System and Method for Providing Communication Services

• US 20120300647A1
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Nandagopal, Thyaga, Sathyanath, Ajay
• Granted Patent: US 9,125,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point

Abstract

A method for determining a load measure associated with a wireless communications node, such as a Wi-Fi access point or cellular base station, is described. A time interval measure representing a time interval between frames transmitted by a node is determined, and a number of user devices associated with the node is determined based on information in the frames transmitted by the node. A load measure associated with the node is determined, based at least on the number of user devices associated with the node and the time interval measure. Systems and apparatus are also described.

Claims

1. A method for determining a load associated with a node, the method comprising:

determining a time interval measure representing a time interval between frames transmitted by a node;

determining a number of user devices associated with the node based on information in the frames transmitted by the node; and

determining a load measure associated with the node, based at least on the number of user devices associated with the node and the time interval measure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the node is a Wi-Fi access point, the method further comprising:

entering a mode enabling receipt any frame transmitted via a selected channel.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a frame via the selected channel; and

identifying the access point based on information in the frame received via the selected channel.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying one or more addresses based on information in the frames transmitted by the access point; and

determining a number of user devices associated with the access point based on the addresses.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining the load measure by dividing the number of user devices associated with the access point by the time interval measure.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

examining frames transmitted by the access point via the selected channel during a predetermined period of time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the time interval measure represents an average time interval between the frames transmitted by the node during the predetermined period of time.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

repeating the steps of determining a time interval measure, determining a number of user devices, and determining a load measure, for a second access point associated with the selected channel; and

joining a selected access point having a lowest load measure.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying a second access point associated with a second channel; and

repeating the steps of determining a time interval measure, determining a number of user devices, and determining a load measure, for the second access point; and

joining a selected access point having a lowest load measure.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the node is a cellular base station,

the method further comprising:

determining a subframe utilization value representing a rate of utilization of subframes within the frames transmitted by the base station; and

determining the load measure associated with the base station based on the number of user devices associated with the base station, the time interval measure, and the subframe utilization value.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a control frame via a common control channel associated with the base station;

examining at least one of a downlink map field and an uplink map field in the control frame;

identifying one or more user devices based on data in at least one of the downlink map field and the uplink map field; and

determining the subframe utilization rate based on information in at least one of the downlink map field and the uplink map field.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the time interval measure represents an average time interval between frames transmitted by the base station during a predetermined period of time.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining the load measure by determining a product of the number of user devices associated with the base station and the subframe utilization rate, and dividing the product by the time interval measure.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

repeating the steps of determining a time interval measure, determining a number of user devices, determining a subframe utilization value, and determining a load measure, for a second base station; and

establishing a communication connection with a selected base station having a lowest load measure.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a data transmission rate associated with the node;

determining a rate-weighted load associated with the node based on the data transmission rate and the load measure.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions stored thereon, the instructions capable of execution by a processor and defining the steps of:

determining a time interval measure representing a time interval between frames transmitted by a node;

determining a number of user devices associated with the node based on information in the frames transmitted by the node; and

determining a load measure associated with the node, based at least on the number of user devices associated with the node and the time interval measure.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the node is a Wi-Fi access point, the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprising instructions defining the steps of:

receiving a frame via a selected channel; and

identifying the access point based on information in the frame.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions defining the steps of:

identifying one or more addresses based on the information in the frames transmitted by the access point; and

determining the number of user devices associated with the access point based on the one or more addresses.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions defining the step of:

determining the load measure by dividing the number of user devices associated with the access point by the time interval measure.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions defining the step of:

examining a plurality of frames transmitted by the access point via the selected channel during a predetermined period of time.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the node is a cellular base station, the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprising instructions defining the steps of:

determining a subframe utilization value representing a rate of utilization of subframes within the frames transmitted by the base station; and

determining the load measure associated with the base station based on the number of user devices associated with the base station, the time interval measure, and the subframe utilization value.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions defining the steps of:

examining a downlink map field in at least one of the frames transmitted by the base station; and

determining the subframe utilization value based on data in the downlink map field.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions defining the step of:

determining the load measure by determining a product of the number of user devices associated with the base station and the subframe utilization rate, and dividing the product by the time interval measure.

24. A device comprising:

an antenna configured to;

receive a plurality of frames transmitted by a node; and

a processor configured to;

determine a time interval measure representing a time interval between the frames transmitted by the node;

determine a number of user devices associated with the node based on information in the frames transmitted by the node; and

determine a load measure associated with the node, based at least on the number of user devices associated with the node and the time interval measure.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the node is a Wi-Fi access point, wherein the device is further configured to:

enter a mode that enables the device to receive any frame transmitted via a selected channel.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the device is further configured to:

receive a frame via the selected channel; and

identify the access point based on information in the frame.

27. The device of claim 24, wherein the node is a cellular base station, wherein the device is further configured to:

determine a subframe utilization value representing a rate of utilization of subframes within frames transmitted by the base station; and

determine the load measure associated with the base station based on the number of user devices associated with the base station, the time interval measure, and the subframe utilization value.