Automated mesh point survey and guided installation for a wireless mesh network

• US 10,292,159 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2016
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Inventors: Amini, Peiman, Emmanuel, Joseph Amalan Arul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Kai
• Application Number:
  US15/287,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20170135145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/44 Star or tree networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/20 Hop count for routing purposes, e.g. TTL
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/36 by user or terminal equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• 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 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Introduced here are techniques to provide automated mesh point survey and guided installation for assisting the installation and configuration of a wireless mesh network. Additional implementation techniques are also introduced including, for example, link rate estimation, roaming, and dedicated backhaul link implementation in such wireless mesh network, are also discussed. Among other benefits, this disclosure provides an integral solution where multiple wireless local area network (WLAN) mesh point devices are deployed in a relatively large environment with potential dead spots, such as a home or an office.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for adjusting wireless network coverage in a wireless mesh network formed with one or more mesh points, the method comprising:

establishing, by a mobile application on a user device of a user, a wireless communication with a first mesh point;

causing, by the mobile application, the first mesh point to measure an external network connection speed;

determining, by the mobile application, a target data rate for the wireless mesh network based on the measured external network connection speed;

instructing, via a display of the user device, the user to relocate the user device;

upon receiving an indication of relocation of the user device, performing, by the mobile application, a link estimation based on a link quality between the first mesh point and the user device so as to forecast a link quality between the first mesh point and a second mesh point using a current location of the user device as an installation location of the second mesh point; and

generating, on the display of the user device, a corresponding locational guidance for installing the second mesh point based on comparing a result of the performed link estimation against the target data rate.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on readings from an orientation sensor of the user device, a possible position in which the user device is held by the user; and

comparing the possible position with a preferred position based on a model type of user device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

upon determining that the possible position deviates more than a predetermined level from the preferred position, instructing, via the display of the user device, the user about the preferred position.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the orientation sensor includes one or more of:

a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a compass, or a gravity sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the link estimation is performed based on a database of link performance that corresponds wireless performance of a particular type of the user device to a mesh point.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication with the first mesh point is established using a default network configuration, the method further comprising:

requiring, via a display of the user device, an input of a new network configuration comprising at least one of;

a new service set identifier (SSID) or a new network password; and

updating the first mesh point with the new network configuration.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

upon receiving an indication of installation of the second mesh point, establishing, by the mobile application, the wireless communication with the second mesh point.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

causing the second mesh point to be updated with the new network configuration.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication with the second mesh point is based on the new network configuration.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the locational guidance includes instructing the user to move closer to the first mesh point if the performed link estimation is below a lower threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the locational guidance includes instructing the user to move farther from the first mesh point if the performed link estimation is above an upper threshold.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the locational guidance includes instructing the user to install the second mesh point at where the user device is then located if the performed link estimation is within a range of an upper threshold and a lower threshold.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the upper and lower thresholds respectively are a first and a second percentage of the target data rate.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the target data rate for the wireless mesh network is equal to or larger than the measured external network connection speed.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the user device to roam from the first mesh point to the second mesh point after installation of the second mesh point.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the link quality between the first mesh point and the user device includes at least a received signal strength indicator and a physical layer data rate.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the link estimation is performed based on a decision flow that factors in at least a received signal strength indicator and a physical layer data rate.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the link estimation, causing an adjustment in a connection between the user device and a respective mesh point to which the user device is currently connected.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the adjustment includes roaming the user device to another mesh point in the wireless mesh network, changing a frequency band that the user device is connected with the wireless mesh network, or a combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein each mesh point in the wireless mesh network is capable of causing the adjustment.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising communicating the adjustment caused to another mesh point in the wireless mesh network.