Measurement of air quality in wireless networks

• US 7,596,461 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2007
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hart, Brian Donald, Desal, Sanjeev Hemantkumar, Johnson, Christopher Sean, Gutkin, Igal
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano; Edward R
• Application Number:
  US11/774,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20090012738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 734/321, 324/76.11, 324/158.1, 375/224, 375/227, 455/226.1, 455/226.2, 455/226.3, 702/1, 702/57, 702/64, 702/66, 702/69, 702/81, 702/85, 702/104, 702/108, 702/111, 702/116, 702/127, 702/182, 702/187, 702/188, 702/189
• US Class Current: 702/69
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/20 for indoor coverage or short range network deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A system for measuring air quality in wireless networks. In particular implementations, a method includes computing an interference severity level for a plurality of interference sources detected at an access point; aggregating one or more of the computed interference severity levels relative to the access point; and computing an air quality metric for the access point, wherein the air quality metric based at least in part on an equation: 1—aggregated interference severity level.

Claims

1. One or more tangible computer readable media encoded with software, the software comprising computer-readable instructions operable, when executed, to cause one or more processors to:

compute an interference severity level for a plurality of interference sources detected at an access point;

aggregate one or more of the computed interference severity levels relative to the access point; and

compute an air quality metric for the access point, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on an equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

2. The tangible computer readable media of claim 1 wherein the software further comprises computer-readable instructions operable, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to:

compute an interference severity level of an operating channel relative to the access point.

3. The tangible computer readable media of claim 1 wherein the software further comprises computer-readable instructions operable, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to:

compute an interference severity level of an operating channel relative to each access point of a plurality of access points;

aggregate, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the operating channels; and

compute an air quality metric for the one or more floors, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

4. The tangible computer readable media of claim 1 wherein the software further comprises computer-readable instructions operable, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to:

compute an interference severity level of an operating channel relative to each access point of a plurality of access points;

aggregate, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the operating channels;

aggregate, across one or more buildings, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the operating channels across the one or more floors; and

compute an air quality metric for the one or more buildings, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

5. The tangible computer readable media of claim 1 wherein the software further comprises computer-readable instructions operable, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to:

compute an interference severity level of an operating channel relative to each access point of a plurality of access points;

aggregate, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the operating channels;

aggregate, across one or more buildings, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the operating channels across the one or more floors;

aggregate, across one or more campuses, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the operating channels across the one or more buildings; and

compute an air quality metric for the one or more campuses, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

6. The tangible computer readable media of claim 1 wherein the software further comprises computer-readable instructions operable, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to:

compute an interference severity level of each channel of a plurality of channels relative to the access point; and

aggregate the computed interference severity levels of the plurality of channels relative to the access point.

7. The tangible computer readable media of claim 1 wherein the software further comprises computer-readable instructions operable, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to:

compute an interference severity level of each channel of a plurality of channels relative to a plurality of access point;

aggregate, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the plurality of channels; and

compute an air quality metric for the one or more floors, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

8. The tangible computer readable media of claim 1 wherein the software further comprises computer-readable instructions operable, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to:

compute an interference severity level of each channel of a plurality of channels relative to a plurality of access point;

aggregate, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the plurality of channels;

aggregate, across a one or more buildings, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the plurality of channels across the one or more floors; and

compute an air quality metric for the one or more buildings, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

9. The tangible computer readable media of claim 1 wherein the software further comprises computer-readable instructions operable, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to:

compute an interference severity level of each channel of a plurality of channels relative to a plurality of access point;

aggregate, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the plurality of channels;

aggregate, across a one or more buildings, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the plurality of channels across the one or more floors;

aggregate, across one or more campuses, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the plurality of channels across the one or more buildings; and

compute an air quality metric for the one or more campuses, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

10. One or more tangible computer readable media encoded with software, the software comprising computer-readable instructions operable, when executed, to cause one or more processors to:

determine a target area for computing a target air quality metric;

compute an interference severity level for a plurality of interference sources detected at an access point;

aggregate two or more of the computed interference severity levels relative to the access point;

compute an air quality metric for each access point in the target area, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level, wherein the air quality metric is based on an aggregation of the computed interference severity levels; and

aggregate the computed air quality metrics relative to the access points, wherein the target air quality metric is based on an aggregation of the computed air quality metrics.

