Receiver start of packet optimization for wireless networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10701627-B2
Application number	US-201916281284-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2019
Priority date	Jul 9, 2017
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method implemented on a computing device includes: selecting a wireless access point (AP) to process from among a deployment of wireless access points (APs), defining a neighborhood based on the AP and neighboring APs, where the neighboring APs are within a one-hop radius of the AP, calculating a client distribution optimal received signal strength indicator (RSSI), where the client distribution optimal RSSI (CD optimal) is a minimum receiver start of packet detection threshold (RX-SOP) setting for maintaining existing client device coverage by the AP, calculating a neighbor relations optimal RSSI threshold (NR optimal), where the NR optimal is a function of at least a transmit power control threshold (TPC) for maintaining visibility between the AP and the neighboring APs, calculating an RX-SOP setting for the AP as a function of CD optimal and NR optimal, and applying the RX-SOP setting to the AP.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method implemented on a computing device, the method comprising:
selecting a wireless access point (AP) to process from among a deployment of wireless access points (APs);
defining a neighborhood based on said AP and neighboring APs;
calculating a client distribution optimal (CD optimal) received signal strength indicator (RSSI), wherein said client distribution optimal RSSI is a minimum receiver start of packet detection threshold (RX-SOP) setting for maintaining existing client device coverage by said AP;
calculating a neighbor relations optimal RSSI threshold (NR optimal), wherein said neighbor relations optimal RSSI threshold is a function of how sparse or dense cell overlap is needed for transmit power optimization;
calculating a receiver start of packet detection threshold setting for said AP as a function of said client distribution optimal RSSI and said neighbor relations optimal RSSI threshold; and
applying said receiver start of packet detection threshold setting to said AP.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said selecting comprises:
selecting said AP from among a population of network access points in said deployment according to at least a greatest number of client devices served, wherein said greatest number of client devices served is determined based on operational data for said AP for a given period of time.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said neighboring APs are within a one-hop radius of said AP.

4. The method according to claim 1 , said calculating said client distribution optimal RSSI comprises:
calculating a lowest RSSI check threshold as a minimum observed RSSI at which a client device successfully associated with said AP;
calculating an optimized roaming threshold as a minimum observed RSSI for continuing an existing client device association with said AP;
calculating a client acceptance threshold as a minimum of said optimized roaming threshold and said lowest RSSI check threshold; and
calculating said client distribution optimal RSSI as a function of said client acceptance threshold and a lowest observed client device RSSI.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein calculating said client distribution optimal RSSI comprises computing:
client distribution optimal RSSI=iota(client acceptance threshold)+theta(lowest observed client device RSSI), wherein iota and theta are functions, and 0<theta<<iota<1.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said iota is a value ranging from 0.7 to 0.99, and said theta is a value ranging from 0.01 to 0.15.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein calculating said neighbor relations optimal RSSI threshold comprises:
calculating the neighbor relations optimal RSSI threshold=alpha transmit power control threshold (TPC)+beta (closest neighbor RSSI), wherein alpha and beta are functions, and 0<beta «alpha <1, and alpha+beta=1, and wherein said closest neighbor RSSI is an RSSI of a closest neighbor on the same channel and TPC is a transmit power control threshold.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said alpha is a value ranging from 0.50 to 1.00, and said beta is a value ranging from 0.00 to 0.50.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein said calculating an RX-SOP setting comprises:
calculating said receiver start of packet detection threshold as a minimum of said client distribution optimal RSSI and said neighbor relations optimal RSSI threshold.

10. The method according to claim 1 , and further comprising:
iteratively performing said calculating client distribution optimal RSSI, neighbor relations optimal RSSI threshold, and said receiver start of packet detection threshold setting for each of said neighboring APs.

11. The method according to claim 1 , and further comprising:
selecting a next AP to process, wherein said next AP is not in said neighborhood;
defining a next neighborhood according to said next AP and next neighborhood APs, wherein said next neighborhood APs are wireless access points within a one-hop radius of said next AP that are not in said neighborhood and not in a previous iteration of said next neighborhood;
iteratively performing said calculating CD optimal RSSI, NR optimal, and said RX-SOP setting for said next AP and each of said neighborhood APs; and
applying said receiver start of packet detection threshold setting to said next AP and each of said neighborhood APs.

12. An apparatus comprising:
a communication interface configured to obtain operational data for a multiplicity of wireless access points (APs), wherein said operational data includes at least an indication of a number of client devices served by each of said APs; and
a processor coupled to the communication interface, wherein the processor is operative to perform operations including:
selecting a wireless access point (AP) to process from among a deployment of wireless access points (APs);
defining a neighborhood based on said AP and neighboring APs;
calculating a client distribution optimal (CD optimal) received signal strength indicator (RSSI), wherein said client distribution optimal RSSI is a minimum receiver start of packet detection threshold (RX-SOP) setting for maintaining existing client device coverage by said AP;
calculating a neighbor relations optimal RSSI threshold (NR optimal), wherein said neighbor relations optimal RSSI threshold is a function of how sparse or dense cell overlap is needed for transmit power optimization;
calculating a receiver start of packet detection threshold setting for said AP as a function of said client distribution optimal RSSI and said neighbor relations optimal RSSI threshold; and
applying said receiver start of packet detection threshold setting to said AP.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said neighboring APs are within a one-hop radius of said AP.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the processor is operative to perform the selecting by:
selecting said AP from among a population of network access points in said deployment according to at least a greatest number of client devices served, wherein said greatest number of client devices served is determined based on operational data for said AP for a given period of time.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to perform the calculating of the client distribution optimal RSSI by:
calculating a lowest RSSI check threshold as a minimum observed RSSI at which a client device successfully associated with said AP;
calculating an optimized roaming threshold as a minimum observed RSSI for continuing an existing client device association with said AP;
calculating a client acceptance threshold as a minimum of said optimized roaming threshold and said lowest RSSI check threshold; and
calculating said client distribution optimal RSSI as a function of said client acceptance threshold and a lowest observed client device RSSI.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the processor is further operative to perform operations including:
iteratively performing said calculating client distribution optimal RSSI, neighbor relations optimal RSSI threshold, and said receiver start of packet detection threshold setting for each of said neighboring APs.

17. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the processor is further operative to perform operations including:
selecting a next AP to process, wherein said next AP is not in said neighborhood;
defining a next neighborhood according to said next AP and next neighborhood APs, wherein said next neighborhood APs

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Desai Vishal
• Pang Tak Ming
• Blosco John

Classifications

• H04W52/245

  taking into account received signal strength · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W48/20 Primary

  Selecting an access point · CPC title

• H04L43/10

  Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route · CPC title

• H04W24/02

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title