Optimizing network performance using band-switching operations

• US 9,763,247 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2014
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Linksys Holdings Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sidhu, Gursharan, Kim, Ryan Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Mills, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baron, Henry
• Application Number:
  US14/294,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20150351096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Techniques and systems for using band-switching operations are provided. For example, a method, computing device, or computer-program product may be provided, and may include receiving a communication, wherein the communication is received on a channel of a first WiFi frequency band, and wherein the communication is received using a first WiFi circuit of the computing device. The method, computing device, or computer-program product may further include determining a second WiFi frequency band on which to transmit the communication, wherein the second WiFi frequency band is different from the first WiFi frequency band, and transmitting the communication, wherein the communication is transmitted on a channel of the second WiFi frequency band, wherein the communication is transmitted using a second WiFi circuit of the computing device, and wherein the determining and transmitting are performed when a band-switching operation is enabled.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, on a computing device, a communication, wherein the communication is received on a channel of a first WiFi frequency band, and wherein the communication is received using a first WiFi circuit of the computing device;

determining both the first WiFi frequency band and a second WiFi frequency band are available for communication by the computing device, wherein the second WiFi frequency band is different from the first WiFi frequency band;

monitoring a throughput of the channel of the first WiFi frequency band, wherein the throughput of the channel includes a percentage of a maximum capacity of the channel;

comparing the throughput of the channel of the first WiFi frequency band to a throughput threshold level;

determining the throughput of the channel of the first WiFi frequency band is above the throughput threshold level;

automatically enabling a band-switching operation when both the first WiFi frequency band and the second WiFi frequency band are determined to be available and when the throughput of the channel of the first WiFi frequency band is determined to be above the throughput threshold level, wherein the band-switching operation is automatically disabled when the throughput of the channel of the first WiFi frequency band is determined to be below the throughput threshold level;

switching from the first WiFi frequency band to the second WiFi frequency band for transmitting the communication, wherein switching is performed when the band-switching operation is enabled, and wherein the switching enables the computing device to simultaneously receive communications on a channel of the first Wifi frequency band and transmit communications on a channel of the second WiFi frequency band; and

transmitting, from the computing device, the communication, wherein the communication is transmitted using a second WiFi circuit of the computing device on a channel of the second WiFi frequency band, and wherein the computing device is configured to transmit the communication while simultaneously receiving communications on the channel of the first Wifi frequency band.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the first WiFi frequency band includes a 2.4 gigahertz frequency band, the second WiFi frequency band includes a 5 gigahertz frequency band.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when the first WiFi frequency band includes a 5 gigahertz frequency band, the second WiFi frequency band includes a 2.4 gigahertz frequency band.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that one of the first WiFi frequency band and the second WiFi frequency band has been disabled; and

continuing to enable the band-switching operation upon determining that one of the first WiFi frequency band and the second WiFi frequency band has been disabled.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that one of the first WiFi frequency band and the second WiFi frequency band is unavailable; and

disabling the band-switching operation upon determining that one the first WiFi frequency band and the second WiFi frequency band is unavailable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device includes a wireless range extending device.

7. A computing device, comprising:

one or more data processors;

a first WiFi circuit for receiving a communication, wherein the communication is received on a channel of a first WiFi frequency band;

a second WiFi circuit; and

a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium containing instructions which when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including;

determining both the first WiFi frequency band and a second WiFi frequency band are available for communication by the computing device, wherein the second WiFi frequency band is different from the first WiFi frequency band;

monitoring a throughput of the channel of the first WiFi frequency band, wherein the throughput of the channel includes a percentage of a maximum capacity of the channel;

comparing the throughput of the channel of the first WiFi frequency band to a throughput threshold level;

determining the throughput of the channel of the first WiFi frequency band is above the throughput threshold level;

automatically enabling a band-switching operation when both the first WiFi frequency band and the second WiFi frequency band are determined to be available and when the throughput of the channel of the first WiFi frequency band is determined to be above the throughput threshold level, wherein the band-switching operation is automatically disabled when the throughput of the channel of the first WiFi frequency band is determined to be below the throughput threshold level;

