Adaptive Link Grouping for Wireless Scheduling Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
In time-slotted wireless ad-hoc networks, links often unnecessarily yield to each other during scheduling, leading to reduced traffic throughput due to non-maximal scheduling sets and interference issues.
Innovation Solution
Links are adaptively grouped based on comparable channel gain, with scheduling priorities ordered to minimize unnecessary yielding by using broadcast and reverse connection identifier signals to estimate channel gain and assign links to groups, facilitating efficient scheduling decisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If distributed link scheduling is used in wireless ad-hoc networks, then scheduling autonomy and network scalability are improved, but scheduling efficiency deteriorates due to unnecessary yielding between links
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of link priority assignment by introducing a systematic priority value based on channel gain measurements. Each link is assigned a priority parameter P(i,j) = 10*log10(h(i,j)) where h(i,j) is the channel gain, transforming the scheduling decision from arbitrary to parameter-driven. This resolves the contradiction by providing distributed autonomy while improving efficiency through consistent priority-based scheduling that reduces unnecessary yielding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical interaction of distributed negotiation and yielding between links with a field-based approach using channel gain measurements and priority calculations. Instead of links mechanically competing and yielding through multiple rounds of signaling, the system substitutes this with a mathematical field (channel gain) that directly determines scheduling priority, reducing the complexity and improving efficiency of distributed scheduling.
2Speed
If one round of connection scheduling is used, then scheduling speed is improved, but traffic throughput deteriorates due to links unnecessarily yielding to other yielding links
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having links measure channel gains and calculate priority values before the actual scheduling decision. Each link pre-determines its priority P(i,j) based on channel gain h(i,j) measured during connection establishment. This preliminary priority assignment ensures that during the single scheduling round, links can make informed decisions without unnecessary yielding, maintaining high scheduling speed while improving throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces feedback through channel gain measurements that inform scheduling decisions. The channel gain h(i,j) measured during connection establishment provides feedback about link quality, which is then used to assign priority values. This feedback mechanism ensures that links with better channel conditions are prioritized, preventing unnecessary yielding and maximizing throughput within a single scheduling round.
3Device complexity
If links are scheduled without grouping by channel gain, then scheduling simplicity is maintained, but scheduling efficiency deteriorates due to non-maximal scheduling sets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing links into groups based on their channel gain characteristics. Links are segmented into different priority groups where each group contains links with comparable channel gains. This segmentation allows the scheduling algorithm to process links in an ordered manner, improving efficiency by reducing the scheduling set while maintaining manageable complexity through systematic grouping rather than exhaustive evaluation.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for efficiently scheduling links in wireless communications networks are described. Various described methods and apparatus are well suited for use in ad hoc wireless networks in which scheduling decisions are made in a distributed and/or decentralized manner. In some embodiments, the links in a network, e.g., in a peer to peer ad hoc network, are adaptively grouped based on comparable link channel gain. Exemplary signaling used, in some but not necessarily all embodiments, by devices to estimate channel gains include broadcast connection identifier signals and reverse broadcast connection identifier signals. Grouping links into sets based on comparable link channel gain, and selectively ordering the scheduling priorities of the different groups, is used to improve scheduling efficiency, e.g., decrease the likelihood that unnecessary yielding occurs.