Multipoint wireless network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11716136-B2
Application number	US-202117528703-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2021
Priority date	Apr 3, 2019
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed systems and methods configure a plurality of wireless access points to perform probe request handling operations including, responsive to receiving a probe request from a mobile device, relaying the probe request to a network controller, and responsive to receiving a probe response from the network controller, relaying the probe response to the mobile device. The network controller is configured to provide the mobile device with a multipoint wireless network by identifying two or more of the plurality of wireless access points as selected access points for multipoint transmission with the mobile device, coordinating the selected access points to allow simultaneous transmissions to the mobile device from each of the selected access points, and forwarding a probe response indicative of the selected access points to the selected access points.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
configuring a plurality of wireless access points to perform probe request handling operations comprising:
responsive to receiving a probe request from a mobile device, relaying the probe request to a network controller; and
responsive to receiving a probe response from the network controller, relaying the probe response to the mobile device;

configuring the network controller to provide the mobile device with a multipoint wireless network by performing wireless operations responsive to receiving one or more probe requests relayed by one or more of the plurality of wireless access points, wherein the wireless operations include:
identifying two or more of the plurality of wireless access points as selected access points for multipoint transmission with the mobile device;
coordinating the selected access points to allow simultaneous transmissions to the mobile device from each of the selected access points; and
forwarding a probe response indicative of the selected access points to the selected access points.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the plurality of wireless access points includes configuring each of the plurality of wireless access points to broadcast the same network identifier and security level.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising;
configuring each of the plurality of wireless access points with a common media access channel address.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a frequency channel of the probe request and a frequency channel of the probe response lie within the same frequency band.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein receiving the probe request comprises receiving one or more probe requests, and wherein the one or more probe requests includes a set of coordinated probe requests, wherein the set of coordinated probe requests includes a probe request within each of a standard set of frequency channels associated with the frequency band.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the selected access points includes identifying a frequency channel for each of the selected access points and further wherein the probe response is indicative of the frequency channel.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is within range, with approximately equal signal strength, of at least two of the plurality of access points.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network controller implements multipoint transmission as a prioritized service available to selected users based on prioritized criteria.

9. A network controller for a virtual wireless network, the network controller comprising:
a processor;
a broadband interface coupled to the processor and configured to couple to a broadband interconnect;
a gateway interface coupled to the processor and configured to couple the processor to a gateway resource; and
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium including processor executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform program operations comprising:
configuring a plurality of wireless access points to perform probe request handling operations comprising:
responsive to receiving a probe request from a mobile device, relaying the probe request to a network controller; and
responsive to receiving a probe response from the network controller, relaying the probe response to the mobile device;

configuring the network controller to provide the mobile device with a multipoint wireless network by performing wireless operations responsive to receiving one or more probe requests relayed by one or more of the plurality of wireless access points, wherein the wireless operations include:
identifying two or more of the plurality of wireless access points as selected access points for multipoint transmission with the mobile device;
coordinating the selected access points to allow simultaneous transmissions to the mobile device from each of the selected access points; and
forwarding a probe response indicative of the selected access points to the selected access points.

10. The network controller of claim 9 , wherein configuring the plurality of wireless access points includes configuring each of the plurality of wireless access points to broadcast the same network identifier and security level.

11. The network controller of claim 9 , wherein the wireless operations further include;
configuring each of the plurality of wireless access points with a common media access channel address.

12. The network controller of claim 9 , wherein a frequency channel of the probe request and a frequency channel of the probe response lie within the same frequency band.

13. The network controller of claim 12 , wherein receiving the probe request comprises receiving one or more probe requests, and wherein the one or more probe requests includes a set of coordinated probe requests, wherein the set of coordinated probe requests includes a probe request within each of a standard set of frequency channels associated with the frequency band.

14. The network controller of claim 9 , wherein identifying the selected access points includes identifying a frequency channel for each of the selected access points and further wherein the probe response is indicative of the frequency channel.

15. The network controller of claim 9 , wherein the mobile device is within range, with approximately equal signal strength, of at least two of the plurality of access points.

16. The network controller of claim 9 , wherein the network controller implements multipoint transmission as a prioritized service available to selected users based on prioritized criteria.

17. An assembly, comprising:
a network controller coupled to a broadband backbone within a communicatively isolated environment; and
a plurality of wireless access points;
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium including processor executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform program operations comprising:
configuring the plurality of wireless access points to perform probe request handling operations comprising:
responsive to receiving a probe request from a mobile device, relaying the probe request to a network controller; and
responsive to receiving a probe response from the network controller, relaying the probe response to the mobile device;

configuring the network controller to provide the mobile device with a multipoint wireless network by performing wireless operations responsive to receiving one or more probe requests relayed by one or more of the plurality of wireless access points, wherein the wireless operations include:
identifying two or more of the plurality of wireless access points as selected access points for multipoint transmission with the mobile device;
coordinating the selected access points to allow simultaneous transmissions to the mobile device from each of the selected access points; and
forwarding a probe response indicative of the selected access points to the selected access points.

18. The assembly of claim 17 , wherein configuring the plurality of wireless access points includes configuring each of the plurality of wireless access points to broadcast the same network identifier and security level.

19. The assembly of claim 17 , wherein the wireless operations further include;
configuring each of the plurality of wireless access points with a common media access channel address.

20. The assembly of claim 17 , wherein a frequency channel of the probe request and a frequency channel of the probe respons

Assignees

• Univ Baylor

Inventors

• Dong Liang
• Hu Jonathan
• Li Yang

Classifications

• H04B7/18506 Primary

  Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service · CPC title

• H04L5/0048

  Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091) · CPC title

• H04L12/4641

  Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272) · CPC title

• H04L12/66

  Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways · CPC title

• H04W72/0453

  Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA · CPC title