Method to dynamically change all MIB parameters of a wireless data network

• US 6,839,331 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2001
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rudnick, William Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Levitan, Dmitry
• Application Number:
  US09/800,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20020131371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/312, 370/328, 370/329, 370/431, 370/432, 370/449, 370/457
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method of changing paramenters in an 802.11 WLAN includes determining a performance metric for the WLAN; monitoring the performance of the WLAN with a monitor management entity; generating a terminate and reconvene message when the performance of the WLAN drops below a performance metric threshold; selecting a reconvene BSS having a reconvene BSSID, changed 802.11 parameters and setting a time for the reconvene BSS to become operational; transmitting the terminate and reconvene message to all STAs in the BSS; and instantiating the reconvene BSS at the set time.

Claims

1. A method of changing 802.11 paramenters in an 802.11 WLAN having plural STAs therein, connected through a BSS operating on a current channel, comprising:

determining a performance metric for the 802.11 WLAN;

monitoring the performance of the 802.11 WLAN with a monitor management entity;

generating a terminate and reconvene message when the performance of the WLAN drops below a performance metric threshold;

selecting a reconvene BSS having a reconvene BSSID, changed 802.11 parameters and setting a time for the reconvene BSS to become operational;

transmitting the terminate and reconvene message to all STAs in the BSS; and

instantiating the reconvene BSS at the set time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said instantiating includes each STA silently dissociating itself from the BSS and joining the reconvene BSS.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said instantiating includes each STA sending a dissociating frame to the BSS to dissociate itself from the BSS and joining the reconvene BSS.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said monitoring includes designation of a STA as a restart STA and wherein said generating includes generating a terminate and reconvene message by the restart STA.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating a terminate and reconvene message includes transmitting plural terminate and reconvene frames.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting includes designating a channel other than the current channel for use by the reconvene BSS.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting includes changing physical layer parameters.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting includes setting the instant time for the reconvene BSS to become operational.

9. A method of changing 802.11 paramenters in an 802.11 WLAN having plural STAs therein, connected through a BSS operating on a current channel, wherein a beacon frame is broadcast on the WLAN at a target beacon transmit time, and wherein selected beacon frames include a delivery traffic indication message, comprising:

determining a performance metric for the 802.11 WLAN;

monitoring the performance of the 802.11 WLAN with a monitor management entity;

generating a terminate and reconvene message when the performance of the WLAN drops below a performance metric threshold;

selecting a reconvene BSS having a reconvene BSSID, changed 802.11 parameters and setting a time for the reconvene BSS to become operational;

transmitting the terminate and reconvene message in place of the beacon frame to all STAs in the BSS; and

instantiating the reconvene BSS at the set time.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said instantiating includes each STA silently dissociating itself from the BSS and joining the reconvene BSS.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said instantiating includes each STA sending a dissociating frame to the BSS to dissociate itself from the BSS and joining the reconvene BSS.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said monitoring includes designation a STA as a restart STA and wherein said generating includes generating a terminate and reconvene message by the restart STA until all STAs in the BSS have received the terminate and reconvene message.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said generating a terminate and reconvene message includes transmitting plural terminate and reconvene frames.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein said selecting includes designating a channel other than the current channel for use by the reconvene BSS.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein said selecting includes changing physical layer parameters.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein said selecting includes setting the instant time for the reconvene BSS to become operational.