TECHNIQUES FOR WIRELESS DEPLOYMENT

• US 20110116452A1
• Filed: 01/25/2011
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guest-tek Interactive Entertainment Ltd.
• Original Assignee: iBAHN General Holdings Corporation (Guest-tek Interactive Entertainment Ltd.)
• Inventors: Drews, Michael David, Midani, Wael R., Smith, Gary L., Welch, John Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,855,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A variety of techniques are described in which wireless access points or base stations are deployed in wireless networks to achieve geographic isolation, i.e., distinct zones of operation having well-defined geographic boundaries, and increased overall capacity in an area having a high population of access and client devices.

Claims

1. A wireless network, comprising a plurality of access devices for enabling wireless access to the network by a plurality of client devices, first ones of the access devices being configured to transmit and receive signals having a first polarization, and second ones of the access devices being configured to transmit and receive signals having a second polarization different from the first, wherein the first and second access devices are deployed to mitigate friendly interference among the access devices.

2. The wireless network of claim 1 wherein the first polarization comprises a clockwise circular polarization and the second polarization comprises a counter-clockwise circular polarization.

3. The wireless network of claim 1 wherein the first and second access devices are deployed to provide a high-noise environment for the client devices such that the client devices tends to migrate to a nearest one of the first and second access devices.

4. The wireless network of claim 1 wherein a particular one of the access devices is configured to inhibit association of the client devices with the particular access device at data rates below a predetermined data rate, thereby creating a zone of operation outside of which the client devices are unlikely to associate with the particular access device.

5. The wireless network of claim 4 wherein each of the access devices is configured to transmit probes to the client devices and to receive responses from the client devices corresponding to the probes, the particular access device further being configured to inhibit association of the client devices with the particular access device where receipt of the responses occurs more than a predetermined time period after transmission of the corresponding probes.

6. The wireless network of claim 4 wherein the particular access device is further configured to determine distances from the particular access device to the client devices with reference to time periods associated with the probes and the corresponding responses.

7. The wireless network of claim 6 wherein the particular access device is further configured to inhibit association of selected ones of the client devices with the particular access device where the distances associated with the selected client devices are greater than a predetermined distance.

8. The wireless network of claim 6 wherein a first one of the distances is from the particular access device to a first one of the client devices, and wherein additional ones of the access devices are configured to determine second and third distances from respective ones of the additional access devices to the first client device, the wireless network further comprising a first process operating in the network which is operable to determine a position of the first client device with reference to the first, second, and third distances, and wherein the first process is further operable to facilitate association of the first client device with one of the access devices with reference to the position of the first client device.

9. The wireless network of claim 1 wherein each of the access devices is configured to transmit probes to the client devices and to receive responses from the client devices corresponding to the probes, a particular one of the access devices being configured to inhibit association of the client devices with the particular access device where receipt of the responses occurs more than a predetermined time period after transmission of the corresponding probes, thereby creating a zone of operation outside of which the client devices are unlikely to associate with the particular access device.

10. The wireless network of claim 9 wherein the particular access device is further configured to determine distances from the particular access device to the client devices with reference to time periods associated with the probes and the corresponding responses.

11. The wireless network of claim 10 wherein the particular access device is further configured to inhibit association of selected ones of the client devices with the particular access device where the distances associated with the selected client devices are greater than a predetermined distance.

12. The wireless network of claim 10 wherein a first one of the distances is from the particular access device to a first one of the client devices, and wherein additional ones of the access devices are configured to determine second and third distances from respective ones of the additional access devices to the first client device, the wireless network further comprising a first process operating in the network which is operable to determine a position of the first client device with reference to the first, second, and third distances, and wherein the first process is further operable to facilitate association of the first client device with one of the access devices with reference to the position of the first client device.

13. The wireless network of claim 1 wherein each of the access devices is configured to transmit probes to the client devices and to receive responses from the client devices corresponding to the probes, a particular one of the access devices being configured to determine distances from the particular access device to the client devices with reference to time periods associated with the probes and the corresponding responses.

14. The wireless network of claim 13 wherein the particular access device is further configured to inhibit association of selected ones of the client devices with the particular access device where the distances associated with the selected client devices are greater than a predetermined distance, thereby creating a zone of operation outside of which the client devices are unlikely to associate with the particular access device.

15. The wireless network of claim 13 wherein a first one of the distances is from the particular access device to a first one of the client devices, and wherein additional ones of the access devices are configured to determine second and third distances from respective ones of the additional access devices to the first client device, the wireless network further comprising a first process operating in the network which is configured to determine a position of the first client device with reference to the first, second, and third distances, and wherein the first process is further operable to facilitate association of the first client device with one of the access devices with reference to the position of the first client device.

16. The wireless network of claim 1 wherein a particular one of the access devices is configured to facilitate association of the client devices with the particular access device by broadcasting a first set of service set identifiers, the particular access device further being configured to facilitate association of selected ones of the client devices in response to transmissions from the selected client devices identifying additional service set identifiers not included in the first set of service set identifiers.

17. The wireless network of claim 16 wherein the particular access device is further configured to inhibit association of the client devices with the particular access device at data rates below a predetermined data rate, thereby creating a zone of operation outside of which the client devices are unlikely to associate with the particular access device.

18. The wireless network of claim 17 wherein each of the access devices is configured to transmit probes to the client devices and to receive responses from the client devices corresponding to the probes, the particular access device further being configured to inhibit association of the client devices with the particular access device where receipt of the responses occurs more than a predetermined time period after transmission of the corresponding probes.

19. The wireless network of claim 16 wherein each of the access devices is configured to transmit probes to the client devices and to receive responses from the client devices corresponding to the probes, the particular access device further being configured to inhibit association of the client devices with the first access device where receipt of the responses occurs more than a predetermined time period after transmission of the corresponding probes, thereby creating a zone of operation outside of which the client devices are unlikely to associate with the particular access device.

20. The wireless network of claim 16 wherein each of the access devices is configured to transmit probes to the client devices and to receive responses from the client devices corresponding to the probes, the particular access device further being configured to determine distances from the particular access device to the client devices with reference to time periods associated with the probes and the corresponding responses, a first one of the distances being from the first access device to a first one of the client devices, and wherein additional ones of the access devices are configured to determine second and third distances from respective ones of the additional devices to the first client device, the wireless network further comprising a first process operating in the network which is operable to determine a position of the first client device with reference to the first, second, and third distances, and wherein the first process is further operable to facilitate association of the first client device with one of the access devices with reference to the position of the first client device.