System and method for selecting an access point

• US 20080049649A1
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC A Delaware Limited Liability Company
• Inventors: Morrill, Robert J., Coppage, Carl M., Kozisek, Steven E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,940,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/3065 for real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point

Abstract

A system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network including a first wireless router in communication with the wireless device for transmitting and receiving RF signals between said first wireless router and the wireless device; a second wireless router in communication with the wireless device for transmitting and receiving RF signals between the first wireless router and the wireless device; a packet network switch in communication with the first and second wireless routers for routing the data packets between the first and second wireless routers and the packet network switch; and a network management device in communication with the packet network switch for instructing the packet network switch to route the data packets to one of the first and second wireless routers based on the network performance information to provide an access point for the wireless device.

Claims

1. A system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network comprising:

a first wireless router in communication with said wireless device for transmitting and receiving RF signals between said first wireless router and said wireless device, said first wireless router configured to;

determine network performance information of said wireless network;

concatenate said network performance information into data packets;

a second wireless router in communication with said wireless device for transmitting and receiving RF signals between said first wireless router and said wireless device, said second wireless router configured to;

determine said network performance information of said wireless network;

concatenate said network performance information into said data packets;

a packet network switch in communication with said first and second wireless routers for routing said data packets between said first and second wireless routers and said packet network switch; and

a network management device in communication with said packet network switch for instructing said packet network switch to route said data packets to one of said first and second wireless routers based on said network performance information to provide an access point for said wireless device.

2. The system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 1 wherein said network management device further comprises:

an input/output (I/O) unit configured to communicate with said data packets over said network;

a memory unit configured to store said network performance information indicative of bandwidth of said data packets including real-time content and total data packets communicated over said network by one of said first and second wireless routers.

3. The system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 1 wherein said network performance information is contained in IEEE standard 802.1AG data packets.

4. The system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second wireless router includes at least one module configured to:

count the total of said data packets being communicated via said one of said first and second wireless router during a time period;

count said data packets including real-time content being communicated via said one of said first and second wireless router during said time period;

determine bandwidth of said data packets being communicated via said one of said first and second wireless router; and

determine bandwidth of said data packets including real-time content being communicated via said one of said first and second wireless router.

5. The system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 1 wherein said network management device is configured to:

determine whether at least one network performance information value of one of said first and second wireless router exceeds a predetermined threshold value;

communicate a switching instruction to said packet network switch to switch a flow of said data packets from one of said first and second wireless router to the other of said first and second wireless router.

6. The system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 1 wherein said network management device is configured to communicate a request for network performance data to each of said first and second wireless router located on the packet network requesting said network performance information concatenated in said data packets at said respective first and second wireless router.

7. The system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 1 wherein said network management device is configured to communicate a request to said wireless device to switch communication from one of said first and second wireless router to the other of said first and second wireless router.

8. The system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 1, wherein one of said network management device includes a ITU-T Y.1731 module configured to separately count total data packets and data packets including real-time content.

9. The system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 1 wherein said wireless device further comprises:

a user interface selection presented to a user for initiating said packet network switch to route said data packets to the other of said first and second wireless routers.

10. A method for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network comprising:

providing a first RF signal link between a first wireless router and said wireless device and a second RF signal link between a second wireless router and said wireless device;

determining network performance information between said first and second wireless router and a packet network switch;

concatenating said network performance information into data packets;

providing a connection between said first and second wireless router and a packet network switch for communicating said data packets between said first and second wireless router and said packet network switch;

transmitting said data packets from said packet network switch to a network management device in communication with said packet network switch; and

instructing said packet network switch to provide one of said first and second RF signal links based on said network performance information to provide an as access point for said wireless device.

11. The method for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 10 further comprising:

storing said network performance information indicative of bandwidth of said data packets including real-time content and total data packets communicated over said network by one of said first and second wireless routers.

12. The method for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 10 wherein said network performance information is contained in IEEE standard 802.1AG data packets.

13. The method for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 10 further comprising:

counting the total of said data packets being communicated via said one of said first and second wireless router during a time period;

counting said data packets including real-time content being communicated via said one of said first and second wireless router during said time period;

determining bandwidth of said data packets being communicated via said one of said first and second wireless router; and

determining bandwidth of said data packets including real-time content being communicated via said one of said first and second wireless router.

14. The method for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 10 further comprising:

determining whether at least one network performance information value of one of said first and second wireless router exceeds a predetermined threshold value;

communicating a switching instruction to said packet network switch to switch a flow of said data packets from one of said first and second wireless router to the other of said first and second wireless router.

15. The method for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 10 further comprising:

communicating via said network management device a request for network performance data to each of said first and second wireless router located on the packet network requesting said network performance information concatenated in said data packets at said respective first and second wireless router.

16. The method for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 10 further comprising:

communicating via said network management device a request to said wireless device to switch communication from one of said first and second wireless router to the other of said first and second wireless router.

17. The method for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 10, wherein one of said network management device includes a ITU-T Y.1731 module configured to separately count total data packets and data packets including real-time content.

18. The method for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 10 wherein said wireless device further comprises:

initiating said packet network switch to route said data packets to the other of said first and second wireless routers by a user interface selection presented to a user.

19. A system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network comprising:

means for providing a first RF signal link between a first wireless router and said wireless device and a second RF signal link between a second wireless router and said wireless device;

means for determining network performance information between said first and second wireless router and a packet network switch;

means for concatenating said network performance information into data packets;

means for providing a connection between said first and second wireless router and a packet network switch for communicating said data packets between said first and second wireless router and said packet network switch;

means for transmitting said data packets from said packet network switch to a network management device in communication with said packet network switch; and

means instructing said packet network switch to provide one of said first and second RF signal links based on said network performance information to provide an as access point for said wireless device.

20. The system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 19 further comprising:

means for storing said network performance information indicative of bandwidth of said data packets including real-time content and total data packets communicated over said network by one of said first and second wireless routers.

21. The system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 19 wherein said network performance information is contained in IEEE standard 802.1AG data packets.

22. The system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 19 further comprising:

means for counting the total of said data packets being communicated via said one of said first and second wireless router during a time period;

means for counting said data packets including real-time content being communicated via said one of said first and second wireless router during said time period;

means for determining bandwidth of said data packets being communicated via said one of said first and second wireless router; and

means for determining bandwidth of said data packets including real-time content being communicated via said one of said first and second wireless router.

23. The system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 19 further comprising:

means for determining whether at least one network performance information value of one of said first and second wireless router exceeds a predetermined threshold value;

means for communicating a switching instruction to said packet network switch to switch a flow of said data packets from one of said first and second wireless router to the other of said first and second wireless router.

24. The system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 19 further comprising:

means for communicating via said network management device a request for network performance data to each of said first and second wireless router located on the packet network requesting said network performance information concatenated in said data packets at said respective first and second wireless router.

25. The system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 19 further comprising:

means for communicating via said network management device a request to said wireless device to switch communication from one of said first and second wireless router to the other of said first and second wireless router.

26. The system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 19, wherein one of said network management device includes a ITU-T Y.1731 module configured to separately count total data packets and data packets including real-time content.

27. The system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network of claim 19 wherein said wireless device further comprises:

a user interface selection presented to a user for initiating said packet network switch to route said data packets to the other of said first and second wireless routers.