System and method for adaptive channel scanning within a wireless network

• US 8,817,813 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company), Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aruba Networks Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Iyer, Pradeep J., Narasimhan, Partha
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Kibrom T
• Application Number:
  US11/542,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20080080420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,885 Days
• Field of Search: 370/465, 370/311, 370/318, 370/329, 455/434, 455/522, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/13.4, 455/574
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

An access point device that is adapted to a wireless network and a wired network is disclosed. The access point includes a transceiver to receive wireless frames from a plurality of wireless devices of the wireless network, respectively, and at least one component to process information extracted from the wireless frames and to control channel scanning based upon at least one of an amount of wireless device traffic and a type of call.

Claims

1. An access point comprising:

a transceiver to scan wireless frames from one or more wireless devices on one or more channels;

wherein the access point is configured to perform operations comprising;

determining an amount of wireless device traffic on the one or more channels;

comparing the amount of wireless device traffic on the one or more channels to a threshold;

responsive to determining that the amount of wireless device traffic on the one or more channels exceeds the threshold, at least temporarily stopping channel scanning.

5. The access point of claim 1 wherein the amount of wireless device traffic is determined for a single channel.

6. The access point of claim 1 wherein the amount of wireless device traffic is determined for a plurality of channels.

7. The access point of claim 1 wherein at least temporarily stopping channel scanning is further responsive to a type of wireless device traffic detected by the access point.

8. The access point of claim 1 wherein at least temporarily stopping channel scanning is further responsive to an operating mode of at least one of the one or more wireless devices.

9. The access point of claim 1 wherein the threshold is approximately 500 frames of wireless device traffic within one second.

2. An access point comprising:

a transceiver to scan wireless frames from one or more wireless devices;

wherein the access point is configured to perform operations comprising;

scanning wireless device data traffic on a plurality of channels at least by periodically changing the channels being scanned by the access point;

determining an amount of wireless device traffic on a particular channel;

comparing the amount of wireless device traffic on the particular channel to a threshold;

responsive to determining that the amount of wireless device traffic on the particular channel exceeds the threshold, at least temporarily stopping the changing of the channels being scanned by the access point.

10. The access point of claim 2 wherein at least temporarily stopping the changing of the channels is further responsive to a type of wireless device traffic detected by the access point.

11. The access point of claim 2 wherein at least temporarily stopping the changing of the channels is further responsive to an operating mode of at least one of the one or more wireless devices.

12. The access point of claim 2 wherein the threshold is in a range of approximately 500 frames of wireless device traffic within one second.

3. A method non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, causes performance of operations comprising:

determining an amount of wireless device traffic on one or more channels;

comparing the amount of wireless device traffic on the one or more channels to a threshold;

responsive to determining that the amount of wireless device traffic on one or more channels exceeds the threshold, at least temporarily stopping channel scanning.

13. The access point of claim 3 wherein the amount of wireless device traffic is determined for a single channel.

14. The access point of claim 3 wherein the amount of wireless device traffic is determined for a plurality of channels.

15. The medium of claim 3 wherein at least temporarily stopping channel scanning is further responsive to a type of wireless device traffic detected by the access point.

16. The medium of claim 3 wherein at least temporarily stopping channel scanning is further responsive to an operating mode of at least one of the one or more wireless devices.

17. The medium of claim 3 wherein the threshold is in a range of approximately 500 frames of wireless device traffic within one second.

4. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, causes performance of operations comprising:

scanning wireless data traffic on a plurality of channels at least by periodically changing the channels being scanned by the access point;

determining an amount of wireless device traffic on a particular channel;

comparing the amount of wireless device traffic on the particular channel to a threshold;

responsive to determining that the amount of wireless device traffic on the particular channel exceeds the threshold, at least temporarily stopping the changing of the channels being scanned by the access point.

18. The medium of claim 4 wherein at least temporarily stopping the changing of the channels is further responsive to a type of wireless device traffic detected by the access point.

19. The medium of claim 4 wherein at least temporarily stopping the changing of the channels is further responsive to an operating mode of at least one of the one or more wireless devices.

20. The medium of claim 4 wherein the threshold is in a range of approximately 500 frames of wireless device traffic within one second.