receives more than a
detected percentage (e.g., X percent) of a local wireless medium,
while the local device 600 receives no more than Y percentage of
the local wireless medium.
[0099] In some embodiments, the device 600 and processor 604 can be
configured to configured to detect the local operation of non Wi-Fi
devices 20, such as operating as unlicensed spectrum (e.g., LTE-U)
in a local wireless environment 14,60, and subsequently ignoring
such devices, either completely or partially, such as when the
device 600 gets more airtime than the local non wi-fi device, e.g.,
20, or unless the neighboring non wi-fi device 20 gets more airtime
than a predetermined percentage of the local device 600.
[0100] In some embodiments, the wireless device 600 and processor
604 can be configured to configured to make packets of clients
smaller in size, when the WLAN device is an access point 18 or a
link owner, such as by deleting a block acknowledgement (BA)
agreement, and making new BA agreement having a shorter receive BA
window size. In such a scenario, the BA receiver window size can
dynamically be changed during association, such as when a client
receive signal strength indicator (RSSI) is higher than a threshold
and the uplink or downlink traffic is low, or when a client queue
is larger than a predetermined threshold.
[0101] In some embodiments, the WLAN device 600 and processor 604
can be configured to configured to drop the acknowledge (ACK) rate
of the client, when WLAN device 600 is an access point 18.
[0102] In some embodiments, the WLAN device 600 and processor 604
can be configured to configured to de-authorize a client device 20,
and the reauthorize back. In some such embodiments, this is done
only when client receive signal strength indicator RSSI is higher
than a predetermined threshold, and the uplink or downlink traffic
is low, or when a client queue is determined to be larger than a
predetermined threshold.
[0103] Implementation of Transmission (Tx) Solutions.
[0104] In addition to dynamic interference detection and enhanced
reception for a WLAN 600 that operates in a wireless environment
10, 60, some embodiments of the WLAN device 600 and processor 604
can be configured to alter the transmission properties of the local
device 600 as a dynamic response to changing interference
conditions 140. The specific dynamic response can be based on
whether the WLAN device 600 operates as an access point 18, as a
wireless bridge 22, or as another type of wireless device 20.
[0105] For instance, in some embodiments, the WLAN device 600 can
be configured to change its rate control mechanism in response to
detected interference 140, such as by changing the rate control
based on a different algorithm when operating under high
interference conditions 140, as compared to an algorithm that is
used under low or non-interference conditions. In some embodiments,
the WLAN device 600 is configured to drop the rate when packet
error rate (PER) is higher than a predetermined threshold, as
compared non-interference scenario.
[0106] In wireless operating environments, use of the higher
modulation and coding schemes (MCS) requires very good
signal-to-noise (SNR) modulation, while the use of lower MCS can
result in longer communication packets too long, which increases
the chance of collisions, resulting in signal loss. As such, some
embodiments, the local device are configured to limit the use of
highest and lowest MCS.
[0107] In some embodiments, the local device is configured to
dynamically compare the packet error rate (PER) of higher and lower
modulation and coding schemes (MCS), wherein if the lower MCS
results in a higher packet error rate (PER), the local device is
configured to use the higher MCS.
[0108] In some embodiments, the local device can be configured to
dynamically increase retries, and/or decrease the size of
communication packets, when increased interference is detected.
[0109] As well, some embodiments, the local device can be
configured to dynamically drop the data rate of acknowledgement
(ACK) frames when helpful. ACK frames are typically short packets,
having headers that make up a substantially large percentage of the
length of the packet. As such, dynamically lowering lower the rate
of acknowledgement (ACK) frames can improve the net throughput of
the local device in some high interference environments 10,60.
[0110] In some embodiments, the local device can be configured to
dynamically modify enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA)
802.11 parameters, such as when rogue interference from rogue
access points 22 is detected, and/or when the local wireless
environment 10,60 is determined to be busier than a predetermined
threshold (e.g., Z percentage more than a stored value). The
dynamic modification of EDCA parameters can enable the local device
to be more aggressive in getting on the air, i.e., establishing
wireless communication).
[0111] In some embodiments, the local device can be configured to
dynamically modify operation when a determined interference duty
cycle is larger than a predetermined percentage, such as by not
using aggregated MAC service data units (AMSDU).
