Automatic channel selection in wireless local area network (WLAN) controller based deployments using color graphs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9743418-B1
Application number	US-201615199858-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 30, 2016
Priority date	Jun 30, 2016
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

Wi-Fi channels are automatically selected in a WLAN controller based deployment. Scan results received from each of the plurality of access points comprise a list of neighboring access points from the plurality of access points relative to each access point. Responsive to a number of the plurality of access points exceeding a number of non-interfering channels, assigning each of the plurality of access points to a non-interfering channel with sharing of at least one of the non-interfering channels, using a GCA (Graph Coloring Algorithm) in which each color assignment corresponds to a non-interfering channel assignment in order to prevent neighboring access points from sharing a non-interfering channel. Lowest RSSI measurements collected by access points can also be a factor in channel selection.

First claim

We claim:

1. A computer-implemented method in a controller for automatically selecting Wi-Fi channels for a plurality access points on a data communication network, the method comprising the steps of:
managing, with a processor of the controller, the plurality of access points utilizing a set of non-interfering channels on the data communication network, wherein a lack of interference exists between the set of non-interfering channels;
receiving scan results from each of the plurality of access points, with a network interface of the controller, the scan results comprising a list of neighboring access points from the plurality of access points relative to each access point;
responsive to a number of the plurality of access points exceeding a number of non-interfering channels, assigning, with a processor of the controller, each of the plurality of access points to a non-interfering channel with sharing of at least one of the non-interfering channels, using a GCA (Graph Coloring Algorithm) in which each color assignment corresponds to a non-interfering channel assignment in order to prevent neighboring access points from sharing a non-interfering channel; and
sending, with the network interface, the channel assignments to the plurality access point.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining through GCA that a minimum number of non-interfering channels necessary to prevent neighboring access points from sharing a non-interfering channel exceeds the number of non-interfering channels; and
responsive to a number of neighboring access points for a specific access point exceeding a number of non-interfering channels, successively assigning the specific access point and one of the neighboring access points having a lowest RSSI measurement to a common to a non-interfering channel until the number of neighboring access points remaining matches the number of non-interfering channels remaining,
wherein the scan results also comprise RSSI measurements for the neighboring access points relative to each access point.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
responsive to a number of neighboring access points for a specific access point not exceeding a number of non-interfering channels, assigning each of the neighboring access points exclusively to a non-interfering channel without overlapping neighboring access points to on a common non-interfering channel.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a channel scan is trigged by an access point of the plurality of access points joining the data communication network resulting in a change in network topology.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the neighbor scanning results are based on a periodic scan.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method in a controller automatically selecting Wi-Fi channels for a plurality access points on a data communication network, the method comprising the steps of:
managing, with a processor of the controller, a plurality of access points utilizing a set of non-interfering channels on the data communication network, wherein a lack of interference exists between the set of non-interfering channels;
receiving scan results from each of the plurality of access points, with a network interface of the controller, the scan results comprising a list of neighboring access points from the plurality of access points relative to each access point;
responsive to a number of the plurality of access points exceeding a number of non-interfering channels, assigning, with a processor of the controller, each of the plurality of access points to a non-interfering channel with sharing of at least one of the non-interfering channels, using a GCA (Graph Coloring Algorithm) in which each color assignment corresponds to a non-interfering channel assignment in order to prevent neighboring access points from sharing a non-interfering channel; and
sending, with the network interface, the channel assignments to the plurality access point.

Assignees

• Fortinet Inc

Inventors

• Jupudi Siva Yogendra
• Shanmugham Rajkumar

Classifications

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04B17/345

  Interference values ({signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR]} H04B17/336) · CPC title

• H04W16/10

  Dynamic resource partitioning · CPC title

• H04W24/02

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title

• H04W48/16 Primary

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title