APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR WIRELESS NETWORK EXTENSIBILITY AND ENHANCEMENT

• US 20170164416A1
• Filed: 12/04/2015
• Published: 06/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yeddala, Kiran, Gunasekara, Don
• Granted Patent: US 10,327,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/03 Reselecting a link using a direct mode connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for extending and enhancing wireless networks. An exemplary wireless network configured according to the disclosure uses in-service Wireless Network Clients (WNCs), such as mobile phones, laptops, etc., to extend and enhance the wireless network coverage via peer-to-peer sub-networks. In one implementation, each WNC is configured to operate as a Service Access Node (SAN) to other wireless client devices in the same network. The SAN provides peer-to-peer communications capabilities (to communicate with wireless clients) and gateway functionality (to aggregate data traffic over its own uplink communications), thereby enabling wireless clients to “piggyback” their data link onto the WNC. Peer Control Manager (PCM) software on each WNC enables, disables, and controls the service functions for that WNC in accordance with an overarching Peer Controller (PC) entity operated by an Access Point Controller/Core Network.

Claims

1. A method of extending coverage in a wireless network, the network comprising a network access point in data communication with a network control entity, the method comprising:

identifying a wireless user device in wireless data communication with the network access point;

communicating, from the network control entity to the wireless user device via the network access point, one or more data elements, the one or more data elements configured to cause the wireless user device to advertise itself as an active access point to at least one other wireless user device which is within communications range of the wireless user device yet which is not within communications range of the network access point;

downloading at least one computer program to the wireless user device via a wireless interface thereof, the at least one computer program operative to, when executed on the wireless user device, enable the advertisement of the wireless user device as the active access point, the enablement based at least in part on receipt of the one or more data elements; and

upon association of the one other wireless user device with the wireless user device, causing establishment of communications between the one other wireless user device with at least the network control entity such that;

(i) the one other wireless user device and the network entity can transact data via the wireless user device; and

(ii) the wireless user device can transact data with the network control entity in tandem with the data transaction between the one other wireless user device and the network control entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communications between the network access point and the wireless user device are conducted according to a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol, and communications between the wireless user device and the one other wireless user device are also conducted according to the WLAN protocol.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless user device and the one other wireless user device comprise peers with respect to the network access point.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless user device acts as a pass-through for communications between the one other wireless user device and the network access point.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless user device acts as a host entity for communications between the one other wireless user device and the network access point, and the communications between the one other wireless user device and the network access point comprising:

first communications generated by the one other wireless user device and addressed to the wireless user device; and

second communications generated by the wireless user device and addressed to the network access point, the second communications based at least at least in part on the first communications.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first communications comprise use of a first secure data protocol, and the second communications comprise use of a second secure data protocol.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first secure data protocol comprises a first session between the one other wireless user device and the wireless user device, and the second secure data protocol comprises a second session between the wireless user device and the network access point.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising provisioning the at least one computer program after said downloading, said provisioning comprising utilizing at least said network control entity to cause configuration of at least a portion of the at least one computer program using data transmitted from the network control entity.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the downloading the at least one computer program to the wireless device comprises downloading the at least one computer program to the wireless device via the wireless interface thereof in response to the identifying the wireless user device in data communication with the wireless access point.

8. (canceled)

10. A method of operating a wireless network, the network comprising a network access point in data communication with a network control entity, the method comprising:

determining that a wireless user device in wireless data communication with the network access point requires handover from an initial network access point to a target network access point;

based at least in part on the determining, identifying, via the network control entity, the target network access point, the identifying of the target network access point comprising identifying one of one or more other wireless user devices;

communicating, from the network control entity to the identified one of the one or more other wireless user devices via the network access point, one or more data elements, the one or more data elements configured to cause the another wireless user device to enable data communications with the wireless user device when the wireless user device and another wireless user device are within communications range of one another; and

upon association of the wireless user device with the another wireless user device, causing establishment of communication between the wireless user device with at least the network control entity.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining that a wireless user device in wireless data communication with the network access point requires handover from the initial access point to the target access point comprises evaluating at least one parameter associated with a wireless link between the wireless user device and the network access point to identify degradation of performance of the link.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the evaluating at least one parameter associated with a wireless link comprises evaluating a received signal strength indication relative to a prescribed threshold value.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the evaluating at least one parameter associated with a wireless link comprises evaluating a bit error rate (BER).

