Wireless roaming with QoS and dynamic call capacity management

• US 20080068991A1
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Aruba Networks Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Ponauswamy, Subbu
• Granted Patent: US 8,625,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for assistance in roaming and call capacity comprises the transmission of a first message to obtain information regarding access point capacity prior to transmitting a data flow. The first message identifies the priority level of the data flow and a requested medium time for the data flow. Thereafter, an access point transmits a second message that identifies whether the requested medium time is available for the data flow. This may involve setting of a “zero” value in the medium time allowed if there are no resources available or a reduced medium time if limited resources are offered to the requesting wireless device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

prior to transmitting a data flow, transmitting a first message identifying a priority level of the data flow and a requested medium time for the data flow; and

receiving a second message identifying whether the requested medium time is available for the data flow.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a wireless device transmits the first message to and receives the second message from an access point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is a PROBE REQUEST message that comprises an information element including (i) an Element Identifier, (ii) a Length field and (iii) at least one Quality of Service (QoS) field associated with the data flow, the QoS field including a first sub-field identifying the priority level of the data flow and a second sub-field identifying the requested medium time of the data flow.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second message is a PROBE RESPONSE message that comprises an information element including a QoS field having a sub-field identifying a medium time available for the data flow.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the medium time identified by the PROBE RESPONSE message is set to zero if an access point transmitting the PROBE RESPONSE message has insufficient resources for providing the requested medium time.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the medium time identified by the PROBE RESPONSE message is set to a non-zero value that translates into a time less than the requested medium time when an access point transmitting the PROBE RESPONSE message has insufficient resources for providing the requested medium time.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a third message from the access point to reduce Quality of Service (QoS) characteristics for data flows from the wireless device that is already associated with the access point.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless device is not associated with the access point.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the first message is transmitted either prior to or during association with the access point.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a Voice-over-IP telephone transmits the first message, and where Call Admission Control is enabled, configuration limits may be taken into account in responding to the first message.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a first message by an access point, the first message identifying a priority level of a potential incoming data flow and a requested medium time for the data flow; and

transmitting a second message identifying whether the requested medium time is available for handling the data flow.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first message is a PROBE REQUEST message that comprises an information element including (i) an Element Identifier, (ii) a Length field and (iii) at least one Quality of Service (QoS) field associated with the data flow, the QoS field including a first sub-field identifying a priority level of the data flow and a second sub-field identifying the requested medium time of the data flow.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second message is a PROBE RESPONSE message that comprises an information element including a QoS field having a sub-field identifying a medium time offered by the access point.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the medium time identified by the PROBE RESPONSE message is set to zero if the access point is unable to provide the requested medium time.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the information element of the second message further comprises a sub-field to contain a status code to identify a reason for an acceptance or denial of the requested medium time.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the medium time identified by the PROBE RESPONSE message is set to a non-zero value that translates into a time less than the requested medium time when the access point transmitting the PROBE RESPONSE message is able to provide a portion of the requested medium time.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the first message is a message formatted as a frame according to an Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) wireless standard.

18. A system comprising:

a wireless device with data for transmission as a data flow over a wireless medium, the wireless device to transmit a first message identifying a requested medium time for the data flow; and

an access point to receive the first message and to transmit a second message in response to the first message, the second message identifying whether the requested medium time is available for the data flow without reserving the medium for the wireless device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the wireless device is associated with the access point.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the wireless device to transmit the first message that comprises an information element including (i) an Element Identifier, (ii) a Length field to identify the length of the information element and (iii) at least one Quality of Service (QoS) field associated with the data flow, the QoS field including a first sub-field identifying a priority level of the data flow and a second sub-field identifying the requested medium time of the data flow.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the access point to transmit the second message that comprises an information element including a QoS field having a sub-field identifying a medium time available for the data flow.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the access point to transmit the second message with the sub-field of the QoS field set to zero if the access point has insufficient resources for providing the requested medium time.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the access point to transmit a third message to reduce Quality of Service (QoS) characteristics for data flows from the wireless device associated with the access point.