Method and System for Selecting from a Set of Candidate Frequency Bands Associated with a Wireless Access Point

• US 20130029606A1
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Feng, Wolter, David R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,918,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/00 Monitoring; Testing of line transmission systems H04B3/46; arrangements for monitoring or testing transmission systems employing electromagnetic waves other than radio waves H04B10/07
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/327 Received signal code power [RSCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/30 Special cell shapes, e.g. doughnuts or ring cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A particular method includes identifying, at a wireless access point, a client device in communication with the wireless access point. The client device is identified based on a signal quality indicator associated with the client device. The wireless access point is operable to communicate with the client device by transmitting a signal over a channel within at least one of a plurality of frequency bands. The method further includes selecting a set of candidate frequency bands from the plurality of frequency bands, where the set of candidate frequency bands is associated with the client device. Each candidate frequency band in the set of candidate frequency bands supports a power level of the signal that satisfies a signal quality threshold associated with the client device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, at a wireless access point, a client device in communication with the wireless access point based on a signal quality indicator associated with the client device, wherein the wireless access point is operable to communicate with the client device by transmitting a signal over a channel within at least one of a plurality of frequency bands; and

selecting a set of candidate frequency bands from the plurality of frequency bands, the set of candidate frequency bands associated with the identified client device, wherein each candidate frequency band in the set of candidate frequency bands supports a power level of the signal that satisfies a signal quality threshold associated with the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing communication with the client device via a channel associated with a frequency band selected from the set of candidate frequency bands.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a channel change indication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a first set of channels is assigned to the set of candidate frequency bands and a second set of channels is assigned to frequency bands that are not candidate frequency bands.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising selecting a particular channel to establish communication with the client device, wherein selecting the particular channel is limited to selection of those channels in the first set of channels.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein each channel in the second set of channels is unavailable.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a frequency band supporting a highest available maximum power of the plurality of frequency bands to establish communication with a plurality of client devices prior to selecting the set of candidate frequency bands, wherein each frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands is associated with at least one particular channel.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of client devices is associated with a corresponding signal quality, and wherein the client device is identified in response to determining that the client device is associated with a lowest signal quality as compared to the signal quality of the other client devices.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of frequency bands includes an unlicensed national information infrastructure sub-band 1, an unlicensed national information infrastructure sub-band 2, an unlicensed national information infrastructure sub-band 3, an unlicensed national information infrastructure sub-band worldwide, an industrial, scientific and medical band, a public safety band, or any combination thereof

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of candidate frequency bands is selected in response to a power-up of the wireless access point, a protected set-up at the wireless access point, detection of a new client device, a determination that a client device is no longer in communication with the wireless access point, or an expiration of a timer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a signal quality of a signal received at the client device or at the wireless access point is compared to the signal quality threshold.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless access point and the client device are each compliant with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.11b/g/a standard, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.11n standard, or an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.11ac standard.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device comprises a laptop computer, a set-top box, a personal computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a customer premise equipment device, a multimedia device, a game console, a mobile phone, or any combination thereof

14. A wireless access point comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to;

identify a client device in communication with the wireless access point based on a signal quality indicator associated with the client device, wherein the wireless access point is operable to communicate with the client device by transmitting a signal over a channel within at least one of a plurality of frequency bands; and

select a set of candidate frequency bands from the plurality of frequency bands, the set of candidate frequency bands associated with the identified client device, wherein each candidate frequency band in the set of candidate frequency bands supports a power level of the signal that satisfies a signal quality threshold associated with the client device.

15. The wireless access point of claim 14, wherein the memory further stores instructions executable by the processor to:

receive a data stream via a network; and

process the data stream to extract voice data, video data, network data, or any combination thereof

16. The wireless access point of claim 14, wherein the processor and the memory are integrated into a router.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

identify, at a wireless access point, a client device in communication with the wireless access point based on a signal quality indicator associated with the client device, wherein the wireless access point is operable to communicate with the client device by transmitting a signal over a channel within at least one of the plurality of frequency bands; and

select a set of candidate frequency bands from the plurality of frequency bands, the set of candidate frequency bands associated with the client device, wherein each candidate frequency band in the set of candidate frequency bands supports a power level of the signal that satisfies a signal quality threshold associated with the client device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

generate a channel change indication; and

in response to the channel change indication, cease communication with the client device via a first channel and establish communication with the client device via a second channel, the second channel associated with a frequency band selected from the set of candidate frequency bands.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to select a frequency band supporting a highest available maximum power of the plurality of frequency bands to establish communication with a plurality of client devices prior to selecting the set of candidate frequency bands.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the wireless access point receives the signal quality indicator from the client device.