Method for configuring a wireless network

• US 6,711,148 B1
• Filed: 04/10/2000
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
• Original Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
• Inventors: Hills, Alexander H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): WAXMAN, ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US09/546,852
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/328, 370/335-336, 370/338, 455/403, 455/422, 455/442, 455/446-449, 455/7, 455/25, 455/500
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0826 for reduction of network costs H04L41/0833 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/083 for increasing network speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/20 for indoor coverage or short range network deployment

Abstract

A method for establishing the location of access points for a network providing wireless communications coverage for an environment, including determining a coverage radius of an access point at certain locations within the environment, determining an average coverage radius of the access points for the environment based on the determined coverage radii, and positioning the access points at locations within the environment to provide continuous wireless coverage for the environment based on the average coverage radius.

Claims

1. A method for establishing the location of access points for a network providing wireless communications coverage for an environment, wherein the network is to provide wireless communications coverage for a single floor having a width no greater than an average coverage radius of the network access points times {square root over (2)}, comprising:

determining a coverage radius of an access point at certain locations within the environment;

determining the average coverage radius of the access points for the environment based on the determined coverage radii; and

positioning the access points at locations within the environment to provide continuous wireless coverage for the environment based on the average coverage radius, wherein positioning the access points includes;

positioning a first access point at a first location corresponding to an intersection of a bisector of the floor and a line extending at an angle from a first corner of the floor; and

adjusting a position of the first access point such that wireless coverage is provided at the first corner of the floor and at a second corner of the floor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a coverage radius of an access point at certain locations within the environment includes:

generating a set of signal strength measurements within the environment; and

measuring the coverage radius of an access point at certain locations within the environment.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising documenting the locations of the access points.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising documenting the coverage radii of the access points.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the access points includes:

positioning the access points at locations within the environment according to an initial configuration based on the average coverage radius;

measuring the coverage radius of the access points; and

readjusting the locations of the access points to provide continuous wireless coverage for the environment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the access points within the environment according to the initial configuration further includes:

positioning a second access point along the bisector of the floor at a distance from the first access point; and

adjusting a position of the second access point such that a coverage radius of the second access point coincides with a coverage radius of the first access points at first and second edges of the floor.

7. A computer readable medium, having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

determine a distance between access points of a network for providing wireless communications coverage for an environment, including;

determine a distance between access points on a same floor; and

determine a distance between access points of contiguous floors; and

provide instructions for establishing positions of the access points within the environment to provide continuous wireless coverage for the environment based on the determined distance between access points and parameters of the environment.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, having further stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor cause the processor to provide instructions for establishing positions of the access points within the environment, the instructions selected from the group consisting of textual instructions and graphical instructions.

9. A method for establishing the location of access points for a network providing wireless communications coverage for an environment, wherein the network is to provide wireless communications coverage for first and second contiguous floors each having a width no greater than an average coverage radius of the network access points times {square root over (2)}, comprising:

determining a coverage radius of an access point at certain locations within the environment;

determining the average coverage radius of the access points for the environment based on the determined coverage radii; and

positioning the access points at locations within the environment to provide continuous wireless coverage for the environment based on the average coverage radius, wherein positioning the access points includes;

positioning a first access point at a location on the second floor along a bisector of the second floor such that wireless coverage is provided at first and second corners of the first floor; and

positioning a second access point at a location on the first floor along the bisector such that a coverage radius of the second access point coincides with a coverage radius of the first access points at first and second edges of the first and second floors.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein positioning the access points within the environment according to the initial configuration further includes positioning a third access point at a location on the second floor along the bisector such that a coverage radius of the third access point coincides with the coverage radius of the second access point at the first and second edges of the first and second floors.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the network is to provide wireless communications coverage for a third floors contiguous to the second floor and having a width no greater than the average coverage radius of the access points times {square root over (2)}, and positioning the access points within the environment according to the initial configuration further includes positioning a fourth access point at a location on the third floor above the location of the second access point.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a coverage radius of an access point at certain locations within the environment includes:

generating a set of signal strength measurements within the environment; and

measuring the coverage radius of an access point at certain locations within the environment.

13. A method for establishing the location of access points for a network providing wireless communications coverage for an environment, wherein the network is to provide wireless communications coverage for a single floor having a width greater than the average coverage radius of the network access points times {square root over (2)}, comprising:

determining a coverage radius of an access point at certain locations within the environment;

determining the average coverage radius of the access points for the environment based on the determined coverage radii; and

positioning the access points at locations within the environment to provide continuous wireless coverage for the environment based on the average coverage radius, wherein positioning the access points includes;

positioning a first access point on the floor at a distance along a line extending at an angle from a first corner of the floor such that wireless coverage is provided at the first corner; and

positioning a second access point on the floor at a distance along a line extending at an angle from a first location corresponding an intersection of a coverage radius of the first access point and a first edge of the floor such that wireless coverage is provided at the first location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein positioning the access points within the environment according to the initial configuration further includes positioning a third access point at a distance along a line extending at an angle from a second location corresponding an intersection of a coverage radius of the first access point and a second edge of the floor such that wireless coverage is provided at the second location.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein determining a coverage radius of an access point at certain locations within the environment includes:

generating a set of signal strength measurements within the environment; and

measuring the coverage radius of an access point at certain locations within the environment.

16. A method for establishing the location of access points for a network providing wireless communications coverage for an environment, wherein the network is to provide wireless communications coverage for first and second contiguous floors each having a width greater than the average coverage radius of the access points times {square root over (2)}, comprising:

determining a coverage radius of an access point at certain locations within the environment;

determining the average coverage radius of the access points for the environment based on the determined coverage radii; and

positioning the access points at locations within the environment to provide continuous wireless coverage for the environment based on the average coverage radius, wherein positioning the access points includes;

positioning a first access point on the second floor at a first corner; and

positioning a second access point on the first floor at a location along a line extending from the first corner at an angle such that a coverage radius of the second access point coincides with a coverage radius of the first access point of the first floor at first and second edges of the first floor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein positioning the access points within the environment according to the initial configuration further includes positioning a third access point on the second floor along the first edge such that a coverage radius of the third access point coincides with the coverage radius of the first access point at the first edge of the second floor and such that the coverage radius of the third access point coincides with the coverage radius of the second access point at the first edge of the first floor.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the network is to provide wireless communications coverage for a third floor contiguous to the second floor and having a width greater than the average coverage radius of the access points times {square root over (2)}, and positioning the access points within the environment according to the initial configuration further includes positioning a fourth access point at a location on the third floor above the location of the second access point.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein determining a coverage radius of an access point at certain locations within the environment includes:

generating a set of signal strength measurements within the environment; and

measuring the coverage radius of an access point at certain locations within the environment.