Wireless mesh network optimization

Abstract

Various methods for determining a location of an STA operating on a mesh wireless network are described herein. The STA detector is used to monitor a change in received signal strength for each access point in a set of access points operating the mesh wireless network. The change in received signal strength is then utilized to determine the location of the STA operating on the mesh wireless network. Also described herein are methods of using location information to identify areas of poor performance on a mesh wireless network, and then providing suggestions for improving mesh wireless network performance.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Indian Provisional Patent Application No. 202311025064, filed on April 1, 2023, titled “WIRELESS STATION ZONING”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Embodiments discussed in this disclosure relate to wireless mesh (MESH) network optimization. Background Art

[0004] Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described herein are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

[0005] Routers are used in wireless communications to direct data traffic between networks to end users. Data traffic can be in the form of packets that can be forwarded from one router to another over a network (such as the Internet). When signal quality is poor, a router may not operate at an optimal level. Wireless mesh networks introduce the ability for users to improve signal quality in larger locations or hard-to-cover areas using multiple access points (APs), which typically take the form of a wireless gateway and one or more wireless repeaters. Unfortunately, some users may not be able to effectively position access points in locations that achieve this. configuration without leaving areas with reduced or no connectivity. Location services are often not accurate enough to help identify Reduced or no connectivity This is particularly problematic, for example, where the use of auxiliary positioning sensors such as GPS is hampered or their effectiveness is compromised because of features of the location where the mesh wireless network is located or surrounding structures that block or reduce access to GPS signals. For these reasons, there is a need for methods to help users improve mesh network configurations.

[0006] The claimed subject matter is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages described above or operate only in the above environment. Rather, this background is provided merely to illustrate one example technology area in which some embodiments described in this disclosure may be practiced. Summary of the invention

[0007] Various embodiments are described herein related to methods for determining the locations of multiple STAs operating on a mesh wireless network. In some embodiments, the location data is used to help analyze and improve the performance and / or coverage of the mesh wireless network.

[0008] A STA detector is described, comprising a processing device, the processing device configured to: monitor, for each access point in a set of access points supporting a wireless mesh network, a signal strength associated with a STA; detect, at a first moment in time, that a first signal strength of the STA at a first access point in the set of access points increases to a threshold signal strength;

[0009] Based on the changes in the first signal strength and / or the second signal strength of the STA detected at the second time, a position of the STA relative to the first access point at a second time offset from the first time is determined.

[0010] A method is described, comprising: monitoring a signal strength associated with a STA for each access point in a group of access points supporting a wireless mesh network; detecting at a first moment that a first signal strength of the STA at a first access point in the group of access points increases to a threshold signal strength; and determining, based on a change in the first signal strength and / or second signal strength of the STA at the second moment, a position of the STA relative to the first access point at a second moment prior to the first moment.

[0011] Another method is disclosed, comprising: monitoring a signal strength associated with a STA for each access point in a group of access points supporting a wireless mesh network; detecting at a first moment that a first signal strength of the STA at a first access point in the group of access points decreases to a threshold signal strength; and determining a position of the STA relative to the first access point at a second moment prior to the first moment based on a change in the first signal strength and / or second signal strength of the STA at the second moment.

[0012] Another method is disclosed, the method comprising: monitoring a signal strength associated with a STA for a set of access points supporting a wireless mesh network operating on a house; comparing the monitored signal strength associated with the STA with a previously monitored signal strength associated with a location on the house; and in response to a match between the monitored signal strength at a first moment and one or more previously monitored signal strengths, determining a location of the STA on the house at the first moment based on the match of the one or more previously monitored signal strengths associated with the location.

[0013] A STA detector is disclosed, comprising a processing device, the processing device being configured to: monitor a signal strength associated with the STA for a set of access points supporting a wireless mesh network operating on a house; compare the monitored signal strength associated with the STA with a previously monitored signal strength associated with a location on the house; and in response to a match between the monitored signal strength at a first moment and one or more previously monitored signal strengths, determine a location of the STA on the house at the first moment based on the match of the one or more previously monitored signal strengths associated with the location.

[0014] Another method is disclosed, comprising: monitoring the performance of a wireless mesh network operating on a premises; and in response to identifying an area of ​​the premises where the performance of the wireless mesh network is below a preset threshold, making a recommendation to move a set of access points (APs) to improve the performance of the wireless network in the identified area.

[0015] A STA detector is disclosed, comprising a processing device configured to: monitor the performance of a wireless mesh network operating on a premises; and in response to identifying an area of ​​the premises where the performance of the wireless mesh network is below a preset threshold, make a recommendation to move a set of access points (APs) to improve the performance of the wireless network in the identified area.

