WIRELESS MESH NETWORK AUTO-FORMING IN A MULTI-TENANT ENVIRONMENT

• US 20160100440A1
• Filed: 10/06/2014
• Published: 04/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ADTRAN Incorporated (ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADTRAN Incorporated (ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Guevin, Thomas F., Emord, Jonathan, McIntyre, Sean A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,655,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A wireless mesh access point (AP) determines a candidate set of Basic Service Set Identifiers (BSSIDs) or other unique identifiers by monitoring for detection of a set of wireless communications, each bearing a unique identifier. The AP selects a candidate unique identifier from the candidate set. The AP establishes a wireless communication link with a controller of a wireless mesh network associated with the candidate unique identifier. The AP transmits a request to the controller to join the wireless mesh network associated with the candidate unique identifier. The AP receives a response from the controller indicating either acceptance or rejection of the request. If the response indicates rejection, the AP rejects one or more unique identifiers in the candidate set in response to reason information included in the rejection.

Claims

1. A method for operation of a wireless mesh access point, comprising:

determining a candidate set of unique identifiers by monitoring for detection of a set of one or more wireless communications, each bearing a unique identifier;

selecting a candidate unique identifier from the candidate set;

establishing a wireless communication link with a controller of a wireless mesh network associated with the candidate unique identifier;

transmitting a request to the controller to join the wireless mesh network associated with the candidate unique identifier;

receiving a response from the controller indicating one of an acceptance of the request and a rejection of the request, the rejection of the request including reason information; and

rejecting one or more unique identifiers in the candidate set in response to the reason information included in a rejection of the request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a priority to each unique identifier in the candidate set, wherein the selecting step is performed in response to the priority assigned to each unique identifier in the candidate set.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if a wired communication link exists; and

transmitting the request via the wired communication link before the step of transmitting the request to the controller to join the wireless mesh network associated with the candidate unique identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein rejecting one or more unique identifiers in the candidate set comprises:

rejecting the candidate unique identifier;

determining if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a license to be operated by the controller;

determining if the candidate set includes one or more additional unique identifiers associated with the controller if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a license to be operated by the controller; and

rejecting the one or more additional unique identifiers if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a license to be operated by the controller.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more additional unique identifiers rejected if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a license to be operated by the controller consist of all unique identifiers in the candidate set associated with the controller.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein rejecting one or more unique identifiers in the candidate set comprises:

rejecting the candidate unique identifier;

determining if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a tenant associated with the controller;

determining if the candidate set includes one or more additional unique identifiers associated with the controller if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a tenant associated with the controller; and

rejecting the one or more additional unique identifiers if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a tenant associated with the controller.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more additional unique identifiers rejected if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a tenant associated with the controller consist of all unique identifiers in the candidate set associated with both the controller and the tenant associated with the wireless mesh access point.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more additional unique identifiers rejected if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a tenant associated with the controller consist of all unique identifiers in the candidate set associated with another controller.

9. A wireless mesh access point, comprising:

a radio interface configured to provide wireless communication; and

a processing system comprising a processor and memory, the processing system configured to include;

candidate set determination logic configured to determine a candidate set of unique identifiers by monitoring for detection of a set of one or more wireless communications, each bearing a unique identifier;

candidate selection logic configured to select a candidate unique identifier from the candidate set;

uplink logic configured to establish a wireless communication link with a controller of a wireless mesh network associated with the candidate unique identifier;

request logic configured to transmit a request to the controller to join the wireless mesh network associated with the candidate unique identifier;

response logic configured to receive a response from the controller indicating one of an acceptance of the request and a rejection of the request, the rejection of the request including reason information; and

candidate rejection logic configured to reject one or more unique identifiers in the candidate set in response to the reason information included in a rejection of the request.

10. The wireless mesh access point of claim 9, wherein the processing system is further configured to include prioritization logic configured to assign a priority to each unique identifier in the candidate set, wherein the candidate selection logic operates in response to the priority assigned to each unique identifier in the candidate set.

11. The wireless mesh access point of claim 9, wherein the processing system is further configured to include wired link logic configured to determine if a wired communication link exists and to transmit the request via the wired communication link.

12. The wireless mesh access point of claim 9, wherein the candidate rejection logic is configured to reject the candidate unique identifier and further comprises candidate set thinning logic configured to determine if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a license to be operated by the controller, to determine if the candidate set includes one or more additional unique identifiers associated with the controller if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a license to be operated by the controller, and to reject the one or more additional unique identifiers if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a license to be operated by the controller.

13. The wireless mesh access point of claim 12, wherein the one or more additional unique identifiers rejected if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a license to be operated by the controller consist of all unique identifiers in the candidate set associated with the controller.

14. The wireless mesh access point of claim 9, wherein the candidate rejection logic is configured to reject the candidate unique identifier and further comprises candidate set thinning logic configured to determine if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a tenant associated with the controller, to determine if the candidate set includes one or more additional unique identifiers associated with the controller if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a tenant associate with the controller, and to reject the one or more additional unique identifiers if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a tenant associated with the controller.

15. The wireless mesh access point of claim 14, wherein the one or more additional unique identifiers rejected if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a tenant associated with the controller consist of all unique identifiers in the candidate set associated with both the controller and the tenant associated with the wireless mesh access point.

16. The wireless mesh access point of claim 14, wherein the one or more additional unique identifiers rejected if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a tenant associated with the controller consist of all unique identifiers in the candidate set associated with another controller.

17. A computer program product for operating a wireless mesh access point, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon in non-transitory computer-readable form instructions that when executed by a processing system of the wireless mesh access point causes the wireless mesh access point to effectuate a method comprising:

determining a candidate set of unique identifiers by monitoring for detection of a set of one or more wireless communications, each bearing a unique identifier;

selecting a candidate unique identifier from the candidate set;

establishing a wireless communication link with a controller of a wireless mesh network associated with the candidate unique identifier;

transmitting a request to the controller to join the wireless mesh network associated with the candidate unique identifier;

receiving a response from the controller indicating one of an acceptance of the request and a rejection of the request, the rejection of the request including reason information; and

rejecting one or more unique identifiers in the candidate set in response to the reason information included in a rejection of the request.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising instructions that when executed by the processing system cause the wireless mesh access point to effectuate the method further comprising assigning a priority to each unique identifier in the candidate set, wherein the selecting step is performed in response to the priority assigned to each unique identifier in the candidate set.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein rejecting one or more unique identifiers in the candidate set comprises:

rejecting the candidate unique identifier;

determining if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a license to be operated by the controller;

determining if the candidate set includes one or more additional unique identifiers associated with the controller if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a license to be operated by the controller; and

rejecting the one or more additional unique identifiers if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a license to be operated by the controller.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein rejecting one or more unique identifiers in the candidate set comprises:

rejecting the candidate unique identifier;

determining if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a tenant associated with the controller;

determining if the candidate set includes one or more additional unique identifiers associated with the controller if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a tenant associate with the controller; and

rejecting the one or more additional unique identifiers if the reason information indicates the wireless mesh access point is not associated with a tenant associated with the controller.