Apparatus and method for channel acquisition in a communication system

An apparatus for channel acquisition in a communication system, the communication system having a communications medium, the communications medium having a plurality of channels, the apparatus comprising:

• a channel interface coupleable to the communications medium for signal reception on a channel of the plurality of channels to form a received signal;
• and
• a processor arrangement coupled to the channel interface to process the received signal, the processor arrangement responsive through a set of program instructions to commence a channel search by selecting a first channel of the plurality of channels to form a selected channel and monitoring the selected channel for an energy level;
• when the selected channel has the energy level, the processor arrangement further responsive to continue the channel search by monitoring the selected channel for a predetermined modulation mode, and when the selected channel has the predetermined modulation mode, monitoring the selected channel for a protocol signal having a selected identification of a plurality of identifications;
• when the selected channel has the protocol signal having the selected identification, the processor arrangement further responsive to acquire the selected channel to obtain an acquired channel and terminate the channel search;
• and when the acquired channel has not been obtained, the processor arrangement further responsive to select a second channel of the plurality of channels to form the selected channel and repeat the channel search until the acquired channel has been obtained, wherein the processor arrangement is further responsive, for each iteration of the channel search, to sequentially:
• select the second channel from among a number of previous channels;
• select the second channel from a central channel of a first channel plan;
• select the second channel as a next higher channel from a plurality of channels higher than the central channel in the first channel plan, alternating with selecting the second channel as a next lower channel from a plurality of channels lower than the central channel in the first channel plan;
• select the second channel from a central channel of a second channel plan;
• and
• select the second channel as a next higher channel from a plurality of channels higher than the central channel in the second channel plan, alternating with selecting the second channel as a next lower channel from a plurality of channels lower than the central channel in the second channel plan.

A method for channel acquisition in a communication system, the communication system having a communications medium, the communications medium having a plurality of channels, the method comprising:

• (a) selecting a first channel of the plurality of channels to form a selected channel;
• (b) commencing a channel search process by monitoring the selected channel for an energy level;
• (c) when the selected channel does not have the energy level, proceeding to step (i);
• (d) when the selected channel has the energy level, monitoring the selected channel for a predetermined modulation mode;
• (e) when the selected channel does not have the predetermined modulation mode, proceeding to step (i);
• (f) when the selected channel has the predetermined modulation mode, monitoring the selected channel for a protocol signal having a selected identification of a plurality of identifications;
• (g) when the selected channel does not have the protocol signal having the selected identification, proceeding to step (i);
• (h) when the selected channel has the protocol signal having the selected identification, acquiring the selected channel to form an acquired channel and to terminate the channel search process;
• and
• (i) when the channel search process has not been terminated in step (h), selecting a second channel to form the selected channel and returning to step (b), wherein the step of selecting the second channel comprises, for each iteration of the channel search process:
• (i1) if at least one of the number of previous channels remains to be searched, selecting the second channel from among a number of previous channels;
• (i2) if all previous channels of the plurality of previous channels have undergone the channel search process, selecting the second channel from a central channel of a first channel plan;
• (i3) if the central channel of the first channel plan has undergone the channel search process, selecting the second channel as a next higher channel from a plurality of channels higher than the central channel in the first channel plan, alternating with selecting the second channel as a next lower channel from a plurality of channels lower than the central channel in the first channel plan;
• (i4) if all channels of the first channel plan have undergone the channel search process, selecting the second channel from a central channel of a second channel plan;
• and
• (i5) if the central channel of the second channel plan has undergone the channel search process, selecting the second channel as a next higher channel from a plurality of channels higher than the central channel in the second channel plan, alternating with selecting the second channel as a next lower channel from a plurality of channels lower than the central channel in the second channel plan.

A method for channel acquisition in a communication system, the communication system having a communications medium, the communications medium having a plurality of channels, the method comprising:

• (a) commencing a channel acquisition process by selecting a first previous channel from a plurality of previous channels to form a selected channel;
• (b) performing a search process on the selected channel;
• (c) when the search process has acquired the selected channel to form an acquired channel, terminating the channel acquisition process;
• (d) when the search process has not acquired the selected channel to form an acquired channel, continuing the channel acquisition process by selecting a next channel from the plurality of previous channels to form the selected channel and returning to step (b) until all previous channels of the plurality of previous channels have undergone the search process;
• (e) when all previous channels of the plurality of previous channels have undergone the search process, determining a central channel based upon a first channel plan;
• (f) continuing the channel acquisition process by selecting a next higher channel, from a plurality of channels higher than the central channel, to form the selected channel, performing the search process on the selected channel, and when the search process has acquired the selected channel to form an acquired channel, terminating the channel acquisition process;
• (g) when the channel acquisition process has not been terminated in step (f), continuing the channel acquisition process by selecting a next lower channel, from a plurality of channels lower than the central channel, to form the selected channel, performing the search process on the selected channel, and when the search process has acquired the selected channel to form an acquired channel, terminating the channel acquisition process;
• (h) when the channel acquisition process has not been terminated in step (g) and until all higher channels of the plurality of channels higher than the central frequency and all lower channels of the plurality of channels lower than the central frequency have undergone the search process, continuing the channel acquisition process by returning to step (f);
• (i) when all higher channels of the plurality of channels higher than the central frequency and all lower channels of the plurality of channels lower than the central frequency have undergone the search process, determining a central channel based upon a second channel plan and continuing the channel acquisition process by returning to step (e).

