Effective management of overlapping wireless channels

• US 20080002643A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Octaviano, Raymond G., Locker, Howard Jeffrey, Jakes, Philip John, Cromer, Daryl
• Granted Patent: US 7,697,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point

Abstract

An arrangement facilitating the connection of a client to a network through an access point, particularly in an area with overlapping 0.11n channels. Preferably, a client may communicate with two access points and “ask” one of them to stop transmitting long enough so as to facilitate communication with the other access point. Current specifications otherwise provide no workable arrangement for handling overlapping channels.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

providing a client;

providing a first access point and a second access point, each of the first and second access points being capable of transmitting a signal able to overlap with a signal from the other of the first and second access points;

selecting one of the first and second access points as a primary access point for the client;

sending at least one request, from the primary access point, for a communication window for the client;

establishing a communication window for the primary access point and the client; and

during the established communication window, ceasing transmissions to the client from one or more access points capable of transmitting a signal able to overlap with a signal from the primary access point.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said selecting step comprises the step of designating the other of the first and second access points as a secondary access point for the client.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said step of ceasing transmissions comprises ceasing transmissions to the client from the secondary access point.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a second client; and

employing the secondary access point for sending and receiving transmissions to and from the second client.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of sending at least one request comprises sending repeated requests until the client responds.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second access points corresponds to a different 40 MHz channel.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the 40 MHz channels comprise 802.11 channels.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the 40 MHz channels comprise 802.11 channels in a 2.4 GHz spectrum.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the client comprises a laptop computer.

10. An apparatus for averting signal interference in a wireless network which includes a client, a first access point and a second access point, each of the first and second access points being capable of transmitting a signal able to overlap with a signal from the other of the first and second access points, said apparatus comprising:

an arrangement for selecting one of the first and second access points as a primary access point for the client;

an arrangement for sending at least one request, from the primary access point, for a communication window for the client;

an arrangement for establishing a communication window for the primary access point and the client; and

an arrangement for ceasing transmissions, during an established communication window, ceasing from one or more access points capable of transmitting a signal able to overlap with a signal from the primary access point.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said selecting arrangement acts to designate the other of the first and second access points as a secondary access point for the client.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said arrangement for ceasing transmissions acts to cease transmissions to the client from the secondary access point.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an arrangement for prompting the secondary access point to send and receive transmissions to and from a second client.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said arrangement for sending at least one request acts to send repeated requests until the client responds.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each of the first and second access points corresponds to a different 40 MHz channel.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the 40 MHz channels comprise 802.11 channels.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the 40 MHz channels comprise 802.11 channels in a 2.4 GHz spectrum.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the 40 MHz channels comprise 802.11 channels in a 5 GHz spectrum.

19. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the client comprises a laptop computer.

20. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a client;

providing a first access point and a second access point, each of the first and second access points being capable of transmitting a signal able to overlap with a signal from the other of the first and second access points;

selecting one of the first and second access points as a primary access point for the client;

sending at least one request, from the primary access point, for a communication window for the client;

establishing a communication window for the primary access point and the client; and

during the established communication window, ceasing transmissions to the client from one or more access points capable of transmitting a signal able to overlap with a signal from the primary access point.