DYNAMIC CHANNEL SELECTION AND DFS RE-ENTRY

• US 20170181178A1
• Filed: 12/21/2016
• Published: 06/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AirTies Co.
• Original Assignee: Airties Kablosuz Iletisim Sanayi ve Dis Ticaret AS
• Inventors: GOKTURK, Muharrem Sarper, FRICKE, Maximilian, TASKIN, Metin
• Granted Patent: US 10,412,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0005 synchronizing of arrival of multiple uplinks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality

Abstract

A wireless network device, for operation within a wireless network, the wireless network device comprising: a wireless interface operable on one or more wireless channels; a memory; and a processor configured to: scan at least one channel for a predetermined time duration; and make a channel quality assessment measurement during the predetermined time duration, wherein the processor is adapted to synchronize the predetermined time duration with other wireless network devices that are operable in the wireless network and that scan the at least one channel and make channel quality assessment measurements during substantially the same predetermined time duration, wherein the channel quality assessment measurement is compared with other channel quality assessment measurements from other network devices that are operable in the wireless network thereby to enable determination of an optimal channel for communication between the network devices and wherein the wireless network device is configured to operate on the optimal channel.

Claims

1. A wireless network device, for operation within a wireless network, the wireless network device comprising:

a wireless interface operable on one or more wireless channels;

a memory; and

a processor configured to;

scan at least one channel for a predetermined time duration; and

make a channel quality assessment measurement during the predetermined time duration,

wherein the processor is adapted to synchronize the predetermined time duration with other wireless network devices that are operable in the wireless network and that scan the at least one channel and make channel quality assessment measurements during substantially the same predetermined time duration,

wherein the channel quality assessment measurement is compared with other channel quality assessment measurements from other network devices that are operable in the wireless network thereby to enable determination of an optimal channel for communication between the network devices and

wherein the wireless network device is configured to operate on the optimal channel.

2. The wireless network device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network device is adapted to receive and store data, from other wireless network devices that are operable in the wireless network, in the memory, preferably wherein the data comprises channel quality assessment measurements and/or Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) statistics.

3. The wireless network device according to claim 2, wherein the wireless network device disseminates the data stored in the memory to the wireless network, wherein preferably the wireless network device disseminates the data by unicasting the data to other wireless network devices operable in the wireless network or by broadcasting the data to other wireless network devices operable in the wireless network and more preferably, wherein the wireless network device disseminates the data at constant intervals.

4. The wireless network device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to synchronize the predetermined time duration with other wireless network devices that are operable in the wireless network by commencing the predetermined time duration at the same Timing Synchronization Function (TSF) value, preferably wherein the Timing Synchronization Function value is the highest Timing Synchronization Function value in the wireless network, wherein, the Timing Synchronization value is optionally received in a beacon signal from an other network device that is operable in the wireless network.

5. The wireless network device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network device is configured to freeze transmission during the predetermined time duration.

6. The wireless network device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to perform the channel quality assessment after a delay in the predetermined time duration.

7. The wireless network device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to determine a score based at least partly on the channel quality assessment, thereby to determine the optimal channel, preferably wherein the score comprises an idle time observed in the channel during the predetermined time duration, and more preferably wherein the score comprises a weighted sum of channel quality assessment measurements, wherein the sum of channel quality assessment measurements is weighted according to the bandwidth of the at least one channel.

8. The wireless network device according to claim 7, wherein the processor is adapted to compare the score determined at the processor with scores received from other wireless network devices operable in the wireless network device, thereby to determine the optimal channel.

9. The wireless network device according to claim 1, wherein the optimal channel is the channel that maximizes the idle time.

10. The wireless network device according to claim 7, wherein the wireless network device is adapted to switch to the optimal channel if the score exceeds a predetermined threshold.

11. The wireless network device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network device is configured to scan the at least one channel for a second predetermined time duration;

and to make a second channel quality assessment measurement during the second predetermined time duration, and to determine an average channel quality assessment measurement, thereby to enable determination of the optimal channel.

12. The wireless network device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network device is adapted to maintain a channel list in the memory, wherein the channel list is a list of available channels.

13. The wireless network device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network device is configured to determine if a channel is being used by radar.

14. The wireless network device according to claim 13, wherein if the channel is being used by radar, the channel that is being used by radar is not on the list of available channels for a predetermined period of time, preferably wherein the wireless network device is configured to assess whether the channel that is used by radar is available at a predetermined time of day, and more preferably wherein the wireless network device is configured to switch to operate on the channel that is used by radar at the predetermined time of day, if the network traffic is below a predetermined value.

15. The wireless network device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine if the wireless network device is the master node, preferably wherein wireless network device is the master node if it has the numerically highest MAC address of all of the wireless network devices operating in the wireless network.

16. The wireless network device according to claim 15, wherein the wireless network device is adapted to initiate channel switching to the optimal channel, preferably by using Extended Channel Switch Announcements (ECSA), as defined by IEEE 802.11y-2008.

17. The wireless network device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network device is configured to scan the at least one channel when the rate of data arriving in a transmit queue of the wireless network device is less than a predetermined threshold, preferably wherein the processor is adapted to synchronize the second predetermined time duration with other wireless network devices that are operable in the wireless network and that scan the second channel and make channel quality assessment measurements during substantially the same second predetermined time duration and more preferably wherein the second channel quality assessment measurement is compared with other channel quality assessment measurements from other network devices that are operable in the wireless network thereby to enable determination of the optimal channel for communication between the network devices.

18. The wireless network device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to scan a second channel for a second predetermined time duration;

and to make a second channel quality assessment measurement during the second predetermined time duration.

19. A wireless network comprising a plurality of wireless network devices, wherein the plurality of wireless network devices each comprise:

a wireless interface operable on one or more wireless channels;

a memory; and

a processor;

wherein the plurality of wireless network devices are each configured to;

scan at least one channel for a predetermined time duration; and

make a channel quality assessment measurement during the predetermined time duration,

wherein the processor of each of the plurality of wireless network devices is adapted to synchronize the predetermined time duration with other wireless network devices of the plurality of wireless network device in the wireless network and

wherein one of the wireless network devices of the plurality of wireless network devices is configured to compare the channel quality assessment measurement made by each of the plurality of wireless network devices thereby to determine an optimal channel for communication between the network devices and

wherein one of the wireless network devices of the plurality of wireless network devices is configured to initiate switching of the other wireless network devices of the plurality of wireless network devices to operate on the optimal channel.

20. A method of operating a wireless network device in a wireless network, the method comprising the steps of:

scanning at least one channel for a predetermined time duration; and

making a channel quality assessment measurement during the predetermined time duration,

synchronizing the predetermined time duration with other wireless network devices that are operable in the wireless network and that scan the at least one channel and make channel quality assessment measurements during substantially the same predetermined time duration,

comparing the channel quality assessment measurement with other channel quality assessment measurements from other network devices that are operable in the wireless network thereby to enable determination of an optimal channel for communication between the network devices and

operating the wireless network device on the optimal channel.