An apparatus for channel acquisition in a communication system, the communication system having a communications medium, the communications medium having a plurality of channels, the apparatus comprising:

• a channel interface coupleable to the communications medium for signal reception on a channel of the plurality of channels to form a received signal;
• and
• a processor arrangement coupled to the channel interface to process the received signal, the processor arrangement responsive through a set of program instructions to select a first channel of a plurality of previous channels to form a selected channel and to commence a channel search by monitoring the selected channel for an energy level;
• the processor arrangement further responsive, when the selected channel does not have the energy level, to terminate the channel search;
• the processor arrangement further responsive, when the selected channel has the energy level, to monitor the selected channel for a predetermined modulation mode;
• the processor arrangement further responsive, when the selected channel does not have the predetermined modulation mode, to terminate the channel search;
• the processor arrangement further responsive, when the selected channel has the predetermined modulation mode, to monitor the selected channel for a protocol signal having a selected identification of a plurality of identifications;
• the processor arrangement further responsive, when the selected channel does not have the protocol signal having the selected identification, to terminate the channel search;
• the processor arrangement further responsive, when the selected channel has the protocol signal having the selected identification, to acquire the selected channel to form an acquired channel and to terminate the channel search process;
• the processor arrangement further responsive, when the channel search process has been terminated without acquisition of the selected channel to form the acquired channel, to select a second channel to form the selected channel and to commence another channel search until a selected channel has been acquired to form the acquired channel, wherein the processor arrangement is further responsive, for each iteration of the channel search, to select the second channel from among the plurality of previous channels until all channels of the plurality of previous channels have undergone the channel search;
• when all previous channels of the plurality of previous channels have undergone the channel search process, the processor further responsive to determine a central channel based upon a first channel plan and, until the processor has terminated the channel search by acquiring a selected channel, to alternatingly select as the second channel a next higher channel, from a plurality of channels higher than the central channel, to form the selected channel and to select as the second channel a next lower channel, from a plurality of channels lower than the central channel, until all channels of the plurality of channels higher than the central channel and all channels of the plurality of channels lower than the central channel have undergone the channel search;
• and the processor arrangement further responsive, when all channels of the plurality of channels higher than the central channel and all channels of the plurality of channels lower than the central channel have undergone the channel search, to determine a central channel from a second channel plan.

An apparatus for channel acquisition in a communication system, the communication system having a communications medium, the communications medium having a plurality of channels, the plurality of channel having a plurality of previous channels, the apparatus comprising:

• a channel interface coupleable to the communications medium for signal reception on a channel of the plurality of channels to form a received signal;
• an integrated multiprotocol processor coupled to the channel interface to process the received signal, the integrated multiprotocol processor further having a memory to store the plurality of previous channels, the integrated multiprotocol processor responsive through a set of program instructions to select a first previous channel of the plurality of previous channels to form a selected channel and to commence a channel search by monitoring the selected channel for an energy level;
• the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when the selected channel does not have the energy level, to terminate the channel search;
• the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when the selected channel has the energy level, to monitor the selected channel for a predetermined modulation mode;
• the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when the selected channel does not have the predetermined modulation mode, to terminate the channel search;
• the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when the selected channel has the predetermined modulation mode, to monitor the selected channel for a protocol;
• the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when the selected channel does not have the protocol, to terminate the channel search, and when the selected channel does have the protocol, to monitor the selected channel for a protocol signal having a selected identification of a plurality of identifications;
• the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when the selected channel does not have the protocol signal having the selected identification, to terminate the channel search;
• and the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when the selected channel has the protocol signal having the selected identification, to acquire the selected channel to form an acquired channel and to terminate the channel search process;
• the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when the channel search process has been terminated without acquisition of the selected channel to form the acquired channel, to select a second channel to form the selected channel and to continue the channel search until a selected channel has been acquired to form the acquired channel;
• the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, sequentially, when the channel search has not been terminated previously, to select the second channel from the plurality of previous channels until all channels of the plurality of previous channels have undergone the channel search;
• when all previous channels of the plurality of previous channels have undergone the channel search process, the processor further responsive to determine a central channel based upon a first channel plan and, until the processor has terminated the channel search by acquiring a selected channel, to alternatingly select as the second channel a next higher channel, from a plurality of channels higher than the central channel, to form the selected channel and to select as the second channel a next lower channel, from a plurality of channels lower than the central channel, until all channels of the plurality of channels higher than the central channel and all channels of the plurality of channels lower than the central channel have undergone the channel search;
• and the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when all channels of the plurality of channels higher than the central channel and all channels of the plurality of channels lower than the central channel have undergone the channel search, to determining a central channel from a second channel plan and continue the channel search;
• and the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, sequentially, when the channel search has not been terminated previously, to continue the channel search under the first channel plan alternatingly with the second channel plan.