Method for RF management, frequency reuse and increasing overall system capacity using network-device-to-network-device channel estimation and standard beamforming techniques

• US 9,706,415 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Aruba Networks Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Ponnuswamy, Subburajan
• Primary Examiner(s): Thier, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nowlin, Eric
• Application Number:
  US14/069,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20150117324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Disclosed is a system, apparatus, and method for RF management using network-device-to-network-device channel estimation and standard beamforming techniques. The exemplary method comprises: obtaining a first information corresponding to a first device that is a target device for transmitting at least one of a plurality of wireless signals by a network device; obtaining a second information corresponding to a second device that is to be avoided by propagation of any wireless signals transmitted by the network device; computing a radiation pattern for transmitting the plurality of wireless signals based at least on the first information associated with the first device and the second information associated with the second device; and transmitting the plurality of wireless signals based on the radiation pattern.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions that, when executed by a network device, cause the network device to:

transmit, on a first radio frequency (RF) channel and an adjacent RF channel, a data frame for channel state estimation at a first frequency;

estimate channel state information using the data frame;

transmit, at a second frequency, channel state information based on the channel state estimation;

obtain a first information corresponding to a first device that is a target device to receive wireless signals transmitted by the network device;

obtain a second information corresponding to a second device to which the network device is to avoid transmitting the wireless signals, wherein the second device is a wireless network device, wherein

the first information and the second information are based, at least in part, on the channel state information;

compute a radiation pattern for transmitting the wireless signals based at least on the first information associated with the first device and the second information associated with the second device, wherein the radiation pattern is to steer a maxima of the wireless signals to a first client device associated with the first device and to steer a minima of the wireless signals to a second client device associated with the second device;

obtain a radio frequency (RF) management criteria; and

transmit the wireless signals based on the radiation pattern and the RF management criteria, wherein the minima of the wireless signals is to nullify the maxima of the wireless signals at the second client device.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are to cause the network device to compute the radiation pattern using a beamforming technique.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are to cause the network device to transmit the wireless signals to propagate to the first device at a first received signal strength that is above a first minimum strength and to not propagate to the second device at a signal strength that is above a second minimum strength.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first device is at a first distance away from the network device, wherein the second device is at a second distance away from the network device, and wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the instructions are to cause the network device to further compute the radiation pattern based on a third information indicating that a third device is also a target device to receive the wireless signals transmitted by the network device, wherein the third device is at a third distance away from the network device, and wherein the third distance is greater than the second distance.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein each of the first device, the second device, and the third device is in a first direction within a same 180-degree angle from the network device, and wherein a direction toward the second device is between a second direction toward the first device and a third direction toward the third device.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the network device and the second device are both access points.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein to obtain the second information, the instructions are to cause the network device to associate the second device as a client device to the network device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein to obtain the second information, the instructions are to cause the network device to determine the second information based on wireless signals received by the network device from the second device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein to obtain the second information, the instructions are to cause the network device to communicate with the second device while spoofing a third device that is in communication with the second device.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions that, when executed by a network device, cause the network device to:

transmit, at a first frequency, a data frame for channel state estimation on a radio frequency (RF) channel associated with the network device;

analyze the data frame by channel state estimation;

receive, over a wired interface, channel state information relating to channel states affecting wireless transmissions from the network device to a first access point and a second access point simultaneously at a second frequency, wherein the channel state information is based on the channel state estimation, and

wherein the channel state information is associated with one or more (RF) channels;

use the channel state information to compute a radiation pattern that is to steer a minima of a set of wireless signals to the second access point and to steer a maxima of the set of wireless signals to at least one client device; and

transmit the set of wireless signals to the at least one client device and the second access point using the radiation pattern, wherein the minima of the set of wireless signals is to nullify the maxima of the set of wireless signals at the second access point.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions are to cause the network device to compute the radiation pattern using a beamforming technique.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein to obtain the channel state information, the instructions are to cause the network device to associate the second device as a client device to the second access point.

14. A wireless network apparatus comprising:

a transceiver;

a plurality of antennas coupled to the transceiver;

a controller coupled to the transceiver to control the transceiver and the plurality of antennas; and

a memory coupled to the controller, the memory containing instructions which, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to;

transmit, on a first radio frequency (RF) channel and an adjacent RF channel, a data frame for channel state estimation at a first frequency;

perform channel state estimation using the data frame;

transmit, at a second frequency, channel state information based on the channel state estimation;

obtain a first information corresponding to a first device that is a target device to receive wireless signals transmitted by the wireless network apparatus,

obtain a second information corresponding to a second device to which the wireless network apparatus is to avoid transmitting the wireless signals, wherein the second device is a wireless network device,

compute a radiation pattern for transmitting the wireless signals based at least on the first information associated with the first device and the second information associated with the second device, wherein the radiation pattern is to steer a maxima of the wireless signals to a first client device associated with the first device and to steer a minima of the wireless signals to a second client device associated with the second device, and

drive the transceiver and the plurality of antennas to transmit the wireless signals based on the radiation pattern, wherein the minima of the plurality of wireless signals is to nullify the maxima of the plurality of wireless signals at the second client device.

15. The wireless network apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions are to cause the wireless network apparatus to compute the radiation pattern using a beamforming technique.

16. The wireless network apparatus of claim 14, wherein the wireless network apparatus and the second device are both access points.

17. The wireless network apparatus of claim 16, wherein to obtain the second information, the instructions are to cause the network device to associate the second device as a client device to the wireless network apparatus.

18. The wireless network apparatus of claim 14, wherein to obtain the second information, the instructions are to cause the wireless network apparatus to determine the second information based on wireless signals received by the wireless network apparatus from the second device.

19. A wireless network apparatus comprising:

a transceiver;

a plurality of antennas coupled to the transceiver;

a controller coupled to the transceiver to control the transceiver and the plurality of antennas; and

a memory coupled to the controller, the memory containing instructions which, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to;

transmit, on a first radio frequency (RF) channel and an adjacent RF channel, a data frame for channel state estimation at a first frequency;

analyze the data frame by channel state estimation;

transmit, at a second frequency, channel state information based on the channel state estimation;

receive the channel state information relating to channel states affecting wireless transmissions from the wireless network apparatus to a first access point and a second access point simultaneously, wherein the channel state information is associated with one or more radio frequency (RF) channels;

use the channel state information to compute a radiation pattern that is to steer a minima of a set of wireless signals to the second access point and to steer a maxima of the set of wireless signals to at least one client device, and

control the transceiver and the plurality of antennas to transmit the set of wireless signals to the at least one client device and the second access point using the radiation pattern, wherein the minima of the set of wireless signals is to nullify the maxima of the set of wireless signals at the second access point.

20. The wireless network apparatus of claim 19, wherein the instructions are to cause the wireless network apparatus to generate the radiation pattern using a beamforming technique.