[0016] Other aspects and advantages of the described embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the described embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Additional specificity and detail will be described and illustrated with respect to example embodiments through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1A illustrates the use of outside-in analysis to determine when a STA moves from the vicinity of a first access point to the vicinity of another access point;

[0019] Figure 1B A block diagram showing how a user may place input to a cloud application using user interface 152;

[0020] Figure 2A – Figure 2C The user deploys N access points. A range of inputs that can be made when meshing;

[0021] Figure 3 shows how, in some embodiments, multiple parameters can be shared at runtime from a mobile application running on a device used as a STA detector to an algorithm hosted on the same server;

[0022] Figure 4 shows how, in some embodiments, a quarter sphere or hemisphere may be defined by aligning a second router directly below the primary router / AP;

[0023] Figure 5 1 shows a series of communications that may be performed by the STA probe architecture when a STA first meets the entry criteria of a router in a particular move of that STA (i.e., within a time period defined as t 2 The previous moment (i.e., defined as t 1 moment);

[0024] Figure 6 It shows that at time t 1 Where SR is available and the RSSI value of PR is increasing, possible multiple exemplary STA areas;

[0025] Fig. 7A A plurality of exemplary STA zones are shown that are possible for the illustrated configuration of three available APs;

[0026] Figure 7B – Fig.7D Shows from Fig. 7A A step-by-step approach to identifying STA regions in ;

[0027] Figure 8 A plurality of exemplary STA zones are shown that are possible for the illustrated configuration of three available APs;

[0028] Fig. 9 shows a number of exemplary STA zones that are possible for the configuration of the three available APs shown, where AP 902 is a PR, AP 904 is a SR, and AP 906 is a TR;

[0029] Fig.10 A plurality of exemplary STA zones are shown that are possible for the illustrated configuration of two available APs;

[0030] Fig.11 A plurality of exemplary STA zones are shown that are possible for the illustrated configuration of three available APs;

[0031] Fig.12 Another illustrated configuration of three available APs shows a possible plurality of exemplary STA zones;

[0032] Fig.13 A plurality of exemplary STA zones are shown that are possible for the illustrated configuration of three available APs;

[0033] Figures 14A-14E Another exemplary method of estimating the size and placement of STA areas relative to multiple APs is shown;

[0034] Figures 15A-15I It shows how to select a STA area relative to a spherical contour with an inner radius and an outer radius around a first AP based on the RSSI value of a second AP in the case of a three-AP configuration;

[0035] Fig.16 A flow chart illustrating a method performed by a STA probe when a particular STA or a STA hosting the STA probe does not enter or leave the CZ of an access point during a time period for collecting RSSI data;

[0036] Fig.17 showing a flow chart indicating how the mobile application may operate;

[0037] Fig.18A An exemplary floor plan including a plurality of APs is shown;

[0038] Fig.18B Shows how to generate a heat map based on RSSI data;

[0039] Fig.19A The diagram shows a plan view of three APs and STAs for evaluating A floor plan of the path to be covered;

[0040] Fig.19B The figure shows a period of approximately 30 minutes. Line graphs of coverage performance;

[0041] Fig.19C shows a heat map generated based on RSSI data collected as described above, the heat map being overlaid with markers indicating locations or areas of high usage;

[0042] Fig.19D Shows the Figures 18A-19C Another exemplary path of the same floor plan and AP layout execution used in;

[0043] Fig.19E , similar to Fig.19B The way to show the representative Line chart covering performance 1910, but the time period is about 45 minutes;

[0044] Fig.19F It also includes a number of dashed ovals, which identify darker STA areas in the heat map, or more frequently used STA areas;

[0045] Fig. 20A shows how to collect input from a user equipment (UE) by first obtaining a floor map, floor dimensions, and access point locations from a user interface;

[0046] Fig. 20Bshows how a topology map can be used to display relative access point locations;

[0047] Fig. 20C A "!" symbol 2016 is shown, which may be used to indicate that the access point should be repositioned closer to or proximate to the selected static client;

[0048] Fig.20D shows how exemplary arrows may be used to indicate recommended repositioning and provide movement directions for access points to increase coverage and / or performance of a mesh wireless network;

[0049] Fig.21 A schematic diagram showing an example form of a computing device;

[0050] Fig. 22 A flow chart describing a method for determining a location of a STA operating on a mesh wireless network is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] A user may place a router or access point (AP) in a residential or commercial property without knowing whether the router will provide the desired level of coverage. In addition, the user may not know where to reposition the router based on the location of electrical outlets in a particular property or other obstacles or property features that limit the positioning of the router.

[0052] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., a station (STA) detector device) may include a processing device that may be configured to: identify one or more access points (APs) (e.g., routers or extender); receive signal strength, sometimes referred to as received signal strength indicator (RSSI), from one or more access points (APs) (e.g., routers); identify a primary AP based on the signal strength; calculate a later time point associated with a movement that crosses a threshold of a primary AP confidence region; calculate a primary AP distance to the primary AP; calculate a previous time point associated with the primary AP; calculate a distance at a previous time point; and calculate a STA area at a previous time point. The STA area defines the spatial area occupied by the device relative to the primary AP at a previous time point. The size of the STA area typically varies based on the certainty of the device's location at a previous time point.

[0053] In some embodiments, The network may work with two or more access points (APs). The STA detector device may communicate with at least one AP. The processor of the STA detector device or a processor associated with the STA detector device may be configured to execute a STA detector algorithm to identify the approximate location of each connected STA. This approximate location is referred to as a STA area in this article.

[0054] In some embodiments, the STA detector device may be configured to identify poor placement and insufficient coverage of AP nodes (e.g., routers) in the network. Poor placement of AP nodes (e.g., routers) and insufficient coverage in the network may be identified as STA area instances associated with poor user experience windows.

