FREQUENCY BAND SETTING APPARATUS AND METHOD, ACCESS POINT, AND FREQUENCY BAND USING METHOD OF ACCESS POINT

• US 20110064062A1
• Filed: 09/13/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, In Sun, Jang, Kyung Hun, Hwang, Chan Soo
• Granted Patent: US 9,008,032 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/04 Traffic adaptive resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A frequency band setting apparatus and method are provided. The frequency band setting apparatus may include a calculation unit and a control unit. The calculation unit may calculate a basic frequency band of each of a plurality of Access Points (APs), and the control unit may divide a frequency band, which is available to the plurality of APs, into each of the calculated basic frequency bands and a common frequency band.

Claims

1. A frequency band setting apparatus, comprising:

a calculation unit configured to calculate a basic frequency band of each of a plurality of Access Points (APs); and

a control unit configured to divide a frequency band, the frequency band being available to the plurality of APs, into each of the calculated basic frequency bands and a common frequency band.

2. The frequency band setting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to divide the available frequency band to enable the common frequency band to be contiguous with the basic frequency bands of the plurality of APs.

3. The frequency band setting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to divide the available frequency band to enable the common frequency band to be non-contiguous with at least one of the basic frequency bands of the plurality of APs.

4. An Access Point (AP), comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive a request for assignment of a required frequency band from a Mobile Station (MS); and

a control unit configured to;

compare a bandwidth of the required frequency band with a bandwidth of a basic frequency band for the AP; and

in response to the bandwidth of the required frequency band being greater than the bandwidth of the basic frequency band, assign a common frequency band, shared by a plurality of APs, to the MS.

5. The AP of claim 4, wherein the control unit is further configured to assign an entire common frequency band or a portion of the common frequency band, depending on the bandwidth of the required frequency band.

6. The AP of claim 4, wherein the common frequency band is set by the control unit or a network controller.

7. The AP of claim 6, wherein:

in response to the common frequency band being set by the network controller, the communication unit is further configured to;

request the network controller for use of the set common frequency band; and

receive a token from the network controller, the token allowing the set common frequency band to be used; and

the control unit is further configured to assign the set common frequency band to the MS in response to the receipt of the token.

8. The AP of claim 7, wherein, in response to the use of the common frequency band being completed, the communication unit is further configured to return the token to the network controller.

9. The AP of claim 4, wherein:

the control unit is further configured to calculate the basic frequency band of the AP based on a frequency band for a plurality of MSs, the plurality of MSs configured to communicate with the AP;

the communication unit is further configured to request a network controller to assign the calculated basic frequency band; and

the network controller is further configured to assign the basic frequency band and the common frequency band.

10. The AP of claim 6, wherein the control unit or the network controller is further configured to divide a frequency band, which is available to the plurality of APs, into the common frequency band and a basic frequency band of each of the plurality of APs.

11. A frequency band setting method, comprising:

calculating a basic frequency band of each of a plurality of Access Points (APs); and

dividing a frequency band, which is available to the plurality of APs, into each of the calculated basic frequency bands and a common frequency band.

12. The frequency band setting method of claim 11, wherein the dividing of the frequency band comprises dividing the available frequency band to enable the common frequency band to be contiguous with the basic frequency bands of the plurality of APs.

13. The frequency band setting method of claim 11, wherein the dividing of the frequency band comprises dividing the available frequency band to enable the common frequency band to be non-contiguous with at least one of the basic frequency bands of the plurality of APs.

14. A method of using a common frequency band of an Access Point (AP), the method comprising:

receiving a request for assignment of a required frequency band from a Mobile Station (MS); and

comparing a bandwidth of the required frequency band with a bandwidth of a basic frequency band for the AP, and

assigning a common frequency band, shared by a plurality of APs, to the MS in response to the bandwidth of the required frequency band being greater than the bandwidth of the basic frequency band.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the common frequency band, assigned to the MS, varies depending on the bandwidth of the required frequency band.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the common frequency band is set by the AP or a network controller.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, in response to the common frequency band being set by the network controller, the assigning of the common frequency band comprises:

requesting the network controller for use of the set common frequency band;

receiving a token from the network controller, the token allowing the set common frequency band to be used; and

assigning the common frequency band to the MS in response to the receipt of the token.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising, in response to the use of the common frequency band being completed, returning the token to the network controller.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

calculating the basic frequency band of the AP based on a frequency band for a plurality of MSs;

requesting a network controller to assign the calculated basic frequency band; and

receiving the basic frequency band and the common frequency band from the network controller.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the network controller or the AP divides a frequency band, which is available to the plurality of APs, into the common frequency band and a basic frequency band of each of the plurality of APs.

21. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for implementing a frequency band setting method, the method comprising:

calculating a basic frequency band of each of a plurality of Access Points (APs); and

dividing a frequency band, which is available to the plurality of APs, into each of the calculated basic frequency bands and a common frequency band.