Apparatus for setting communication channels adaptively to a radio wave environment to improve the degree of freedom of deployment and a method therefor
First Claim
1. A channel setting apparatus for setting at least one communication channel, the channel setting apparatus being installed in a wireless LAN terminal for transmitting information over at least one of a plurality of communication channels, comprising:
- a plurality of antennas used to communicate with external wireless LAN terminals;
a channel controller for causing a search for a communication channel that is being used, and for determining, based on the communication channel in use obtained by the search, a condition of a surrounding radio wave environment and for controlling channel setting so that respective communication channels differ from each other; and
a plurality of wireless interfaces, connected to the antennas and the channel controller, for establishing communications between the plurality of antennas and other external wireless LAN terminals,wherein the channel controller includes;
a memory for storing the information relating to the communication channel in use;
a channel detector for controlling operation of the memory;
a channel selector for selecting a communication channel that is to be used based on the information relating to the communication channel in use that is stored on the memory; and
a controller for controlling operations of the channel detector and channel selector,wherein the channel controller;
sets a communication channel connectable to the wireless LAN terminal equipped with the channel setting apparatus and its surrounding wireless LAN terminals to a first communication channel of the plurality of communication channels,searches in the wireless LAN terminal equipped with the channel setting apparatus the communication channels used by the surrounding wireless LAN terminals for setting a communication channel other than the communication channel connectable to the surrounding wireless LAN terminals,interrogates the surrounding wireless LAN terminals about statuses of use of communication channels,finds, if it is determined that a plurality of communication channels are connectable to the surrounding wireless LAN terminals, the number of surrounding wireless LAN terminals that use respective communication channels for every communication channel,finds a communication channel being used by a minimum number of surrounding wireless LAN terminals which use each found communication channel, andselects, when some communication channels have the minimum and same surrounding wireless LAN terminal numbers, one channel from these communication channels to set it to a first one of the plurality of wireless interfaces,wherein the first wireless interface uses the set communication channel to interrogate all surrounding wireless LAN terminals using the set communication channel about the number of terminals connected to the set communication channel,wherein the memory stores the number of terminals connected to the set communication channel on the basis of the inquiry made by the first wireless interface, andwherein the channel selector selects from the memory a minimum communication channel whose minimum wireless LAN terminal number is smallest among the minimum wireless LAN terminal numbers of the minimum channels so as to set the selected communication channel to the first wireless interface.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless LAN includes two interfaces with a transmitter-receiver function and a channel controller. One of the two interfaces employs one communication channel to search for a communication channel being used by a destination communication unit. The channel controller determines a surrounding radio wave condition based on the communication channel obtained by the searching, and controls channel setting so that the respective communication channels of the two interfaces differ from each.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A channel setting apparatus for setting at least one communication channel, the channel setting apparatus being installed in a wireless LAN terminal for transmitting information over at least one of a plurality of communication channels, comprising:
-
a plurality of antennas used to communicate with external wireless LAN terminals; a channel controller for causing a search for a communication channel that is being used, and for determining, based on the communication channel in use obtained by the search, a condition of a surrounding radio wave environment and for controlling channel setting so that respective communication channels differ from each other; and a plurality of wireless interfaces, connected to the antennas and the channel controller, for establishing communications between the plurality of antennas and other external wireless LAN terminals, wherein the channel controller includes; a memory for storing the information relating to the communication channel in use; a channel detector for controlling operation of the memory; a channel selector for selecting a communication channel that is to be used based on the information relating to the communication channel in use that is stored on the memory; and a controller for controlling operations of the channel detector and channel selector, wherein the channel controller; sets a communication channel connectable to the wireless LAN terminal equipped with the channel setting apparatus and its surrounding wireless LAN terminals to a first communication channel of the plurality of communication channels, searches in the wireless LAN terminal equipped with the channel setting apparatus the communication channels used by the surrounding wireless LAN terminals for setting a communication channel other than the communication channel connectable to the surrounding wireless LAN terminals, interrogates the surrounding wireless LAN terminals about statuses of use of communication channels, finds, if it is determined that a plurality of communication channels are connectable to the surrounding wireless LAN terminals, the number of surrounding wireless LAN terminals that use respective communication channels for every communication channel, finds a communication channel being used by a minimum number of surrounding wireless LAN terminals which use each found communication channel, and selects, when some communication channels have the minimum and same surrounding wireless LAN terminal numbers, one channel from these communication channels to set it to a first one of the plurality of wireless interfaces, wherein the first wireless interface uses the set communication channel to interrogate all surrounding wireless LAN terminals using the set communication channel about the number of terminals connected to the set communication channel, wherein the memory stores the number of terminals connected to the set communication channel on the basis of the inquiry made by the first wireless interface, and wherein the channel selector selects from the memory a minimum communication channel whose minimum wireless LAN terminal number is smallest among the minimum wireless LAN terminal numbers of the minimum channels so as to set the selected communication channel to the first wireless interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A wireless LAN (Local Area Network) terminal unit in for use a wireless mesh network system, comprising:
