# US 12,003,293 B2 · Control apparatus having signal strength identification, method of controlling the same, and communication system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,003,293 B2 - Document ID: US12003293B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/539,583 - Filed: 2021-12-01 - Published: 2022-03-24 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-04-24 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Eigoro Ina - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003293B2 ## CPC - H04B 7/0617: {for beam forming} - H04B 17/318: Received signal strength - H04B 7/024: Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04B: TRANSMISSION - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract A system includes a control apparatus and a plurality of access points (APs), with the control apparatus causing the access point apparatus to identify a received signal strength at a station (STA) of signals transmitted from the plurality of Aps, and determine communication parameters for the plurality of APs to communicate with the STA by using joint beamforming (JB). After the received signal strength at the STA of a signal transmitted from a first AP and the received signal strength at the STA of a signal transmitted from a second AP are identified, whether to use JB for communication between the first AP and the second AP and the STA is determined based on a strength difference between the two received signal strengths. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising a control apparatus and a plurality of access points (APs), with the control apparatus comprising: at least one memory that stores a set of instructions; and at least one processor that executes the instructions to: identify a received signal strength at a station (STA) of signals transmitted from the plurality of APs; and determine communication parameters for the plurality of APs to communicate with the STA by using joint beamforming (JB), wherein, after the received signal strength at the STA of a signal transmitted from a first AP and the received signal strength at the STA of a signal transmitted from a second AP are identified, whether to use JB for communication between the first AP and the second AP and the STA is determined based on a strength difference between the two received signal strengths. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the communication parameters include information on whether to use JB for communication with the STA. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein wireless communication processing between the plurality of APs and the STA is performed by wireless communication processing based on standards of IEEE 802.11 series. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executed to estimate a transfer function based on channel state information (CSI) between the plurality of APs and the STA and determine the estimated transfer function as the communication parameters. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executed to determine to use JB for communication between the first AP and the second AP and the STA in a case where the strength difference between the two received signal strengths is within a predetermined range. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein communication connections between the plurality of APs and the STA have been established prior to the received signal strengths at the STA are identified. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the control apparatus functions as one of the first AP and the second AP. ### Claim 8 A method of controlling a system comprising a plurality of access points (APs), the method comprising: identifying a received signal strength at a station (STA) of signals transmitted from the plurality of APs; and determining communication parameters for the plurality of APs to communicate with the STA by using joint beamforming (JB), wherein, in the determining, after the received signal strength at the STA of a signal transmitted from a first AP and the received signal strength at the STA of a signal transmitted from a second AP are identified, it is determined whether to use JB for communication between the first AP and the second AP and the STA based on a strength difference between the two received signal strengths. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the communication parameters include information on whether to use JB for communication with the STA. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein wireless communication processing between the plurality of APs and the STA is performed by wireless communication processing based on standards of IEEE 802.11 series. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein in the determining, a transfer function based on channel state information (CSI) between the plurality of APs and the STA is estimated and the estimated transfer function is determined as the communication parameters. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein in the determining, it is determined to use JB for communication between the first AP and the second AP and the STA in a case where the strength difference between the two received signal strengths is within a predetermined range. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein communication connections between the plurality of APs and the STA have been established prior to the received signal strengths at the STA are identified. ### Claim 14 A control apparatus operable to control a plurality of access points (APs), comprising: at least one memory that stores a set of instructions; and at least one processor that executes the instructions to: obtain information on a received signal strength at a station (STA) of signals transmitted from the plurality of APs; and determine communication parameters for the plurality of APs to communicate with the STA by using joint beamforming (JB), wherein, after information on a received signal strength at the STA of a signal transmitted from a first AP and information on a received signal strength at the STA of a signal transmitted from a second AP are obtained, whether to use JB for communication between the first AP and the second AP and the STA is determined based on a strength difference between the two received signal strengths. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The control apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the communication parameters include information on whether to use JB for communication with the STA. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The control apparatus according to claim 14, wherein wireless communication processing between the plurality of APs and the STA is performed by wireless communication processing based on standards of IEEE 802.11 series. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The control apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the instructions are further executed to estimate a transfer function based on channel state information (CSI) between the plurality of APs and the STA and determine the estimated transfer function as the communication parameters. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The control apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the instructions are further executed to determine to use JB for communication between the first AP and the second AP and the STA in a case where the strength difference between the two received signal strengths is within a predetermined range. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The control apparatus according to claim 14, wherein communication connections between the plurality of APs and the STA have been established prior to the received signal strengths at the STA are identified. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The control apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the control apparatus functions as one of the first AP and the second AP. ### Claim 21 An access point (AP) apparatus, which performs wireless communication based on standards of IEEE 802.11 series, comprising: at least one memory that stores a set of instructions; and at least one processor that executes the instructions to: obtain information on a received signal strength between another AP apparatus and a station (STA) and information on a received signal strength between the AP apparatus and the STA; and determine communication parameters for a plurality of APs to communicate with the STA by using joint beamforming (JB) wherein, after the information on the received signal strength at the STA of the signal transmitted from the other AP and the information on the received signal strength at the STA of the signal transmitted from the AP are obtained, it is determined whether to use JB for communication between the AP and the other AP and the STA based on a strength difference between the two received signal strengths.