Dynamic allocation of channels in a wireless network

• US 7,453,844 B1
• Filed: 10/22/2002
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TCL Communication Technology Holdings Ltd. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science And Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Cheung, Yat Tung, Lee, Siu Fai
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad; Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong; Blanche
• Application Number:
  US10/278,062
• Time in Patent Office: 2,219 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria

Abstract

Bandwidth is deployed within a wireless network efficiently by making multiple channels available to wireless devices within a coverage area and intelligently controlling access to those channels. For example, channels to which each wireless device is registered with may be based on quality of service factors. According to one embodiment, upon attempted access to a wireless network channel, an access point grants or refuses a wireless device access based on quality of service factors relating to the device, the channel and the other channels that the device could access.

Claims

1. A method of allocating a plurality of channels for accessing a wireless network among wireless devices, comprising:

providing at least two channels for a coverage area originating from at least one access point;

providing a channel manager that receives communications from the plurality of channels;

receiving a registration request over a first channel of the plurality of channels from a high priority user of a wireless device;

determining at the channel manager whether to grant or deny the registration request for the first channel based at least in part on traffic conditions on the plurality of channels;

granting the registration request of the high priority user for a selected one of the plurality of channels;

terminating the registration of at least one other wireless device on the selected channel as a function of granting the registration request of the high priority user;

receiving a registration request from a terminated wireless device on a channel other than the selected channel;

granting the registration request for the terminated wireless devices on the channel other than the selected channel; and

repeating the following until access is granted for each wireless device seeking access;

receiving a registration request over one or more remaining channels of the plurality of channels; and

determining at the channel manager whether to grant or deny the registration request for the one or more remaining channels based at least in part on traffic conditions on the one or more remaining channels of the plurality of channels and user priority.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the channel manager allocates only real time data communication applications to certain ones of the at least two channels and non-real time data communication applications to other ones of the at least two channels.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the channel manager determines that the user is a high priority user based on information uniquely identifying the high priority user'"'"'s wireless device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said information uniquely identifying the high priority user'"'"'s wireless device comprises a MAC address.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the channel manager determines that the user is a high priority user based on a user ID of the high priority user.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the channel manager performs the determining step to balance traffic load among the at least two channels.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

performing a load balancing determination substantially continuously; and

terminating the registration of a wireless device on a selected one of the at least two channels when the selected channel is overloaded as compared to other ones of the channels.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the channel manager keeps a session of the terminated wireless device active and re-establishes a link with the terminated wireless device upon successful re-registration of the terminated wireless devices on another one of the at least two channels.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the channels are time division multiple access channels.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the channels are code division multiple access channels.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the channels are frequency division multiple access channels.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least two channels are substantially orthogonal.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least two channels are substantially non-overlapping.

14. A method of allocating at least two channels for accessing a wireless network among wireless devices, comprising:

providing at least two channels for a coverage area originating from at least one access point;

providing a channel manager that receives communications from the at least two channels;

scanning at each wireless device the available frequency channels and issuing a registration request on channels of said at least two channels until registration is successful;

receiving a registration request over a first channel of the at least two channels from a wireless device;

determining at the channel manager whether to grant or deny the registration request for the first channel based at least in part on traffic conditions on the at least two channels; and

repeating the receiving and determining steps for each wireless device seeking access over remaining channels of the at least two channels until access is granted to each wireless device;

wherein the channel manager allocates multi-cast packets to only certain ones of the at least two channels.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the multi-cast packets are allocated to a channel that carries only multi-cast packets.

16. A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for allocation of channels of a plurality of channels in a wireless network, said computer program logic comprising:

program logic for receiving access requests to a channel of said plurality of channels, wherein a request for access to said channel comprises access information; and

program logic for managing channel allocation of said plurality of channels in response to said request for access to said channel, wherein said managing channel allocation operates to determine a grant of access with respect to said channel as a function of said access information and a current status of each of said plurality of channels, balance traffic load among the plurality of channels by substantially continuously performing a load balancing determination, and terminate registration of a wireless device on a selected one of the plurality of channels when the selected channel is overloaded as compared to other channels of the plurality of channels.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said access information comprises information uniquely identifying a wireless device providing said request for access to said channel.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said access information comprises information identifying a user of a wireless device providing said request for access to said channel.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said access information comprises information with respect to a desired quality of service.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said access information comprises information with respect to a type of data to be communicated via said channel.

21. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said managing channel allocation as a function of said access information and said current status of each of said plurality of channels operates to balance a traffic load with respect to said plurality of channels.

22. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

program logic recorded on said computer readable medium, operable with program logic for requesting access, for selecting said channel from said plurality of channels for requesting access.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein said selecting said channel is based at least in part on a type of data to be transmitted.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein said selecting said channel is based at least in part on an amount of data to be transmitted.

25. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein said selecting said channel is based at least in part on a quality of service desired.

26. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein said selecting said channel is based at least in part on channel assignment information provided by said program logic for managing channel allocation.

27. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

program logic, operable with said program logic for managing channel allocation, for dynamically re-allocating channel assignments.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein said re-allocating channel assignments is based at least in part on a type of data transmitted.

29. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein said re-allocating channel assignments is based at least in part on a traffic loading distribution among said plurality of channels.

30. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein said re-allocating channel assignments is based at least in part on a quality of service metric.

31. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said program logic for receiving access requests to said channel and said program logic for managing channel allocation of said plurality of channels is operable upon a wireless access point.

32. A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for allocation of channels of a plurality of channels in a wireless network, said computer program logic comprising:

program logic for receiving access requests to a channel of said plurality of channels, wherein a request for access to said channel comprises access information; and

program logic for managing channel allocation of said plurality of channels in response to said request for access to said channel, wherein said managing channel allocation operates to determine a grant of access with respect to said channel as a function of said access information and a current status of each of said plurality of channel; and

operates to consolidate communication of data of a particular type upon select channels of said plurality of channels.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein said particular type of data comprises non-real time data.

34. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein said particular type of data comprises real time data.

35. A system for allocation of channels of a plurality of channels in a wireless network, said system comprising:

means for receiving requests for access to a channel of said plurality of channels, wherein a request for access to said channel comprises access information; and

means for managing channel allocation of said plurality of channels in response to said request for access to said channel, wherein said means for managing channel allocation operates to determine a grant of access with respect to said channel as a function of said access information and a current status of each of said plurality of channels, balance traffic load among the plurality of channels by substantially continuously performing a load balancing determination, and terminate registration of a wireless device on a selected one of the plurality of channels when the selected channel is overloaded as compared to other channels of the plurality of channels.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said access information comprises information uniquely identifying a wireless device providing said request for access to said channel.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein said access information comprises information identifying a user of a wireless device providing said request for access to said channel.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein said access information comprises information with respect to a desired quality of service.

39. The system of claim 35, wherein said access information comprises information with respect to a type of data to be communicated via said channel.

40. The system of claim 35, further comprising:

means, operable with said means for receiving requests for access, for selecting said channel from said plurality of channels for requesting access.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein said selecting said channel is based at least in part on a type of data to be transmitted.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein said selecting said channel is based at least in part on an amount of data to be transmitted.

43. The system of claim 40, wherein said selecting said channel is based at least in part on a quality of service desired.

44. The system of claim 40, wherein said selecting said channel is based at least in part on channel assignment information provided by said means for managing channel allocation.

45. The system of claim 35, further comprising:

means, operable with said means for managing channel allocation, for dynamically re-allocating channel assignments.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein said re-allocating channel assignments is based at least in part on a type of data transmitted.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein said re-allocating channel assignments is based at least in part on a traffic loading distribution among said plurality of channels.

48. The system of claim 45, wherein said re-allocating channel assignments is based at least in part on a quality of service metric.

49. The system of claim 35, wherein said means for requesting access to said channel is operable upon a wireless user device and said means for managing channel allocation of said plurality of channels is operable upon a wireless access point.

50. A system for allocation of channels of a plurality of channels in a wireless network, said system comprising:

means for receiving requests for access to a channel of said plurality of channels, wherein a request for access to said channel comprises access information; and

means for managing channel allocation of said plurality of channels in response to said request for access to said channel, wherein said means for managing channel allocation operates to determine a grant of access with respect to said channel as a function of said access information and a current status of each of said plurality of channels; and

operates to consolidate communication of data of a particular type upon select channels of said plurality of channels.