Deferential channel selection of channels in unlicensed spectrum

• US 10,462,794 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2015
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Karimli, Yasmin, Nimbavikar, Gunjan
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Louis-Fils, Nicole
• Application Number:
  US14/812,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20170034832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 455434, 4554351-4353, 370329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

In some implementations, an access point may receive a request to select an operating channel for a computing device. The access point may determine that a network service provider is associated with the computing device. The access point may determine that at least one neighboring access point is associated with the network service provider. The access point may determine a channel in an unlicensed spectrum that is used by the at least one neighboring access point. The access point may perform a scan of the unlicensed spectrum that excludes the channel used by the at least one neighboring access point and select the operating channel based at least partly on the scan.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by an access point, a request to select an operating channel for a computing device;

determining, by the access point, a network service provider associated with the access point;

determining, by the access point, that a first neighboring access point of a plurality of neighboring access points is associated with the network service provider;

determining, by the access point, a first channel of the first neighboring access point, wherein the first channel is in an unlicensed spectrum;

determining, by the access point, that a second neighboring access point of the plurality of neighboring access points is not associated with the network service provider;

determining, by the access point, a second channel of the second neighboring access point, wherein the second channel is in an unlicensed spectrum;

performing, by the access point, a scan of a plurality of available channels in the unlicensed spectrum, wherein the plurality of available channels does not include the first channel and includes the second channel in response to determining that the first neighboring access point is associated with the network service provider and that the second neighboring access point is not associated with the network service provider; and

selecting, by the access point, the operating channel based at least partly on the scan of the plurality of available channels in the unlicensed spectrum.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the operating channel further comprises:

selecting the operating channel from the plurality of available channels in the unlicensed spectrum based at least partly on a signal to noise ratio of the operating channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unlicensed spectrum comprises at least one of:

5.15 GigaHertz (GHz) to 5.25 GHz;

or

5.725 GHz to 5.825 GHz.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after a predetermined period of time, performing, an additional scan of the plurality of available channels in the unlicensed spectrum, wherein the additional scan excludes the first channel; and

selecting a new operating channel based at least partly on the additional scan of the plurality of available channels in the unlicensed spectrum.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a characteristic associated with the operating channel has fallen below a predetermined threshold; and

selecting a different operating channel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein selecting the different operating channel comprises:

performing a second scan of at least the unlicensed spectrum;

determining that at least one additional access point of the one or more neighboring access points is associated with the network service provider;

determining an additional channel of the at least one additional access point, wherein the additional channel is in the unlicensed spectrum;

performing an additional scan of at least the plurality of available channels in the unlicensed spectrum, wherein the additional scan excludes the additional channel of the of the at least one additional access point; and

selecting the different operating channel based at least partly on the additional scan.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the operating channel further comprises selecting the operating channel based at least partly on a data transfer rate of the operating channel.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the operating channel further comprises selecting the operating channel from the plurality of available channels that does not include the first channel and is based on a characteristic of the operating channel.

7. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions that are executable by one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to select an operating channel for a computing device that is associated with a network service provider;

determining that a first neighboring access point is associated with the network service provider;

determining a first channel in an unlicensed spectrum of the first neighboring access point;

determining that a second neighboring access point is not associated with the network service provider;

determining a second channel in an unlicensed spectrum of the second neighboring access point; and

selecting the operating channel based at least partly on a scan of a plurality of available channels in the unlicensed spectrum, wherein the plurality of available channels does not include the first channel and includes the second channel in response to determining that the first neighboring access point is associated with the network service provider and that the second neighboring access point is not associated with the network service provider.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

selecting the operating channel from the plurality of available channels in the unlicensed spectrum based at least partly on a clarity of the operating channel.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

selecting a different operating channel after a predetermined period of time based at least partly on an additional scan of the plurality of available channels in the unlicensed spectrum, the additional scan excluding the first channel.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

selecting a different operating channel based at least in part on determining that a signal to noise ratio associated with the operating channel satisfies a predetermined threshold.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

selecting a different operating channel based at least in part on determining that an amount of interference associated with the operating channel satisfies a predetermined threshold.

12. An access point, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer readable media to store instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a request to select an operating channel for a computing device;

determining first one or more channels in an unlicensed spectrum in which first one or more neighboring access points associated with a particular network service provider are broadcasting, the particular network service provider associated with the access point;

determining second one or more channels in an unlicensed spectrum in which second one or more neighboring access points not associated with the particular network service provider are broadcasting;

performing a scan of a plurality of available channels in the unlicensed spectrum, wherein the plurality of available channels does not include the first one or more channels and includes the second one or more channels in response to the first one or more neighboring access points being associated with the particular network service provider and the second one or more neighboring access points not being associated with the particular network service provider; and

selecting the operating channel based at least partly on the scan of the plurality of available channels in the unlicensed spectrum.

13. The access point of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a signal to noise ratio of at least one channel in the plurality of available channels in the unlicensed spectrum; and

selecting the operating channel based at least partly on the signal to noise ratio.

14. The access point of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

after a predetermined period of time, selecting a new operating channel.

15. The access point of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that a characteristic associated with the operating channel satisfies a predetermined threshold; and

selecting a new operating channel for the computing device to use instead of the operating channel.

16. The access point of claim 15, wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of:

a signal to noise ratio associated with the operating channel;

or

an amount of interference associated with the operating channel.

17. The access point of claim 15, wherein selecting the new operating channel comprises:

performing a second scan of the plurality of available channels in the unlicensed spectrum, wherein the second scan excludes the first one or more channels;

performing a third scan of additional available channels in a licensed spectrum; and

selecting the new operating channel based at least partly on the second scan and the third scan.

18. The access point of claim 12, wherein the unlicensed spectrum includes at least a portion of spectrum between 5.15 GigaHertz (GHz) and 5.825 GHz.