METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR WiFi QUALITY ESTIMATION BASED ON BASIC SERVICE SET LOAD AND WIDE AREA NETWORK METRICS

• US 20150103812A1
• Filed: 01/13/2014
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Kuo-Chun, Veerepalli, Sivaramakrishna, Meylan, Arnaud, Craig, David William, Sundararajan, Jay Kumar, Giaretta, Gerardo, Nagarajan, Vinod, Hua, Sha, Goel, Satashu, Zhao, Can, Krishnaswamy, Tiruvaiyaru Kothandaraman, Pendharkar, Niranjan Ramesh, Rebman, Thomas Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 9,369,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for determining a quality estimation of a wireless network that may be used to determine whether a particular wireless network meets one or more criteria for association with a station. The quality estimation may be based on a load quality of a basic service set (BSS) of an available wireless network and/or one or more wide area network (WAN) metrics associated with the wireless network. A station may evaluate such load quality and WAN metrics prior to association, and/or after association with a wireless network.

Claims

1. A method for determining a quality estimation of a wireless network, comprising:

determining a load quality of a basic service set (BSS) of an available wireless network;

determining one or more wide area network (WAN) metrics associated with the wireless network; and

storing an indicator for the wireless network when it is determined that one or more of the load quality of the BSS or the one or more WAN metrics associated with the wireless network satisfy a threshold, the indicator being stored for future use in determining whether the wireless network is acceptable for association.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

blacklisting the wireless network when it is determined that either the load quality of the BSS or the one or more WAN metrics associated with the wireless network fail to satisfy the threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the indicator for the wireless network comprises:

determining that a combination of the load quality of the BSS and the one or more WAN metrics satisfy the threshold; and

storing the indicator for the wireless network when it is determined that the combination satisfies the threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the load quality of the BSS comprises:

identifying a number of devices associated with the BSS of the wireless network;

determining a channel utilization of the wireless network, the channel utilization based at least in part on the identified number of devices; and

determining an available channel capacity of the wireless network, the available channel capacity based at least in part on a combination of the identified number of devices associated with the BSS and the determined channel utilization of the wireless network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the number of devices associated with the BSS of the wireless network comprises:

receiving one or more beacon frames comprising a number of devices currently associated with the BSS.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the number of devices currently associated with the BSS is represented in the one or more beacon frames as a ratio of a number of active devices to a total number of devices associated with the BSS.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing an initial link status check (LSC) for the wireless network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein performing the initial LSC comprises:

blacklisting the wireless network when a link status is determined to be down and a trust value associated with this determination satisfies a second threshold; and

classifying the wireless network as acceptable when a link status is determined to be up and a trust value associated with this determination satisfies the second threshold.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

disabling a periodic LSC when a trust value associated with a determined link status fails to satisfy a second threshold.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing an initial backhaul capacity check (BCC) for the wireless network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein performing the initial BCC comprises:

disabling a periodic BCC when a trust value associated with a determined link speed of the wireless network fails to satisfy a third threshold or a trust value associated with a determined link load of the wireless network fails to satisfy a fourth threshold.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein performing the initial BCC comprises:

classifying the wireless network as acceptable when a combination of a link speed and a link load of the wireless network satisfies a BCC threshold.

13. An apparatus for determining a quality estimation of a wireless network, comprising:

means for determining a load quality of a basic service set (BSS) of an available wireless network;

means for determining one or more wide area network (WAN) metrics associated with the wireless network; and

means for storing an indicator for the wireless network when it is determined that one or more of the load quality of the BSS or the one or more WAN metrics associated with the wireless network satisfy a threshold, the indicator being stored for future use in determining whether the wireless network is acceptable for association.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for blacklisting the wireless network when it is determined that either the load quality of the BSS or the one or more WAN metrics associated with the wireless network fail to satisfy the threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the load quality of the BSS and the one or more WAN metrics are determined prior to association with the wireless network.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for storing the indicator for the wireless network determines that a combination of the load quality of the BSS and the one or more WAN metrics satisfy the threshold, and stores the indicator for the wireless network when it is determined that the combination satisfies the threshold.

17. A device for determining a quality estimation of a wireless network, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in electronic communication with the processor, the memory embodying instructions executable by the processor to;

determine a load quality of a basic service set (BSS) of an available wireless network;

determine one or more wide area network (WAN) metrics associated with the wireless network; and

store an indicator for the wireless network when it is determined that one or more of the load quality of the BSS or the one or more WAN metrics associated with the wireless network satisfy a threshold, the indicator being stored for future use in determining whether the wireless network is acceptable for association.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

blacklist the wireless network when it is determined that either the load quality of the BSS or the one or more WAN metrics associated with the wireless network fail to satisfy the threshold.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the load quality of the BSS and the one or more WAN metrics are determined prior to association with the wireless network.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to determine that a combination of the load quality of the BSS and the one or more WAN metrics satisfy the threshold, and store the indicator for the wireless network when it is determined that the combination satisfies the threshold.

21. A method for determining a quality estimation of a wireless network, comprising:

associating with a wireless network;

periodically determining a load quality of a basic service set (BSS) of an available wireless network;

periodically determining one or more wide area network (WAN) metrics associated with the wireless network; and

maintaining the association with the wireless network when it is determined that a combination of the load quality of the BSS and the one or more WAN metrics satisfy a threshold.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

discontinuing use of the wireless network when it is determined that the combination of the load quality of the BSS and the one or more WAN metrics associated with the wireless network fail to satisfy the threshold.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

accessing a previously stored indicator of the wireless network, the indicator indicating the wireless network is an acceptable wireless network.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining a channel utilization of the associated wireless network.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

initializing a timer when it is determined that the channel utilization satisfies a channel utilization threshold; and

terminating the timer when it is determined that the channel utilization fails to satisfy the channel utilization threshold.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

classifying a BSS load quality (BLQ) of the associated wireless network as unacceptable when the channel utilization satisfies the channel utilization threshold and the timer has expired.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

performing a periodic link status check (LSC) for the associated wireless network.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein performing the periodic LSC comprises:

blacklisting the associated wireless network when a link status of the wireless network is determined to be down; and

classifying the associated wireless network as acceptable when the link status of the wireless network is determined to be up.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

performing a periodic backhaul capacity check (BCC) for the associated wireless network.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein performing the periodic BCC comprises:

classifying the wireless network as acceptable when a combination of a link speed and a link load of the wireless network satisfies a BCC threshold.