System and method for integrated WiFi/WiMax neighbor AP discovery and AP advertisement

• US 8,848,669 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2012
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meier, Robert C., Dettloff, Keith, Waclawsky, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Huy C
• Application Number:
  US13/676,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20130070641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0061 of neighbour cell information
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• 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 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A system and method wherein mobile nodes scan both 802.16 and 802.11 radio channels for neighbor access points. A mobile node reports both WiMax and WiFi neighbor access points to its parent access point. A parent access point advertises both WiMax and WiFi neighbor access points to child mobile nodes to facilitate faster roaming and load balancing. A parent WiMax AP can direct a mobile node to roam to a neighbor WiFi access point that has a lighter load or offers enhanced services. As an option, a location tracking protocol is used to determine the location of a mobile node and the mobile node'"'"'s parent AP advertises neighbor APs that offer services in the mobile node'"'"'s location.

Claims

1. Logic encoded in a non-transitory, tangible, computer readable medium of execution by a processor and when executed operable to:

associate with a parent access point having a first radio type;

scan for discovery of a first set of access points using a first radio having an address, the first radio is associated with an apparatus, and the first radio corresponding to a first radio type to detect signals from neighboring access points of the first radio type;

scan for discovery of a second set of access points, using a second radio having the address, the second radio is associated with the apparatus, and the second radio being different than the first radio and corresponding to a second radio type to detect signals from neighboring access points of the second radio type;

determine one of the group consisting of regulatory class, physical layer type value and channel number value from a signal received during one of the group consisting of the scan for discovery of the first set of access points of a first radio type and the scan for discovery of the second set of access points of the second radio type;

generate a single report comprising the results of the scan for the discovery of the first set of access points of the first radio type and the scan for the discovery of the second set of access points of the second radio type, the single report comprises;

i) data representative of the first set of access points detected during the scanning using the first radio, and ii) data representative of the second set of access points detected during the scanning using the second radio; and

send the single report to the parent access point using the address.

2. The logic set forth in claim 1, further operable to:

receive a signal from the parent access point of the first radio type requesting a scan for neighboring access points of the second radio type; and

scan for neighboring access of the second radio type responsive to receiving the signal from the parent access point.

3. The logic set forth in claim 1, further operable to:

receive a signal to roam to an access point of the second radio type from a parent access point of the first radio type; and

roam to an access point of the second radio type responsive to receiving the signal to roam.

4. The logic set forth in claim 1, further operable to:

receive a list of neighboring access points, the list of neighboring access points comprising neighboring access points of the first radio type and neighboring access points of the second radio type; and

roam to a neighboring access point selected from the list of neighboring access points.

5. The logic set forth in claim 1, further operable to:

determine a parameter indicative of coordinates of a present location; and

send a signal containing the parameter indicative of the present location to a parent access point.

6. The logic set forth in claim 5, the logic is further operable to determine coordinates by:

obtain signal strengths measurements of neighboring access points of the first radio type; and

obtain signal strength measurements of neighboring access points of the second radio type;

wherein the parameter indicative of coordinates of the present location is determined from the signal strength measurements of neighboring access points of the first radio type and signal strength measurements of neighboring access points of the second radio type.

7. The logic set forth in claim 1, further operable to:

detect a rogue access point of the second radio type; and

send a message to a parent access point of the first radio type reporting the rogue access point of the second radio type.

8. The logic set forth in claim 1, wherein the first radio type is WiMax or 802.16 compatible and the second radio type is WiFi or 802.11 compatible.

9. The logic set forth in claim 1, wherein access points of the first radio type and access points of the second radio type belong to the same Wireless Metropolitan Area Network.

10. The logic set forth in claim 1, wherein the logic is further operable to detect signals from neighboring access points of the first radio type further by detecting one of a group consisting of a probe response and a beacon from a neighboring access point of the first radio type;

and

the logic is further operable to detect signals from neighboring access points of the second radio type further comprises by detecting one of a group consisting of a downlink channel descriptor and an uplink channel descriptor from a neighboring access point of the second radio type.