11. The tangible computer readable media of claim 10 wherein the target area is defined by one or more floors.

12. The tangible computer readable media of claim 10 wherein the target area is defined by one or more buildings.

13. The tangible computer readable media of claim 10 wherein the target area is defined by one or more campuses.

14. A method comprising:

computing, by a server, an interference severity level for a plurality of interference sources detected at an access point;

aggregating, by the server, one or more of the computed interference severity levels relative to the access point; and

computing, by the server, an air quality metric for the access point, wherein the air quality metric based at least in part on an equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising computing an interference severity level of an operating channel relative to the access point.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

computing an interference severity level of an operating channel relative to each access point of a plurality of access points;

aggregating, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the operating channels; and

computing an air quality metric for the one or more floors, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

computing an interference severity level of an operating channel relative to each access point of a plurality of access points;

aggregating, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the operating channels;

aggregating, across one or more buildings, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the operating channels across the one or more floors; and

computing an air quality metric for the one or more buildings, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

computing an interference severity level of an operating channel relative to each access point of a plurality of access points;

aggregating, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the operating channels;

aggregating, across one or more buildings, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the operating channels across the one or more floors;

aggregating, across one or more campuses, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the operating channels across the one or more buildings; and

computing an air quality metric for the one or more campuses, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

computing an interference severity level of each channel of a plurality of channels relative to the access point; and

aggregating the computed interference severity levels of the plurality of channels relative to the access point.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

computing an interference severity level of each channel of a plurality of channels relative to a plurality of access point;

aggregating, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the plurality of channels; and

computing an air quality metric for the one or more floors, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

21. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

computing an interference severity level of each channel of a plurality of channels relative to a plurality of access point;

aggregating, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the plurality of channels;

aggregating, across a one or more buildings, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the plurality of channels across the one or more floors; and

computing an air quality metric for the one or more buildings, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

22. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

computing an interference severity level of each channel of a plurality of channels relative to a plurality of access point;

aggregating, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the plurality of channels;

aggregating, across a one or more buildings, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the plurality of channels across the one or more floors;

aggregating, across one or more campuses, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the plurality of channels across the one or more buildings; and

computing an air quality metric for the one or more campuses, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

23. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory;

a network interface; and

the one or more processors and the apparatus executing a management application to;

compute an interference severity level for a plurality of interference sources detected at an access point;

aggregate one or more of the computed interference severity levels relative to the access point; and

compute an air quality metric for the access point, wherein the air quality metric based at least in part on an equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein management application is further operable to cause the one or more processors and the apparatus to compute an interference severity level of an operating channel relative to the access point.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the management application is further operable to cause the one or more processors and the apparatus to:

compute an interference severity level of an operating channel relative to each access point of a plurality of access points;

aggregate, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the operating channels; and

compute an air quality metric for the one or more floors, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

26. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the management application is further operable to cause the one or more processors and the apparatus to:

compute an interference severity level of an operating channel relative to each access point of a plurality of access points;

aggregate, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the operating channels;

aggregate, across one or more buildings, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the operating channels across the one or more floors; and

compute an air quality metric for the one or more buildings, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

27. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the management application is further operable to cause the one or more processors and the apparatus to:

compute an interference severity level of an operating channel relative to each access point of a plurality of access points;

aggregate, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the operating channels;

aggregate, across one or more buildings, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the operating channels across the one or more floors;

aggregate, across one or more campuses, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the operating channels across the one or more buildings; and

compute an air quality metric for the one or more campuses, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

28. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the management application is further operable to cause the one or more processors and the apparatus to:

compute an interference severity level of each channel of a plurality of channels relative to the access point; and

aggregate the computed interference severity levels of the plurality of channels relative to the access point.

29. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the management application is further operable to cause the one or more processors and the apparatus to:

compute an interference severity level of each channel of a plurality of channels relative to a plurality of access point;

aggregate, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the plurality of channels; and

compute an air quality metric for the one or more floors, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

30. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the management application is further operable to cause the one or more processors and the apparatus to:

compute an interference severity level of each channel of a plurality of channels relative to a plurality of access point;

aggregate, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the plurality of channels;

aggregate, across a one or more buildings, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the plurality of channels across the one or more floors; and

compute an air quality metric for the one or more buildings, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.

31. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the management application is further operable to cause the one or more processors and the apparatus to:

compute an interference severity level of each channel of a plurality of channels relative to a plurality of access point;

aggregate, across one or more floors, the computed interference severity levels of the plurality of channels;

aggregate, across a one or more buildings, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the plurality of channels across the one or more floors;

aggregate, across one or more campuses, the computed aggregation interference severity levels of the plurality of channels across the one or more buildings; and

compute an air quality metric for the one or more campuses, wherein the air quality metric is based at least in part on the equation 1 minus aggregated interference severity level.