Wireless radio access point configuration

• US 10,015,791 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2015
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fortinet Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fortinet Inc.
• Inventors: Akhavan-Saraf, Koroush, Reverte, Jose Luis Villarreal
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, CHRISTINE T
• Application Number:
  US14/939,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20160081092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

Methods and systems for configuring an access point (AP) are provided. According to one embodiment, a wireless network architecture includes multiple dual concurrent wireless access points, each including dual radios and dual antennas. The dual radios are configured to operate in a same frequency band and include multiple channels within the frequency band. The dual radios in each of the dual concurrent wireless access points are configured with different channels. The dual concurrent wireless access points are configured in a cell pattern, configured to use all of the channels within the frequency band.

Claims

1. A wireless network architecture comprising:

a plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points, each comprising dual radios and dual antennas, the dual radios configured to operate in a same frequency band and comprising a plurality of channels within the frequency band;

wherein the dual radios in each of the plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points are configured with different ones of the plurality of channels;

wherein the plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points are configured in a cell pattern; and

wherein the plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points within the cell pattern are configured to use all of the plurality of channels within the frequency band.

2. The wireless network architecture of claim 1, wherein the plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points comprise IEEE 802.11 standard compliant dual radio wireless access points.

3. The wireless network architecture of claim 1, wherein the dual radios in each of the plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points comprise 5 GHz radios.

4. The wireless network architecture of claim 1, wherein the plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points comprise Bluetooth wireless access points.

5. The wireless network architecture of claim 1, wherein the cell pattern comprises a hexagonal pattern.

6. The wireless network architecture of claim 1, wherein the plurality of channels comprises 36 channels, and wherein 18 of the plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points are configured to use all of the 36 channels.

7. The wireless network architecture of claim 1, wherein each overlapping pair of wireless access points in the plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points have a channel separation defined by a separation index.

8. The wireless network architecture of claim 1, wherein the separation index comprises four channels such that each of the overlapping pairs of wireless access points are configured to use channels at least four channels apart.

9. The wireless network architecture of claim 1, wherein the dual antennas comprise directional antennas.

10. The wireless network architecture of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points comprise a transmission module configured to reschedule packet transmissions to prevent interference between the dual antennas.

11. The wireless network architecture of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points comprise a transmission module configured to change a packet transmission order to prevent interference between the dual antennas.

12. The wireless network architecture of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points comprise a direction identification module configured to calculate a direction of each of the dual antennas based on locations of recipient devices.

13. The wireless network architecture of claim 1, wherein the dual radios in each of the plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points comprise 5 GHz radios, the wireless network architecture further comprising a second plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points, each comprising dual radios and dual antennas, wherein one of the dual radios in each of the second plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points comprises a 5 GHz radio and wherein another of the dual radios in each of the second plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points comprises a 2.4 GHz radio.

14. The wireless network architecture of claim 13, wherein the plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points and the second plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points are configured in a cell pattern with the plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points arranged in circles around ones of the second plurality of dual concurrent wireless access points.

15. A method of configuring a wireless network, comprising:

arranging a plurality of wireless access points comprising dual concurrent radios and dual directional antennas in a cell pattern;

configuring each radio in the plurality of wireless access points with a different channel according to a channel separation index between adjacent radios;

calculating transmission angles for packets to be transmitted by each radio based on recipient locations in the cell pattern;

changing transmission orders of the packets to reduce interference based on the transmission angles, wherein changing transmission orders is cycled through transmit queues of the dual concurrent radios of each of the wireless access points.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein arranging the plurality of wireless access points comprising dual radios and dual directional antennas in a cell pattern comprises forming circles of ones of the plurality of wireless access points comprising dual 5 GHz radios around ones of the plurality of wireless access points comprising both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz radios.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein arranging the plurality of wireless access points comprising dual radios and dual directional antennas in the cell pattern comprises repeating the circles of ones of the plurality of wireless access points comprising dual 5 GHz radios around ones of the plurality of wireless access points comprising both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz radios.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of wireless access points comprise dual 5 GHz radios comprising 36 available channels, and wherein configuring each radio in the plurality of wireless access points with the different channel comprises configuring 18 of the radios to use the 36 available channels.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein arranging the plurality of wireless access points in the cell pattern comprises arranging the plurality of wireless access points in a three-dimensional cell pattern.

20. A dual radio wireless access point comprising:

means for computing locations of recipient devices based on packets queued for transmission on a first 5 GHz radio and a second 5 GHz radio of the dual radio wireless access point;

means for calculating transmission angles to which a first antenna associated with the first 5 GHz radio and a second antenna associated with the second 5 GHz radio should be directed to transmit the packets based on the computed locations;

means for determining based on a packet queue whether transmissions will cause interference between the first antenna and the second antenna; and

means for steering at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna to another recipient device to prevent the interference.