Method and device for managing signal measurements in a wireless network

• US 20060264179A1
• Filed: 05/01/2006
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Bonneville, Herve, Jechoux, Bruno
• Granted Patent: US 8,099,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.110
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A wireless network comprises at least one station (102) adapted to perform measurements of at least one given type in the network, and a Centralised Measurement Manager (CMM) unit (101) for handling measurements of said type. CMM unit sends a measurement request message (201) requesting that this station (102) perform a measurement of the given type, this request message comprising a triggering information (304, 501, 601-602). Upon reception of the measurement request message (201), the station performs (202) a measurement and obtains (203) corresponding measurement result. Then, it is decided (204) whether at least part of the measurement results is to be sent to the CMM unit based on the triggering information. If yes, the station sends the corresponding part of the measurement result to the CMM unit.

Claims

1. Method for managing signal measurements in a wireless network (100) comprising at least one station adapted to perform measurements of at least one type in said network, and a Centralised Measurement Manager (CMM) unit (101) for handling measurements of said type;

said method comprising the following steps of;

said CMM unit sending a measurement request message (201) requesting said station (102) to perform a measurement of said type, said request message comprising a triggering information (304, 501, 601-602);

upon reception of said measurement request message (201), said station performing (202) a measurement of said type and obtaining (203) corresponding measurement result;

deciding (204) whether at least part. of the measurement result is to be sent to said CMM unit based on said triggering information; and

if yes, said station sending said at least part of the measurement result to said CMM unit.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the measurements of said at least one type comprise measurements of different sub-types;

wherein the triggering information (304) indicates at least one sub-type selected out of said different sub-types; and

wherein the station decides to send to the CMM unit (101) the corresponding measurement result based on a comparison of said threshold value and said corresponding measurement result.

3. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the measurements comprises a step of determining a time period during which a given channel is busy for a given duration;

and

wherein the triggering information (501) further includes a threshold value; and

wherein the station decides to send to the CMM unit the corresponding measurement result based on a comparison of said threshold value and said corresponding measurement result.

4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the measurement type comprises a step of computing one density level for each one of a plurality of ranges of power values;

wherein the triggering information (601-602) further includes a threshold density value (601) and a threshold number (602);

wherein the station computes a sum value by summing selected computed density levels while said sum value is less than or equal to said threshold density value, the summed computed density levels being selected out of said computed density levels according to a given rule; and

wherein the station decides whether to send to the CMM unit (101) the corresponding measurement result based on a comparison between the number of the summed density levels and said threshold number.

5. Method according claim 4, wherein the ranges of power values are sorted in increasing order of power values;

and

wherein the density levels which are summed are selected out of the computed density levels starting from the density level corresponding to the highest range of power values and going down through the ranges of power values while the sum value is less than or equal to the threshold density value.

6. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wireless network is based on the 802.11h protocol, standardized by IEEE.

7. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the CCM unit is co-located with station (102).

8. Station (102) adapted to cooperate with a Centralised Measurement Manager (CMM) unit (101) in order to manage measurements in a wireless network (100);

said station comprising;

an interface unit (701) adapted to receive a measurement request message (201) indicating a type of measurement and comprising a triggering information (304, 501, 601-602);

a measurement unit (702) adapted to perform (202) a measurement of indicated type and provide a corresponding measurement result, upon reception of said measurement request message (201),

a decision unit (703) adapted to decide whether at least part of the measurement result is to be sent to said CMM unit based on said triggering information, and, if yes, adapted to handle sending said at least part of the measurement result to said CMM unit.

9. Station according to claim 8, wherein the measurement unit is adapted to perform measurement comprising measurements of different sub-types;

wherein the triggering information (304) indicates at least one sub-type selected out of said different sub-types by including a binary mask comprising a plurality of bits (401-404), each of which being associated with one sub-type; and

wherein the decision unit (703) is adapted to decide to send to the CMM unit (101) that part of the measurement result which corresponds to the selected sub-type if the measurement result is equal to a given value.

10. Station according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the measurement unit is adapted to perform measurements comprising a step of determining a time period during which a given channel is busy for a given measurement duration;

and

wherein the decision unit is adapted to decide to send to the CMM unit (101) the corresponding measurement result based on a comparison of a threshold value indicated in the triggering information (501) and said corresponding measurement result.

11. Station according to any one of the claims 8 to 10, wherein the measurement unit is adapted to perform measurements comprising a step of computing one density level for each of a plurality of ranges of power values, the triggering information (601-602) indicating a threshold density value (601) and a threshold number (602);

wherein the measurement unit computes a sum value by summing selected computed density levels while said sum value is less than or equal to said threshold density value, the summed computed density levels being selected out of said computed density levels according to a given rule; and

wherein the decision unit is adapted to decide to send the corresponding measurement result based on a comparison between the number of summed density levels and said threshold number.

13. System for managing measurement in a wireless network (100) comprising at least one station (102) according to any one of claims 8-11 and a Centralised Measurement Manager (CMM) unit (101) according to claim 12.

12. Centralised Measurement Manager (CMM) unit adapted for handling a measurement in a wireless network (100) comprising at least one station (102) adapted to perform measurement of at least on type in said network;

said CMM unit comprising an interface unit (801) adapted to send a measurement request message (201) to said station in order to request performing a measurement of said type to provide a corresponding measurement result, said request message comprising a triggering information (304, 501, 601-602), based on which said station decides whether at least part of the corresponding measurement result is to be sent to the CCM unit.