[0055] In some embodiments, the STA detector device may receive input from an AP or a user. As shown in Table (1) below, the input may include: (I) a STA detector device receiving a signal strength indicator (RSSI) time series from multiple APs (e.g., routers), and (ii) a list of APs (e.g., routers), each of which has a position of at least two dimensions, and (iii) a layout having at least a two-dimensional shape.

[0056] Table (1): STA detector equipment input

[0057]

[0058] In some embodiments, the STA detector device may output the position of each STA as a region including a shape selected from different shapes at a selected time. The STA detector device output for each STA may include: (i) a primary router (PR), (ii) a secondary router (SR), (iii) a tertiary router (TR) (if used), (iv) a primary router distance (PRD) from the STA, (v) a secondary router distance (SRD) from the STA, (vi) a tertiary router (if used) distance (TRD) from the STA, (vii) a shape of the STA zone, including a quarter sphere, a hemisphere, a sphere, or a cylinder, (viii) a tilt of the STA shape (e.g., toward, left, right, away for a shape that is a hemisphere or a cylinder, or q1, q2, q3, q4 for a shape that is a quarter sphere), (ix) a STA radius (i.e., the distance of the STA from the PR), (x) a confidence index (regarding the accuracy and precision of the STA's location), (xi) a timestamp (timestemp, ts), or (xii) a STA mac address (STA-mac).

[0059] Table (2): STA detector device output

[0060]

[0061] In some embodiments, the STA detector algorithm may output a STA region based on the movement between the AP (e.g., router) and the STA device. When tracking a moving STA, there are three types of movement between the AP and the STA device: (1) movement toward the AP (e.g., router), (2) movement away from the AP (e.g., router), and (iii) movement neither toward nor away from the AP (e.g., router).

[0062] In some embodiments, movement toward an AP may be calculated using a variety of operations, including: (a) identifying when a STA moves into a confidence zone of an AP, where the AP confidence zone may be a selected distance around the AP where a router may have an RSSI above a threshold (e.g., 5m, 8m, etc. around the AP), (b) calculating a time point t when the STA moves across a threshold of the AP confidence zone 2 and position (x, y) (e.g., for a 5m AP confidence zone, when the STA crosses a 5m boundary around the AP), (c) receiving RSSI data associated with the AP that has crossed the threshold, and calculating the RSSI data into an RSSI data mode, which can be: (i) moving toward the AP (i.e., approaching the AP, or “approaching”), (ii) moving away from the AP (i.e., leaving the AP, or “leaving”), (iii) neither moving toward the AP nor away from the AP (i.e., neither approaching nor leaving the AP, or “neither”), and (d) calculating the time point t when the STA moves from the vicinity of one AP to the vicinity of another AP (i.e., moving away from the first AP and moving toward the second AP) 1 In this case, time point t 2 Can be used to calculate time point t 1 , where time point t 1 Earlier than time t 2 .

[0063] In some embodiments, movement away from an access point may be calculated using a variety of operations, including: (a) identifying when a STA moves outside of a confidence zone of an AP, where an outer boundary of the AP confidence zone may be a selected distance around the AP where a router may have an RSSI above a threshold (e.g., 5m, 8m, etc. around the AP), (b) a time point t may be calculated when the STA moves beyond the outer boundary of the AP confidence zone 2and position (x, y) (e.g., for a 5 m AP confidence zone, when the STA crosses the 5 m outer boundary around the AP), (c) receiving RSSI data associated with the AP that has crossed the threshold, and calculating the RSSI data into an RSSI data mode, which can be: (i) "approaching", (ii) "leaving", (iii) "neither", and (d) calculating the time point t at which the STA moves from the vicinity of the AP to the vicinity of a different AP (i.e., away from the first AP and moving to the different AP). 3 In this case, the time t at which the STA crosses the CZ is 2 Can be used to calculate time point t 3 , where time point t 3 Later than time t 2 .

[0064] In some embodiments, outside-in analysis may be used to determine when a STA moves from the vicinity of AP 102 to the vicinity of a different AP 104, such as Figure 1A These operations may include: (1) receiving the RSSI of each AP 102-106, (2) calculating the distance of each AP based on the RSSI data, (3a) calculating the angle between the x-axis and the straight line between the second AP and the third AP (when a third router is used), (3b) calculating the slope of each AP RSSI data by solving the first derivative of the least squares error using equation (1):

[0065]

[0066] Where: (i) B is the calculated slope, (ii) n is the number of samples, (iii) x is the time sample, and (iv) y is the STA distance in meters. Based on the equation for slope B, the slope angle relative to the x-axis in the first quadrant can be calculated using the following equation: When the slope angle When the slope is less than about 160° (ie, the slope is away from the AP), the STA may be moving away from the AP because it is different from the STA at an earlier time point (ie, t 1 ) compared to the position of STA at a later time point (i.e., t 2 ) is located farther from R. That is, compared with the x-axis in the first quadrant, t 1 and t 2 The angle between is less than about 160°. Figure 1A As shown, when the slope angle When it is greater than about 197°, the STA may be approaching the AP because the STA is at an earlier time point (i.e., t 1 ) compared to the position of STA at a later time point (i.e., t 2 ) has a position closer to R. When the tilt angle When the angle is greater than about 160° and less than about 197°, the STA may not be close to the AP or far away from the AP because the STA is at an earlier time point (ie, t 1 ) compared to the position of STA at a later time point (i.e., t 2 ) is neither closer nor farther away from the AP marked R.