[0112] In some embodiments, the local WLAN device 600 can be
configured to dynamically react to specific interference
conditions, such as when one or more rogue access points (APs) 18
are detected that do not back off, or when the duty cycle of an
interfering device is high. Upon the detection of such dynamic
conditions, the local device can be configured to not use request
to send (RTS) and/or clear to send (CTS) mechanisms that would
otherwise be used under low interference conditions, and can
proceed to send data packets as soon as it is possible to do
so.
[0113] In some embodiments, the WLAN device 600 can be configured
to take other actions in response to detected heavy interference
conditions 140, such as by refraining from beamforming under
conditions in which beamforming training cannot be done correctly,
or when or beamforming training does not happen successfully, due
to collisions. Other actions that can be configured by the WLAN
device 600 under high interference conditions can include
refraining from Multiple Input-Multiple Output (MIMO) transmission,
or decreasing an allowed number of multi-users (MU).
[0114] FIG. 13 is a high-level block diagram showing an example of
a processing device 1100 that can be a part of any of the systems
described above, such as the test controllers 112,122,132,142,152,
test monitors 114,124,134,144,154, or the device processor 604 and
memory 606. Any of these systems may be or include two or more
processing devices such as represented in FIG. 13, which may be
coupled to each other via a network or multiple networks.
[0115] In the illustrated embodiment, the processing system 1100
includes one or more processors 1102, memory 1104, a communication
device 1106, and one or more input/output (I/O) devices 1108, all
coupled to each other through an interconnect 1110. The
interconnect 1110 may be or include one or more conductive traces,
buses, point-to-point connections, controllers, adapters and/or
other conventional connection devices. The processor(s) 1102 may be
or include, for example, one or more general-purpose programmable
microprocessors, microcontrollers, application specific integrated
circuits (ASICs), programmable gate arrays, or the like, or a
combination of such devices. The processor(s) 1102 control the
overall operation of the processing device 1100. Memory 1104 may be
or include one or more physical storage devices, which may be in
the form of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM)
(which may be erasable and programmable), flash memory, miniature
hard disk drive, or other suitable type of storage device, or a
combination of such devices. Memory 1104 may store data and
instructions that configure the processor(s) 1102 to execute
operations in accordance with the techniques described above. The
communication device 1106 may be or include, for example, an
Ethernet adapter, cable modem, Wi-Fi adapter, cellular transceiver,
Bluetooth transceiver, or the like, or a combination thereof.
Depending on the specific nature and purpose of the processing
device 1100, the I/O devices 1108 can include devices such as a
display (which may be a touch screen display), audio speaker,
keyboard, mouse or other pointing device, microphone, camera,
etc.
[0116] Unless contrary to physical possibility, it is envisioned
that (i) the methods/steps described above may be performed in any
sequence and/or in any combination, and that (ii) the components of
respective embodiments may be combined in any manner.
[0117] The interference test set-up and techniques introduced above
can be implemented by programmable circuitry programmed/configured
by software and/or firmware, or entirely by special-purpose
circuitry, or by a combination of such forms. Such special-purpose
circuitry (if any) can be in the form of, for example, one or more
application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable
logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs),
etc.
[0118] Software or firmware to implement the techniques introduced
here may be stored on a machine-readable storage medium, e.g., a
non-transitory computer-readable medium, and may be executed by one
or more general-purpose or special-purpose programmable
microprocessors. A "machine-readable medium", as the term is used
herein, includes any mechanism that can store information in a form
accessible by a machine (a machine may be, for example, a computer,
network device, cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA),
manufacturing tool, or any device with one or more processors,
etc.). For example, a machine-accessible medium includes
recordable/non-recordable media, e.g., read-only memory (ROM);
random access memory (RAM); magnetic disk storage media; optical
storage media; flash memory devices; etc.
[0119] Note that any and all of the embodiments described above can
be combined with each other, except to the extent that it may be
stated otherwise above or to the extent that any such embodiments
might be mutually exclusive in function and/or structure.
[0120] Although the present invention has been described with
reference to specific exemplary embodiments, it will be recognized
that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but
can be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit
and scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, the specification
and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather
than a restrictive sense.
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