Program for selecting an optimum access point in a wireless network

• US 8,532,063 B1
• Filed: 01/26/2009
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Piccata Fund Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Backes, Floyd, Bridge, Laura
• Primary Examiner(s): JAIN, RAJ K
• Application Number:
  US12/359,683
• Time in Patent Office: 1,688 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/04 Traffic adaptive resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/06 Hybrid resource partitioning, e.g. channel borrowing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/08 Load balancing or load distribution transferring a connection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0862 of same hierarchy level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0983 for optimizing bandwidth or throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• 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 36/20 : for optimising the interference level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 : by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/08 : based on transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/18 : based on predicted events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/36 : due to handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 : based on traffic conditions
• 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 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/17 : Selecting a data network PoA [Point of Attachment]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 : Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 : using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/10 : Open loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 : TPC being performed according to specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/225 : Calculation of statistics, e.g. average, variance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/226 : using past references to control power, e.g. look-up-table
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/228 : using past power values or information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/24 : using SIR [Signal to Interference Ratio] or other wireless path parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 : taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/246 : where the output power of a terminal is based on a path parameter calculated in said terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/247 : where the output power of a terminal is based on a path parameter sent by another terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 : Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/285 : taking into account the mobility of the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/286 : during data packet transmission, e.g. high speed packet access [HSPA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/287 : when the channel is in stand-by
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/288 : taking into account the usage mode, e.g. hands-free, data transmission, telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/34 : TPC management, i.e. sharing limited amount of power among users or channels or data types, e.g. cell loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/343 : taking into account loading or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 : Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 : at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 : Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 : with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 : Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 : based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 : based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 : Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 : Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 : Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 : with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 : between terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 : between access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• 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. A non-transitory computer readable medium having embodied therein a computer program instructions for use by a wireless communication device associated with a current access point on one channel, the computer program instructions configured to cause the wireless device to implement operations comprising:

ascertaining whether the wireless device should attempt to associate with another access point operating on another channel; and

requesting association with the access point operating on another channel if it is ascertained that the wireless device should attempt to associate with said access point,

wherein the ascertaining includes ascertaining that the wireless device should attempt to associate with another access point operating on another channel if the access point on said another channel is closer to the wireless device than the current access point, based on a distance measure computed for a particular access point using a received power from the particular access point and a transmit power backoff value associated with the particular access point.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

automatically collecting information about access points operating on other channels.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the ascertaining that the wireless device should attempt to associate with another access point operating on another channel includes ascertaining that the access point on said different channel is closer to the wireless device than the current access point by:

calculating, using said distance measure, a first biased distance between the wireless device and the current access point based on a first number of samples;

calculating, using said distance measure, a second biased distance between the wireless device and the access point operating on said another channel based on a second number of samples, wherein the second number of samples is less than the first number of samples; and

determining that the access point operating on said another channel is closer than the current access point if the second biased distance is less than the first biased distance.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the requesting association includes sending a message to the access point operating on said another channel.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein at least one of calculating the first biased distance or calculating the second biased distance includes weighting a distance computed using said distance measure by a quantity based on one or more loading factors associated with the current access point, the access point operating on said another channel, or both.

6. The medium of claim 5, wherein at least one of the one or more loading factors is determined based at least in part on a data rate determined based on a corrected distance, calculated at least in part from said distance measure, and a wireless communication mode of operation of the access point associated with the particular loading factor.

7. The medium of claim 6, wherein at least one of the one or more loading factors is determined based at least in part on a rate-to-load conversion based on the determined data rate.

8. A method for use by a wireless communication device associated with an access point operating on one channel, the method comprising:

ascertaining whether the wireless device should attempt to associate with another access point operating on another channel, including ascertaining that the wireless device should attempt to associate with another access point operating on another channel if the access point on said another channel is closer to the wireless device than the current access point, based on a distance measure computed for a particular access point using a received power from the particular access point and a transmit power backoff value associated with the particular access point; and

requesting association with the access point operating on another channel if it is ascertained that the wireless device should attempt to associate with said access point.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the ascertaining that the wireless device should attempt to associate with another access point operating on another channel includes ascertaining that the access point on said different channel is closer to the wireless device than the current access point by:

calculating, using said distance measure, a first biased distance between the wireless device and the current access point based on a first number of samples;

calculating, using said distance measure, a second biased distance between the wireless device and the access point operating on said another channel based on a second number of samples, wherein the second number of samples is less than the first number of samples; and

determining that the access point operating on said another channel is closer than the current access point if the second biased distance is less than the first biased distance.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of calculating the first biased distance or calculating the second biased distance includes weighting a distance computed using said distance measure by a quantity based on one or more loading factors associated with the current access point, the access point operating on said another channel, or both.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the one or more loading factors is determined based at least in part on a data rate determined based on a corrected distance, calculated at least in part from said distance measure, and a wireless communication mode of operation of the access point associated with the particular loading factor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the one or more loading factors is determined based at least in part on a rate-to-load conversion based on the determined data rate.

13. A wireless communication device comprising:

a processor that, in a state in which the wireless device is associated with a current access point operating on one channel, is configured to;

ascertain whether the wireless device should attempt to associate with another access point operating on another channel, including ascertaining that the wireless device should attempt to associate with another access point operating on another channel if the access point on said another channel is closer to the wireless device than the current access point, based on a distance measure computed for a particular access point using a received power from the particular access point and a transmit power backoff value associated with the particular access point; and

request association with the access point operating on another channel if it is ascertained that the wireless device should attempt to associate with said access point.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 13, further comprising:

a collection mechanism configured to collect one or more messages from one or more wireless access points.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to ascertain that the wireless device should attempt to associate with another access point operating on another channel by ascertaining that the access point on said different channel is closer to the wireless device than the current access point, including:

calculating, using said distance measure, a first biased distance between the wireless device and the current access point based on a first number of samples;

calculating, using said distance measure, a second biased distance between the wireless device and the access point operating on said another channel based on a second number of samples, wherein the second number of samples is less than the first number of samples; and

determining that the access point operating on said another channel is closer than the current access point if the second biased distance is less than the first biased distance.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein at least one of calculating the first biased distance or calculating the second biased distance includes weighting a distance computed using said distance measure by a quantity based on one or more loading factors associated with the current access point, the access point operating on said another channel, or both.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more loading factors is determined based at least in part on a data rate determined based on a corrected distance, calculated at least in part from said distance measure, and a wireless communication mode of operation of the access point associated with the particular loading factor.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 17, wherein at least one of the one or more loading factors is determined based at least in part on a rate-to-load conversion based on the determined data rate.