System and method for controlling selection of network devices for beamforming

• US 9,673,874 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Aruba Networks Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Patwardhan, Gaurav
• Primary Examiner(s): Joseph, Jaison
• Application Number:
  US14/697,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20160315672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a network device comprises a plurality of antenna elements, one or more hardware processors, and a memory communicatively coupled to the one or more hardware processors. The memory comprises selective beamforming grouping logic that, upon execution by the one or more processors, aggregates a plurality of beamforming-enabled client devices within a coverage area of the network device. Furthermore, the selective beamforming grouping logic further categorizes the plurality of beamforming-enabled client devices into a plurality of groups based on a data transfer rate level supported by each of the plurality of beamforming-enabled client devices, determines a subset of client devices within a first group of the plurality of groups associated with a lowest data transfer rate level, and applies transmit beamforming simultaneously or at least concurrently for each client device of the subset of client devices.

Claims

1. A computerized method for optimizing throughput for a wireless network, the method comprising:

aggregating information associated with a plurality of client devices with beamforming capabilities in a coverage area of a network device that is configured to operate within the wireless network;

grouping the plurality of client devices into a plurality of groups based on at least a first parameter;

iteratively selecting a subset of client devices within a first group such that a first total number of spatial streams of the subset of client devices is at least equal to a second total number of spatial streams supported by the network device;

in response to the first total number of spatial streams of the subset of client devices being less than the second total number of spatial streams supported by the network device, adding the subset of client devices to a second and different group; and

applying transmit beamforming concurrently for each client device of the subset of client devices.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the aggregating of the information comprises obtaining one or more identifiers associated with each of the plurality of client devices.

3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein grouping the plurality of client devices occurs in response to a determination that each of plurality of client devices supports multi-user, multiple-input and multiple-output (MU-MIMO) communications.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein grouping the plurality of client devices into the plurality of groups comprises assigning each client device of the plurality of client devices to a particular group of the one or more groups based on a data transfer rate level for the client device, the data transfer rate level that includes one or more modulation and coding scheme (MCS) rates being the first parameter.

5. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein grouping the plurality of client devices into the plurality of groups comprises assigning each client device of the plurality of client devices to a particular group of the one or more groups based on a signal-to-noise ratio for the client device, the signal-to-noise ratio being the first parameter.

6. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein responsive to determining that the first total number of spatial streams collectively supported by the first group of client devices is greater than or equal to the second total number of spatial streams supported by the network device, selecting the subset of client devices further comprises selecting a first subset of client devices based on an analysis of characteristics of each client device of the first group of client devices and a determination that the first subset of client devices provides optimal network throughput and collectively occupies an entire spatial stream capacity supported by the network device.

7. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein after applying the transmit beamforming, the method further comprising:

removing information associated with the first subset of client devices from the first group of client devices.

8. The computerized method of claim 7, after removing the first subset of client devices from the first group of client devices, the method further comprises iteratively determining whether a total number of spatial streams collectively supported by remaining client devices of the first group of client devices is greater than or equal to the second total number of spatial streams supported by the network device, and if so, repeating an analysis of characteristics of each of the first group of client devices and determining that a subsequent subset of client devices provides optimal network throughput and collectively occupies the entire spatial stream capacity supported by the network device.

9. The computerized method of claim 8, wherein responsive to determining that the total number of spatial streams collectively supported by the remaining client devices of the first group of client devices is less than the second total number of spatial streams supported by the network device, adding the remaining client devices to a second group of the one or more groups, provided the one or more groups include at least three groups.

10. A network device comprising:

a plurality of antenna elements;

one or more hardware processors; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the one or more hardware processors, the memory comprises selective beamforming grouping logic that, upon execution by the one or more processors, (i) aggregates information associated with a plurality of client devices with beamforming capabilities within a coverage area of the network device, (ii) groups the plurality of client devices into a plurality of groups based on a data transfer rate level supported by each of the plurality of client devices, (iii) iteratively selects a subset of client devices within a first group such that a first total number of spatial streams of the subset of client devices is at least equal to a second total number of spatial streams supported by the network device, (iv) adds the subset of client devices to a second and different group in response to the first total number of spatial streams of the subset of client devices being less than the second total number of spatial streams supported by the network device, and (v) applies transmit beamforming concurrently for each client device of the subset of client devices.

11. The network device of claim 10, wherein the information associated with the plurality of client devices that is aggregated by the selective beamforming grouping logic comprises one or more identifiers each associated with one of the plurality of client devices.

12. The network device of claim 10, wherein the processor executes the selective beamforming grouping logic in response to a triggering event.

13. The network device of claim 12, wherein the triggering event comprises a change in association by the network device with at least one client device.

14. The network device of claim 13, wherein the triggering event comprises an expiration of a predetermined amount of time without the change in association.

15. The network device of claim 10, wherein responsive to determining that the first total number of spatial streams collectively supported by the first group of client devices is greater than or equal to the second total number of spatial streams supported by the network device, the selective beamforming grouping logic further selects a first subset of client devices as the subset of client devices based on an analysis of one or more characteristics of each of the first group of client devices and a determination that the first subset of client devices provides optimal network throughput and collectively occupies an entire spatial stream capacity supported by the network device.

16. The network device of claim 10, wherein the memory further comprises transmit beamforming control logic that, when executed by the processor, controls transmit beamforming through the plurality of antenna elements to the subset of client devices.

17. A non-transitory storage medium implemented within a network device and including selective beamforming grouping logic that, when executed by one or more hardware processors of the network device, performs operations comprising:

aggregating information associated with a plurality of client devices with beamforming capabilities;

grouping the plurality of client devices into a plurality of groups based on at least a first parameter;

iteratively selecting a subset of client devices within a first group such that a first total number of spatial streams of the subset of client devices is at least equal to a second total number of spatial streams supported by the network device;

in response to the first total number of spatial streams of the subset of client devices being less than the second total number of spatial streams supported by the network device, adding the subset of client devices to a second and different group; and

applying transmit beamforming concurrently for each client device of the subset of client devices.

18. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 17, wherein grouping the plurality of client devices into a plurality of groups comprises assigning each client device of the plurality of client devices to a particular group of the one or more groups based on a data transfer rate level for the client device, the data transfer rate level that includes one or more modulation and coding scheme (MCS) rates being the first parameter.