Method and apparatus for using time shifted analysis based on gathering non-encrypted information from packets

• US 9,807,625 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2017
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chengdu Sk Spruce Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Network Performance Research Group LLC
• Inventors: Ngo, Terry F K, Yi, Seung Baek, Kurniawan, Erick, Tsai, Kun Ting
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US15/454,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20170181015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 236 Days
• Field of Search: 370252, 370329, 370430
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to wireless networks and more specifically to systems and methods for selecting and implementing communication parameters used in a wireless network to optimize communication between access points and client devices while accounting for effects of adjacent networks. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a Wi-Fi coordinator device that receives packet information from devices within wireless range of the Wi-Fi coordinator. The Wi-Fi coordinator sends the packet information to a cloud intelligence engine which then time shifts the packet information and combines the packet information with other packet information. Using this integrated packet information, the cloud intelligence devices determines the access point settings to improve the operation of the network.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a Wi-Fi coordinator device communicatively coupled to an access point and configured to receive packet information from one or more devices in range of the Wi-Fi coordinator device; and

a cloud intelligence engine communicatively coupled to the Wi-Fi coordinator device and configured to receive the packet information, store the packet information, integrate the packet information with other packet information to generate integrated packet information, and determine one or more operational Wi-Fi settings for the access point device based at least on the integrated packet information;

wherein, the packet information includes information selected from the group consisting of a packet envelope, packet header, packet type, packet size, retry bits, collision bits, flags, status, timestamp, data rate, channel, signal level, noise level, MAC header, Logical Link Control header, and IP, TCP, and HTTP data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the cloud intelligence engine is further configured to transmit the one or more operational Wi-Fi settings to the Wi-Fi coordinator device, and the Wi-Fi coordinator device is further configured to cause the access point to implement the one or more operational Wi-Fi settings.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the Wi-Fi coordinator device is configured to send information about the access point to the cloud intelligence engine and the cloud intelligence engine is configured to determine the one or more operational Wi-Fi settings based on the access point information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the Wi-Fi coordinator device utilizes processing resources in the access point.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the Wi-Fi coordinator does not utilize processing resources in the access point.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the Wi-Fi coordinator device includes a DFS master device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the DFS master device is configured to switch a 5 GHz transceiver of the DFS master device to a channel of a plurality of 5 GHz communication channels, cause a beacon generator of the DFS master device to generate a beacon in the channel of the plurality of 5 GHz communication channels, and cause a radar detector of the DFS master device to scan for a radar signal in the channel of the plurality of 5 GHz communication channels.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more operational Wi-Fi settings is selected from the group consisting of channel, beacon interval, beamforming settings, Wi-Fi multimedia power save (WMMPS) compatibility, frame burst, delivery traffic indication message (DTIM) interval, fragmentation threshold, request to send (RTS) threshold, transmit (TX) antenna, receive (RX) antenna, preamble length, transmit (TX) power, Afterburner/Super G/Speedbooster, Bluetooth coexistence mode, wireless network mode, and sensitivity range (acknowledge (ACK) timing).

9. A system, comprising:

a Wi-Fi coordinator device communicatively coupled to an access point and configured to receive packet information from one or more devices in range of the Wi-Fi coordinator device; and

a cloud intelligence engine communicatively coupled to the Wi-Fi coordinator device and configured to receive the packet information, store the packet information, integrate the packet information with other packet information to generate integrated packet information, and determine one or more operational Wi-Fi settings for the access point device based at least on the integrated packet information;

wherein, the cloud intelligence engine and the Wi-Fi coordinator device are configured to cause the access point to adjust one or more temporary Wi-Fi settings, determine a variation in one or more Wi-Fi performance parameters relative to the adjustment in the one or more temporary Wi-Fi settings, and to determine the one or more operational Wi-Fi settings for the access point device based on the variation in the one or more Wi-Fi performance parameters.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the cloud intelligence engine includes a database for storing the variation in the one or more Wi-Fi performance parameters relative to the adjustment in the one or more temporary Wi-Fi settings and wherein the cloud intelligence engine is configured to determine one or more second operational Wi-Fi settings for a second access point device based on the variation in the one or more Wi-Fi performance parameters.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more Wi-Fi performance parameters is selected from the group consisting of throughput, range, signal strength, error rate, collision rate, and output power.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving, using Wi-Fi coordinator device communicatively coupled to an access point, packet information from one or more devices in range of the Wi-Fi coordinator device;

receiving, using a cloud intelligence engine communicatively coupled to the Wi-Fi coordinator device, the packet information;

storing, using the clout intelligence engine, the packet information;

integrating, using the cloud intelligence engine, the packet information with other packet information to generate integrated packet information;

determining, using the cloud intelligence engine, one or more operational Wi-Fi settings for the access point device based at least on the integrated packet information;

causing, using the cloud intelligence engine and the Wi-Fi coordinator, the access point to adjust one or more temporary Wi-Fi settings;

determining, using the cloud intelligence engine, a variation in one or more Wi-Fi performance parameters relative to the adjustment in the one or more temporary Wi-Fi settings; and

determining, using the cloud intelligence engine, the one or more operational Wi-Fi settings for the access point device based on the variation in the one or more Wi-Fi performance parameters.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting, using the cloud intelligence engine, the one or more operational Wi-Fi settings to the Wi-Fi coordinator device; and

causing, using the Wi-Fi coordinator device, the access point to implement the one or more operational Wi-Fi settings.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining, using the cloud intelligence engine, the one or more operational Wi-Fi settings based on Wi-Fi standards information stored in at least one database.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining, using the cloud intelligence engine, the one or more operational Wi-Fi settings based on regulatory information associated with the client devices.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

sending, using the Wi-Fi coordinator device, information about the access point to the cloud intelligence engine; and

determining, using the cloud intelligence engine, the one or more operational Wi-Fi settings based on the access point information.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the cloud intelligence engine includes a database for storing the variation in the one or more Wi-Fi performance parameters relative to the adjustment in the one or more temporary Wi-Fi settings and further comprising determining, using the cloud intelligence engine, one or more second operational Wi-Fi settings for a second access point device based on the variation in the one or more Wi-Fi performance parameters.

18. A system, comprising:

an access point;

a Wi-Fi coordinator device communicatively coupled to the access point and configured to receive packet information from one or more devices in range of the Wi-Fi coordinator device;

and a cloud intelligence engine communicatively coupled to the Wi-Fi coordinator device and configured to receive the packet information, store the packet information, integrate the packet information with other packet information to generate integrated packet information, and determine one or more operational Wi-Fi settings for the access point device based at least on the integrated packet information;

wherein, the packet information includes information selected from the group consisting of a packet envelope, packet header, packet type, packet size, retry bits, collision bits, flags, status, timestamp, data rate, channel, signal level, noise level, MAC header, Logical Link Control header, and IP, TCP, and HTTP data.