Wireless access point with temperature control system

• US 7,747,272 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ortronics Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Ortronics Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Parsa, Kourosh
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao; Minh D
• Application Number:
  US11/512,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20070263856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 455/420, 455/13.4, 455/127.1, 455/127.2, 455/88, 455/115.1, 455/115.4
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0293 Terminal boxes for telephone sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/14 Structural association of two or more printed circuits providing electric connection to or between printed circuits H05K1/11, H01R12/00

Abstract

An access point device and access point system support wireless and/or wired communications. The access point includes temperature control functionality that is adapted to control/moderate the temperature within an access point. The temperature control functionality may operate to control the transmit power, the throughput or other operating parameters associated with the access point. The temperature control functionality may also actuate a cooling mechanism, e.g., a fan, associated with the access point. Load balancing may also be employed to reduce heat generation associated with an access point. The temperature control functionality may reside at the access point, e.g., a “fat” access point, or may reside at the wireless controller, e.g., a “thin” access point. Error voltage signals may also be generated and transmitted to a TCVCXO to control or moderate temperature conditions and heat generation.

Claims

1. An access point, comprising:

a. electrical components that support data communication operations;

b. at least one temperature measurement component positioned in close proximity to at least one of said electrical components; and

c. temperature control means in communication with the at least one temperature component, the temperature control means responding to a temperature reading that exceeds a predetermined threshold by load balancing among a plurality of access points to reduce heat generation by at least one of said electrical components.

2. An access point according to claim 1, wherein the electrical components include at least one radio transmitter.

3. An access point according to claim 2, wherein the temperature control means further responds to a temperature reading that exceeds a predetermined threshold by reducing transmit power associated with the at least one radio transmitter.

4. An access point according to claim 2, wherein the temperature control means further responds to a temperature reading that exceeds a predetermined threshold by reducing transmit power associated with the at least one radio transmitter on a bit-by-bit, packet-by-packet or frame-by-frame basis.

5. An access point according to claim 1, wherein the electrical components include radio transmitters that operate in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.

6. An access point according to claim 5, wherein the temperature control means responds to a temperature reading that exceeds a predetermined threshold by selectively reducing at least one of radio transmission transmit power and radio transmission throughput in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band.

7. An access point according to claim 6, further comprising a second access point that includes radio transmitters that operate in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, and wherein the temperature control means limits operation of the first access point to the 5 GHz band and limits operation of the second access point to the 2.4 GHz band.

8. An access point according to claim 1, wherein the temperature control means further responds to a temperature reading that exceeds a predetermined threshold by reducing throughput through the electrical components.

9. An access point according to claim 1, wherein the temperature control means is located within a housing that defines the access point.

10. An access point according to claim 1, wherein the temperature control means is located remote from a housing that defines the access point.

11. An access point according to claim 10, wherein the temperature control means is located, at least in part, in a wireless controller that communicates with the electrical components from a remote location.

12. An access point according to claim 1, wherein the electrical components include at least one printed circuit board and the at least one temperature measurement component is mounted with respect to the at least one printed circuit board.

13. An access point according to claim 1, wherein the temperature control means includes a processing member that receives a temperature measurement from the at least one temperature measurement component and compares such temperature measurement to a predetermined temperature threshold.

14. An access point according to claim 13, wherein the processing member compares the temperature measurement to a look-up table containing temperature deviation values.

15. An access point according to claim 14, wherein the processing member generates an error voltage signal in response to the temperature deviation value identified in the look-up table and transmits the error voltage signal to an oscillator associated with wireless communications.

16. An access point according to claim 15, wherein the oscillator is a TCVCXO.

17. An access point according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling mechanism and wherein the temperature control means actuates the cooling mechanism in response to a temperature reading that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

18. A wireless system, comprising:

a. a wireless controller;

b. a first access point in communication with the wireless controller, the first access point including first electrical components that support data communication operations and a first temperature measurement component;

c. a second access point in communication with the wireless controller, the second access point including second electrical components that support data communication operations and a second temperature measurement component;

d. temperature control means that resides at least in part in the wireless controller, the temperature control means adapted to receive temperature values from the first and second temperature measurement components and to transmit control signals to the first and second electrical components to control heat generation associated with operation of the first and second electrical components.

19. A wireless system according to claim 18, wherein the first and second electrical components each include at least one radio transmitter.

20. A wireless system according to claim 19, wherein the temperature control means responds to a temperature reading from the first access point that exceeds a predetermined threshold by reducing transmit power associated with the radio transmitter associated with the first access point.

21. A wireless system according to claim 19, wherein the temperature control means responds to a temperature reading from the first access point that exceeds a predetermined threshold by reducing transmit power associated with the radio transmitter associated with the first access point on a packet-by-packet or frame-by-frame basis.

22. A wireless system according to claim 18, wherein the first and second electrical components include radio transmitters that operate in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.

23. A wireless system according to claim 22, wherein the temperature control means responds to a temperature reading associated with the first access point that exceeds a predetermined threshold by selectively reducing radio transmissions of the first access point in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band.

24. A wireless system according to claim 23, wherein the temperature control means limits operation of the first access point to the 5 GHz band and limits operation of the second access point to the 2.4 GHz band.

25. A wireless system according to claim 18, wherein the temperature control means responds to a temperature reading associated with the first access point that exceeds a predetermined threshold by reducing throughput through the electrical components of the first access point.

26. A wireless system according to claim 18, wherein the temperature control means responds to a temperature reading associated with at least one of the first and second access points that exceeds a predetermined threshold by load balancing between the first and second access points.

27. A wireless system according to claim 18, wherein the temperature control means includes a processing member that receives a temperature measurement from at least one of the first and second access points and compares such temperature measurement to a predetermined temperature threshold.

28. A wireless system according to claim 27, wherein the processing member compares the temperature measurement to a look-up table containing temperature deviation values.

29. A wireless system according to claim 28, wherein the processing member generates an error voltage signal in response to the temperature deviation value identified in the look-up table and transmits the error voltage signal to an oscillator associated with wireless communications.

30. A wireless system according to claim 18, further comprising a cooling mechanism associated with at least one of the first and second access points, and wherein the temperature control means actuates the cooling mechanism in response to a temperature reading for such access point that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

31. A wireless system according to claim 18, further comprising a plurality of additional access points.

32. An access point, comprising:

a. electrical components that support data communication operations;

b. at least one temperature measurement component positioned in close proximity to at least one of said electrical components; and

c. temperature control means in communication with the at least one temperature component, the temperature control means responding to a temperature reading that exceeds a predetermined threshold to reduce heat generation by at least one of said electrical components;

wherein the temperature control means is located remote from a housing that defines the access point and wherein the temperature control means is located, at least in part, in a wireless controller that communicates with the electrical components from a remote location.

33. An access point, comprising:

a. electrical components that support data communication operations;

b. at least one temperature measurement component positioned in close proximity to at least one of said electrical components; and

c. temperature control means in communication with the at least one temperature component, the temperature control means responding to a temperature reading that exceeds a predetermined threshold to reduce heat generation by at least one of said electrical components;

wherein the temperature control means includes a processing member that compares the temperature reading to a look-up table containing temperature deviation values and wherein the processing member generates an error voltage signal in response to the temperature deviation value identified in the look-up table and transmits the error voltage signal to an oscillator associated with wireless communications.