Estimating Wireless Processing Device Queue Length and Estimating Signal Reception Quality in a Wireless Network

A method for determining an estimated level of occupancy for a buffer of a processing device in a communication system that comprises:

• a data source that sends packets of information;
• the processing device that receives the packets of information from the data source, stores information for at least some of the packets in the buffer, and transmits packets of information along a communication channel for reception by one or more receivers;
• a receiver that receives packets of information from the communication channel that were transmitted by one or more devices including at least some of the packets of information that were transmitted by the processing device;
• and
• the method comprises:
• identifying a selected packet from the packets of information received by the receiver that conveys data indicating the selected packet was received by the receiver as a result of a first attempt by the processing device to transmit the selected packet;
• recording a receiving time for the selected packet when it was received by the receiver;
• monitoring the communication channel to detect transmissions by any of the one or more devices;
• calculating a length of time immediately prior to the receiving time of the selected packet during which no transmissions along the communication channel were detected;
• comparing the length of time to a first wait-interval threshold;
• and
• determining the estimated level of occupancy for the buffer to be zero if the length of time exceeds the first wait-interval threshold and generating a signal conveying information that represents the estimated level of occupancy for the buffer.

An apparatus for determining an estimated level of occupancy for a buffer of a processing device in a communication system that comprises:

• a first data source that sends packets of information;
• the processing device that receives the packets of information from the first data source, stores information for at least some of the packets in the buffer, and transmits packets of information along a communication channel for reception by one or more receivers;
• a receiver that receives packets of information from the communication channel that were transmitted by one or more devices including at least some of the packets of information that were transmitted by the processing device;
• and
• the apparatus comprises:
• means for recording receiving times for respective packets of information when received by the receiver;
• means for identifying a selected packet from the respective packets received by the receiver that is identified as having been transmitted by the processing device;
• means for deriving a start time from data conveyed by the selected packet, the start time corresponding to when the information conveyed by the selected packet was received by the processing device;
• means for obtaining an end time from the receiving time of the selected packet;
• means for examining information conveyed by packets of information that are received by the receiver prior to the selected packet and are identified as having been transmitted by the processing device to determine which of the packets received by the receiver are unique packets transmitted by the processing device during an interval from the start-time to the end-time;
• and
• means for deriving the estimated level of occupancy for the buffer from the determination of which packets are the unique packets and generating a signal that represents the estimated level of occupancy for the buffer.

An apparatus for determining an estimated level of occupancy for a buffer of a processing device in a communication system that comprises:

• a data source that sends packets of information;
• the processing device that receives the packets of information from the data source, stores information for at least some of the packets in the buffer, and transmits packets of information along a communication channel for reception by one or more receivers;
• a receiver that receives packets of information from the communication channel that were transmitted by one or more devices including at least some of the packets of information that were transmitted by the processing device;
• and
• the apparatus comprises:
• means for identifying a selected packet from the packets of information received by the receiver that conveys data indicating the selected packet was received by the receiver as a result of a first attempt by the processing device to transmit the selected packet;
• means for recording a receiving time for the selected packet when it was received by the receiver;
• means for monitoring the communication channel to detect transmissions by any of the one or more devices;
• means for calculating a length of time immediately prior to the receiving time of the selected packet during which no transmissions along the communication channel were detected;
• means for comparing the length of time to a first wait-interval threshold;
• and
• means for determining the estimated level of occupancy for the buffer to be zero if the length of time exceeds the first wait-interval threshold and generating a signal conveying information that represents the estimated level of occupancy for the buffer.

A storage medium recording a program of instructions that is executable by a device to perform a method for determining an estimated level of occupancy for a buffer of a processing device in a communication system that comprises:

• a first data source that sends packets of information;
• the processing device that receives the packets of information from the first data source, stores information for at least some of the packets in the buffer, and transmits packets of information along a communication channel for reception by one or more receivers;
• a receiver that receives packets of information from the communication channel that were transmitted by one or more devices including at least some of the packets of information that were transmitted by the processing device;
• and
• the method comprises:
• recording receiving times for respective packets of information when received by the receiver;
• identifying a selected packet from the respective packets received by the receiver that is identified as having been transmitted by the processing device;
• deriving a start time from data conveyed by the selected packet, the start time corresponding to when the information conveyed by the selected packet was received by the processing device;
• obtaining an end time from the receiving time of the selected packet;
• examining information conveyed by packets of information that are received by the receiver prior to the selected packet and are identified as having been transmitted by the processing device to determine which of the packets received by the receiver are unique packets transmitted by the processing device during an interval from the start-time to the end-time;
• and
• deriving the estimated level of occupancy for the buffer from the determination of which packets are the unique packets and generating a signal that represents the estimated level of occupancy for the buffer.

A storage medium recording a program of instructions that is executable by a device to perform a method for determining an estimated level of occupancy for a buffer of a processing device in a communication system that comprises:

• a data source that sends packets of information;
• the processing device that receives the packets of information from the data source, stores information for at least some of the packets in the buffer, and transmits packets of information along a communication channel for reception by one or more receivers;
• a receiver that receives packets of information from the communication channel that were transmitted by one or more devices including at least some of the packets of information that were transmitted by the processing device;
• and
• the method comprises:
• identifying a selected packet from the packets of information received by the receiver that conveys data indicating the selected packet was received by the receiver as a result of a first attempt by the processing device to transmit the selected packet;
• recording a receiving time for the selected packet when it was received by the receiver;
• monitoring the communication channel to detect transmissions by any of the one or more devices;
• calculating a length of time immediately prior to the receiving time of the selected packet during which no transmissions along the communication channel were detected;
• comparing the length of time to a first wait-interval threshold;
• and
• determining the estimated level of occupancy for the buffer to be zero if the length of time exceeds the first wait-interval threshold and generating a signal conveying information that represents the estimated level of occupancy for the buffer.