Apparatus and method for wireless network extensibility and enhancement

• US 10,327,187 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2015
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yeddala, Kiran, Gunasekara, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Justin Y
• Application Number:
  US14/959,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20170164416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/03 Reselecting a link using a direct mode connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/037 by reducing handover delay, e.g. latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for extending and enhancing wireless networks. An exemplary wireless network configured according to the disclosure uses in-service Wireless Network Clients (WNCs), such as mobile phones, laptops, etc., to extend and enhance the wireless network coverage via peer-to-peer sub-networks. In one implementation, each WNC is configured to operate as a Service Access Node (SAN) to other wireless client devices in the same network. The SAN provides peer-to-peer communications capabilities (to communicate with wireless clients) and gateway functionality (to aggregate data traffic over its own uplink communications), thereby enabling wireless clients to “piggyback” their data link onto the WNC. Peer Control Manager (PCM) software on each WNC enables, disables, and controls the service functions for that WNC in accordance with an overarching Peer Controller (PC) entity operated by an Access Point Controller/Core Network.

Claims

1. Network apparatus for use within a wireless network, the network apparatus comprising:

a computerized controller entity, the computerized controller entity comprising at least one computer program operative to run on a processing apparatus of the computerized controller entity, and a backhaul data interface configured for data communication with a packet-switched network; and

a plurality of wireless access points in data communication with the computerized controller entity, the plurality of wireless access points each comprising a wireless interface having a communications range associated therewith;

wherein the at least one computer program comprises a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by a processor apparatus, cause at least one of the wireless access points to;

receive, from a peer-enabled wireless user device within a communications range of the at least one access point, data related to bandwidth requirements for one or more software applications associated with the peer-enabled wireless user device;

transmit the received data related to bandwidth requirements to the computerized controller entity, the computerized controller entity configured to evaluate the received data related to bandwidth requirements of the peer-enabled wireless user device and data related to bandwidth requirements for each of one or more other peer-enabled wireless user devices;

based at least in part on said evaluation, transmit data to the peer-enabled wireless user device, the transmitted data configured to enable the peer-enabled wireless user device to cause transmission, via a wireless interface thereof, of beacon data, the beacon data advertising the peer-enabled wireless user device as an access point for other wireless user devices;

determine that at least one of one or more other wireless user devices in wireless data communication with the at least one of the plurality of wireless access points requires handover to the peer-enabled wireless user device; and

enable maintenance of an existing communications session between the at least one of the one or more other wireless user devices and the computerized controller entity during (i) disassociation of the at least one of the one or more other wireless user devices from the at least one of the plurality of wireless access points and (ii) association of the at least one of the one or more other wireless user devices with the peer-enabled wireless user device, the existing communications session configured to enable access by the one or more other user devices to an internetwork in data communication with the computerized controller entity via the backhaul data interface.

2. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the maintenance of the existing communications session between the one or more other wireless user devices and the computerized controller entity at least partly enables a handoff to the peer-enabled wireless user device to occur substantially seamlessly from a perspective of the one or more other wireless user devices.

3. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the maintenance of the existing communications session between the one or more other wireless user devices and the computerized controller entity at least partly obviates renegotiation of one or more session parameters between the one or more other wireless user devices and the computerized controller entity.

4. The network apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one computer program is further configured to, when executed on the processing apparatus, perform at least one of:

(i) retransmission of data packets, and/or (ii) duplicative transmission of data packets, so as to avoid interruption to operation of one or more software applications operative to run on the one or more other wireless user devices.

5. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data related to bandwidth requirements for one or more software applications associated with the peer-enabled wireless user device comprises data communicated from a computerized controller process operative to execute on the peer-enabled wireless user device, the data maintained in a bandwidth registry of the peer-enabled wireless user device and at least periodically updated by the computerized controller process based at least on then-current operational status of the one or more software applications.

6. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the evaluation of the received data related to bandwidth requirements of the peer-enabled wireless user device and data related to bandwidth requirements for one or more other peer-enabled wireless user devices comprises evaluation of one or more priorities associated with one or more software applications associated with the peer-enabled wireless user device relative to one or more priorities associated with one or more software applications associated with the one or more other peer-enabled wireless user devices.

7. The network apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more priorities associated with one or more software applications associated with the one or more other peer-enabled wireless user devices at least in part comprise data indicative of a subscriber level which prevents suspension of software applications.

8. A method of operating a wireless network, the wireless network comprising a computerized network control entity in data communication with one or more network access points, the method comprising:

determining that a wireless user device in wireless data communication with an initial network access point requires handover from the initial network access point to a target network access point, the wireless data communication with the initial network access point comprising at least an established data communication session between the wireless user device and at least the computerized network control entity;

based at least in part on the determining that the wireless user device in wireless data communication with the initial network access point requires handover;

receiving data related to at least one bandwidth requirement associated with one or more software applications operative on the wireless user device;

identifying, via the computerized network control entity, one of the one or more other wireless user devices capable of acting as the target network access point, the identifying based on beacon data associated with the one of the one or more other wireless user devices; and

causing maintenance of an existing communications session between the wireless user device and the computerized controller entity during;

(i) disassociation of the wireless user device from the initial network access point, and (ii) association of the wireless user device with the target network access point, the existing communications session configured to enable access by the wireless user device to an internetwork in data communication with the computerized controller entity via the backhaul data interface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining that the wireless user device in wireless data communication with the initial network access point requires handover from the initial network access point to the target network access point comprises evaluating data representative of at least one parameter associated with a wireless link between the wireless user device and the initial network access point, the evaluating identifying degradation of at least one of performance or quality of the wireless link.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the evaluating the data representative of the at least one parameter associated with the wireless link comprises evaluating a received signal strength indication relative to a prescribed threshold value.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifying, via the computerized network control entity, one of the one or more other wireless user devices capable of acting as the target network access point, comprises causing the one of the one or more other wireless user devices to transmit one or more beacons, the one or more beacons comprising data advertising the one or more other wireless user devices as an available access point.

