Method and system for selecting from a set of candidate frequency bands associated with a wireless access point

• US 8,918,102 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Feng, Wolter, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRANDAI, CINDY HUYEN
• Application Number:
  US13/194,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20130029606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455/561, 455/67.11, 455/62, 455 631- 633, 455/450, 455/69, 455/422.1, 455/436, 455/522, 455/455.2, 455/435.2, 455/179.1, 455/180.1, 455/425, 370/332, 370/329, 370/203, 370/241, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/435.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/00 Monitoring; Testing of line transmission systems H04B3/46; arrangements for monitoring or testing transmission systems employing electromagnetic waves other than radio waves H04B10/07
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/327 Received signal code power [RSCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/30 Special cell shapes, e.g. doughnuts or ring cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A particular method includes identifying, at a wireless access point, a client device in communication with the wireless access point. The client device is identified based on a signal quality indicator associated with the client device. The wireless access point is operable to communicate with the client device by transmitting a signal over a channel within at least one of a plurality of frequency bands. The method further includes selecting a set of candidate frequency bands from the plurality of frequency bands, where the set of candidate frequency bands is associated with the client device. Each candidate frequency band in the set of candidate frequency bands supports a power level of the signal that satisfies a signal quality threshold associated with the client device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, at a wireless access point, a particular client device in communication with the wireless access point based on a signal quality indicator associated with the particular client device, wherein the wireless access point is in communication with the particular client device via a first channel of a plurality of channels within a plurality of frequency bands;

determining, at the wireless access point, a threshold power level that enables communication between the wireless access point and the particular client device;

selecting, at the wireless access point, a set of candidate frequency bands from the plurality of frequency bands, wherein each candidate frequency band included in the set of candidate frequency bands supports the threshold power level, and wherein each frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands excluded from the set of candidate frequency bands does not support the threshold power level;

storing, at a memory of the wireless access point, first data indicating the selected set of candidate frequency bands, wherein each frequency band included in the set of candidate frequency bands is an available frequency band for use in a channel change operation; and

in response to a channel change request;

determining, based on the first data, a particular frequency band included in the set of candidate frequency bands to use in the channel change operation with the particular client device, wherein the first data is stored prior to receiving the channel change request; and

selecting a particular channel from the particular frequency band to use in the channel change operation with the particular client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing communication with the particular client device via the particular channel.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting, prior to selecting the set of candidate frequency bands, the first channel of the plurality of channels, wherein the first channel is associated with a highest available power to establish communication with a plurality of client devices,

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of a plurality of client devices is associated with a corresponding signal quality, and wherein the particular client device is identified from the plurality of client devices in response to determining that the particular client device is associated with a lowest signal quality as compared to signal qualities of other client devices of the plurality of client devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of frequency bands includes an unlicensed national information infrastructure sub-band 1, an unlicensed national information infrastructure sub-band 2, an unlicensed national information infrastructure sub-band 3, an unlicensed national information infrastructure sub-band worldwide, an industrial, scientific and medical band, a public safety band, or any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing, at the memory of the wireless access point, updated data indicating an updated set of candidate frequency bands and an updated set of excluded frequencies in response to detecting a new device, detecting that the particular client device has moved out-of-range of the wireless access point, or both.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold power level is a minimum power that enables communication between the wireless access point and the particular client device, wherein determining the threshold power level comprises comparing a signal quality of a signal received at the particular client device or at the wireless access point to a signal quality threshold, and further comprising determining and tracking an availability of each candidate band of the set of candidate frequency bands and each candidate channel of a set of candidate channels to be used in the channel change operation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of candidate frequency bands is selected in response to a determination that the particular client device is no longer in communication with the wireless access point.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a signal quality associated with the particular client device corresponds to a lowest signal quality as compared to signal qualities associated with other client devices of a plurality of client devices in communication with the wireless access point, and wherein the threshold power level corresponds to a lowest power level at which communication between the wireless access point and the particular client device is enabled.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of candidate frequency bands includes frequency bands that are usable in the channel change operation without losing connectivity with the particular client device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the wireless access point, the channel change request, wherein the channel change request corresponds to a channel change indication.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to selection of the particular channel, prioritizing the particular channel based on a comparison of a power level of the particular channel with respect to each corresponding power level of each other channel from the plurality of channels.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data indicates excluded frequency bands corresponding to frequency bands of the plurality of frequency bands that are excluded from the set of candidate frequency bands.

14. A wireless access point comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to perform operations including;

identifying a particular client device in communication with the wireless access point based on a signal quality indicator associated with the particular client device, wherein the wireless access point is in communication with the particular client device via a first channel of a plurality of channels within a plurality of frequency bands;

determining a threshold power level that enables communication between the wireless access point and the particular client device;

selecting a set of candidate frequency bands from the plurality of frequency bands, wherein each candidate frequency band included in the set of candidate frequency bands supports the threshold power level, and wherein each frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands excluded from the set of candidate frequency bands does not support the threshold power level;

storing, at the memory, data indicating the selected set of candidate frequency bands, wherein each frequency band included in the set of candidate frequency bands is identified as an available frequency band for use in a channel change operation; and

in response to a channel change request;

determining, based on the data, a particular frequency band included in the set of candidate frequency bands to use in the channel change operation with the particular client device, wherein the data is stored prior to receiving the channel change request; and

selecting a particular channel from the particular frequency band to use in the channel change operation with the particular client device.

15. The wireless access point of claim 14, wherein the operations further include:

receiving a data stream via a network;

processing the data stream to extract voice data, video data, network data, or any combination thereof; and

sending, to the particular client device, the extracted voice data, video data, network data, or any combination thereof.

16. The wireless access point of claim 14, wherein the processor and the memory are integrated into a router.

17. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

identifying, at a wireless access point, a particular client device in communication with the wireless access point based on a signal quality indicator associated with the particular client device, wherein the wireless access point is in communication with the particular client device via a first channel of a plurality of channels within a plurality of frequency bands;

determining a threshold power level that enables communication between the wireless access point and the particular client device;

selecting a set of candidate frequency bands from the plurality of frequency bands, wherein each candidate frequency band included in the set of candidate frequency bands supports the threshold power level, and wherein each frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands excluded from the set of candidate frequency bands does not support the threshold power level;

storing, at a memory of the wireless access point, data indicating the selected set of candidate frequency bands, wherein each frequency band included in the set of candidate frequency bands is identified as an available frequency band for use in a channel change operation; and

in response to a channel change request;

determining, based on the data, a particular frequency band included in the set of candidate frequency bands to use in the channel change operation with the particular client device, wherein the data is stored prior to receiving the channel change request and

selecting a particular channel from the particular frequency band to use in the channel change operation with the particular client device.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further include:

generating a channel change indication; and

in response to the channel change indication, ceasing communication with the particular client device via a first channel and establishing communication with the particular client device via a second channel, the second channel associated with the particular frequency band.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further include selecting a frequency band supporting a highest available power to establish communication with a plurality of client devices prior to selecting the set of candidate frequency bands.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the wireless access point receives the signal quality indicator from the particular client device.