Controlling channel usage in a wireless network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10565841-B2
Application number	US-201715643292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2017
Priority date	Oct 10, 2016
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and embodiments related to a technique for controlling channel usage in a wireless network in a multi-band wireless networking system. In a wireless network with multiple wireless networking devices and one or more client devices, communications between the wireless networking devices occurs via a backhaul channel, and communication between the client(s) and the wireless networking devices occurs via a fronthaul channel. Based on interference characteristics of the wireless channels, a device determines a channel usage plan, and communicates the plan via the backhaul channel to the wireless networking devices of the wireless network.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for utilizing a backhaul channel to control channel usage for a plurality of communication channels of a Wi-Fi network, the method comprising:
identifying, by an access point (AP) Wi-Fi device, the backhaul channel to use as a primary channel for communication between the AP Wi-Fi device and a satellite Wi-Fi device based on a determination that the backhaul channel is configured for higher bandwidth communication than a first communication channel of the plurality of communication channels, wherein the AP Wi-Fi device is a router device that is configured to forward data packets between communication networks, that is configured to connect to a wired network, and that is configured to connect with other Wi-Fi devices via the plurality of communication channels,
identifying, by the AP Wi-Fi device, the first communication channel as a primary channel for communication between a client Wi-Fi device and any of the AP Wi-Fi device or the satellite Wi-Fi device;
determining, by the AP Wi-Fi device, first interference characteristics of each channel of the plurality of communication channels, and, by the satellite Wi-Fi device, second interference characteristics of each channel of the plurality of communication channels;
sending, via the backhaul channel, by the satellite Wi-Fi device, to the AP Wi-Fi device, the second interference characteristics;
determining, by the AP Wi-Fi device, to use a second communication channel of the plurality of communication channels for communication from the AP Wi-Fi device to the client Wi-Fi device based on the first and the second interference characteristics; and
sending a message, from the AP Wi-Fi device, to the client Wi-Fi device, that causes the client Wi-Fi device to switch from the first communication channel to the second communication channel to facilitate communication between the AP Wi-Fi device and the client Wi-Fi device.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the satellite Wi-Fi device is configured to relay data between the AP Wi-Fi device and the client Wi-Fi device via any of the plurality of communication channels,
wherein the plurality of communication channels include a fast communication channel and a slow communication channel,
wherein the backhaul channel is the fast communication channel,
wherein the fast communication channel has higher bandwidth communication capabilities than the slow communication channel, and
wherein the router device is a layer 2 bridge device or a layer 3 gateway device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
categorizing a type of interference detected on the second communication channel, wherein the determination to use the second communication channel is based on the categorization of the type of interference.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the type of interference is electromagnetic interference generated by one of a baby monitor, a cordless phone, a Bluetooth device, a car alarm, a microwave oven, a video device, or a ZigBee device.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the categorization of the type of interference detected indicates that the interference detected will continue for longer than a predetermined amount of time, and wherein the determination to use the second communication channel is based in the indication that the interference detected will continue for longer than the predetermined amount of time.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining to use the second communication channel includes:
sending, by the AP Wi-Fi device, to a cloud-based server, data that indicates the first and the second interference characteristics; and
receiving, from the cloud-based server, by the AP Wi-Fi device, selection data that indicates that the cloud-based server made a determination, based on an analysis of the first and the second interference characteristics, that the AP Wi-Fi device should use the second communication channel, wherein the determining, by the AP Wi-Fi device, to use the second communication channel is based on the selection data;
wherein the selection data was generated after the cloud-based server detected a certain type of interference based on the first or the second interference, and after the cloud-based server categorized the certain type of interference, and
wherein the selection data indicates that the cloud-based server made the determination by indicating that the cloud-based server categorized the interference in a particular category.

7. A method comprising:
identifying, by an access point (AP) Wi-Fi device or a satellite Wi-Fi device, a backhaul channel to use as a primary channel for communication between the AP Wi-Fi device and the satellite Wi-Fi device based on a determination that the backhaul channel is configured for higher bandwidth communication than a first communication channel of a plurality of communication channels;
identifying, by the AP Wi-Fi device or the satellite Wi-Fi device, the first communication channel as a primary channel for communication between a client Wi-Fi device and any of the AP Wi-Fi device or the satellite Wi-Fi device;
determining, by the AP Wi-Fi device, first interference characteristics of a subset of the plurality of communication channels;
determining, by the satellite Wi-Fi device, second interference characteristics of the subset of the plurality of communication channels;
determining, by a first device of the AP Wi-Fi device or the satellite Wi-Fi device, to use a second communication channel of the plurality of communication channels for communication between the first device and the client Wi-Fi device based on data received via the backhaul channel that indicates the first or the second interference characteristics; and
sending a message, by the first device, to the client Wi-Fi device, that causes the client Wi-Fi device to switch from the first communication channel to the second communication channel to facilitate communication with the first device.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
sending a message, by the AP Wi-Fi device, to the satellite Wi-Fi device, via the backhaul channel, that includes data that indicates a coordination of usage, by the AP Wi-Fi device and the satellite Wi-Fi device, of the plurality of communication channels.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
when the first device is the AP Wi-Fi device, sending, by the AP Wi-Fi device, to a cloud-based server, the data that indicates the first and the second interference characteristics; and
receiving, from the cloud-based server, by the AP Wi-Fi device, selection data that indicates that the cloud-based server made a determination, based on an analysis of the first and the second interference characteristics, that the first device should use the second communication channel, wherein the determining, by the first device, to use the second communication channel is based on the selection data.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving, from the cloud-based server, data that indicates a coordination of usage, by the AP Wi-Fi device and the satellite Wi-Fi device, of the plurality of communication channels, wherein the selection data is the data that indicates the coordination of usage.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the selection data was generated after the cloud-based server detected a certain type of interference based on the first or the second interference, and after the cloud-based server categorized the certain type of interference, and wherein the selection data indicates that the cloud-based server made the determination by indicating that the cloud-based server categorized the interference in a particular category.

12. The met

Assignees

• Netgear Inc

Inventors

• Emmanuel Joseph Amalan Arul
• Amini Peiman

Classifications

• G01S5/0289

  of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks · CPC title

• H04W84/045

  using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B · CPC title

• H04W48/02

  Access restriction performed under specific conditions · CPC title

• G08B13/00

  Burglar, theft or intruder alarms · CPC title

• G01S19/46

  the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type · CPC title