11. The logic set forth in claim 10, the logic is further operable to determine a wireless domain from data acquired from one of a group consisting of a probe response, beacon, and downlink channel descriptor for each neighboring access point detected.

12. The logic set forth in claim 10, the logic is further operable to determine a wireless domain from a Type Length Value in one of a group consisting of a probe response and beacon from a neighboring access point of a first radio type;

and

determine a wireless domain from a Type Length Value in a downlink channel descriptor from a neighboring access point of a second radio type.

13. The logic set forth in claim 12, the logic is further operable to determine which access points belong to the same wireless domain based from the Type Length Value in one of a group consisting of a probe response and beacon from neighboring access points of a first radio type, and from the Type Length Value in a downlink channel descriptor from a neighboring access point of a second radio type.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a first wireless transceiver corresponding to the first wireless transceiver type of an associated parent access point, the first wireless transceiver being configured to scan, using an address, for discovery of a first set of neighboring access points;

a second wireless transceiver corresponding to a second wireless transceiver type different than the first wireless transceiver type of the associated parent access point, the second wireless transceiver being configured to scan, using the address, for discovery of a second set of neighboring access points; and

a processor coupled with the first wireless transceiver and the second wireless transceiver;

the processor determining one of the group consisting of regulatory class, physical layer type value and channel number value from a signal received during one of the group consisting of scanning for access points of a first wireless transceiver type and scanning for access points of a second wireless transceiver type;

the processor generating a single report comprising the results of the scanning for access points of the first wireless transceiver type and the scanning for access points of the second wireless transceiver type, the single report comprises;

i) data representative of the first set of access points detected during the scanning using the first wireless transceiver, and ii) data representative of the second set of access points detected during the scanning using the second wireless transceiver; and

the processor transmits the single report to the parent access point using the address via the first wireless transceiver.

15. The apparatus set forth in claim 14, wherein the processor is operable to associate with the parent access point.

16. The apparatus set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

the processor is operable to receive, via the first wireless transceiver, a signal from the parent access point of the first wireless transceiver type requesting a scan for neighboring access points of the second wireless transceiver type; and

scan, via the second wireless transceiver, for neighboring access of the second wireless transceiver type responsive to receiving the signal from the parent access point.

17. The apparatus set forth in claim 14, wherein the processor is further operable to:

receive a signal to roam to an access point of the second wireless transceiver type from a parent access point of the first wireless transceiver type; and

roam to an access point of the second wireless transceiver type responsive to receiving the signal to roam.

18. The apparatus set forth in claim 14, wherein the processor is further operable to:

receive a list of neighboring access points, the list of neighboring access points comprising neighboring access points of the first wireless transceiver type and neighboring access points of the second wireless transceiver type; and

roam to a neighboring access point selected from the list of neighboring access points.

19. The apparatus set forth in claim 14, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine a parameter indicative of coordinates of a present location; and

send a signal containing the parameter indicative of the present location to a parent access point.

20. The apparatus set forth in claim 19, wherein the processor is further operable to determine coordinates by:

obtaining measurements of signal strengths of neighboring access points of the first wireless transceiver type; and

obtaining measurements of signal strength of neighboring access points of the second wireless transceiver type;

wherein the parameter indicative of coordinates of the present location is the signal strength measurements of neighboring access points of the first wireless transceiver type and signal strength measurements of neighboring access points of the second wireless transceiver type.

21. The apparatus set forth in claim 14, wherein the processor is further operable to:

detect a rogue access point of the second wireless transceiver type; and

send a message to a parent access point of the first wireless transceiver type reporting the rogue access point of the second wireless transceiver type.

22. The apparatus set forth in claim 14, wherein the first wireless transceiver type is WiMax or 802.16 compatible and the second wireless transceiver type is WiFi or 802.11 compatible.