Signaling method for WLAN network control

• US 20050058062A1
• Filed: 07/16/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dick, Stephen G., Rahman, Shamim Akbar, Hunkeler, Teresa Joanne, Rudolf, Marian
• Application Number:
  US10/892,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20050058062A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A wireless local area network (WLAN) includes a station, an access point (AP), and a network management entity (NME). A method for remote radio resource management in the WLAN begins by configuring a trigger condition at the AP. A determination is made whether the trigger condition has been met, and a notification message is sent from the AP to the NME if the trigger condition has been met.

Claims

1. A method for remote radio resource management in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the WLAN including a station, an access point (AP), and a network management entity (NME), the method comprising the steps of:

configuring a trigger condition at the AP;

determining whether the trigger condition has been met; and

sending a notification message from the AP to the NME if the trigger condition has been met.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuring step is performed by the NME.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuring step is performed by the AP.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the trigger condition is met upon receipt of information from the station.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the information includes a request message sent from the station to the AP.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the information includes a measurement taken by the station.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the trigger condition is met upon an activity at the AP.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the activity includes a measurement taken by the AP.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the activity includes the AP detecting that a parameter threshold has been crossed.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of repeating the determining and sending steps.

11. A method for remote radio resource management in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the WLAN including a station, an access point (AP), and a network management entity (NME), the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a request message from the station to the AP;

processing the request message at the AP;

responding to the request message by sending a response message from the AP to the station;

evaluating the contents of the response message at the AP; and

sending a notification message from the AP to the NME based on the contents of the response message.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein

the request message is an association request message;

and

the response message is an association response message.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the notification message is an association notification if the association is successful.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the association notification includes a media access control address of the station to which the association response message was sent.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the notification message is an association failed notification if the association failed.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the association failed notification includes

a media access control address of the station to which the association response message was sent;

and

a reason code to indicate the reason for the failed association.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the request message is a reassociation request message;

and

the response message is a reassociation response message.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the notification message is a reassociation notification if the reassociation is successful.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the reassociation notification includes a media access control address of the station to which the reassociation response message was sent.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the notification message is a reassociation failed notification if the reassociation failed.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the reassociation failed notification includes

a media access control address of the station to which the reassociation response message was sent;

and

a reason code to indicate the reason for the failed reassociation.

22. A method for remote radio resource management in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the WLAN including a station, an access point (AP), and a network management entity (NME), the method comprising the steps of:

measuring a parameter at the station;

reporting the parameter from the station to the AP;

comparing the parameter to a predetermined threshold at the AP; and

sending a notification message from the AP to the NME if the parameter meets the threshold.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein

the parameter is a channel occupation value;

and

the notification message is a traffic load notification.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the sending step includes sending the traffic load notification from the AP to the NME if the channel occupation value exceeds the threshold.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the threshold is exceeded when an average channel occupation ratio is higher than a predetermined percentage for longer than a predetermined time.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein

the parameter is a signal quality value;

and

the notification message is a low signal quality notification.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the sending step includes sending the low signal quality notification from the AP to the NME if the signal quality value is below the threshold.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the signal quality value is below the threshold when an average signal quality level is a predetermined percentage lower than a predetermined value for longer than a predetermined time.

29. The method according to claim 22, wherein

the parameter is an in band interference value;

and

the notification message is an in band interference notification.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the sending step includes sending the in band interference notification from the AP to the NME if the in band interference value exceeds the threshold.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the threshold is exceeded when an average interference level is higher than a predetermined value for longer than a predetermined time.

32. A network management entity (NME) for remote radio resource management in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the WLAN including a station and an access point (AP), the NME comprising:

receiving means for receiving a notification message from the AP;

processing means for processing said notification message; and

managing means for managing the radio resources of the WLAN based on the contents of said notification message.

33. An access point (AP) in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the WLAN including a station and a network management entity (NME), the AP comprising:

receiving means for receiving information from the station;

processing means for processing the information and generating a notification message, the contents of said notification message based on the processed information; and

transmitting means for transmitting said notification message to the NME.

34. The access point according to claim 33, wherein

the information includes a request frame sent by the station;

said processing means includes;

processing the request frame;

generating a response frame to be sent from the AP to the station;

evaluating the contents of the response frame; and

generating the contents of said notification message based on the contents of the response frame.

35. The access point according to claim 33, wherein

the information includes a measurement taken at the station;

said processing means includes;

comparing the measurement with a predetermined threshold; and

generating the contents of said notification message based on the results of the comparison.