Testing a station's response to a reduction in wireless signal strength

• US 20070203672A1
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Harding, David, Desai, Mitesh
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/189
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/0085 using test signal generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic

Abstract

A controllable and/or configurable device that communicates wirelessly with a station may be used to test the station. For example, the device may be configured to communicate in multiple different wireless communication modes. As another example, the device may be controlled to engage in wireless communications that do not comply with the communication standard, e.g., IEEE standard 802.11. As a further example, the device may be controlled to reduce the strength of the wireless signal that is transmitted. The station'"'"'s response to the wireless communication may be evaluated.

Claims

1. A method of evaluating a station configured to communicate with at least one access point, the method comprising acts of:

(A) controlling a first device to communicate wirelessly with the station by transmitting a wireless signal having a first wireless signal strength;

(B) controlling the first device, via software, to reduce the first wireless signal strength; and

(C) evaluating how the station responds to a reduction in the first wireless signal strength.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the station and/or the first device comprises a wireless network adapter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act (A) and/or the act (B) comprises controlling the first device via at least one command issued from the station.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the act (A) and/or the act (B) comprises sending the at least one command from the station to the first device via a wired connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device communicates wirelessly with the station according to IEEE standard 802.11.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the act (A) and/or the act (B) comprises sending at least one command from the station to the first device via a wired connection.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the station comprises:

a wireless network adapter; and

at least one driver that is a software module configured to send and receive communications via the wireless network adapter;

wherein the act (C) comprises evaluating a response of the driver to the reduction in the first wireless signal strength.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of:

(D) transmitting a wireless signal by a second device;

wherein the act (B) comprises reducing the first wireless signal strength so that the wireless signal transmitted by the first device transitions from being stronger than the wireless signal transmitted by the second device to being weaker than the wireless signal transmitted by the second device, the relative strength of respective signals being determined at the position of the station.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the act (C) comprises evaluating an ability of the station to switch from communicating wirelessly with the first device to communicating wirelessly with the second device in response to the wireless signal transmitted by the first device transitioning from being stronger than the wireless signal transmitted by the second device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device functions as an access point.

11. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions encoded thereon that, when executed, perform acts of a method of evaluating a station configured to communicate with at least one access point, the method comprising acts of:

(A) controlling a first device to communicate wirelessly with the station by transmitting a wireless signal having a first wireless signal strength;

(B) controlling the first device, via software, to reduce the first wireless signal strength; and

(C) evaluating how the station responds to a reduction in the first wireless signal strength.

12. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the station and/or the first device comprises a wireless network adapter.

13. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the act (A) and/or the act (B) comprises controlling the first device via at least one command issued from the station.

14. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the act (A) and/or the act (B) comprises sending the at least one command from the station to the first device via a wired connection.

15. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first device communicates wirelessly with the station according to IEEE standard 802.11.

16. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the act (A) and/or the act (B) comprises sending at least one command from the station to the first device via a wired connection.

17. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the station comprises:

a wireless network adapter; and

at least one driver that is a software module configured to send and receive communications via the wireless network adapter;

wherein the act (C) comprises evaluating a response of the driver to the reduction in the first wireless signal strength.

18. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises an act of:

(D) transmitting a wireless signal by a second device;

wherein the act (B) comprises reducing the first wireless signal strength so that the wireless signal transmitted by the first device transitions from being stronger than the wireless signal transmitted by the second device to being weaker than the wireless signal transmitted by the second device, the relative strength of respective signals being determined at the position of the station.

19. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the act (C) comprises evaluating an ability of the station to switch from communicating wirelessly with the first device to communicating wirelessly with the second device in response to the wireless signal transmitted by the first device transitioning from being stronger than the wireless signal transmitted by the second device.

20. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first device functions as an access point.