Division free duplexing networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9369260-B2
Application number	US-75772110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2010
Priority date	Apr 9, 2010
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

Provided are methods and systems of using division-free duplexing (DFD) in a communication network. Techniques for applying DFD in a communication network may decrease bottlenecks in the network by allowing one or more network nodes to transmit and on substantially the same frequency and at substantially the same time. In one embodiment, one or more nodes in the network may be DFD enabled, and may be configured to operate in either a conventional mode or a DFD mode. The mode of operation of DFD enabled nodes may depend on the quality of signals transmitted to and/or received at the DFD enabled nodes. Further, the mode of operation may change dynamically, and may be substantially controlled by any suitable processor in the network.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of managing a communication in a communication network, the method comprising:
operating a first network node in the network using a division duplexing technique;
monitoring parameters of a transmission of the first network node;
estimating an expected performance for division free duplexing (DFD) operation based on the monitored parameters;
transmitting a test signal from a second network node to the first network node;
determining whether the test signal received by the first network node is substantially similar to or better than the expected performance for DFD operation;and
ceasing to operate the first network node using the division duplexing technique to operate the first network node using a DFD technique when the estimated expected performance for DFD operation reaches a threshold performance level and based on whether the received test signal is substantially similar to or better than the expected performance for DFD operation.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
monitoring a transmission of the first network node while the first network node is operating using the DFD technique to determine a DFD performance; and
ceasing to operate the first network node using the DFD technique to operate the first network node using the division duplexing technique when the DFD performance falls below a threshold performance level.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein monitoring the transmission of the network node while the network node is operating using the DFD technique comprises measuring one or more of an RSSI, a SNR, channel dynamics, metrics from decoding algorithms, error rate measurements of decoded data, a posterior probability (APP) estimates of the decoded data, and any other metrics or parameters related to a quality of the transmission.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the transmission of the first network node to determine the expected performance for DFD operation comprises analyzing one or more of a received signal strength indication (RSSI), a received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and channel dynamics from the first network node.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the DFD technique comprises:
receiving an analog primary signal;
receiving an analog reference signal from a transmitter;
converting the analog primary signal into a digital primary signal;
converting the analog reference signal into a digital reference signal; and
processing the digital reference signal with a digital adaptive filter, wherein the digital adaptive filter uses the digital reference signal and digital primary signal as inputs for determining filter weights of the digital adaptive filter to provide an output; and
subtracting the output of the digital adaptive filter from the digital primary signal to generate a digital cancelled signal.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
transmitting a request-to-send (RTS) signal from the network node to a second network node;
transmitting a clear-to-send return-request-to-send (CTS RRTS) signal from the second network node to the network node, wherein the second network node is operating using the DFD technique;
transmitting data from the network node to the second network node in response to the CTS RRTS signal; and
transmitting either a deny signal or a CTS signal from the network node to the second network node in response to the CTS RRTS signal.

7. The method of claim 6 , comprising transmitting the data from the second network node to the first network node when the first network node transmits a CTS signal, such that the transmission of the data from the first network node to the second network node is occurring substantially simultaneously as the transmission of the data from the second network node to the first network node.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
receiving an incoming data signal at a first frequency at the first network node from a second network node;
transmitting a masking signal over the first frequency; and
removing the masking signal from the received incoming data signal.

9. A communication system, comprising:
a plurality of nodes, wherein one or more nodes of the plurality of nodes are division free duplex (DFD) enabled nodes, wherein the DFD enabled nodes comprise DFD equipment and are configured to operate in a DFD mode or a division duplexing mode; and
a processor configured to substantially control a mode of operation of the DFD enabled nodes, to monitor parameters of the DFD enabled nodes and to estimate an expected performance of the DFD enabled nodes in DFD operation based on the monitored parameters wherein the mode of operation is based on the expected performance of the DFD enabled nodes in DFD operation such that the DFD enables nodes are operated in DFD mode when the estimated expected performance for DFD operation reaches a threshold performance level, and wherein the DFD enabled nodes comprise instructions for:
receiving a primary signal;
receiving a reference signal from a transmitter;
processing the reference signal with an adaptive filter, wherein the adaptive filter uses the reference signal and primary signal as inputs for determining filter weights of the adaptive filter to provide an output; and
subtracting the output of the adaptive filter from the primary signal to generate a cancelled signal.

10. The communication system of claim 9 , wherein a communication between two or more of the plurality of nodes is transmitted via a communication route comprising one or more links connecting each of the plurality of nodes, and wherein multiple communication routes in the system overlap on one or more high transmission rate links.

11. The communication system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more high transmission rate links are between the DFD enabled nodes.

12. The communication system of claim 9 , wherein substantially all of the plurality of nodes are DFD enabled nodes.

13. The communication system of claim 9 , wherein the DFD enabled nodes operate in the division duplexing mode until the processor changes the mode of operation such that one or more of the DFD enabled nodes operate in the DFD mode.

14. The communication system of claim 9 , wherein signals are transmitted between the DFD enabled nodes via DFD links, and wherein the processor is configured to change the mode of operation of the DFD enabled nodes based on an analysis of one or more of a received signal strength indication (RSSI), a received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), channel dynamics, metrics from decoding algorithms, error rate measurements of decoded data, a posterior probability (APP) estimates of the decoded data of the DFD links.

15. The communication system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to change the mode of operation of the DFD enabled nodes based on a cost associated with operating in the DFD mode.

16. The communication system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to identify bottlenecking in the communication system and configured to control the mode of operation of the DFD enabled nodes based on the identified bottlenecking.

17. The communication system of claim 9 , wherein the primary signal is received from a receiver front end, an antenna, or a receiver input port.

18. A method, comprising:
operating a first node and a second node in a communication network by using a division duplexing technique;
operating the first node and the second node by using a division free duplexing (DFD) technique
monitoring parameters of a communication between the first node and the second node;
estimating

Assignees

• Ross John Anderson Fergus
• Hartman Michael James
• Hershey John Erik
• Zinser Richard Louis
• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Ross John Anderson Fergus
• Hartman Michael James
• Hershey John Erik
• Zinser Richard Louis

Classifications

• H04L5/14 Primary

  Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex · CPC title

• H03H2021/0089

  System identification, i.e. modeling · CPC title

• H04W74/002

  Transmission of channel access control information · CPC title