-
a first wireless LAN interface having a function of communicating wirelessly with a first wireless LAN terminal unit using a first channel and another wireless LAN terminal unit having a second wireless LAN terminal unit using a second channel; and a channel controller, wherein the first wireless LAN interface scans every usable channel, wherein the channel controller determines whether or not, among the scanned channels, there is a channel that is capable of connecting with one or more wireless LAN terminal units of other wireless LAN terminal units, wherein, if no channel capable of connecting with another wireless LAN terminal unit is detected, the channel controller then selects one channel at random from the usable channels and sets the selected channel to the first wireless LAN interface as a third channel, wherein if only the first channel capable of connecting with the first wireless LAN terminal unit is detected, the channel controller sets the first channel to the first wireless LAN interface, wherein, if the first channel capable of connecting with the first wireless LAN terminal unit and a plurality of channels capable of connecting with the second wireless LAN terminal unit including the second channel are detected, and if the number of the other wireless LAN terminal units using the first channel is a minimum number of a while the number of the other wireless LAN terminal units using the second channel is b, which is larger than a, the channel controller sets the first channel to the first wireless LAN interface, wherein, if the first channel capable of connecting with the first wireless LAN terminal unit and a plurality of channels capable of connecting with the second wireless LAN terminal unit including the second channel are detected, and if the number of the other wireless LAN terminal units using the first channel is the minimum number of a while the number of the other wireless LAN terminal units using the second channel is the minimum number of a, and if in first wireless LAN terminal units of the number of the other a-wireless LAN terminal units establishing the wireless connection by the first channel, the number of the wireless LAN terminal units which establish the wireless connection by the first channel is a minimum number of c while, in second wireless LAN terminal units of the number of the other a-wireless LAN terminal units establishing the wireless connection by the second channel, the number of the wireless LAN terminal units which establish the wireless connection by the second channel is a minimum number of d, and if the number of c is smaller than the number of d, the channel controller sets the first channel to the first wireless LAN interface. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method for setting a channel by using a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) terminal unit in a wireless mesh network system for setting a communication channel, which is installed in a wireless apparatus for transmitting information over at least one of a plurality of communication channels, the wireless LAN terminal unit including a first wireless LAN interface having a function for communicating wirelessly with a first wireless LAN terminal unit using a first channel and another wireless LAN terminal unit having a second wireless LAN terminal unit using a second channel;
- and a channel controller, wherein the first wireless LAN interface scans every usable channel, and wherein the channel controller determines whether or not among the scanned channels there is a channel that is capable of connecting with one or more wireless LAN terminal units of another wireless LAN terminal unit, wherein the method comprises;
a first step of employing the channel controller to select, if no channel capable of connecting with another wireless LAN terminal unit is detected, one channel at random from usable channels and setting the selected channel to the first wireless LAN interface as a third channel; a second step of employing the channel controller to set, if only the first channel capable of connecting with the first wireless LAN terminal unit is detected, the first channel to the first wireless LAN interface; a third step of employing the channel controller, if the first channel capable of connecting with the first wireless LAN terminal unit and a plurality of channels capable of connecting with the second wireless LAN terminal unit including the second channel are detected and if the number of the other wireless LAN terminal units using the first channel is the minimum number of a while the number of the other wireless LAN terminal units using the second channel is b which is larger than a, to set the first channel to the first wireless LAN interface; and a fourth step of employing the channel controller, if the first channel capable of connecting with the first wireless LAN terminal unit and a plurality of channels capable of connecting with the second wireless LAN terminal unit including the second channel are detected, and if the number of the other wireless LAN terminal units using the first channel is the minimum number of a while the number of the other wireless LAN terminal units using the second channel is the minimum number of a, and if in first wireless LAN terminal units of the number of the other a-wireless LAN terminal units establishing the wireless connection by the first channel, the number of the wireless LAN terminal units which establish the wireless connection by the first channel is the minimum number of c while, in second wireless LAN terminal units of the number of the other a-wireless LAN terminal units establishing the wireless connection by the second channel, the number of the wireless LAN terminal units which establish the wireless connection by the second channel is the minimum number of d, and if the number of c is smaller than the number of d, to set the first channel to the first wireless LAN interface. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- and a channel controller, wherein the first wireless LAN interface scans every usable channel, and wherein the channel controller determines whether or not among the scanned channels there is a channel that is capable of connecting with one or more wireless LAN terminal units of another wireless LAN terminal unit, wherein the method comprises;
Specification