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the evaluating at least one parameter associated with a wireless link comprises evaluating the at least one parameter using the network control entity to analyze one or more data values forwarded thereto via the network access point.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the causation of the identified one of the one or more other wireless user devices to enable data communications with the wireless user device comprises at least transmission of one or more beacons from the identified one of the one or more other wireless user devices, the one or more beacons advertising the identified one of the one or more other wireless user devices as an available access point.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the causation of the identified one of the one or more other wireless user devices to enable data communications with the wireless user device comprises at least transmission of one or more beacons from the identified one of the one or more other wireless user devices, the one or more beacons comprising a service set identifier (SSID) also used by the network access point.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising maintaining an existing session previously established between the wireless user device and the network access point for the communication between the wireless user device with at least the network control entity after said association of the wireless user device with the identified one of the one or more other wireless user devices.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the communicating, from the network control entity to the identified one of the one or more other wireless user devices via the network access point, one or more data elements, comprises communicating with a software entity operative to run on the identified one of the one or more other wireless user devices via one or more customized application programming interfaces (APIs).

19. Non-transitory computer readable storage apparatus comprising a storage medium, the storage medium comprising at least one computer program having a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions configured to be executed on a processing apparatus of a wireless-enabled user device in data communication with the computer readable storage apparatus, the wireless-enabled user device further comprising a wireless interface in data communication with the processor apparatus;

wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to, when executed, cause the wireless-enabled user apparatus to;

receive data from a network entity via the wireless interface;

download at least one computer program to the wireless-enabled user apparatus via the wireless interface, the at least one computer program operative to, when executed on the wireless user device, enable advertisement of the wireless user device as an active access point in response to receipt of the data from the network entity;

utilize the downloaded at least one computer program to cause the wireless-enabled user device to transmit, via the wireless interface, beacon data, the beacon data advertising the wireless-enabled user device as an active access point for other wireless-enabled devices;

receive data from one or more other wireless-enabled devices substantially in response to the beacon data;

establish an association between the one or more other wireless-enabled devices; and

establish a session between the one or more other wireless-enabled user devices and the network entity.

20. The storage apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one computer program comprises:

a first software process configured to enable communication between the at least one computer program and one or more software applications resident on the wireless-enabled user device; and

a second software process configured to enable communication between the at least one computer program and one or more device drivers of the wireless-enabled user device.

21. The storage apparatus of claim 20, wherein:

the first and the second software processes each comprise application programming interfaces (APIs); and

the at least one computer program further comprises a radio frequency (RF) bandwidth calculation process in logical communication with the APIs, and an application bandwidth registry process in logical communication with the RF bandwidth process.

25. The storage apparatus of claim 19, wherein the download of the at least one computer program to the wireless-enabled user apparatus comprises download of the at least one computer program to the wireless-enabled user apparatus via the wireless interface in response to the receipt of the data from the network entity.

22. Network apparatus for use within a wireless network, the network apparatus comprising:

a computerized controller entity, the controller entity comprising at least one computer program operative to run on a processing apparatus of the controller entity, and a backhaul data interface configured for data communication with a packet-switched network; and

a plurality of wireless access points in data communication with the controller entity, the access points each comprising a wireless interface having a communications range associated therewith;

wherein the at least one computer program further comprises a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor apparatus, cause at least one of the wireless access points to;

transmit data to a peer-enabled wireless user device within a communications range thereof, the transmitted data configured to enable the peer-enabled wireless user device to cause transmission, via a wireless interface thereof, of beacon data, the beacon data advertising the peer-enabled wireless user device as an access point for other wireless user devices;

receive data initiated from one or more other wireless user devices associated with the peer-enabled wireless user device; and

utilize a session between the one or more other wireless user devices and the computerized controller entity, the session used to enable access by the one or more other user devices to an internetwork in data communication with the network apparatus via the backhaul interfaces;

determine that the one or more other wireless user devices in wireless data communication with one of the wireless access points requires handover to the peer-enabled wireless user device;

wherein the utilization of the session comprises maintaining an existing, previously established communications session between the one or more other wireless user devices and the computerized controller entity.

26. The network apparatus of claim 22, wherein the maintaining an existing, previously established communications session between the one or more other wireless user devices and the computerized controller entity at least partly enables the handoff to the peer-enabled wireless user device to occur substantially seamlessly from the perspective of the one or more other wireless user devices.

27. The network apparatus of claim 22, wherein the maintaining an existing, previously established communications session between the one or more other wireless user devices and the computerized controller entity at least partly obviates renegotiation of one or more session parameters between the one or more other wireless user devices and the computerized controller entity.

28. The network apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least part obviation of the renegotiation of one or more session parameters between the one or more other wireless user devices and the computerized controller entity avoids perceptible interruption to operation of an application computer program operative to run on the one or more other wireless user devices.

29. The network apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least one computer program is further configured to, when executed on the processing apparatus, perform at least one of:

(i) retransmission of data packets, and/or (ii) duplicative transmission of data packets, so as to avoid interruption to the operation of one or more software applications operative to run on the one or more other wireless user devices.

23. (canceled)