Methods and apparatus for client-based dynamic control of connections to co-existing radio access networks

• US 10,368,255 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2017
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charter Communications Operating LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gunasekara, Don, Divvi, Venkata Ramana, Bencheikh, Ahmed
• Primary Examiner(s): Abelson, Ronald B
• Application Number:
  US15/659,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20190037418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/40 during macro-diversity or soft handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for monitoring and controlling access to coexisting first and second networks, such as within a venue. In one embodiment, the first network is a managed network that includes wireless access points (APs) in data communication with a backend controller, which communicates with a client process on a user device. The client process uses indigenous radio technology of the user device to scan for coexisting networks, and report results to the controller. In one variant, the controller dynamically adjusts transmit characteristics of the AP(s) to manage interference between the coexisting networks. In another variant, the controller causes the energy detect threshold of the user device to be lowered so that it may detect WLAN signals when a coexisting RAT (for example, LTE-U or LTE-LAA) occupies the same channel and/or frequency. In another variant, the client process autonomously adjusts user device operation based on the scan.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing wireless connectivity for a mobile client device, the method comprising:

receiving data from a first radio frequency (RF) receiver apparatus of the mobile client device;

evaluating, using a computerized process operative to run on the mobile client device, at least a portion of the received data to determine the presence of a first type of wireless signal; and

modifying, based on the determination of the presence of the first type of wireless signal, an energy detection (ED) threshold associated with a wireless interface of the mobile device, the wireless interface utilizing a second type of wireless signal, the modifying based at least in part on the data from the first RF receiver apparatus and configured to cause the mobile client device to preferentially utilize the wireless interface and the second type of wireless signal for data communications over the first type of wireless signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first radio frequency receiver apparatus comprises a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) based interface, and the wireless interface comprises a Wi-Fi based interface; and

the evaluating at least a portion of the received data to determine the presence of a first type of wireless signal comprises decoding of one or more LTE public channels without establishing a connection to an LTE eNodeB.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the decoding of one or more LTE public channels without establishing a connection to an LTE eNodeB comprises decode of at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH);

the evaluating comprises using one or more of an Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) or Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) value to calculate a signal strength associated with the eNodeB, and

the modifying of the ED threshold associated with the wireless interface comprises reducing an ED threshold associated with the Wi-Fi based interface.

4. The method of claim 2,

further comprising increasing a transmit power associated with the Wi-Fi based interface based on the determination of the presence of the first type of wireless signal.

5. Computer readable apparatus comprising a storage medium, the storage medium comprising at least one computer program having a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions configured to, when executed on a processing apparatus of a mobile user device:

utilize a first radio frequency apparatus of the mobile user device to obtain data relating to first wireless signals present at a location of the mobile user device, the presence of the first wireless signals being competitive with concurrent deployment of second wireless signals; and

in response to detection of the competition of the presence of the first wireless signals with the concurrent deployment of second wireless signals, cause transmission of at least a portion of the obtained data to a network entity, the transmitted at least portion of the obtained data configured to enable the network entity to adjust operation of at least one connectivity parameter relating to a second radio frequency apparatus of the mobile user device, the second radio frequency apparatus being associated with the second wireless signals, the first and the second radio frequency apparatus operating at least in part within a same frequency band.

6. The computer readable apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one computer program comprises an application computer program operative to run on the processing apparatus of the mobile user device, the application computer program comprising at least one connection management function, the connection management function configured to perform the utilization of the first radio frequency apparatus of the mobile user device to obtain the data relating to first wireless signals present at a location of the mobile user device at least:

(i) in response to detection of a degradation in performance of the second radio frequency apparatus during use; and

(ii) based on a data communication received from the network entity configured to cause the utilization.

7. The computer readable apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one computer program comprises at least one connection management function, the connection management function configured to perform the utilization of the first radio frequency apparatus of the mobile user device to obtain the data relating to first wireless signals present at a location of the mobile user device at least:

(i) in response to detection of a degradation in performance of the second radio frequency apparatus during use; and

(ii) based on a data communication received from the network entity configured to cause the utilization.

8. The computer readable apparatus of claim 5, wherein the transmission of at least a portion of the obtained data to a network entity comprises the at least one computer program accessing an application programming interface (API) associated with a network server, the API configured to cause the network server to return a prescribed message format to the at least one computer program, the prescribed message format comprising configuration data for at least the second radio frequency apparatus.

