Method and apparatus for selecting a multi-band access point to associate with a multi-band mobile station

• US 7,797,018 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2005
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chandra, Arty
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson; Keith T
• Application Number:
  US11/284,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20060223574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,758 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/550.1, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/422.1, 455/403.5, 455/517, 455/434, 455/432.1, 455/432.2, 455/524, 455/525, 455/67.11, 4554561-457, 370/329, 370/328, 370/343, 370/310
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for selecting one of a plurality of multi-band access points (APs) to associate with a multi-band wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) are disclosed. The multi-band APs broadcast frequency band information regarding multiple frequency bands on which the multi-band AP is configured to operate. The multi-band WTRU selects a particular multi-band AP to associate with and a frequency band to use to communicate with the selected multi-band AP based on the frequency band information. If the multi-band WTRU receives frequency band information from the selected multi-band AP which indicates that a characteristic, (e.g., throughput, path loss, load, capacity, backhaul), of the selected frequency band is unacceptable, the multi-band WTRU determines whether to disassociate with the selected multi-band AP or to continue to associate with the selected multi-band AP via a different frequency band.

Claims

1. A method for use in a multi-band wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), comprising:

sending a probe request including frequency band information regarding a multiple frequency capability of the WTRU to a first and a second multi-band access point (AP);

receiving information regarding multiple frequency bands supported by the first multi-band AP in response to the frequency band information in the probe request, the multiple frequency bands including a first and second frequency band;

receiving frequency band information regarding multiple frequency bands supported by the second multi-band AP in response to the frequency band information in the probe request;

on a condition that the WTRU is associated with the first AP on the first frequency band, making a determination to associate with the first AP on the second frequency band or to associate with the second AP on one of the multiple frequency bands supported by the second AP; and

reconfiguring to communicate according to the determination.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the frequency band information regarding multiple frequency supported by the first AP is received in a beacon frame.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the determination is made to associate with the second AP, further comprising sending an association request to the second AP.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the association request includes frequency band information regarding a multiple frequency capability of the WTRU.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a management message to the first AP, and wherein the frequency band information regarding multiple frequency bands supported by the first AP is received from the first AP in response to the management message.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the frequency band information regarding multiple frequency bands supported by the first AP is received from the first AP and wherein the frequency band information regarding multiple frequency bands supported by the second AP is received from the second AP.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the frequency band information regarding multiple frequency bands supported by the first AP includes at least one of an indication of support of multiple frequency bands, channel numbers of the frequency bands and timing information of each frequency band.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the frequency band information regarding multiple frequency bands supported by the first AP includes quality metric information of the frequency bands supported by the first AP.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the quality metric information includes at least one of a path loss, a load, throughput, capacity and backhaul for each frequency band of the multiple frequency bands supported by the first AP.

10. A multi-band wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

a transceiver configured to;

send a probe request including frequency band information regarding a multiple frequency capability of the WTRU to a first and a second multi-band access point (AP);

receive, in response to the frequency band information in the probe request, frequency information regarding multiple frequency bands supported by the first multi-band access point (AP), the multiple frequency bands including a first and second frequency band; and

receive, in response to the frequency band information in the probe request frequency band information regarding multiple frequency bands supported by the second multi-band AP; and

a processor, configured to,

on a condition that the WTRU is associated with the first AP on the first frequency band, make a determination to associate with the first AP on the second frequency band or to associate with the second AP on one of the multiple frequency bands supported by the second AP.

11. The WTRU of claim 10 wherein the transceiver is configured to receive the frequency band information regarding multiple frequency bands supported by the first AP in a beacon frame.

12. The WTRU of claim 10 wherein the determination is made to associate with the second AP, the WTRU further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit an association request to the second AP.

13. The WTRU of claim 12 wherein the association request includes frequency band information regarding a multiple frequency capability of the WTRU.

14. The WTRU of claim 10 wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit a management message to the first AP, and is further configured to receive the frequency band information regarding multiple frequency bands supported by the first AP from the first AP in response to the management message.

15. The WTRU of claim 10 wherein the transceiver is configured to receive the frequency band information regarding multiple frequency bands supported by the first AP from the first AP, and to receive the frequency band information regarding multiple frequency bands supported by the second AP from the second AP.

16. The WTRU of claim 10 wherein the frequency band information regarding multiple frequency bands supported by the first AP includes at least one of an indication of support of multiple frequency bands, channel numbers of the frequency bands and timing information of each frequency band.

17. The WTRU of claim 10 wherein the frequency band information regarding multiple frequency bands supported by the first AP includes quality metric information of the frequency bands supported by the first AP.

18. The WTRU of claim 17 wherein the quality metric information includes at least one of a path loss, a load, throughput, capacity and backhaul for each frequency band of the multiple frequency bands supported by the first AP.