Dynamically configurable beacon intervals for wireless LAN access points

• US 20030163579A1
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Knauerhase, Robert C., Deshpande, Nikhil M., Dharmadhikari, Abhay A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,222,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/06 Hybrid resource partitioning, e.g. channel borrowing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method is described for adaptive load-balancing and graceful termination of access points in a network having a plurality of access points. The method includes determining a need to reduce a load of a first access point, and increasing a beacon interval corresponding to the first access point in order to detract clients. Correspondingly, beacon intervals for other access points may be reduced in order to attract more clients.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a need to change a load of a first access point in a network having a plurality of access points, including the first access point corresponding to a first beacon interval; and

modifying the first beacon interval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a need to change the load of the first access point comprises determining a need to reduce the load of the first access point, and wherein said modifying the first beacon interval comprises increasing the first beacon interval.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the network additionally includes a second access point corresponding to a second beacon interval, and the method additionally comprises decreasing the second beacon interval.

4. The method of claim 2, additionally comprising further increasing the first beacon interval at future times until a threshold condition is met.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the threshold condition comprises an operating capacity.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the threshold condition comprises service to a target number of clients.

7. The method of claim 2, additionally comprising after a period of time, increasing the load of the first access point by decreasing the first beacon interval at future times until a threshold condition is met.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the threshold condition comprises a normal beacon interval of the first access point.

9. A method comprising:

in a network having at least a first access point corresponding to a first beacon interval, and a second access point corresponding to a second beacon interval, the first and second access points each to service a plurality of mobile communication devices, determining a need to reduce a service load of the first access point;

increasing the first beacon interval; and

decreasing the second beacon interval.

10. The method of claim 9, additionally comprising further increasing the first beacon interval at future times until a threshold condition is met.

11. The method of claim 9, additionally comprising after a period of time, determining a need to increase the service load the of first access point by decreasing the first beacon interval.

12. The method of claim 11, additionally comprising decreasing the first beacon interval at future times until a threshold condition is met.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein increasing the service load comprises increasing a number of mobile communication devices that the first access point will service.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a service unit to determine a need to reduce a load of a first access point having a first beacon interval, the first access point being in a network of a plurality of access points;

a set interval unit to determine an amount by which to increase the first beacon interval to generate a new beacon interval; and

a broadcast unit to notify one or more other access points in the network of the new beacon interval.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the set interval unit additionally increases the first beacon interval until a threshold condition is met.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the threshold condition comprises a specified measurement of operating capacity.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the specified measurement comprises a percentage.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, additionally comprising an intercept unit to receive capacity information from other access points in the network, and wherein the set interval unit adjusts the first beacon interval in accordance with the received capacity information.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the set interval unit additionally decreases the first interval unit.

20. A system comprising:

a first access point in a network of a plurality of access points, the first access point corresponding to a first beacon interval, and to;

determine a need to reduce its load;

determine an amount by which to increase the first beacon interval to generate a first new beacon interval; and

notify one or more other access points in the network of the first new beacon interval; and

a second access point in the network of the plurality of access points, the second access point communicatively coupled to the first access point, corresponding to a second beacon interval, and to;

receive an indication to increase its load; and

determine an amount by which to decrease the second beacon interval to generate a second new beacon interval.

21. The system of claim 20, the second access point to additionally notify one or more other access points in the network of the second new beacon interval.

22. The system of claim 20, the first access point to additionally determine to increase its load by reducing the first new beacon interval.

23. A system comprising:

a plurality of access points in a network having a network server, each access point having;

a service unit to inform the network server of a need to reduce its load; and

an interface unit to convey capacity information to the network server; and

the network server communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of access points in the network, the network server having;

a set interval unit to determine a new beacon interval for a given access point based on the capacity information conveyed by the given access point; and

a broadcast unit to convey capacity information to one or more of the plurality of access points.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the capacity information comprises an indication of a current load of a given access point, and a current beacon interval.

25. The system of claim 23, the set interval unit to redetermine the new beacon interval for the given access point until a threshold condition is met.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the threshold condition comprises service to a target number of clients.

27. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining a need to reduce a load of a first access point having a first beacon interval, the first access point being in a network of a plurality of access points;

means for determining an amount by which to increase the first beacon interval to generate a new beacon interval; and

means for notifying one or more other access points in the network of the new beacon interval.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, additionally comprising means for increasing the first beacon interval until a threshold condition is met.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said means for increasing the first beacon interval until a threshold condition is met comprises means for increasing the first beacon interval until a specified measurement of operating capacity is met.

30. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions, the sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the following:

determine a need to reduce a service load of a first access point in a network having at least the first access point corresponding to a first beacon interval, and at least a second access point corresponding to a second beacon interval, the first and second access points each to service a plurality of mobile communication devices;

increase the first beacon interval; and

decrease the second beacon interval.

31. The machine-readable medium of claim 30, additionally comprising further increasing the first beacon interval at future times until a threshold condition is met.

32. The machine-readable medium of claim 30, additionally comprising after a period of time, determining to increase the service load of first beacon interval by decreasing the first beacon interval.

33. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

a machine-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon, which when executed by the processor, are capable of directing the processor to;

determine a need to reduce a service load of a first access point in a network having at least the first access point corresponding to a first beacon interval, and at least a second access point corresponding to a second beacon interval, the first and second access points each to service a plurality of mobile communication devices;

increase the first beacon interval; and

decrease the second beacon interval.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, additionally comprising further increasing the first beacon interval at future times until a threshold condition is met.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, additionally comprising after a period of time, determining to increase the service load of first beacon interval by decreasing the first beacon interval.