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US 10,484,876 B2Granted
Assisted dynamic frequency scan for Wi-Fi access points
AssigneeVerizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
InventorsJeemil Shah, Arun Kalmanje
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An access point (AP) may use historical Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) monitoring information to make a decision of whether to perform a DFS procedure on a particular channel. The historical information can be obtained from other APs, such as from other nearby APs. In this manner, historical DFS monitoring information, which was previously measured by the AP or by a nearby AP, can be used to improve the likelihood that a decision to perform the DFS procedure will result in a determination that a particular channel is useable.
Claims20
An access point (AP) comprising:
- a radio transceiver to implement Wi-Fi radio connections in a 5 gigahertz (GHz) unlicensed band using a plurality of potential frequency channels;
- a network interface to connect to a network that provides network connectivity to the AP;
- and
- circuitry to:
- receive historical channel scan information relating to results of scans of the plurality of potential frequency channels by other APs;
- determine, based on the historical channel scan information, one or more of the plurality of potential frequency channels to exclude as a potential active Wi-Fi channel for the AP;
- select from the plurality of potential frequency channels to obtain one or more of the plurality of potential channels to scan, the selecting including refraining from selecting any of the plurality of potential frequency channels that were determined to be excluded;
- determine, for each of the selected potential frequency channels, one or more selection metrics;
- determine, for each of the selected potential frequency channels and based on the one or more selection metrics, an amount of time to scan each of the selected potential frequency channels,
- wherein a first amount of time is determined for a first potential frequency channel, of the selected potential frequency channels based on the one or more selection metrics associated with the first potential frequency channel, and
- wherein a second amount of time is determined for a second potential frequency channel, of the selected potential frequency channels based on the one or more selection metrics associated with the second potential frequency channel, the first and second amounts of time being different;
- and
- scan the selected potential frequency channels over a particular period of time, without scanning any of the plurality of potential frequency channels that were determined to be excluded, wherein scanning the selected potential frequency channels includes:
- scanning, during the particular period of time, the first potential frequency channel for the first amount of time, and
- scanning, during the particular period of time, the second potential frequency channel for the different second amount of time.
12 more elements
A method, performed by a Wi-Fi Access Point (AP), the method comprising:
- receiving historical channel scan information relating to results of scans of a plurality of potential frequency channels, in a 5 gigahertz (GHz) Wi-Fi frequency band, the historical channel scan information having been obtained by other APs;
- determining, based on the historical channel scan information, one or more of the plurality of potential frequency channels to exclude as a potential active Wi-Fi channel for the AP;
- selecting from the plurality of potential frequency channels to obtain one or more of the plurality of potential channels to scan, the selecting including refraining from selecting any of the plurality of potential frequency channels that were determined to be excluded;
- determining, for each of the selected potential frequency channels, one or more selection metrics;
- determining, for each of the selected potential frequency channels and based on the one or more selection metrics, an amount of time to scan each of the selected potential frequency channels,
- wherein a first amount of time is determined for a first potential frequency channel, of the selected potential frequency channels based on the one or more selection metrics associated with the first potential frequency channel, and
- wherein a second amount of time is determined for a second potential frequency channel, of the selected potential frequency channels based on the one or more selection metrics associated with the second potential frequency channel, the first and second amounts of time being different;
- and
- scanning the selected potential frequency channels, without scanning any of the plurality of potential frequency channels that were determined to be excluded, wherein scanning the selected potential frequency channels includes:
- scanning, during the particular period of time, the first potential frequency channel for the first amount of time, and
- scanning, during the particular period of time, the second potential frequency channel for the different second amount of time.
8 more elements
A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing a plurality of processor-executable instructions, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions causes one or more processors, associated with an Access Point (AP), to:
- receive historical channel scan information relating to results of scans of a plurality of potential frequency channels, in a 5 gigahertz (GHz) Wi-Fi frequency band, the historical channel scan information having been obtained by other APs;
- determine, based on the historical channel scan information, one or more of the plurality of potential frequency channels to exclude as a potential active Wi-Fi channel for the AP;
- select from the plurality of potential frequency channels to obtain one or more of the plurality of potential channels to scan, the selecting including refraining from selecting any of the plurality of potential frequency channels that were determined to be excluded;
- determine, for each of the selected potential frequency channels, one or more selection metrics;
- determine, for each of the selected potential frequency channels and based on the one or more selection metrics, an amount of time to scan each of the selected potential frequency channels,
- wherein a first amount of time is determined for a first potential frequency channel, of the selected potential frequency channels based on the one or more selection metrics associated with the first potential frequency channel, and
- wherein a second amount of time is determined for a second potential frequency channel, of the selected potential frequency channels based on the one or more selection metrics associated with the second potential frequency channel, the first and second amounts of time being different;
- and
- scan the selected potential frequency channels, wherein scanning the selected Potential frequency channels includes:
- scanning, during the particular period of time, the first potential frequency channel for the first amount of time, and
- scanning, during the particular period of time, the second potential frequency channel for the different second amount of time.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.