Wireless access point service coverage area management

• US 20080225814A1
• Filed: 05/27/2008
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thermond, Jeffrey L., Martin, Richard G., Palm, Stephen, Abramowitz, Jeff
• Granted Patent: US 7,948,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/021 adapted for Wireless Local Loop operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A Wireless Access Point (WAP) of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) infrastructure includes a processor, a radio and a directional antenna. The radio supports communications with a first plurality of wireless terminals and listens to, but does not participate in transmissions of at least some of a second plurality of wireless terminals to collect non-participatory WAP data. Based upon the non-participatory WAP data, the processor creates WAP operational reports and provides the WAPs operational reports to the WLAN. The WLAN creates directions based thereon and directs the WAP to alter the gain pattern of the directional antenna.

Claims

1. A Wireless Access Point (WAP) within a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) infrastructure that services a plurality of wireless terminals, the WAP comprising:

a processor;

a first radio communicatively coupled to the processor that supports communications with the plurality of wireless terminals;

a directional antenna coupled to the first radio having an antenna gain pattern that is controlled by the processor;

a second radio communicatively coupled to the processor that listens to, but does not participate in transmissions of at least some of the plurality of wireless terminals, gathers non-participatory WAP data, and provides the non-participatory WAP data to the processor;

an antenna coupled to the second radio;

wherein, the processor receives the non-participatory WAP data from the second radio, creates WAP operational reports based there upon, and provides the WAP operational reports to the WLAN; and

wherein, based upon directions received from the WLAN in response to the WAP operational reports, the processor alters the gain pattern of the directional antenna.

2. The WAP of claim 1, wherein based upon the directions, the processor also alters the transmission power of the first radio.

3. The WAP of claim 1, wherein based upon the directions, the processor also alters the channels of operation of the first radio.

4. The WAP of claim 3, wherein in altering the channels of operation of the first radio, the processor directs the first radio to operate on a reserved set of channels.

5. The WAP of claim 4, wherein the first radio supports communications with a WLAN telephone on the reserved set of channels.

6. The WAP of claim 3, wherein in altering the channels of operation of the first radio, the processor directs the first radio to operate on one of a plurality of sets of available channels.

7. The WAP of claim 1, wherein the WAP operational reports further include participatory WAP data received by the processor from the first radio.

8. The WAP of claim 7, wherein participatory WAP data is selected from the group consisting of received carrier signal strength, carrier to interference ratio, bit error rate, dropped link occurrences, and channel utilization.

9. The WAP of claim 1, wherein the non-participatory WAP data provided by the second radio is selected from the group consisting of received carrier signal strength, carrier to interference ratio, and channel utilizations.

10. A Wireless Access Point (WAP) within a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) infrastructure that services a plurality of wireless terminals, the WAP comprising:

a processor;

a radio communicatively coupled to the processor that supports communications with a first plurality of wireless terminals;

a directional antenna coupled to the radio having an antenna gain pattern that is controlled by the processor;

wherein when the radio is idle with respect to the first plurality of wireless terminals, the radio listens to, but does not participate in transmissions of at least some of a second plurality of wireless terminals, gathers non-participatory WAP data, and provides the non-participatory WAP data to the processor;

wherein, the processor receives the non-participatory WAP data from the radio, creates WAP operational reports based there upon, and provides the WAP operational reports to the WLAN; and

wherein, based upon directions received from the WLAN in response to the WAP operational reports, the processor alters the gain pattern of the directional antenna.

11. The WAP of claim 10, wherein based upon the directions, the processor also alters the transmission power of the radio.

12. The WAP of claim 10, wherein based upon the directions, the processor also alters the channels of operation of the radio.

13. The WAP of claim 12, wherein in altering the channels of operation of the radio, the processor directs the radio to operate on a reserved set of channels.

14. The WAP of claim 13, wherein the radio supports communications with a WLAN telephone on the reserved set of channels.

15. The WAP of claim 13, wherein in altering the channels of operation of the radio, the processor directs the radio to operate on one of a plurality of sets of available channels.

16. The WAP of claim 10 wherein the WAP operational reports further include participatory WAP data received by the processor from the radio.

17. The WAP of claim 16, wherein participatory WAP data is selected from the group consisting of received carrier signal strength, carrier to interference ratio, bit error rate, dropped link occurrences, and channel utilization.

18. The WAP of claim 10, wherein the non-participatory WAP data is selected from the group consisting of received carrier signal strength, carrier to interference ratio, and channel utilizations.