Selecting a frequency band from a set of candidate frequency bands associated with a wireless access point

• US 10,244,544 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2017
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Feng, Wolter, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trandai, Cindy
• Application Number:
  US15/442,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20170171870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/00 Monitoring; Testing of line transmission systems H04B3/46; arrangements for monitoring or testing transmission systems employing electromagnetic waves other than radio waves H04B10/07
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/327 Received signal code power [RSCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/30 Special cell shapes, e.g. doughnuts or ring cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

An apparatus includes a receiver configured to wirelessly receive a signal from a device. The apparatus also includes a processor configured to initiate a channel change operation associated with a channel of a particular frequency band. Each channel of the particular frequency band supports a threshold power level that is based on a signal quality associated with the signal and that enables wireless communication with the device.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to wirelessly receive signals from a plurality of devices; and

a processor configured to;

determine a particular device of the plurality of devices with a lowest signal quality;

determine a set of candidate frequency bands for use in communications with the plurality of devices based on the particular device, wherein a power level associated with each candidate frequency band satisfies a threshold power level, wherein the threshold power level is based on a signal quality associated with a signal from the particular device, and wherein the threshold power level is associated with enabling wireless communication with the particular device; and

initiate a channel change operation associated with a channel of a particular frequency band of the set of candidate frequency bands.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter coupled to the processor, the transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit a second signal via the channel to a device of the plurality of devices responsive to initiation of the channel change operation.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store candidate data indicating the set of candidate frequency bands, wherein each candidate frequency band of the set of candidate frequency bands is associated with a maximum output power level of communications with the particular device, the maximum output power level satisfying the threshold power level.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to identify the channel based on the candidate data, and wherein each candidate frequency band includes a channel available for wireless communication.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter coupled to the processor, the transmitter configured to transmit first data via a second channel to a device of the plurality of devices prior to receipt of a channel change indication at the receiver, wherein the processor is configured to initiate the channel change operation by transmission of second data via the channel to the device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the channel comprises a radio frequency channel.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive, from the particular device, a signal quality indicator that indicates the signal quality.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the signal quality associated with the signal from the particular device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the particular device comprises a laptop computer, a media device, a personal computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a customer premises equipment device, a multimedia device, a game console, a mobile phone, or a combination thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the threshold power level based on the signal quality.

11. A method comprising:

wirelessly receiving a signal at an access point from a device;

determining a set of candidate frequency bands for use by the access point in communicating with a plurality of devices based on a signal quality indicator for the signal, wherein a power level associated with each candidate frequency band satisfies a threshold power level, wherein the threshold power level is based on the signal quality indicator, and wherein the threshold power level is associated with enabling wireless communication between the access point and the device; and

performing a channel change operation associated with a channel of a particular frequency band of the set of candidate frequency bands.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the performing the channel change operation comprises ceasing wireless communication with a particular device of the plurality of devices via a second channel and establishing a wireless connection with the particular device via the channel.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, prior to the wirelessly receiving the signal, wirelessly transmitting data via the second channel to the device, wherein the second channel is associated with a highest available power for performing wireless communications with a plurality of devices.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting the particular frequency band from the set of candidate frequency bands, wherein the selecting of the particular frequency band comprises selecting a candidate frequency band that is associated with a channel that is available for wireless communication.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the particular frequency band is associated with a highest maximum power of the set of candidate frequency bands.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the particular frequency band is associated with a lowest maximum power of the set of candidate frequency bands.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a channel change indication at the access point, wherein performing the channel change operation is responsive to receiving the channel change indication.

18. A computer-readable storage device comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a signal at an access point from a device;

determining a set of candidate frequency bands for use by the access point in communicating with a plurality of devices based on a signal quality indicator for the signal, wherein a power level associated with each candidate frequency band satisfies a threshold power level, wherein the threshold power level is based on the signal quality indicator, and wherein the threshold power level is associated with enabling wireless communication between the access point and the device;

storing candidate data associated with the set of candidate frequency bands at a memory of the access point; and

initiating performance of a channel change operation associated with a channel of a particular frequency band, wherein the set of candidate frequency bands includes the particular frequency band.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise determining the threshold power level based on the signal quality indicator, and wherein the threshold power level comprises a lowest power level that enables wireless communications between the access point and the device, the wireless communication satisfying a signal quality threshold associated with the signal quality indicator.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the access point and the device are each compliant with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.11 standard.