Closed-loop automatic channel selection

• US 9,780,813 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2014
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ruckus IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Ruckus Wireless, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kish, William S.
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIEH, PING Y
• Application Number:
  US14/177,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20140169497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 455509, 455512, 455513, 455514, 455515, 455516, 455517, 455 631, 455 634, 455 6711, 455 6716, 455 6714, 455 69
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0475 with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion H04B1/0483 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/0085 using test signal generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters

Abstract

A system and method for improving radio performance through automatic channel selection utilizing a closed-channel model is disclosed. A measurement engine records maximum user throughput on a per station basis during normal traffic operation. The measurement engine further records throughput metrics based on test traffic sent to all associated stations during idle operation. A policy logic engine utilizes the measurements to determine an optimal transmission channel for transmission and receipt of data.

Claims

1. A method for reducing interference in a network, the method comprising:

measuring maximum user throughput of a current transmission channel in the network being used by a user for data communication;

transmitting test data to other available transmission channels in the network other than the current transmission channel;

measuring throughput of said other available transmission channels responsive to said transmitting test data;

determining transmission channel quality metrics for the current transmission channel and said other available transmission channels responsive to the measured throughputs;

determining whether an available transmission channel has better channel quality metrics than the channel quality metrics of the current transmission channel;

selecting the available transmission channel when the available transmission channel has a better channel quality metrics than the channel quality metrics of the current transmission channel; and

maintaining the current transmission channel for data communication, when the available transmission channel does not have better channel quality metrics than the channel quality metrics of the current transmission channel, wherein measuring maximum user throughput of the current transmission channel is performed during normal network traffic pattern, and measuring throughput of said other available transmission channels is performed during an idle period of the network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting an antenna configuration corresponding to the selected transmission channel to maximize gain of the network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the transmission channel quality metrics is a throughput metric.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the transmission channel quality metrics also takes into account channel environmental conditions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the transmission channel quality metrics also includes a power level metric.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the transmission channel quality metrics also includes a frequency response metric.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the transmission channel quality metrics also includes a noise metric.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a wireless local area network.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording the transmission channel quality metrics; and

maintaining the recorded transmission channel quality metrics across transmission channel changes.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining updated transmission channel quality metrics for the available transmission channels.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmission channel is selected based on the updated transmission channel quality metrics.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a magnitude and a phase of each available transmission channel.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the magnitude and phase of each available transmission channel are determined by transmitting a pilot signal to a remote access point.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining weight values for the available transmission channels based on the determined magnitude and phase of each available transmission channel.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining weight values for the available transmission channels based on the determined magnitude and phase of each available transmission channel.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising adapting a transmission of the available transmission channels based on the weight values.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring maximum user throughput of the current transmission channel and measuring throughput of said other available transmission channels are performed concurrently.

18. A method for reducing interference in a network, the method comprising:

measuring maximum user throughput of a current transmission channel in the network being used by a user for data communication;

transmitting test data to other available transmission channels in the network other than the current transmission channel;

measuring throughput of said other available transmission channels responsive to said transmitting test data;

determining transmission channel quality metrics for the current transmission channel and said other available transmission channels responsive to the measured throughputs;

determining whether an available transmission channel has better channel quality metrics than the channel quality metrics of the current transmission channel;

selecting the available transmission channel when the available transmission channel has a better channel quality metrics than the channel quality metrics of the current transmission channel; and

maintaining the current transmission channel for data communication, when the available transmission channel does not have better channel quality metrics than the channel quality metrics of the current transmission channel, wherein measuring maximum user throughput of the current transmission channel and measuring throughput of said other available transmission channels are performed only when link utilization in the network is below a predetermined threshold.

19. A method for reducing interference in a network, the method comprising:

measuring maximum user throughput of a current transmission channel in the network being used by a user for data communication;

transmitting test data to other available transmission channels in the network other than the current transmission channel;

measuring throughput of said other available transmission channels responsive to said transmitting test data;

determining transmission channel quality metrics for the current transmission channel and said other available transmission channels responsive to the measured throughputs;

determining whether an available transmission channel has better channel quality metrics than the channel quality metrics of the current transmission channel;

selecting the available transmission channel when the available transmission channel has a better channel quality metrics than the channel quality metrics of the current transmission channel; and

maintaining the current transmission channel for data communication, when the available transmission channel does not have better channel quality metrics than the channel quality metrics of the current transmission channel, wherein measuring maximum user throughput of the current transmission channel and measuring throughput of said other available transmission channels are performed when there is no data traffic of a particular data classification or importance.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein measuring maximum user throughput of the current transmission channel is performed during normal network traffic pattern, and measuring throughput of said other available transmission channels is performed during an idle period of the network.