[0067] In some embodiments, these operations may include an isometry check, where the operation may check whether the STA's movement is toward or away from two routers (e.g., Figure 1A The midpoint of the line between APs 102 and 104 shown.

[0068] In some embodiments, when PR and SR are selected, a shape may be drawn by aligning the second router directly below the main router. When the second router is directly below the main router (e.g., relative to the z-axis), the relative position between PR and SR may include: (i) "opp" may be the hemisphere on the opposite side of SR and PR (i.e., not between PR and SR), (ii) "towards" may be the hemisphere between PR and SR, (iii) "left side" may be the hemisphere on the left side of PR and SR, and (iv) "right side" may be the hemisphere on the right side of PR and SR. In addition, a quarter sphere may be defined as: (i) upper left corner (Q2), (ii) upper right corner (Q1), (iii) lower left corner (Q3), and (iv) lower right corner (Q4).

[0069] In some embodiments, a straight angle, a full angle, a right angle, and a quarter triangle may be defined as follows:

[0070] #define STRAIGHT_ANGLE 180 (define the straight angle)

[0071] #define COMPLETE_ANGLE 360 (define full width)

[0072] #define RIGHT_ANGLE 90 (define right angle)

[0073] #define THREE_QUARTER_ANGLE 270 (define quarter angle)

[0074] In some embodiments, based on the definitions provided for straight angles, full angles, right angles, and quarter triangles, and defining "angle" as the angle between the x-axis and the SR-TR line, these combinations can be associated with shapes based on Table (3), as follows:

[0075] Table (3): Shape calculation

[0076]

[0077]

[0078]

[0079] In some embodiments, by aligning a secondary router directly below the primary router relative to the z-axis, the combination may be associated with the shapes shown in Table (4) below:

[0080] Table (4): Shape calculation

[0081]

[0082]

[0083]

[0084] Figure 1B A block diagram illustrating how a user 150 may provide multiple parameters to a cloud application 154 using a user interface 152. The cloud application 154 may be configured to display AP placement to the user via the user interface 152 on a device 156. The user may position the AP devices in the layout based on the placement provided by the user interface 152. When the AP devices are appropriately positioned based on the placement diagram in the user interface, the AP devices and STAs (e.g., running a processing module) may be configured to provide metrics to an algorithm hosted on the same server as the cloud application or locally on the STA or AP.

[0085] Figure 2A – Figure 2C The user deploys N access points. A mesh network is a set of inputs that can be made. In particular, Figure 2A It is shown how, at 202, a user is presented with layout choices using predefined templates. The user may also choose to customize the selected predefined template. At 204, the user is asked for the outer dimensions of the layout, such as length and width, which may define the outer boundaries of any square, rectangle, polygon, or ellipse created by the selected template. At 206, after the outer boundaries have been defined, the user is asked how many rooms should be included in the template. At 208, the user is given the option to place and size the rooms within the layout so that it corresponds as closely as possible to the layout to be created. The user is asked to mark or identify the location of the root device (i.e., wireless gateway) at 210. In an HFC network, the root device is typically a wireless or wired device directly connected to a coaxial cable and configured to interact with and process DOCSIS signals transmitted by the HFC network. At 212, the user is asked to start or load the root device so that the root device can register and initiate communication with the HFC network.

[0086] Figure 2B It is shown how, at 214, the user is asked to mark the location of the AP in the selected and customized layout. In some embodiments, the user participating in the on-boarding can use one or more on-board sensors of the device used for deployment to more accurately specify the location of the AP within the layout. For example, a camera or lidar sensor on the device can be used to confirm the location identified by the user. In the event that the sensor data conflicts with the positioning provided by the user, the user will be asked whether the location should be moved to more closely align with the readings obtained by the device sensors. The user can also be asked to mark other locations relative to the AP placement that can be evaluated (e.g., power outlet locations and / or placement of fixed STAs).

[0087] At 216, a test is run to determine the performance of the newly placed AP. In some embodiments, the performance test includes running data traffic through a mesh network that includes its newly placed AP. The user may also be asked to walk around the house with a device that performs a STA detector, particularly near the newly placed AP, in order to evaluate the coverage of the newly placed AP after it has been moved. As previously described, the assessment of coverage may include the identification of STA areas and the associated performance of the devices within each identified STA area. The results of the performance test may be calculated and collected by a cloud application, or run on one or more local devices, or may be processed separately between local and associated cloud-based servers. 218 shows how steps 214 and 216 are repeated until all APs are placed.

[0088] At 220, the user is asked if he wants to evaluate alternative points around the AP placement for potential performance improvements. In some embodiments, one or more metrics indicating the performance level achieved using the current AP placement may be presented to the user. If the user is satisfied, the process is complete. Otherwise the process continues to 222.

[0089] At 222, the user may choose to move the corresponding AP to a different location in the house to see if performance can be improved. For example, if the APs are spread too far apart, performance may be affected. In this case, moving the first AP closer to the second AP may result in a significant improvement in performance. At 224, after each AP is moved, additional data flow tests are run through the mesh network to evaluate the performance of the most recently moved AP.