switching from the first WiFi frequency band to the second WiFi frequency band for transmitting the communication, wherein switching is performed when the band-switching operation is enabled, and wherein the switching enables the computing device to simultaneously receive communications on a channel of the first Wifi frequency band and transmit communications on a channel of the second WiFi frequency band; and

transmitting the communication, wherein the communication is transmitted using the second WiFi circuit on a channel of the second WiFi frequency band, and wherein the computing device is configured to transmit the communication while simultaneously receiving communications on the channel of the first Wifi frequency band.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein when the first WiFi frequency band includes a 2.4 gigahertz frequency band, the second WiFi frequency band includes a 5 gigahertz frequency band.

9. The computing device of claim 7, wherein when the first WiFi frequency band includes a 5 gigahertz frequency band, the second WiFi frequency band includes a 2.4 gigahertz frequency band.

10. The computing device of claim 7, further comprising instructions which when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

determining that one of the first WiFi frequency band and the second WiFi frequency band has been disabled; and

continuing to enable the band-switching operation upon determining that one of the first WiFi frequency band and the second WiFi frequency band has been disabled.

11. The computing device of claim 7, further comprising instructions which when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

determining that one of the first WiFi frequency band and the second WiFi frequency band is unavailable; and

disabling the band-switching operation upon determining that one the first WiFi frequency band and the second WiFi frequency band is unavailable.

12. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the computing device includes a wireless range extending device.

13. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of a computing device, including instructions configured to cause one or more data processors to:

receive a communication, wherein the communication is received on a channel of a first WiFi frequency band, and wherein the communication is received using a first WiFi circuit of the computing device;

determine both the first WiFi frequency band and a second WiFi frequency band are available for communication by the computing device, wherein the second WiFi frequency band is different from the first WiFi frequency band;

monitor a throughput of the channel of the first WiFi frequency band, wherein the throughput of the channel includes a percentage of a maximum capacity of the channel;

compare the throughput of the channel of the first WiFi frequency band to a throughput threshold level;

determine the throughput of the channel of the first WiFi frequency band is above the throughput threshold level;

automatically enable a band-switching operation when both the first WiFi frequency band and the second WiFi frequency band are determined to be available and when the throughput of the channel of the first WiFi frequency band is determined to be above the throughput threshold level, wherein the band-switching operation is automatically disabled when the throughput of the channel of the first WiFi frequency band is determined to be below the throughput threshold level;

switch from the first WiFi frequency band to the second WiFi frequency band for transmitting the communication, wherein switching is performed when the band-switching operation is enabled, and wherein the switching enables the computing device to simultaneously receive communications on a channel of the first Wifi frequency band and transmit communications on a channel of the second WiFi frequency band; and

transmit the communication, wherein the communication is transmitted using a second WiFi circuit of the computing device on a channel of the second WiFi frequency band, and wherein the computing device is configured to transmit the communication while simultaneously receiving communications on the channel of the first Wifi frequency band.

14. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein when the first WiFi frequency band includes a 2.4 gigahertz frequency band, the second WiFi frequency band includes a 5 gigahertz frequency band.

15. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein when the first WiFi frequency band includes a 5 gigahertz frequency band, the second WiFi frequency band includes a 2.4 gigahertz frequency band.

16. The computer-program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions configured to cause one or more data processors to:

determine that one of the first WiFi frequency band and the second WiFi frequency band has been disabled; and

continue to enable the band-switching operation upon determining that one of the first WiFi frequency band and the second WiFi frequency band has been disabled.

17. The computer-program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions configured to cause one or more data processors to:

determine that one of the first WiFi frequency band and the second WiFi frequency band is unavailable; and

disable the band-switching operation upon determining that one the first WiFi frequency band and the second WiFi frequency band is unavailable.

18. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein the computing device includes a wireless range extending device.