12. A computerized controller entity for use within a wireless network, the computerized controller entity comprising:

a processor apparatus;

a backhaul interface in data communication with the processor apparatus and configured for data communication with a packet protocol network;

a data interface configured for data communication with a plurality of wireless access points, the data communication with processing apparatus; and

storage apparatus in data communication with the processing apparatus and comprising at least one computer program operative to run on the processor apparatus, the at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by the processor apparatus;

generate one or more data communications to at least one of the plurality of wireless access points, the one or more data communications configured to cause the at least one wireless access point to;

receive historical bandwidth data from a peer-enabled wireless user device within a communications range of the at least one wireless access point; and

transmit the historical bandwidth data to the computerized controller entity;

determine, based at least on a current time and the received historical bandwidth data, that the peer-enabled wireless user device is authorized to act as an access point;

based at least on the determination, cause the at least one wireless access point to transmit data to the peer-enabled wireless user device, the data transmitted to the peer-enabled wireless user device configured to enable the peer-enabled wireless user device to cause transmission, via a wireless interface thereof, of beacon data advertising the peer-enabled wireless user device as an available access point;

determine that at least one other wireless user device in wireless data communication with the at least one wireless access point requires handover to the peer-enabled wireless user device; and

based at least in part on the determination that the at least one other wireless user devices requires handover, cause maintenance of an established data communications session between the at least one other wireless user device and the computerized controller entity during (i) disassociation of the at least one other wireless user device from the at least one wireless access point, and (ii) association of the at least one other wireless user device with the peer-enabled wireless user device.

13. The computerized controller entity of claim 12, wherein the maintenance of the established data communications session between the at least one other wireless user device and the computerized controller entity at least partly obviates re-negotiation of one or more session parameters between the at least one other wireless user device and the computerized controller entity.

14. The computerized controller entity of claim 13, wherein the at least one computer program is further configured to, when executed on the processor apparatus, perform at least one of (i) retransmission and/or (ii) duplicative transmission of data packets so as to avoid interruption to an operation of one or more software applications operative to run on the one or more other wireless user devices.

15. Computerized network controller apparatus for use within a wireless network, the computerized network controller apparatus configured for data communication with one or more computerized network access points capable of wireless data communication with a plurality of computerized wireless user devices, the computerized network controller apparatus comprising:

a data interface configured for the data communication with the one or more computerized network access points;

processor apparatus in data communication with the data interface; and

storage apparatus in data communication with the processor apparatus, the storage apparatus having at least one computer program stored thereon which is operative to execute on the processor apparatus, the at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by the processor apparatus, cause the computerized network controller apparatus to;

establish a data communication session with a first one of the plurality of computerized wireless user devices via a first one of the one or more computerized network access points, the first one of the plurality of computerized wireless user devices in wireless data communication with the first one of the one or more computerized network access points;

evaluate a plurality of bandwidth data related to two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices within a communications range of one or more of;

(i) the first one of the one or more computerized network access points, or (ii) a second one of the one or more computerized network access points, the evaluation based at least in part data relating to an available aggregated backhaul bandwidth for each of the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices;

based at least in part on the evaluation, identify at least one of the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices capable of acting as an available access point;

cause transmission of data to the identified at least one of the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices, the transmission of data configured to enable the identified at least one of the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices to advertise as an available access point for other wireless user devices, the advertisement via transmission of beacon data via a wireless interface of the identified at least one of the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices;

determine that the first one of the plurality of computerized wireless user devices in wireless data communication with the first one of the one or more computerized network access points requires handover to the at least one of the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices; and

as part of the required handover, maintain the established data communication session between the first one of the plurality of computerized wireless user devices and the computerized network controller apparatus throughout;

(i) disassociation of wireless data communication between the first one of the plurality of computerized wireless user devices and the first one of the plurality of wireless access points, and (ii) association of wireless data communication between the first one of the plurality of computerized wireless user devices with the identified at least one of the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices.

16. The computerized network controller apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the evaluation of the plurality of bandwidth data related to the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices comprises evaluation of a) first bandwidth data indicative of greater bandwidth consumption due to active data transfers of software applications associated with a first one of the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices, and b) second bandwidth data indicative of lesser bandwidth consumption due to active data transfers of software applications associated with a second one of the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices; and

the identification of the at least one of the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices comprises identification of the second one of the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices only.

17. The computerized network controller apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the evaluation of the plurality of bandwidth data related to the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices comprises evaluation of a) first bandwidth data indicative of a greater amount of data queued as function of time at a first one of the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices, and b) second bandwidth data indicative of a less amount of data queued as function of time at a second one of the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices; and

the identification of the at least one of the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices comprises identification of the second one of the two or more peer-enabled wireless user devices only.