9. The computer readable apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one computer program comprises at least one connection management function, the connection management function configured to access one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) associated with respective ones of at least the first and second radio frequency apparatus in order to invoke respective one or more functions associated therewith.

10. The computer readable apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first radio frequency apparatus comprises an LTE-based interface, and the respective one or more functions associated therewith comprises decode of a downlink control channel.

11. A method of preferentially causing wireless LAN (WLAN) access for a multi-mode mobile client device having both a WLAN interface and an Long Term Evolution (LTE) cellular data interface, and a connection management process configured to select one of the WLAN interface and the LTE cellular data interface, the method comprising:

obtaining, via a radio frequency apparatus of the mobile client device, data enabling the mobile client device to adjust one or more parameters associated with the WLAN interface, the adjustment to compensate for detection of operation of LTE radio access technology within an area within which the mobile client device is currently located;

determining, using at least the connection management process, that the LTE cellular data interface is operating at a level of performance greater than that of the WLAN interface;

based at least on the determining, adjusting the one or more parameters associated with the WLAN interface based at least on the obtained data;

thereafter evaluating, using at least the connection management process, at least one aspect of the performance of the WLAN interface; and

based at least on the evaluating, selecting the WLAN interface for data communications.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the adjusting of the one or more parameters associated with the WLAN interface comprises adjusting one or more of (i) a frequency band used by signals associated with the WLAN interface, (ii) a transmit power of the signals associated with the WLAN interface, and (iii) a beamforming scheme utilized used by the WLAN interface.

13. A method for enhancing wireless connectivity for at least one mobile client device, the method comprising:

detecting a first type of wireless signal, the detecting comprising receiving data from a first radio frequency (RF) receiver apparatus of the at least one mobile client device;

receiving a data structure from a computerized network entity, the data structure comprising at least data relating to one or more parameters associated with a second type of wireless signal according to a nominal or baseline configuration associated particularly with an interface apparatus utilizing the second type of wireless signal;

modifying the one or more parameters associated with the second type of wireless signal based at least in part on the data from the first RF receiver apparatus; and

transmitting data relating to the modified one or more parameters to the interface apparatus, the transmitted data enabling the interface apparatus to adjust one or more operational characteristics thereof with respect to the second type of wireless signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the interface apparatus comprises a wireless LAN (WLAN) access point;

the first type of wireless signal comprises a cellular data standard-compliant signal; and

the modifying of the one or more parameters associated with the second type of radio signal comprises modifying one or more of;

(i) a frequency band used by the second type of wireless signal, and (ii) a transmit power of second type of wireless signal used by the interface apparatus.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the interface apparatus comprises a wireless LAN (WLAN) access point operating in an unlicensed frequency band;

the first type of wireless signal comprises a cellular data standard-compliant signal operating in the unlicensed frequency band; and

the modifying of the one or more parameters associated with the second type of radio signal comprises modifying a beamforming scheme utilized used by the interface apparatus, the modifying of the beamforming scheme comprising adjustment of one or more spatial parameters associated with a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) spatial diversity capability of the interface apparatus.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the second type of wireless signal comprises signals compliant with a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) standard; and

the first type of wireless signal comprises signals compliant with a Long Term Evolution (LTE)-based standard, the LTE standard comprising at least one of (i) LTE-U (Long Term Evolution in unlicensed spectrum), and/or (ii) LTE-LAA (Long Term Evolution, Licensed Assisted Access).

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the detecting of the first type of wireless signal comprises detecting one or more of an Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) or Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) value, and

the modifying of the one or more parameters associated with the interface apparatus utilizing the second type of wireless signal comprises;

calculating a Signal to Interference Noise Ratio (SINR) value, and determining a transmit power associated with the second type of wireless signal based at least on the SINR.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the receiving of the data from the first RF receiver apparatus comprises receiving data relating to:

(i) a received signal strength (RSS) of the first type of wireless signal, and (ii) a type of modulation scheme utilized by the first type of wireless signal.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

causing a computerized network entity to transmit one or more data structures to the at least one mobile client device, the transmitted one or more data structures being configured to change an energy detection (ED) threshold utilized by a wireless interface of the at least one mobile client device to be reduced so as to facilitate detection of the second type of wireless signals transmitted by the interface apparatus.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the causing of the transmission of the one or more data structures to the at least one mobile client device comprises causing the computerized network entity to transmit from a software process of the computerized network entity to a corresponding software process of an application computer program operative on the at least one mobile device via a PHY other than said interface apparatus.