Wireless network apparatus and system field of the invention

• US 7,869,822 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2007
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Autocell Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Backes, Floyd, Vacon, Gary, Callahan, Paul, Hawe, William
• Primary Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US11/866,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20080240008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 455/69, 455/574, 455/90, 455/226.1, 455/249.1, 455/67.13, 455/67.11, 455/295, 455/293, 455/561, 455/67.1, 455/127, 455/72, 455/525, 455/70, 455/31.3, 455/127.2, 455/13.4, 370/311, 370/7, 370/342, 370/232, 370/468
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0236 radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/082 among bearers or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/086 among access entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/10 based on available power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/36 due to handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/16 Deriving transmission power values from another channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/226 using past references to control power, e.g. look-up-table
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The performance and ease of management of wireless communications environments is improved by a mechanism that enables access points (APs) to perform automatic channel selection. A wireless network can therefore include multiple APs, each of which will automatically choose a channel such that channel usage is optimized. Furthermore, APs can perform automatic power adjustment so that multiple APs can operate on the same channel while minimizing interference with each other. Wireless stations are load balanced across APs so that user bandwidth is optimized. A movement detection scheme provides seamless roaming of stations between APs.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in a wireless network, comprising:

control circuitry;

a variable power transmitter operable in response to the control circuitry to transmit wireless communication signals at a selected power level up to a maximum power level, and to transmit a signal with information indicative of a level of attenuation of the communication signals by the variable power transmitter relative to the maximum power level; and

a receiver operative to receive, from a second wireless device, a signal with information indicative of level of attenuation of signals by the second wireless device relative to the maximum power level, and wherein the control circuitry is operative to store the information in a memory.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is further operative to communicate with the second wireless device to select a power level for transmission of wireless signals.

3. A method for operating a device in a wireless network, comprising:

selecting a power level at which to transmit wireless signals;

transmitting communication signals at the selected power level;

transmitting a signal with information indicative of a level of attenuation of the communication signals relative to a maximum power level; and

receiving, from a second wireless device, a signal with information indicative of level of attenuation of signals by the second wireless device relative to the maximum power level, and storing the information in a memory.

4. The method of claim 3 including the further step of communicating with the second wireless device to select a power level for transmission of wireless signals.