Channel assay for thin client device wireless provisioning

• US 20060183490A1
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Manchester, Scott, Madhavan, P. G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,826,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/501
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

The task of configuring a thin client device for networking functionality and connectivity is simplified using a portable computer-readable media device to transfer and automatically load RF interference data into a provisioning device. A wireless radio frequency channel that is usable for the wireless protocol to be employed by the device and which is not currently experiencing prohibitive RF interference is selected by the provisioning device based on the interference data. The portable media device includes, in an embodiment of the invention, a spectrum chip and its support electronics such as a radio receiver and receive-chain processor, to analyze ongoing local RF emissions/transmissions to identify a channel having the least interference.

Claims

1. A method of provisioning a wireless device for use at a location in a wireless network comprising the wireless device and a first computing device operable to communicate on a selected one of a plurality of channels, the method comprising:

detecting at the location for the wireless device an interference spectrum affecting at least a portion of the plurality of channels via a portable memory device having therein a radio spectrum analyzer;

downloading from the portable memory device to the first computing device the interference spectrum;

selecting at the first computing device based on the interference spectrum a channel on which the wireless device is to operate; and

downloading an indication of the selected channel from the first computing device to the portable memory device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

downloading the indication of the selected channel from the portable memory device to the wireless device; and

configuring the wireless device to operate on the selected channel.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the wireless device is a thin client lacking a standard graphical user interface.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the wireless device is a wireless access point for other devices in the wireless network.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the wireless device is a wireless access point for the first computing device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first computing device has a standard graphical user interface and wherein the method further comprises using the graphical user interface to select configuration settings to be transferred to the wireless device via the portable memory device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the portable memory device is a USB memory device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the portable memory device is an SD memory device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein selecting a channel on which the wireless device is to operate comprises determining which of the plurality of channels has the least interference based on the interference spectrum.

10. A computer-readable medium having thereon computer-readable instruction for performing the method according to claim 1.

11. A method of provisioning a first wireless device for use at a location in a wireless network to communicate on a selected one of a plurality of channels, the method comprising:

detecting at the location for the first wireless device an interference spectrum affecting at least a portion of the plurality of channels via a portable memory device having therein a radio spectrum analyzer;

selecting at the portable memory device based on the interference spectrum a channel on which the wireless device is to operate; and

downloading an indication of the selected channel from the portable memory device to the first wireless device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the wireless network further comprises a second wireless device, and wherein the method further comprises downloading the indication of the selected channel from the first computing device to the second wireless device whereby the first and second wireless devices are configured to operate on the same channel.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first wireless device is a wireless access point for at least one other device in the wireless network.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the portable memory device is a USB memory device.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the portable memory device is an SD memory device.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein selecting at the portable memory device based on the interference spectrum a channel on which the wireless device is to operate comprises determining which of the plurality of channels has the least interference based on the interference spectrum.

17. A computer-readable medium having thereon computer-readable instruction for performing the method according to claim 11.

18. A portable memory device adapted for external installation on a computing device for memory transfer, the portable memory device comprising:

a hardware interface to facilitate installation on a computing device;

a memory;

a radio spectrum analyzer;

a radio frequency receiver; and

a radio frequency antenna.

19. The portable memory device according to claim 18, wherein the hardware interface is a USB interface for installation via a USB port.

20. The portable memory device according to claim 18, wherein the hardware interface is an SD interface for installation via an SD card slot.