[0090] In some embodiments, the mesh The current performance of the network can be compared to a performance level that the STA probe process considers to be perfect or ideal for a corresponding floor plan with a specific number of APs. However, when the user chooses to add the location of power outlets in the floor plan, the process can recalculate the AP locations for the ideal performance level based on the location of the power outlets. For example, when power outlets are not considered, the maximum coverage of a router may be different (e.g., the router may be placed in a maximum coverage location that does not have access to a power outlet or requires an extension cord to access a power outlet). When power outlets are considered, the maximum coverage location based on the location of the power outlets may change to a location that provides a lower coverage level than the coverage level without considering power outlet access.

[0091] At 228, the user may be asked to identify one or more common locations on the floor plan / layout, and at 230, the evaluation process may determine the performance of the mesh network within the identified common locations. At 232, once all common locations are identified and evaluated, the mobile application and / or the router may be configured to identify one or more fixed clients operating on the mesh network. Fixed clients may be identified by reference to a list of devices known to require access to a power outlet. For example, a television, a desktop computer, a connected refrigerator, etc. may be included in the list of fixed clients. Identification of static STAs may also be performed by identifying STAs whose RSSI value changes below a predetermined minimum threshold.

[0092] At 234, a list of identified fixed clients is sent to the user, and at 236, the user can confirm that each identified fixed client is in fact a fixed client, and then mark the location of each fixed client on the floor plan. At 238, in the event that a STA operating on the wireless mesh network does not cross the CZ of the AP during a specific time period, the RSSI of each STA seen by the access point can be saved for future use, as will be discussed later. In some embodiments, the STA detector can be configured to make further AP relocation recommendations based on the performance of the fixed clients. For example, since the RSSI of each fixed client is recorded and each fixed client is typically plugged into a power outlet, a fixed client with an RSSI value below the expected threshold level may be a good location where an AP can be placed to improve the performance of the wireless mesh network. In the event that the corresponding fixed client has a high enough RSSI reading to cause another AP to repeat / expand the wireless mesh network, the fixed client location can be identified as a prospective location for a new AP or a prospective location for an existing AP to be moved to that location.

[0093] Figure 3It is shown how, in some embodiments, various parameters can be shared at runtime from a mobile application running on a device acting as a STA detector 302 to an algorithm hosted on the same server, including: (i) the selected layout, (ii) the layout size, (iii) the number of rooms, (iv) the room locations (and their equivalent performance metrics), (v) the room sizes, (vi) the number of routers, (vii) the router location points, and (viii) the fingerprint inputs (e.g., the performance metrics, x, y coordinates, and router IDs for each fingerprint input and each fixed client).

[0094] In some embodiments, at runtime, various parameters may be shared from the device to an algorithm hosted on the same server as the cloud application, including: (i) the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of other APs during placement of each AP, and (ii) the root performance number (e.g., in Mbps) for each router placement.

[0095] In some embodiments, runtime parameters can be shared from the device to an algorithm hosted on the same server as the cloud application and can be used for STA location identification. Each router in the network can send periodic feedback of STA RSSI for all network STAs. This can be done by each router or AP running monitoring mode to capture STA packets. The captured packets can be grouped into each 1 second time window. An RSSI value can be derived for a 1 second time window and sent to the STA detector module 302.

[0096] In some embodiments, for each of the STAs connected to the cloud, a time window of poor AP / router performance may be shared from the master AP / router and may include: (i) a budget for each STA served by the network, and (ii) a percentage of that budget used by each STA.

[0097] In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the processing device can be configured to identify an access point (AP) location using: (i) an AP performance analyzer 304, (ii) a performance root cause identifier 306, (iii) a STA detector 302, and (iv) an AP location identifier 308.

[0098] In some embodiments, the AP performance analyzer 304 may be configured to provide AP performance metrics. In one example, the AP performance analyzer 304 may also be configured to provide router performance metrics. The AP performance analyzer may be configured to receive the throughput offer of the STA (e.g., the amount of throughput provided by the network to the STA) and the current usage of the STA (e.g., the ratio, percentage, or amount of the throughput provided to the STA by the network used by the STA). The AP performance analyzer 304 may be configured to calculate the AP (e.g., router) performance metric, which may be based on the throughput offer of the STA and / or the current usage of the STA, and output the AP (e.g., router) performance metric to the performance root cause identifier.

[0099] In some embodiments, the performance root cause identifier 306 may be configured to calculate an AP relocation location. In one example, the performance root cause identifier 306 may be configured to calculate a router relocation location when the AP is a router. The performance root cause identifier 306 may be configured to receive onboard time and layout as inputs. The performance root cause identifier 306 may be configured to receive AP (e.g., router) performance metrics from the AP performance analyzer 304. The performance root cause identifier 306 may be configured to calculate: an AP relocation location (e.g., router or The performance root cause identifier 306 may be configured to send the AP relocation locations to the AP location identifier 308 .

[0100] In some embodiments, the AP location identifier may be configured to provide the AP relocation location to the STA explorer 302. In one example, when the AP location identifier provides a router location identifier, the router location identifier may be configured to provide the router relocation location to the STA explorer 302. In another example, the AP location identifier 308 may be configured to calculate a percentage of performance increase upon relocation, which may also be provided to the STA explorer 302 so that a user of the STA explorer 302 may make a more informed decision as to whether the performance increase justifies the relocation.

