Access point selection

• US 9,894,580 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2016
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Hsiang-Wen, Chen, Hsiao-Yung, Chi, Wen-Ping, Hsieh, Hsin Yu, Wang, Wendy Ping Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): Thier, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cox, Brian
• Application Number:
  US15/283,012
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• 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 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Disclosed aspects relate to access point selection. A set of beacon frame transmission data for a set of access points may be collected by a computing device. The computing device may use the set of beacon frame transmission data for the set of access points to determine to establish a connection utilizing a first access point of the set of access points. The computing device may establish the connection utilizing the first access point.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for access point selection, the method comprising:

collecting, by a computing device, a set of beacon frame transmission data for a set of access points, wherein the set of beacon frame transmission data includes;

a first subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data for the first access point of the set of access points, wherein the first subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data indicates a first frame success rate for the first access point,

a second subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data for a second access point of the set of access points, wherein the second subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data indicates a second frame success rate for the second access point,

a first number of active devices for the first access point, and

a second number of active devices for the second access point;

comparing a first factor derived utilizing the first frame success rate for the first access point with respect to a second factor derived utilizing the second frame success rate for the second access point;

computing, by the computing device using both the first and second frame success rates and the first and second numbers of active devices, a set of expected network quality scores for the set of access points, wherein a lower number of active devices indicates a higher expected network quality score;

determining, by the computing device using the set of beacon frame transmission data for the set of access points, using a comparison of the first and second factors, and using a comparison of a first expected network quality score for the first access point and a second expected network quality score for the second access point, to establish a connection utilizing a first access point of the set of access points; and

establishing, by the computing device, the connection utilizing the first access point.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

evaluating, by the computing device, a first network capability data for the first access point of the set of access points with respect to a second network capability data for the second access point of the set of access points, wherein;

the first network capability data includes;

a first network infrastructure,

a first set of encryption details, and

a first set of security protocols, and

the second network capability data includes;

a second network infrastructure,

a second set of encryption details, and

a second set of security protocols; and

determining, based on the evaluating of the first and second network capability data, to establish the connection utilizing the first access point of the set of access points.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing, in advance of establishing the connection, each of;

a set of frequency hopping parameters,

a set of direct-sequence parameters, and

a set of contention-free parameters.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the computing device using the set of beacon frame transmission data for the set of access points, to establish a connection utilizing a first access point of the set of access points includes:

weighting the set of beacon frame transmission data for the set of access points with respect to a set of other information for the set of access points which indicates that network security and encryption level have heavier weights than network signal strength and bandwidth;

identifying, using the weighting, that the first access point achieves a specified threshold related to encryption level; and

selecting, based on the identifying and using the weighting, the first access point of the set of access points.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by the computing device, for a set of beacon frames from the set of access points, wherein the set of beacon frames includes a third number of active devices, a set of network bandwidth information, and a set of signal strength information;

detecting, by the computing device, a first set of beacon frames for the first access point, wherein the first set of beacon frames includes the first number of active devices for the first access point, a first set of network bandwidth information for the first access point, and a first set of signal strength information for the first access point;

detecting, by the computing device, a second set of beacon frames for a second access point, wherein the second set of beacon frames includes the second number of active devices for the second access point, a second set of network bandwidth information for the second access point, and a second set of signal strength information for the second access point;

collecting, by the computing device to ascertain the first frame success rate for the first access point, the first subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data for the first access point, wherein the first subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data includes the first number of active devices for the first access point, the first set of network bandwidth information for the first access point, and the first set of signal strength information for the first access point; and

collecting, by the computing device to ascertain the second frame success rate for the second access point, the second subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data for the second access point, wherein the second subset of beacon frame transmission data includes the second number of active devices for the second access point, the second set of network bandwidth information for the second access point, and the second set of signal strength information for the second access point.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the access point selection is used in a stadium environment, further comprising:

indicating, with respect to the first subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data, a first bandwidth amount of the first access point, a first signal level of the first access point, and a first number of connected devices of the first access point;

calculating, by a computing device using the first subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data, the first frame success rate for the first access point;

indicating, with respect to a second subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data, a second bandwidth amount of the second access point, a second signal level of the second access point, and a second number of connected devices of the second access point;

calculating, by the computing device using the second subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data, the second frame success rate for the second access point;

calculating, by the computing device using the first and second bandwidth amounts, the first and second number of connected devices, and the first and second frame success rates, a net amount of available bandwidth from the first and second access points;

computing, by the computing device, the available bandwidth for each of the first and second access points;

comparing available bandwidth values for the first and second access points;

determining, based on the comparing, that the first access point is expected to be associated with greater network quality than the second access point; and

selecting, to establish a connection with the computing device, the first access point.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device includes a mobile computing device, and further comprising:

initiating, by the mobile computing device in an automated fashion without user intervention, the access point selection in response to a triggering event.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

configuring the triggering event to include a detection that a data rate provided by a currently connected network is below a threshold level for a specified temporal period.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

configuring the triggering event to include a detection that a connection duration, by a mobile computing device to a same access point for a particular temporal period, achieves a threshold temporal period.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device includes an access point controller to manage network traffic with respect to the set of access points, and further comprising:

distributing, by the access point controller, the network traffic between particular access points and mobile computing devices;

monitoring, by the access point controller, the network traffic between the particular access points and the mobile computing devices;

