Selecting an access point for providing network access to a wireless device based on historical network activity

• US 10,555,255 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2018
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: KodaCloud Inc.
• Inventors: Ponnuswamy, Subbu
• Primary Examiner(s): Soe, Kyaw Z
• Application Number:
  US16/140,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20190028965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for selecting an access point for providing network access to a client device based on a historical network activity characteristic. An attribute associated with a current or future communication session corresponding to the client device is determined. A prior communication session, associated with the same attribute, is identified. A historical network activity characteristic, for the client device, corresponding to the prior communication session is selected. An access point is selected, from a group of access points, based on the historical network activity characteristic. The access point is selected for providing network access to the client device during the current or future communication session. Based on the selection, the client device associates with the selected access point.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, causes performance of operations comprising:

determining an attribute associated with a first communication session corresponding to a first client device;

determining that a prior communication session, of a plurality of prior communication sessions, is associated with the attribute;

determining a historical network activity characteristic associated with the prior communication session;

determining an estimated network activity characteristic associated with the first communication session based on the historical network activity characteristic associated with the prior communication session;

selecting a first access point, from a plurality of access points, for conducting the first communication session corresponding to the first client device based on the estimated network activity characteristic associated with the first communication session; and

causing the first client device to associate with the first access point.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the historical network activity characteristic and the estimated network activity characteristic are different.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the historical network activity characteristic and the estimated network activity characteristic are same.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a pattern associated with a set of prior communication sessions, of the plurality of prior communication sessions, that are associated with the attribute, wherein the set of prior communication sessions comprises the prior communication session;

determining the estimated network activity characteristic associated with the first communication session further based on the pattern associated with the set of prior communication sessions.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the historical network activity characteristic comprises a load associated with the prior communication session.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the historical network activity characteristic comprises a latency sensitivity associated with the prior communication session.

7. The medium of claim 1, wherein the historical network activity characteristic comprises a latency associated with the prior communication session.

8. The medium of claim 1, wherein the historical network activity characteristic comprises a data quality associated with the prior communication session.

9. The medium of claim 1, wherein the attribute comprises a network condition associated with the first communication session.

10. The medium of claim 1, wherein the attribute comprises a user associated with the first communication session.

11. The medium of claim 1, wherein:

the historical network activity characteristic associated with the prior communication session comprises at least one of;

(a) a load associated with the prior communication session;

(b) a latency sensitivity associated with the prior communication session;

(c) a latency associated with the prior communication session;

(d) a data quality associated with the prior communication session; and

the attribute associated with the prior communication session comprises at least one of;

(a) a time of day associated with the prior communication session;

(b) a network condition associated with the prior communication session;

(c) a user associated with the prior communication session;

(d) a location of a second client device associated with the prior communication session;

(e) an application executing on the second client device associated with the prior communication session;

(f) a device model of the second client device associated with the prior communication session;

(g) a device behavior of the second client device associated with the prior communication session;

(h) a duration of the prior communication session.

12. The medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a load associated with a second access point of the plurality of access points;

selecting the first access point, from the plurality of access points, for conducting the first communication session corresponding to the first client device further based on the load of the second access point.

13. The medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a load associated with the first access point of the plurality of access points;

selecting the first access point, from the plurality of access points, for conducting the first communication session corresponding to the first client device further based on the load of the first access point.

14. The medium of claim 1, wherein the first client device detects a first wireless signal from the first access point and a second wireless signal from a second access point of the plurality of access points, and a first signal strength of the first wireless signal is less than a second signal strength of the second wireless signal.

15. The medium of claim 1, wherein the prior communication session is conducted using a second access point different than the first access point.

16. The medium of claim 1, wherein the prior communication session is conducted using a second client device different than the first client device.

17. The medium of claim 1, wherein the first communication session comprises a current communication session.

18. The medium of claim 1, wherein the first communication session comprises a future communication session.

19. A system, comprising:

at least one device including a hardware processor; and

the system being configured to perform operations comprising;

determining an attribute associated with a first communication session corresponding to a first client device;

determining that a prior communication session, of a plurality of prior communication sessions, is associated with the attribute;

determining a historical network activity characteristic associated with the prior communication session;

determining an estimated network activity characteristic associated with the first communication session based on the historical network activity characteristic associated with the prior communication session;

selecting a first access point, from a plurality of access points, for conducting the first communication session corresponding to the first client device based on the estimated network activity characteristic associated with the first communication session; and

causing the first client device to associate with the first access point.

20. A method, comprising:

determining an attribute associated with a first communication session corresponding to a first client device;

determining that a prior communication session, of a plurality of prior communication sessions, is associated with the attribute;

determining a historical network activity characteristic associated with the prior communication session;

determining an estimated network activity characteristic associated with the first communication session based on the historical network activity characteristic associated with the prior communication session;

selecting a first access point, from a plurality of access points, for conducting the first communication session corresponding to the first client device based on the estimated network activity characteristic associated with the first communication session; and

causing the first client device to associate with the first access point;

wherein the method is performed by at least one device including a hardware processor.