Installation and service of a wireless home network

• US 8,750,157 B1
• Filed: 12/06/2013
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxlinear Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Quantenna Communications, Inc. (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Schelstraete, Sigurd, Wang, Qiang, Jagannath, Ramanujam, Amiri, Bahador, Schultz, Steve, Dehghan, Hossein
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, KENNY S
• Application Number:
  US14/099,899
• Time in Patent Office: 186 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/254, 370/252, 370/241, 370/246, 370/247
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5012 determining service availability, e.g. which services are available at a certain point in time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5077 wherein the managed service relates to simple transport services, i.e. providing only network infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition

Abstract

A diagnostic apparatus including a signal analyzer and a throughput projector for diagnosing a wireless home network. The signal analyzer analyzes wireless communication parameters at identifiable locations within a coverage area associated with the wireless home network. The throughput projector projects wireless throughput levels for at least one proposed wireless device differing in communication capabilities from the diagnostic apparatus at each of the identifiable locations, based on the communication parameters analyzed by the signal analyzer together with parameters which identify relative differences in communication capabilities of the diagnostic apparatus and the at least one proposed wireless device.

Claims

1. A diagnostic apparatus for diagnosing a wireless home network, and the diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a signal analyzer for analyzing wireless communication parameters at identifiable locations within a coverage area associated with the wireless home network;

a throughput projector for projecting wireless throughput levels for at least one proposed wireless device differing in communication capabilities from the diagnostic apparatus at each of the identifiable locations, based on the wireless communication parameters analyzed by the signal analyzer together with parameters which identify relative differences in communication capabilities of the diagnostic apparatus and the at least one proposed wireless device.

2. The diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the signal analyzer further configured to determine on a selected one of a plurality of wireless communication channels of the wireless home network airtime unavailable due to interference as well as remaining available airtime; and

a serviceability module to determine the serviceability of the at least one proposed wireless device by comparing the airtime required by the at least one proposed device to the available airtime.

3. The diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a serviceability module to determine the serviceability of the at least one proposed wireless device by comparing the airtime required by the at least one proposed device to the available airtime and to recommend alternate ones of the indicated locations for the at least one proposed wireless device in the event of a negative serviceability determination.

4. The diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a serviceability module to determine the serviceability of the at least one proposed wireless device by comparing the airtime required by the at least one proposed device to the available airtime and to recommend alternate wireless devices in the event of a negative serviceability determination.

5. The diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a serviceability module to determine the serviceability of the plurality of proposed wireless devices based on an aggregate of each proposed wireless device'"'"'s airtime requirements in relation to total available airtime.

6. The diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a locator to locate at least the relative positions of the at least one proposed wireless device at the identifiable locations within the coverage area of the wireless home network; and

a serviceability module to determine an optimal one of the identifiable locations for installation of the at least one proposed wireless device within the wireless home network.

7. The diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a serviceability module to determine the serviceability of the plurality of proposed wireless devices based on an aggregate of each proposed wireless device'"'"'s airtime requirements in relation to total available airtime, and

a display for presenting a graphical user interface allowing a user to input differing mixes among the plurality of proposed wireless devices and to view output from the serviceability module as to the serviceability of each mix.

8. The diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory for storing the parameters which identify relative differences in communication capabilities of the diagnostic apparatus and the at least one proposed wireless device.

9. The diagnostic apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic apparatus comprises one of:

a cell phone, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer and a desktop computer.

10. A method for diagnosing a wireless home network, and the method comprising:

analyzing wireless communication parameters harvested by a first wireless device at identifiable locations within a coverage area associated with the wireless home network;

projecting wireless throughput levels for a proposed wireless device differing in communication capabilities from the first wireless device at each of the identifiable locations, based on the wireless communication parameters analyzed in the analyzing act together with parameters which identify the relative differences in communication capabilities of the first wireless device and the proposed wireless device.

11. The method for diagnosing a wireless home network of claim 10, further comprising:

determining on a selected one of a plurality of wireless communication channels of the wireless home network airtime unavailable due to interference as well as remaining available airtime; and

determining a serviceability of the at least one proposed wireless device by comparing airtime required by the at least one proposed device to available airtime.

12. The method for diagnosing a wireless home network of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a serviceability of the at least one proposed wireless device by comparing airtime required by the at least one proposed device to available airtime; and

recommending alternate ones of the indicated locations for the at least one proposed wireless device in the event of a negative serviceability determination.

13. The method for diagnosing a wireless home network of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a serviceability of the at least one proposed wireless device by comparing airtime required by the at least one proposed device to available airtime; and

recommending alternate wireless devices in the event of a negative serviceability determination.

14. The method for diagnosing a wireless home network of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a serviceability of the plurality of proposed wireless devices based on an aggregate of each proposed wireless device'"'"'s airtime requirements in relation to total available airtime.

15. The method for diagnosing a wireless home network of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying at least the relative positions of the at least one proposed wireless device at the identifiable locations within the coverage area of the wireless home network; and

determining an optimal one of the identifiable locations for installation of the at least one proposed wireless device within the wireless home network.

16. The method for diagnosing a wireless home network of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a serviceability of the plurality of proposed wireless devices based on an aggregate of each proposed wireless device'"'"'s airtime requirements in relation to total available airtime, and

displaying a graphical user interface allowing a user to input differing mixes among the plurality of proposed wireless devices and to view output as to the serviceability of each mix as determined in the determining act.

17. The method for diagnosing a wireless home network of claim 10, further comprising:

parameterizing relative differences in throughput resulting from differences in communications capabilities of the diagnostic apparatus and the at least proposed wireless device.

18. The method for diagnosing a wireless home network of claim 10, further comprising:

performing the analyzing and projecting acts on at least one of;

the first wireless device, a wireless access point (WAP) and a server accessible over the Internet.

19. A non-transient computer readable medium containing program instructions for causing a computer to perform the method of:

analyzing wireless communication parameters harvested by a first wireless device at identifiable locations within a coverage area associated with the wireless home network;

projecting wireless throughput levels for a proposed wireless device differing in communication capabilities from the first wireless device at each of the identifiable locations, based on the communication parameters analyzed in the analyzing act together with parameters which identify the relative differences in communication capabilities of the first wireless device and the proposed wireless device.

20. The non-transient computer readable medium containing program instructions of claim 19 for causing a computer to perform the method of:

determining on a selected one of a plurality of wireless communication channels of the wireless home network airtime unavailable due to interference as well as remaining available airtime; and

determining a serviceability of the at least one proposed wireless device by comparing airtime required by the at least one proposed device to available airtime.