METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR NETWORK MANAGEMENT USING PERIODIC MEASUREMENTS OF INDICATORS

• US 20100202315A1
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kwak, Joseph A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,265,051 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A beacon signal used in data communications, such as the IEEE 802.11, is provided with data extensions. The data extensions permit additional information to be provided by the beacon signal, thereby reducing the traffic overhead of the network. The data extensions further permit handoffs and handoffs based on offset values. Periodic beacon requests are made during connection between a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and an access point (AP) on a WLAN. A Measurement Request field corresponding to a beacon request contains a measurement duration value and channel number for which the request applies. The beacon request permits a scan mode which includes “Active Scan” mode, “Passive Scan” mode and “Beacon Table” mode. In Active Scan mode, the measuring station (STA) transmits a probe request with a broadcast SSID. In Passive Scan mode, the measuring STA passively receives on the specified channel and return a beacon report containing one information element for each STA from which it detects a beacon or probe response. In Beacon Table mode, the measuring STA returns a beacon report containing the current contents of its beacon table without performing additional measurements.

Claims

1. A method for use in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising:

receiving a beacon report request comprising a mode field, a measurement duration field, a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) field, a channel number field, and a beacon reporting information field;

on a condition that the beacon report request does not include a reporting condition element, transmitting the beacon report based on a measurement; and

on a condition that the beacon report request includes a reporting condition element representing a transmission condition for a beacon report, transmitting the beacon report in response to satisfaction of the transmission condition.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the reporting condition element is an 8 bit integer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 0, and wherein the method further comprises:

periodically performing a measurement; and

transmitting the beacon report based on each periodically performed measurement.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 1, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the beacon report in response to a measured received channel power indicator (RCPI) value that is above a threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 2, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the beacon report in response to a measured received channel power indicator (RCPI) value that is below a threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 3, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the beacon report in response to a measured signal to noise indicator (SNI) value that is greater than a threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 4, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the beacon report in response to a a measured signal to noise indicator (SNI) value that is below an absolute threshold with hysteresis.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 5, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the beacon report in response to a measured received channel power indicator (RCPI) value that is above a threshold defined by an offset from a RCPI value of a serving access point (AP).

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 6, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the beacon report in response to a measured received channel power indicator (RCPI) value that is below a threshold defined by an offset from an RCPI value of a serving access point (AP).

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 7, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the beacon report in response to a measured signal to noise indicator (SNI) value that is above a threshold defined by an offset from an SNI value of a serving access point (AP).

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 8, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the beacon report in response to a measured signal to noise indicator (SNI) value that is below a threshold defined by an offset from an SNI value of a serving access point (AP).

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 9, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the beacon report periodically in response to a measured received channel power indicator (RCPI) value that is in a range bound by a RCPI value of a serving access point (AP) and an offset reference value.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 10, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the beacon report periodically in response to a measured signal to noise indicator (SNI) value that is in a range bound by a SNI value of a serving access point (AP) and an offset reference value.

14. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a beacon report request that comprises a mode field, a measurement duration field, a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) field, a channel number field, and a beacon reporting information field; and

a transmitter configured to

on a condition that the beacon report request does not include a reporting condition element, transmit a beacon report based on a measurement; and

on a condition that the beacon report request includes a reporting condition element that represents a transmission condition for transmitting the beacon report, transmit the beacon report in response to satisfaction of the transmission condition.

15. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the reporting condition element is an 8 bit integer.

16. The WTRU of claim 14 further comprising:

a measurement unit configured to perform a measurement, wherein the reporting condition element is 0 and the transmitter is further configured to transmit the beacon report based on each measurement.

17. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 1 and the transmitter is further configured to transmit the beacon report in response to a measured received channel power indicator (RCPI) value that is above a threshold.

18. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 2 and the transmitter is further configured to transmit the beacon report in response to a measured received channel power indicator (RCPI) value that is below a threshold.

19. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 3 and the transmitter is further configured to transmit the beacon report on a condition that a measured signal to noise indicator (SNI) value is greater than a threshold.

20. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 4 the transmitter is further configured to transmit and the beacon report in response to a measured signal to noise indicator (SNI) value that is below an absolute threshold with hysteresis.

21. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 5 the transmitter is further configured to transmit and the beacon report in response to a measured received channel power indicator (RCPI) value that is above a threshold defined by an offset from a RCPI value of a serving access point (AP).

22. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 6 and the transmitter is further configured to transmit the beacon report in response to a measured received channel power indicator (RCPI) value that is below a threshold defined by an offset from an RCPI value of the a serving access point (AP).

23. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 7 and the transmitter is further configured to transmit the beacon report in response to a measured signal to noise indicator (SNI) value that is above a threshold defined by an offset from an SNI value of the a serving access point (AP).

24. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 8 and the transmitter is further configured to transmit the beacon report in response to a measured signal to noise indicator (SNI) value that is below a threshold defined by an offset from an SNI value of the a serving access point (AP).

25. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 9 and the transmitter is further configured to transmit the beacon report periodically in response to a measured received channel power indicator (RCPI) value that is in a range bound by a RCPI value of a serving access point (AP) and an offset reference value.

26. The WTRU of claim 14 wherein the reporting condition element has a value of 10 and the transmitter is further configured to transmit the beacon report periodically in response to a measured signal to noise indicator (SNI) value that is in a range bound by a SNI value of a serving access point (AP) and a offset reference value.