Enhanced coverage hole detection in wireless networks

• US 20080032727A1
• Filed: 08/01/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Douglas, Bretton Lee, Stephenson, David Sheldon, Olson, Timothy S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/513
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to identifying coverage holes in wireless networks. According to one implementation of the present invention, the wireless network infrastructure analyzes signal strength data to detect potential coverage holes associated with one or more wireless clients and validates the potential coverage holes based on observed coverage data.

Claims

1. Logic for identifying coverage holes in a wireless network, the logic encoded in one or more media for execution and when executed operable to:

analyze signal strength data of associated wireless client traffic to detect one or more coverage holes associated with respective wireless clients; and

obtain observed radio frequency coverage data of the wireless network, relative to one or more respective wireless clients, in response to detection of one or more potential coverage holes.

2. The logic of claim 1 wherein the logic is operable to validate the one or more potential coverage holes based on the observed radio frequency coverage data.

3. The logic of claim 1 wherein the observed radio frequency coverage data is detected by, and obtained from, the one or more respective wireless clients.

4. The logic of claim 1 wherein, to obtain observed radio frequency coverage data, the logic is operable to request radio frequency coverage data from the one or more wireless clients.

5. The logic of claim 2 wherein, to validate the detection of the one or more potential coverage holes, the logic is operable to compare measured radio frequency coverage data corresponding to one or more wireless access points as detected by the one or more wireless clients.

6. The logic of claim 1 wherein, obtain observed radio frequency coverage data, the logic is operable to request a beacon report from the one or more wireless clients.

7. The logic of claim 6 wherein the logic is operable to validate the accuracy the radio frequency coverage data in the beacon report.

8. The logic of claim 6 wherein the observed radio frequency data coverage comprises one or more of signal-to-noise ratio, signal-to-interference ratio, and signal-to-noise-plus-interference ratio.

9. The logic of claim 6 wherein the logic is operable to determine whether a detected potential coverage holes is a false positive.

10. The logic of claim 6 wherein the logic is operable to locate one or more potential coverage holes.

11. The logic of claim 6 wherein the observed radio frequency data improves accuracy in locating the one or more potential coverage holes.

12. A method for identifying coverage holes in a wireless network, the method comprising:

analyzing signal strength data of associated wireless client traffic to detect one or more coverage holes associated with respective wireless clients; and

obtaining observed radio frequency coverage data of the wireless network in response to detection of one or more potential coverage holes.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising validating the one or more potential coverage holes based on the observed radio frequency coverage data.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the observed coverage data is detected by, and obtained from, the one or more respective wireless clients.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising requesting radio frequency coverage data from the one or more wireless clients.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising comparing measured radio frequency coverage data corresponding to one or more wireless access points as detected by the one or more wireless clients.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising requesting a beacon report from the one or more wireless clients.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising validating the accuracy the radio frequency coverage data in the beacon report.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the observed radio frequency data comprises one or more of signal-to-noise ratio, signal-to-interference ratio, and signal-to-noise-plus-interference ratio.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining whether a detected potential coverage holes is a false positive.

21. The method of claim 12 further comprising locating one or more potential coverage holes.

22. The method of claim 12 wherein the observed radio frequency data improves accuracy in locating the one or more potential coverage holes.

23. A system for identifying coverage holes in a wireless network, the system comprising:

a wireless network infrastructure node operable to analyze signal strength data of associated wireless client traffic to detect one or more coverage holes associated with respective wireless clients, obtain observed radio frequency coverage data of the wireless network in response to a detection of one or more potential coverage holes, and validate the one or more potential coverage holes based on the observed radio frequency coverage data; and

one or more wireless clients operable to detect the observed radio frequency coverage data.