Client steering for a wireless local area network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11039487-B2
Application number	US-201916444945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2019
Priority date	Jan 18, 2016
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

Systems and methods for operating a wireless access point (WAP) selected communication channel on a wireless local area network (WLAN). An example implementation includes accessing current proximity metrics for a given wireless device within a proximity distance of a wireless access point (WAP), analyzing the current proximity metrics in view of historical proximity records to predict a probability for future proximity states based on dwell time of the historical proximity records, and selecting a communication option for the wireless device based on the future proximity state with a highest probability for a criterion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
accessing current proximity metrics for a given wireless device within a proximity distance of a wireless access point (WAP);
analyzing the current proximity metrics in view of a historical proximity record to predict a probability for future proximity states based on a historical dwell time of the historical proximity records; and
selecting a communication option for the wireless device based on the historical dwell time and the future proximity state with a highest probability for a criterion, the communication option including a beamsteering communication option.

2. The method of claim 1 , selecting the communication option is based on the future proximity state with the highest probability to maximize a duration association for the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1 , selecting the communication option is based on the future proximity state with the highest probability to maximize a particular dwell time for the wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1 , selecting the communication option is based on the future proximity state with the highest probability to maximize throughput for the wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1 , selecting the communication option is based on the future proximity state with the highest probability to reduce changeover.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the communication option for the wireless device includes using a beamsteering matrix to steer a subsequent communication to the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the beamsteering matrix is determined based on at least one sounding of the wireless device.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the beamsteering matrix specifies a particular phase and amplitude for the subsequent communication on an antenna designed to steering the subsequent communications toward the wireless device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beamsteering communication option includes the WAP and the wireless device contributing the beamsteering communication option.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the criterion includes a potential dwell time indicative of the wireless device being located in a single location for an amount of time that is above a threshold amount of time.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the criterion includes an actual dwell time indicative of the wireless device being located in a single location at a same time of day over a period of days.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the historical proximity records pertains to the wireless device and a second wireless device.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proximity metrics for the given wireless device are determined based on a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for the wireless device, wherein the beamsteering communication option includes a steering adjustment to a subsequent communication with the wireless device.

14. The method of claim 1 , the communication option relating to at least one of: a band, a channel, a power, a modulation and coding schema (MCS), or a number of streams.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating the historical proximity records in view of the current proximity metrics for the wireless device.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving additional proximity metrics for the wireless device; and
updating the historical proximity records in view of the additional proximity metrics of the wireless device.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing the current proximity metrics to a remote cloud; and
receiving the historical proximity records from the remote cloud.

18. A method comprising:
accessing a current proximity metric for a wireless device within a connectivity distance of a wireless access point (WAP);
analyzing the current proximity metrics in view of a historical proximity record to predict a probability for a future proximity state based on a historical dwell time of the historical proximity record; and
selecting, from among a group of communication options, a communication option for the wireless device based on the historical dwell time and the future proximity state with a highest probability for a criterion, the group of communication options including a beamsteering communication option.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein selecting, from among the group of communication options, the communication option for the wireless device includes using a beamsteering matrix to steer a subsequent communication to the wireless device.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the beamsteering communication option includes the WAP and the wireless device contributing the beamsteering communication option.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein selecting the communication option for the wireless device includes refraining for selecting a second communication option that is associated with a second dwell time that is below a threshold dwell time value.

Assignees

• Quantenna Communications Inc
• On Semiconductor Connectivity Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Amiri Bahador
• Dash Debashis

Classifications

• H04W4/023 Primary

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W76/10 Primary

  Connection setup · CPC title

• H04W48/04

  based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed · CPC title

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title