Determining redundant radios

• US 10,609,571 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2017
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Desai, Vishal S., Abhishek, Allaukik, Monajemi, Pooya, Choi, Young Il
• Primary Examiner(s): Dean, Jr., Joseph E
• Application Number:
  US15/475,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20170325104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/48 in circuits for connecting transmitter and receiver to a common transmission path, e.g. by energy of transmitter H04B1/46 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/485 inhibiting unwanted transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/22 Traffic simulation tools or models
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/29 between an access point and the access point controlling device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

An algorithm for determining redundant radios in APs is disclosed. The algorithm first performs a coverage peak flattening algorithm to predict an impact to the total coverage area if a radio in a selected AP does not transmit signals in a frequency band. If the impact to the total coverage area is acceptable, the algorithm then performs a multi-point check algorithm to determine whether the radio in the selected AP is redundant in the frequency band. After determining that the radio in the selected AP is redundant in the frequency band, the algorithm transforms the redundant radio into various services based on the network deployment and user preference.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory containing a program that, when executed on the processor, performs an operation, the operation comprising;

simulating, at a network controller, a coverage area model for an area covered by a plurality of access points controlled by the network controller and operating in a frequency band;

when a radio in a first access point of the plurality of access points does not operate in the frequency band, determining, using the coverage area model, whether the area covered by at least one other radio in the plurality of access points satisfies a predetermined coverage threshold for the area covered by the plurality of access points;

upon determining that the area covered by at least one other radio in the plurality of access points satisfies the predetermined coverage threshold, determining, at the network controller, that the radio in the first access point is redundant; and

upon determining that the radio in the first access point is redundant, prohibiting, via the network controller, the radio in the first access point from operating in the frequency band.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein determining that the radio in the first access point is redundant comprises:

selecting a set of points distributed within a coverage area of the radio in the first access point;

calculating distances between each of a plurality of neighboring access points of the first access point and each of the set of points, wherein the plurality of neighboring access points are in direct communication with the radio in the first access point; and

determining that a pre-defined number of the set of points are inside the coverage area of at least one of the plurality of neighboring access points based on the calculated distances.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein determining that the radio in the first access point is redundant comprises:

determining that the radio in the first access point is not contributing to coverage areas of one or more radios in the plurality of neighboring access points that are already determined as redundant.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein determining that the radio in the first access point is redundant comprises:

identifying one or more radios in the plurality of neighboring access points that contribute coverage to the coverage area of the radio in the first access point.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the radio in the first access point comprises a XOR radio configured to dynamically switch between the frequency band and a different frequency band.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined coverage threshold comprises a percentage of a size of the area.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the operation further comprises:

when a radio in a second access point of the plurality of access points does not operate in the frequency band, simulating whether the area covered by at least one other radio in the plurality of access points satisfies the predetermined coverage threshold; and

upon simulating that the area covered by at least one other radio in the plurality of access points does not satisfy the predetermined coverage threshold, determining that the radio in the second access point is not redundant.

8. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable program code is configured to;

simulate, at a network controller, a coverage area model for an area covered by a plurality of access points operating in a frequency band;

when a radio in a first access point of the plurality of access points does not operate in the frequency band, determining, using the coverage area model, whether the area covered by at least one other radio in the plurality of access points satisfies a predetermined coverage threshold for the area covered by the plurality of access points;

upon determining that the area covered by at least one other radio in the plurality of access points satisfies the predetermined coverage threshold, determine, at the network controller, that the radio in the first access point is redundant; and

upon determining that the radio in the first access point is redundant, prohibit, via the network controller, the radio in the first access point from operating in the frequency band.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:

select a set of points distributed within a coverage area of the radio in the first access point;

calculate distances between each of a plurality of neighboring access points of the first access point and each of the set of points, wherein the plurality of neighboring access points are in direct communication with the first access point; and

determine that a pre-defined number of the set of points are inside the coverage area of at least one of the plurality of neighboring access points based on the calculated distances.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:

determine that the radio in the first access point is not contributing to coverage areas of one or more radios in the plurality of neighboring access points that are already determined as redundant.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:

identify one or more radios in the plurality of neighboring access points that contribute coverage to the coverage area of the radio in the first access point.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the radio in the first access point comprises a XOR radio configured to dynamically switch between the frequency band and a different frequency band.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the predetermined coverage threshold comprises a percentage of a size of the area.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:

when a radio in a second access point of the plurality of access points does not operate in the frequency band, simulate whether the area covered by at least one other radio in the plurality of access points satisfies the predetermined coverage threshold; and

upon simulating that the area covered by at least one other radio in the plurality of access points does not satisfy the predetermined coverage threshold, determine that the radio in the second access point is not redundant.

15. A method, comprising:

simulating, at a network controller, a coverage area model for an area covered by a plurality of access points controlled by the network controller and operating in a frequency band;

when a radio in a first access point of the plurality of access points does not operate in the frequency band, simulating whether the area covered by at least one other radio in the plurality of access points satisfies a predetermined coverage threshold;

upon simulating that the area covered by at least one other radio in the plurality of access points satisfies the predetermined coverage threshold, determining that the radio in the first access point is redundant; and

upon determining that the radio in the first access point is redundant, prohibiting the radio in the first access point from operating in the frequency band.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining that the radio in the first access point is redundant comprises:

selecting a set of points distributed within a coverage area of the radio in the first access point;

calculating distances between each of a plurality of neighboring access points of the first access point and each of the set of points, wherein the plurality of neighboring access points are in direct communication with the first access point; and

determining that a pre-defined number of the set of points are inside the coverage area of at least one of the plurality of neighboring access points based on the calculated distances.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining that the radio in the first access point is redundant comprises:

determining that the radio in the first access point is not contributing to coverage areas of one or more radios in the plurality of neighboring access points that are already determined as redundant.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein determining that the radio in the first access point is redundant comprises:

identifying one or more radios in the plurality of neighboring access points that contribute coverage to the coverage area of the radio in the first access point.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the radio in the first access point comprises a XOR radio configured to dynamically switch between the frequency band and a different frequency band.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the predetermined coverage threshold comprises a percentage of a size of the area.