[0101] In some embodiments, the STA detector 302 may be configured to calculate the location of the STA. The STA detector may be configured to receive an onboard time, a layout input, a fingerprint location input (one-time or periodic), or a one-time or periodic RSSI of the STA relative to the router. The STA may be configured to send multiple parameters to the AP location identifier 308 for each STA's location. These parameters may include: (i) PRD, (ii) SRD, (iii) quadrant / hemisphere, (iv) radius, or (v) timestamp (ts).

[0102] In some embodiments, the STA detector may be configured to define a confidence zone (CZ) around each router. The size of the CZ may have a size that depends on the layout measurements of the house and / or the technical details of the corresponding AP (for example, the radius may be 5m or 8m). There may be two transitions involving confidence zones: (i) transitioning from the outside to the inside to the CZ, and (ii) transitioning from the inside to the outside from the CZ. There may be one or more routers. A primary router, a secondary router, and a third router may be defined based on the RSSI of the STA, with the distance of each router increasing. For example, the first router is closer to the STA than the second router and the third router, and the second router is farther from the STA than the first router, but closer than the third router. It should be noted that in some use cases, the STA may be physically closer to the second router than the primary router due to RSSI changes caused by obstacles present on a particular house.

[0103] In some embodiments, the STA detector 302 may be configured to identify a STA region. The STA region may be calculated based on one or more of the following: (i) PR, (ii) SR, (iii) TR, (iv) PRD, (v) SRD, (vi) TRD, (vii) quarter sphere (viii) hemisphere, (ix) sphere (x) cylinder, (xi) tilt, (xii) radius, (xiii) confidence index, (xiv) ts, (xv) stamac.

[0104] Figure 4 4 shows how, in some embodiments, a quarter sphere or hemisphere may be defined by aligning a secondary router 402 directly below a primary router 404 as shown, such that a primary axis 406 extends through the primary router 404 and the secondary router 402, and a secondary axis 408 extends through the primary router 404 in a direction orthogonal to the primary axis 406. Thus, the primary axis 406 and the secondary axis 408 define a coordinate system that defines multiple quadrants and hemispheres, such as Figure 4 shown.

[0105] In some embodiments, a STA detector may be subject to various constraints.

[0106] First, the STA detector may be configured to provide offline data calculation or periodic data calculation (i.e., without using a real-time location system (RTLS)). Second, in embodiments where RSSI data is associated with three or fewer APs, the location of the STA may have a maximum resolution of a quarter sphere. Third, the location may be determined based on movement into or out of a confidence zone. For example, the STA detector may be configured to track a moving STA without tracking a stationary STA. The STA detector may be configured to determine one or more back-in-time locations when the STA may enter the confidence zone of the router. Alternatively or additionally, the STA detector may be configured to determine one or more forward in time locations when the STA may cross the confidence zone of the router.

[0107] Fourth, the PRD, SRD, and TRD associated with each STA may be stored periodically using a timestamp. Fifth, the STA positioning algorithm may be triggered when the entry condition is met. The entry condition may be met when one or more distances between the STA and the router (e.g., PRD, SRD, TRD) are less than the confidence interval of a particular router. For example, for a STA-PRD confidence distance of 5 meters, a STA-SRD confidence area of ​​7 meters, and a STA-TRD confidence area of ​​10 meters, the entry condition may be met when the distance between the STA and the PRD is less than 5 meters, or the distance between the STA and the SRD is less than 7 meters, or the distance between the STA and the TRD is less than 10 meters, or a combination thereof.

[0108] Sixth, for a STA whose distance to the router is not less than the confidence zone, the STA may not be included in the STA location calculation. It should be noted that this may not always be the case, as the RSSI reading of the STA can be correlated with the historical RSSI readings of STAs that cross the CZ to determine the location of the STA.

[0109] Seventh, the signal strength (eg, RSSI) of one or more routers may be collected over time. The signal strength may be collected continuously or periodically (with sufficient resolution).

[0110] Figure 5 5 shows a series of communications that may be performed by the STA probe architecture 500 when a STA first meets the entry conditions of a router in a particular move of the STA (i.e., within a time period defined as t 2 The previous moment (i.e., defined as t 1 moment).

[0111] Figure 5A first device (labeled as "user device 502") is included. In some embodiments, the first device may be a cellular or wireless device operating on a mesh network. The form of the device, the mesh network is being analyzed or tested and is operated by the user of the STA probe. Figure 5 Also shown is one or more local The block diagram of the device (e.g., STA 504) and multiple cloud components (e.g., cloud processing component 506, cloud database 508, and STA detector algorithm 510). In some embodiments, the STA detector algorithm 510 can take the form of a module running on a local device (e.g., user device 502) and / or on one or more APs instead of running on a cloud server. Figure 5 Several operations are shown, including one or more of the following: (i) sending layout input from the user device 502 to the cloud database 508 via the cloud processing component 506, (ii) initiating a dynamic placement assistance (DPA) algorithm at the STA detector algorithm 510, (iii) sending a layout configuration request from the STA detector algorithm 510 to the cloud processing component 506, (iv) communicating between the cloud processing component 506 and the cloud database 508 before the cloud processing component 506 receives the STA region, (v) sending the layout configuration from the cloud processing component 506 to the STA detector algorithm 510, (vi) receiving the STA RSSI measurement from the STA 504 at the STA detector algorithm 510, (vii) executing the STA detector algorithm at the STA detector algorithm 510, (viii) sending the STA region (e.g., STA region) from the STA detector algorithm module to the cloud processing component MAC, zone parameters (PR, SR, region, tilt, radius, STA, timestamp, etc.); (ix) after the STA zone has been received by the cloud processing component, communicate between the cloud processing component and the cloud database; (x) receiving a STA heat map request from the user device 502 at the cloud processing component (xi) receiving a query for a time window of the STA zone from the cloud database at the cloud processing component 506, or (xii) receiving a STA heat map calculated based on the STA zone from the cloud processing component 506 at the user device 502. The STA heat map generally shows how frequently the STA works at different locations in the house.

