Optical Wireless Interference Mitigation via Event-Triggered Advertising
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Solution Overview
Problem
In optical wireless communication networks, identifying the cause of interference in dense areas with multiple endpoint devices can be time-consuming and lead to substantial overhead, especially when using cyclic advertising schemes, which increases latency and network traffic.
Innovation Solution
A control system that receives reports of interference timeslots from access points and instructs endpoint devices to advertise their presence only when necessary, based on event triggers rather than cyclic timing, allowing for faster interference detection and reduced network traffic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If cyclic advertising schemes are used to identify interference causes in dense areas, then all endpoint devices continuously advertise their presence, but this increases network traffic overhead and latency
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having access points monitor and report interference events to a controller before full interference mitigation is needed. The controller then selectively triggers advertising only for endpoint devices that may be causing interference, rather than having all devices advertise continuously. This preliminary monitoring and selective triggering reduces unnecessary network traffic while maintaining interference identification capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the advertising behavior of different endpoint devices based on their individual interference potential. Instead of uniform cyclic advertising for all devices, the system identifies specific endpoint devices that are potential interference sources and triggers advertising only for those local devices. This localized approach reduces overall network traffic while maintaining precise interference cause identification.
2Measurement precision
If cyclic advertising schemes are used to identify interference causes, then interference detection can be performed, but latency increases due to continuous advertising cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary monitoring of interference events by access points and reports them to a controller in advance. When interference is detected, the controller immediately triggers targeted advertising for suspected endpoint devices rather than waiting for the next cyclic advertising interval. This preliminary action reduces the time delay inherent in continuous cyclic schemes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic advertising triggering based on real-time interference conditions. Instead of fixed cyclic intervals, the system dynamically activates advertising for specific endpoint devices only when interference events are detected and those devices are identified as potential causes. This dynamic approach reduces latency by eliminating unnecessary waiting periods in cyclic schemes.
3Measurement precision
If endpoint devices continuously advertise their presence in dense areas, then interference sources can be identified, but power consumption in battery-powered devices increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating power consumption requirements among endpoint devices based on their interference potential. Instead of all battery-powered devices continuously advertising, the system identifies specific local devices that are potential interference sources and triggers advertising only for those devices. This localized approach significantly reduces overall power consumption while maintaining interference source identification capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller performs preliminary analysis of interference reports to identify which specific endpoint devices may be causing interference before triggering advertising. This preliminary action allows the system to activate advertising only for necessary devices rather than all battery-powered devices, thereby reducing unnecessary power consumption while maintaining the ability to identify interference sources.
4Reliability
If all access points continuously monitor and report interference events, then comprehensive interference detection is achieved, but system complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by implementing a centralized controller that handles multiple functions: receiving interference reports from multiple access points, analyzing the reports to identify interference causes, and triggering appropriate advertising responses. This single multi-functional controller reduces overall system complexity compared to having each access point independently perform all analysis and decision-making functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary between access points and endpoint devices. It receives interference reports from access points, processes the information to identify potential interference causes, and then triggers targeted advertising for specific endpoint devices. This intermediary role simplifies the system architecture by centralizing complex processing logic and reducing direct communication requirements between access points and endpoint devices.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical wireless communications, OWC, network (100) comprises a plurality of access points (120) for communicating with a plurality of endpoint devices (110) via modulated light. A control system (13) receives a report indicating a timeslot during which a first one of the access points (120a) detected an event indicative of interference and transmits an indication of the timeslot to at least one other access point (120b). The other access point (120b) provides to the control system (13) identifiers of any registered endpoint devices which used or are using that timeslot. If the control system (13) receives an identifier of a single endpoint device from the other access point (120b), it determines that endpoint device as a cause of the interference experienced at the first access point (120a). If the control system (13) receives identifiers of plural endpoint devices from other access points (120), it causes endpoint devices in the OWC network (100) to advertise their presence.