Wireless Network Load and Throughput Estimation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016007226-A1
Application number	US-201514747129-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 23, 2015
Priority date	Jul 2, 2014
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

This disclosure relates to determining load and estimating throughput of wireless networks by a wireless device. According to some embodiments, the numbers of active downlink and uplink nodes in a wireless network may be determined. Channel utilization of the wireless network may also be determined. An uplink data rate and a downlink data rate of the wireless device in the wireless network may be estimated. Based on the numbers of active downlink and uplink nodes, channel utilization, and the uplink data rate and a downlink data rate of the wireless device, the maximum possible uplink throughput and downlink throughput of the wireless device in the wireless network may be estimated. Such throughput estimates may be used to select a wireless network to join from among multiple available wireless networks.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method, comprising:
by a wireless device, prior to associating with a wireless network: determining a number of active downlink nodes and a number of active uplink nodes in the wireless network; determining channel utilization of the wireless network; estimating an uplink data rate and a downlink data rate for the wireless device in the wireless network; and estimating an uplink throughput and a downlink throughput of the wireless device in the wireless network.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing said determining a number of active downlink nodes and a number of active uplink nodes, determining channel utilization, determining an uplink data rate and a downlink data rate for the wireless device, and estimating an uplink throughput and a downlink throughput of the wireless device with respect to each of a plurality of available wireless networks.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
selecting a wireless network to join using the estimated uplink throughput and downlink throughput of the wireless device with respect to each of the plurality of available wireless networks.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
selecting to join a wireless network in which the estimated uplink throughput and/or downlink throughput of the wireless device is highest among the plurality of available wireless networks.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
estimating a blended uplink and downlink throughput of the wireless device in the wireless network, wherein the blended uplink and downlink throughput of the wireless device in the wireless network is estimated by weighting and summing the estimated uplink throughput and the estimated downlink throughput of the wireless device in the wireless network based on an expected traffic blend of the wireless device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the number of active downlink nodes and the number of active uplink nodes in the wireless network comprises:
receiving an indication of the number of active downlink nodes and the number of active uplink nodes in the wireless network from an access point providing the wireless network.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the number of active downlink nodes in the wireless network comprises:
counting, over a period of time, a number of nodes scheduled in one or more traffic indication maps (TIMs) provided by an access point providing the wireless network.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the number of active uplink nodes in the wireless network comprises:
counting, over a period of time, a number of distinct destination MAC addresses of ACK packets transmitted by an access point providing the wireless network.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the channel utilization of the wireless network comprises:
receiving an indication of the channel utilization of the wireless network from an access point providing the wireless network.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the channel utilization of the wireless network comprises:
monitoring, over a period of time, a primary channel of the wireless network for utilization.

11 . A wireless device, comprising:
a radio; and a processing element; wherein the radio and the processing element are configured to:
determine that a plurality of wireless networks are available within communicative range of the wireless device;
determine a number of active downlink nodes and/or a number of active uplink nodes in each of the plurality of wireless networks;
determine a channel utilization of each of the plurality of wireless networks;
estimate an uplink data rate and/or a downlink data rate for the wireless device in each of the plurality of wireless networks;
estimate an uplink throughput and/or a downlink throughput of each of the plurality of the wireless networks; and
select a wireless network to join of the plurality of wireless networks using the estimated uplink throughput and/or downlink throughput of each of the plurality of the wireless networks.

12 . The wireless device of claim 11 , wherein the radio and the processing element are further configured to:
measure a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value of each of the plurality of wireless networks; and measure a signal to noise ratio (SNR) value of each of the plurality of wireless networks, wherein estimating one or more of the uplink data rate or the downlink data rate for the wireless device in each of the plurality of wireless networks uses the measured RSSI and/or SNR value of each of the plurality of wireless networks.

13 . The wireless device of claim 11 , wherein the radio and the processing element are further configured to:
receive beacon broadcasts from each of the plurality of wireless networks, wherein each beacon broadcast from a respective wireless network of the plurality of wireless networks comprises information indicating a number of active downlink nodes, a number of active uplink nodes, and a channel utilization for the respective wireless network.

14 . The wireless device of claim 11 , wherein the radio and the processing element are further configured to:
estimate a blended uplink and downlink throughput of each respective network of the plurality of the wireless networks using a weighted summation of the estimated uplink throughput and the estimated downlink throughput for each respective network.

15 . The wireless device of claim 11 , wherein the radio and the processing element are further configured to:
estimate the uplink throughput of each respective wireless network of the plurality of the wireless networks using the determined number of active uplink nodes in the respective wireless network, the channel utilization of the respective wireless network, and the estimated uplink data rate for the wireless device in the respective wireless network; and estimate the downlink throughput of each respective wireless network of the plurality of the wireless networks using the determined number of active uplink nodes in the respective wireless network, the determined number of active downlink nodes in the respective wireless network, the channel utilization of the respective wireless network, and the estimated downlink data rate for the wireless device in the respective wireless network.

16 . The wireless device of claim 11 , wherein the radio and the processing element are further configured to:
attempt to associate with the selected wireless network.

17 . A method, comprising:
by a wireless access point device: providing a wireless network on a wireless channel; determining a number of active downlink nodes in the wireless network; determining a number of active uplink nodes in the wireless network; periodically broadcasting an indication of the determined number of active downlink nodes and the determined number of active uplink nodes in the wireless network.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
determining channel utilization of the wireless channel of the wireless network; periodically broadcasting an indication of the determined channel utilization.

19 . The method of claim 17 ,
wherein the indication of the determined number of active downlink nodes and the determined number of active uplink nodes in the wireless network is broadcast in one or more of a beacon frame transmission or a load information frame transmission.

20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
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Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Kim Yuchul
• Kim Joonsuk

Classifications

• H04L43/0894

  Packet rate · CPC title

• H04L43/0888

  Throughput · CPC title

• H04W48/18 Primary

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title

• H04W28/0236 Primary

  radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay · CPC title

• H04W24/08

  Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic · CPC title