WLAN having load balancing based on access point loading

• US 8,934,368 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kostic, Zoran, Leung, Kin K., Yin, Hujun
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jangbahadur, Lakeram
• Application Number:
  US13/554,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20130028116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0205 at the air interface dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• 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 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A network having distribution of access point loading includes access points to which mobile stations can associate themselves based upon access point beacon signal levels and loading levels for the various access points. A mobile station receives beacon signals from various access points and determines a signal strength for the received beacon signals. The mobile station also receives access point loading information from the access points. The mobile station associates with an access point based upon the access point beacon signal strengths and the access point loading information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, at an access point, values for a plurality of parameters, the plurality of parameters comprising a mobile station priority weighting parameter and loading information associated with a wireless network, wherein the plurality of parameters further comprises load level information of the access point, an access point priority of the access point, a transmission queue length, and a number of transmitted error packets;

transmitting the values for the plurality of parameters to a mobile station; and

after transmitting the values for the plurality of parameters, associating the access point with the mobile station in response to an association request received from the mobile station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the loading information comprises load level information of the access point.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising authenticating the mobile station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameters further comprises total traffic intensity through the access point.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request for the values for the plurality of parameters from the mobile station, wherein the values for the plurality of parameters are transmitted from the access point to the mobile station in response to the request.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a link quality between the access point and the mobile station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the values for the plurality of parameters are transmitted to the mobile station via a beacon signal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network is associated with the access point.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameters further comprises an overall network loading.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile station comprises a laptop, a personal digital assistant, a mobile phone, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the association request is based on the values for the plurality of parameters.

12. An access point comprising:

a processor;

an interface coupled to the processor and configured to communicate with a mobile station; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising instructions executable by the processor to perform operations comprising;

determining values for a plurality of parameters, the plurality of parameters comprising a mobile station priority weighting parameter, an access point priority of the access point, a transmission queue length, a number of transmitted error packets, and loading information associated with a wireless network;

transmitting the values for the plurality of parameters to the mobile station via the interface;

after transmitting the values for the plurality of parameters, associating the access point with the mobile station in response to an association request received from the mobile station; and

storing, in the memory, the values for the plurality of parameters.

13. The access point of claim 12, further comprising authenticating the mobile station.

14. The access point of claim 12, wherein the memory stores data indicating a number of mobile stations that are associated to communicate via the interface.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile station, first values for a plurality of parameters from a first access point, the plurality of parameters comprising a mobile station priority weighting parameter and loading information associated with a wireless network, wherein the plurality of parameters further comprises load level information of the first access point, an access point priority of the first access point, a transmission queue length, and a number of transmitted error packets;

selecting to associate the mobile station with the first access point based on the first values for the plurality of parameters; and

sending a request to associate the mobile station with the first access point, the request sent based on the first values for the plurality of parameters.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein selecting to associate the mobile station with the first access point is further based on a signal strength of a beacon received from the first access point exceeding a threshold.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, at the mobile station, second values for the plurality of parameters from a second access point; and

determining to select the first access point or the second access point based on the first values for the plurality of parameters and the second values for the plurality of parameters.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first values are received via a beacon signal transmitted from the first access point.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising forming a signature vector from the first values and a signal strength of the beacon signal.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising, when the mobile station is able to associate with the first access point or a second access point, calculating a cost function based on the signature vector, wherein the cost function based on the signature vector is smaller than a second cost function calculated based on a second signature vector associated with the second access point.