METHOD FOR RF MANAGEMENT, FREQUENCY REUSE AND INCREASING OVERALL SYSTEM CAPACITY USING NETWORK-DEVICE-TO-NETWORK-DEVICE CHANNEL ESTIMATION AND STANDARD BEAMFORMING TECHNIQUES

• US 20150117324A1
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Aruba Networks Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: PONNUSWAMY, Subburajan
• Granted Patent: US 9,706,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Disclosed is a system, apparatus, and method for RF management using network-device-to-network-device channel estimation and standard beamforming techniques. The exemplary method comprises: obtaining a first information corresponding to a first device that is a target device for transmitting at least one of a plurality of wireless signals by a network device; obtaining a second information corresponding to a second device that is to be avoided by propagation of any wireless signals transmitted by the network device; computing a radiation pattern for transmitting the plurality of wireless signals based at least on the first information associated with the first device and the second information associated with the second device; and transmitting the plurality of wireless signals based on the radiation pattern.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions that, when executed by one or more network devices, cause performance of operations comprising:

obtaining a first information corresponding to a first device that is a target device for transmitting at least one of a plurality of wireless signals by a network device;

obtaining a second information corresponding to a second device that is to be avoided by propagation of any wireless signals transmitted by the network device;

computing a radiation pattern for transmitting the plurality of wireless signals based at least on the first information associated with the first device and the second information associated with the second device; and

transmitting the plurality of wireless signals based on the radiation pattern.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the radiation pattern is generated using a beamforming technique.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein subsequent to transmission, the plurality of wireless signals propagate to the first device at a first received signal strength that is above a first minimum strength and do not propagate to the second device at a signal strength that is above a second minimum strength.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first device is at a first distance away from the network device, wherein the second device is at a second distance away from the network device, and wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the radiation pattern is computed further based on a third information indicating that a third device is also a target device for transmitting at least one of the plurality of wireless signals, wherein the third device is at a third distance away from the network device, and wherein the third distance is greater than the second distance.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein each of the first device, the second device, and the third device is in directions within a same 180-degree angle from the network device, and wherein a direction toward the second device is between a direction toward the first device and a direction toward the third device.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the network device and the second device are both access points.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein obtaining the second information comprises associating as a client device to the second device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein obtaining the second information comprises determining the second information based on wireless signals received by the network device from the second device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein obtaining the second information comprises communicating with the second device while spoofing a third device that is in communication with the second device.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions that, when executed by one or more network devices, cause performance of operations comprising:

obtaining channel state information associated with one or more radio frequency (RF) channels, the channel state information relating to channel states affecting wireless transmissions from a first access point to a second access point;

using the channel state information to compute a radiation pattern for avoiding the second access point; and

transmitting a plurality of wireless signals to at least one client device using the radiation pattern,

wherein transmitting the plurality of wireless signals using the radiation pattern decreases a probability of reception by the second access point.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the radiation pattern is generated using a beamforming technique.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein obtaining the channel state information comprises associating as a client device to the second access point.

14. A wireless network device apparatus comprising:

a transceiver;

a plurality of antennas coupled to the transceiver;

a controller coupled to the transceiver to control the transceiver and the plurality of antennas; and

a memory coupled to the controller, the memory containing instructions which, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to;

obtain a first information corresponding to a first device that is a target device for transmitting at least one of a plurality of wireless signals by the wireless network device,

obtain a second information corresponding to a second device that is to be avoided by propagation of any wireless signals transmitted by the wireless network device,

compute a radiation pattern for transmitting the plurality of wireless signals based at least on the first information associated with the first device and the second information associated with the second device, and

drive the transceiver and the plurality of antennas to transmit the plurality of wireless signals based on the radiation pattern.

15. The wireless network device apparatus of claim 14, wherein the radiation pattern is generated using a beamforming technique.

16. The wireless network device apparatus of claim 14, wherein the wireless network device and the second device are both access points.

17. The wireless network device apparatus of claim 16, wherein obtaining the second information comprises associating as a client device to the second device.

18. The wireless network device apparatus of claim 14, wherein obtaining the second information comprises determining the second information based on wireless signals received by the wireless network device from the second device.

19. A wireless network device apparatus comprising:

a transceiver;

a plurality of antennas coupled to the transceiver;

a controller coupled to the transceiver to control the transceiver and the plurality of antennas; and

a memory coupled to the controller, the memory containing instructions which, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to;

obtain channel state information associated with one or more radio frequency (RF) channels, the channel state information relating to channel states affecting wireless transmissions from the wireless network device to a second access point,

use the channel state information to compute a radiation pattern for avoiding the second access point, and

control the transceiver and the plurality of antennas to transmit a plurality of wireless signals to at least one client device using the radiation pattern,

wherein transmitting the plurality of wireless signals using the radiation pattern decreases a probability of reception by the second access point.

20. The wireless network device apparatus of claim 19, wherein the radiation pattern is generated using a beamforming technique.