Client device characterization of other client device transmissions and reporting of signal qualities to access point(s)
First Claim
1. A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) in a communication infrastructure having a packet switched backbone network, the WLAN comprising:
- a plurality of WLAN access points communicatively coupled to the packet switched backbone network and each having access point processing circuitry and access point wireless transceiver circuitry;
a WLAN client device, having client processing circuitry and client wireless transceiver circuitry; and
the client processing circuitry, using the client wireless transceiver circuitry;
receiving transmissions from other WLAN client devices serviced by the plurality of WLAN access points;
characterizing the received transmissions to determine signal qualities of the plurality of transmissions received from the other WLAN client devices; and
reporting the signal qualities of the plurality of transmissions to at least one of the plurality of WLAN access points of the WLAN.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless network in a communication infrastructure has a packet switched backbone network and includes a plurality of access points and services at least one client device. The access points communicatively couple to the packet switched backbone network and each include access point processing circuitry and access point wireless transceiver circuitry. Each client device has client processing circuitry and client wireless transceiver circuitry. The client devices receive transmissions from other client devices serviced by the plurality of access points and characterize the received transmissions to determine signal qualities of the plurality of transmissions received from the other client devices. The client devices then report the signal qualities of the plurality of transmissions to at least one of the plurality of access points. The access points may forward the signal qualities to other access points, to other client devices, and may alter operation of the wireless network based upon the signal qualities.
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Citations
65 Claims
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1. A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) in a communication infrastructure having a packet switched backbone network, the WLAN comprising:
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a plurality of WLAN access points communicatively coupled to the packet switched backbone network and each having access point processing circuitry and access point wireless transceiver circuitry; a WLAN client device, having client processing circuitry and client wireless transceiver circuitry; and the client processing circuitry, using the client wireless transceiver circuitry; receiving transmissions from other WLAN client devices serviced by the plurality of WLAN access points; characterizing the received transmissions to determine signal qualities of the plurality of transmissions received from the other WLAN client devices; and reporting the signal qualities of the plurality of transmissions to at least one of the plurality of WLAN access points of the WLAN. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) client device for operating within a WLAN in a communication infrastructure having a plurality of WLAN access points communicatively coupled to a packet switched backbone network, the WLAN client device comprising:
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client processing circuitry; client wireless transceiver circuitry coupled to the client processing circuitry; and the client processing circuitry, using the client wireless transceiver circuitry; receiving a plurality of transmissions from other WLAN client devices serviced by the plurality of WLAN access points wireless local area network; characterizing the plurality of transmissions received from the other WLAN client devices to determine signal qualities of the plurality of transmissions; and reporting the signal qualities of the plurality of transmissions to at least one of the plurality of WLAN access points. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access point of a plurality of WLAN access points of a WLAN coupled to a packet switched backbone network and that service a plurality of WLAN client devices, the WLAN access point comprising:
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access point processing circuitry; access point wireless transceiver circuitry; the access point processing circuitry, using the access point wireless transceiver circuitry receiving signal quality characterizations from a reporting WLAN client device of the plurality of WLAN client devices; and each signal quality characterization received from a reporting WLAN client device including signal quality information regarding transmissions received by the reporting WLAN client device from other WLAN client devices of the plurality of WLAN client devices. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for operating a wireless local area network (WLAN) having a plurality of WLAN access points communicatively coupled to a packet switched backbone network and that service a plurality of WLAN client devices, the method comprising:
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a WLAN client device receiving transmissions from other WLAN client devices serviced by the plurality of WLAN access points of the WLAN; the client device characterizing the received transmissions to determine signal qualities of the plurality of transmissions received from the other WLAN client devices; and the WLAN client device reporting the signal qualities of the plurality of transmissions to at least one of the plurality of WLAN access points. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method for operating a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) client device within a WLAN having a plurality of WLAN access points communicatively coupled to a packet switched backbone network, the method comprising:
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receiving transmissions from other WLAN client devices serviced by the plurality of WLAN access points of the WLAN; characterizing the received transmissions to determine signal qualities of the plurality of transmissions received from the other WLAN client devices; and reporting the signal qualities of the plurality of transmissions to at least one of the plurality of WLAN access points of the WLAN. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method for operating an Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access point of a WLAN having a plurality of WLAN access points communicatively coupled to the packet switched backbone network, the method comprising:
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receiving a signal quality characterization from a WLAN client device of a plurality of WLAN client devices serviced by the WLAN, the signal quality characterization based upon transmissions received by the serviced WLAN client device from other WLAN client devices of the plurality of WLAN client device; and relaying the signal quality information to another WLAN access point of the plurality of WLAN access points of the WLAN. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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Specification