[0112] In some embodiments, the t used to identify the STA position 1 and t 2The STA detector operation may include one or more inputs as shown in Table (5) below, including: (a) STA RSSI time series from one or more routers (e.g., a primary router, a second router, a third router, etc.), (b) a list of routers and the location of each of the one or more routers, and (c) a container name for each of the one or more routers.

[0113] Table (5): Input parameters

[0114] <![CDATA[ Enter a name ]]> <![CDATA[ source ]]> STA RSSI time series for applicable routers Device (obtained through cloud processing component) Router List and Location app (obtained through the cloud processing component) The router container name app (obtained through the cloud processing component)

[0115] In some embodiments, the 1 and t 2 The STA detector operation may output one or more STA coordinate sub-metrics, which may include one or more regional parameters, including: (primary router, secondary router, radius, period, area and orientation), as shown in Table (6) below.

[0116] Table (6): Output parameters

[0117]

[0118] In some embodiments, the STA area calculation may be performed according to the operation shown in the following table (7).

[0119] Table (7): STA area calculation and determination

[0120]

[0121] In some embodiments, when STA region calculation is selected for processing, outside-to-in motion may be identified by the operations shown in Table (8) below.

[0122] Table (8): Identification from inside to outside / from outside to inside

[0123]

[0124] In some embodiments, when STA region calculation has been selected and outside-to-inside motion has been identified, the time t can be calculated based on the operation shown in Table (9) below: 1 When the movement from inside to outside is identified, the time t can be calculated based on the operation shown in the following table (9): 3 STA area.

[0125] Table (9): STA time zone time t 1 / t 3 calculate

[0126]

[0127]

[0128] In some embodiments, the operation calculation at time t can be based on the operation shown in Table (10) below: 1 The radius at time.

[0129] Table (10): Identification time t 1 The radius of

[0130]

[0131] In some embodiments, upon identifying a PR T1 , SR T1 ,TR T1 and PR T2 , SR T2 ,TR T2 (If SR is available, then there is SR T1 and SR T2 , if TR is available, then TR exists T1 and TR T2 ) and confirming that PR has not changed between T1 and T2, t can be calculated based on the following operations 1 STA area at that time.

[0132] The first operation includes determining the distance from STA to PR (PRD at time T1), which is used as the radius R 1 The second operation includes determining whether a second AP / router (SR) is available. If SR is not available, the shape of the STA area is a PR centered on R 1 is a sphere with radius . If depicted, the resulting STA region will be annular when viewed from a top view. In the case of an annular STA region, the thickness of the ring forming the annular shape represents the uncertainty in the distance of the STA from the PR.

[0133] Figure 6 It shows that at time t 1 hour, Figure 6 In the case where the SR identified as 602 is available (i.e., communicating with the STA) and the RSSI value of the PR increases, multiple possible exemplary STA zones. As shown in the figure, the shape of each STA zone is a hemisphere of a sphere with a radius R1 and a center point at the PR (the PR is at Figure 6604 in FIG. 1 ). When the signal strengths from both PR 604 and SR 602 are increasing, the first STA region 606 is used. This will be indicated by an increase in RSSI from time T1 to time T2. Although the term "hemisphere" is used to describe the shape of the STA region 606, it should be understood that the STA region 606 does not represent the entire hemisphere of a sphere centered on PR 604 and defined by radius R1. Instead, there is a gap between the STA region 606 and the CZ 608 surrounding 604. The size of the gap may depend on the duration between T1 and T2 and the rate of change of the RSSI value, which may be associated with the distance between the outer boundaries of the STA region 606 and CZ 608. It should also be noted that the outer ends of the hemisphere near the left and right hemisphere labels that constitute the STA region 606 are shorter than a true hemisphere because the position of the STA at these locations at T1 does not allow movement toward the SR 602 by a sufficient amount to constitute an increased RSSI value for the SR 602.

[0134] When the received signal strength of PR 604 increases and the received signal strength of SR 602 decreases, a second STA region 608 may be used. As shown, the overall size of STA region 608 is substantially smaller than the overall size of STA region 606 because the differential RSSI values ​​allow the algorithm to more accurately determine the location of the STA relative to PR 604 and SR 602.

[0135] When the received signal strength of PR 604 increases while the received signal strength of SR 602 remains substantially unchanged, a third STA region 610 located on the opposite side of PR 604 may be used. In some embodiments, substantially static may mean that the RSSI value does not change by more than a threshold amount relative to an average value of the RSSI values ​​for a particular time period. For example, the threshold amount may be a 5%, 10%, or 15% deviation from the average value of the RSSI values ​​for a particular time period. While the exemplary STA regions are helpful in describing the operation of the STA detector, it should be understood that the size and geometry of the STA regions may vary based on the magnitude and rate of change of the RSSI values, as can be clearly seen in the variations shown in the multiple examples provided below.

