US 7,583,933 B2 · Dynamic frequency selection in a wireless communication network

Abstract

A method and apparatus for dynamic frequency selection in a wireless communication system or network includes processing that begins when an access point determines interference on a wireless channel that is being used by the access point. When the interference exceeds an interference threshold, the access point provides a request packet to affiliated stations being serviced by the access point for channel spectrum information. The processing continues as the affiliated stations generate the channel spectrum information regarding each of the wireless channels in the wireless communication network. The processing proceeds then as the affiliated stations provide the channel spectrum information to the access point via the current wireless channel. The access point interprets the channel spectrum information to determine a desired wireless channel of the plurality of wireless channels within the wireless communication network. The access point then provides a selection packet to the affiliated stations via the current wireless channel to indicate that the access point will begin using the desired wireless channel at a particular future time.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method for use within a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

determining interference on a current wireless channel of a plurality of wireless channels by:
determining an invalid station address that corresponds to an invalid station and that does not correspond to the address of an affiliated station;
assigning the invalid station address to a holding packet;
transmitting the holding packet on the current wireless channel to allocate a transmit period to the invalid station;
and
measuring the interference on the current wireless channel during the transmit period allocated to the invalid station;
obtaining channel spectrum information from at least one affiliated station via the current wireless channel of a plurality of wireless channels, wherein the channel spectrum information indicates a level of interference on at least one of the plurality of wireless channels within the channel spectrum;
interpreting the channel spectrum information to determine a desired wireless channel of the plurality of wireless channels;
and
providing a packet to the at least one affiliated station via the current wireless channel, wherein the packet indicates that the access point will change to the desired wireless channel.

7 more elements

An access point for use in a wireless communication network, the access point comprises:

an AP processing module;
and
an AP memory, wherein the AP memory further includes operational instructions that cause the AP processing module to:
determine interference on a current wireless channel of a plurality of wireless channels by:
determining an invalid station address that corresponds to an invalid station and that does not correspond to the address of an affiliated station;
assigning the invalid station address to a holding packet;
transmitting the holding packet on the current wireless channel to allocate a transmit period to the invalid station;
and
measuring the interference on the current wireless channel during the transmit period allocated to the invalid station;
when the interference on the current wireless channel exceeds an interference threshold, provide a request packet that requests channel spectrum information to at least one affiliated station of a plurality of stations via the current wireless channel;
interpret the channel spectrum information to determine a desired wireless channel of the plurality of wireless channels;
and
provide a selection packet to the at least one affiliated station via the current wireless channel, wherein the selection packet indicates that the access point will change to the desired wireless channel.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dynamic frequency selection in a wireless communication network

Life of this patent

Dynamic frequency selection in a wireless communication network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13