routing, by the access point controller, the network traffic between the particular access points and the mobile computing devices; and

redirecting, by the access point controller, the network traffic between the particular access points and the mobile computing devices.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of access points includes a set of wireless local area networks (WLANs) based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers'"'"' (IEEE) 802.11 standards, further comprising:

storing, in a Contention-Free (CF) Parameter Set, a set of access point status information which includes one or more frame success rates for one or more access points.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the collecting, the determining, and the establishing each occur in a dynamic fashion in real-time to streamline access point selection on-the-fly.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the collecting, the determining, and the establishing each occur in an automated fashion without user intervention by an access point management module using automated computing machinery without manual action.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the first frame success rate to include first number of frames successfully received by a computing device with respect to a first total number of transmitted frames which were transmitted by the first access point; and

configuring the second frame success rate to include second number of frames successfully received by the computing device with respect to a second total number of transmitted frames which were transmitted by the second access point.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

calculating, for the first factor, a first frame success ratio with respect to the first frame success rate;

calculating, for the second factor, a second frame success ratio with respect to the second frame success rate;

determining that the first frame success ratio exceeds the second frame success ratio; and

selecting, in response to determining that the first frame success ratio exceeds the second frame success ratio, the first access point.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

evaluating, by the computing device, a first network capability data for the first access point of the set of access points with respect to a second network capability data for the second access point of the set of access points;

analyzing, in advance of establishing the connection, each of;

a set of frequency hopping parameters,

a set of direct-sequence parameters, and

a set of contention-free parameters;

weighting the set of beacon frame transmission data for the set of access points with respect to a set of other information for the set of access points which indicates that network security and encryption level have heavier weights than network signal strength and bandwidth;

identifying, using the weighting, that the first access point achieves a specified threshold related to encryption level;

and

determining to establish the connection utilizing the first access point of the set of access points.

17. A system for access point selection, the system comprising:

a memory having a set of computer readable computer instructions, and

a processor for executing the set of computer readable instructions, the set of computer readable instructions including;

collecting, by a computing device, a set of beacon frame transmission data for a set of access points, wherein the set of beacon frame transmission data includes;

a first subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data for the first access point of the set of access points, wherein the first subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data indicates a first frame success rate for the first access point,

a second subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data for a second access point of the set of access points, wherein the second subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data indicates a second frame success rate for the second access point,

a first number of active devices for the first access point, and

a second number of active devices for the second access point;

comparing a first factor derived utilizing the first frame success rate for the first access point with respect to a second factor derived utilizing the second frame success rate for the second access point;

computing, by the computing device using both the first and second frame success rates and the first and second numbers of active devices, a set of expected network quality scores for the set of access points, wherein a lower number of active devices indicates a higher expected network quality score;

determining, by the computing device using the set of beacon frame transmission data for the set of access points, using a comparison of the first and second factors, and using a comparison of a first expected network quality score for the first access point and a second expected network quality score for the second access point, to establish a connection utilizing a first access point of the set of access points; and

establishing, by the computing device, the connection utilizing the first access point.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the set of computer readable instructions executable by the processor further include:

indicating, with respect to the first subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data, a first bandwidth amount of the first access point, a first signal level of the first access point, and a first number of connected devices of the first access point;

calculating, by a computing device using the first subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data, the first frame success rate for the first access point;

indicating, with respect to a second subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data, a second bandwidth amount of the second access point, a second signal level of the second access point, and a second number of connected devices of the second access point;

calculating, by the computing device using the second subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data, the second frame success rate for the second access point;

calculating, by the computing device using the first and second bandwidth amounts, the first and second number of connected devices, and the first and second frame success rates, a net amount of available bandwidth from the first and second access points;

computing, by the computing device, the available bandwidth for each of the first and second access points;

comparing available bandwidth values for the first and second access points;

determining, based on the comparing, that the first access point is expected to be associated with greater network quality than the second access point; and

selecting, to establish a connection with the computing device, the first access point.

19. A computer program product for access point selection, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to;

collect a set of beacon frame transmission data for a set of access points, wherein the set of beacon frame transmission data includes;

a first subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data for the first access point of the set of access points, wherein the first subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data indicates a first frame success rate for the first access point,

a second subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data for a second access point of the set of access points, wherein the second subset of the set of beacon frame transmission data indicates a second frame success rate for the second access point,

a first number of active devices for the first access point, and

a second number of active devices for the second access point;

compare a first factor derived utilizing the first frame success rate for the first access point with respect to a second factor derived utilizing the second frame success rate for the second access point;

compute, using both the first and second frame success rates and the first and second numbers of active devices, a set of expected network quality scores for the set of access points, wherein a lower number of active devices indicates a higher expected network quality score;

determine, using the set of beacon frame transmission data for the set of access points, using a comparison of the first and second factors, and using a comparison of a first expected network quality score for the first access point and a second expected network quality score for the second access point, to establish a connection utilizing a first access point of the set of access points; and

establish the connection utilizing the first access point.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein at least one of:

the program instructions are stored in the computer readable storage medium in a data processing system, and wherein the program instructions were downloaded over a network from a remote data processing system;

or

the program instructions are stored in the computer readable storage medium in a server data processing system, and wherein the program instructions are downloaded over a network to the remote data processing system for use in a second computer readable storage medium with the remote data processing system.