[0136] Fig. 7AMultiple exemplary STA regions are shown that are possible for the configuration of the three available APs shown, where AP 702 is PR, AP 704 is SR, and AP 706 is TR. Each of the STA regions 708, 710, and 712 shown corresponds to a scenario where the RSSI values ​​of AP 702 and AP 706 are detected to be increasing. STA region 708 represents a possible location of the STA at T1 when the RSSI values ​​of AP 702 and 706 are increasing, while the RSSI value of AP 704 is decreasing. STA region 710 represents a possible location of the STA at T1 when the RSSI values ​​of AP 702 and 706 are increasing, while the RSSI value of AP 704 is substantially unchanged. STA region 712 represents a possible location of the STA at T1 when the RSSI values ​​of AP 702 and 706 are increasing, while the RSSI value of AP 704 is decreasing.

[0137] Figure 7B-7D Shown is a diagram for identifying Fig. 7A A step-by-step approach to the STA region 712. In particular Figure 7B 702. The STA region 714 of the STA is shown as an estimate of the STA region 714 using RSSI values ​​based only on the RSSI values ​​from a single AP 702. The STA region 714 is depicted as a ring geometry in two dimensions, or as a torus / ring geometry if viewed in three dimensions. A plurality of arrows labeled with t1 and t2 are included to illustrate the wide variety of movements that can be indicated when only considering increasing RSSI values ​​of AP 702. The thickness 716 of the STA region 714 can be based on the uncertainty of the distance provided between the multiple measurements of the RSSI values ​​at time t1. For example, the distance calculation of a lower RSSI value indicating a longer distance may be more uncertain than the distance calculation of a higher RSSI value indicating a shorter distance, in terms of the distance from the corresponding AP / router.

[0138] Figure 7C704. The case where the area / size of the resulting STA region 718 is much smaller than the area of ​​the STA region 714 when the RSSI values ​​are considered from the perspective of the AP 702 and the AP 704 is shown. The STA region 718 may be referred to as hemispherical in shape, however it should be understood that it does not generally extend completely to the minor axis 720 and through the major axis 721. The STA region 718 does not include the area between the STA region 718 and the axis 720 because if the STA is located in this area, the RSSI of the AP 704 will not increase by a magnitude large enough to be considered an increase. For example, the exemplary movement indicator 722 shows an edge case where t1 is close to the edge of the STA region 718, such that any more movement of t1 of the movement indicator 722 toward the axis 720 will result in the t2 end of the movement indicator 722 not touching the CZ of the AP 720, or the slope is adjusted in a manner that results in little or no movement of the STA toward the AP 704.

[0139] Fig.7D It is shown that when the RSSI values ​​are considered from the perspective of AP 702, AP 704, and AP 706, the resulting STA zone 724 has an area / size that is much smaller than the area of ​​STA zone 718. As with STA zone 718, the ends of STA zone 724 do not touch axes 720 or 721. However, in embodiments where the STA zone is closer to the CZ of AP 702, there may be situations where the STA zone does touch or extend slightly beyond axes 720 and 721. In some embodiments, STA zone 724 may be represented as being completely moved to axes 720 and 721 to reduce the amount of processing power to exclude the outer ends of the corresponding STA zone.

[0140] Figure 8 A plurality of exemplary STA regions that are possible for the configuration of the three available APs shown are shown, where AP 802 is PR, AP 804 is SR, and AP 806 is TR. Each of the depicted STA regions 808, 810, and 812 corresponds to a situation where the RSSI value of AP 802 is detected to be increasing and the RSSI value of AP 806 is detected to be decreasing. STA region 808 represents a possible location of the STA at T1 when the RSSI value of AP 802 is increasing and the RSSI values ​​of AP 804 and AP 806 are decreasing. STA region 810 represents a possible location of the STA at T1 when the RSSI values ​​of STA APs 802 and 806 are increasing, while the RSSI value of AP 804 is substantially unchanged. STA region 812 represents a possible location of the STA at T1 when the RSSI values ​​of APs 802 and 804 are increasing, while the RSSI value of AP 806 is decreasing.

[0141] Fig. 9A plurality of exemplary STA regions are shown that are possible for the configuration of the three available APs shown, where AP 902 is PR, AP 904 is SR, and AP 906 is TR. Each of the depicted STA regions 908 and 910 corresponds to a situation where the RSSI value of AP 902 is detected to be increasing and the RSSI value of AP 906 is detected to remain substantially static. Although most of the AP diagrams described herein show three different STA regions, this particular configuration results in only two STA regions 908 and 910 because, in the case of a 90 degree offset between APs 904 and 906, defining a third STA region where the RSSI values ​​of APs 904 and 906 are both static is less useful because the region will have a circular geometry and will not narrow down the location of the corresponding STA very accurately. As shown, STA regions 908 and 910 are particularly small because the size of the two regions is limited in the case where the RSSI value of AP 906 remains static. Since region 908 is located between APs 902 and 904, its size boundary is particularly clear. In some embodiments, when static RSSI values ​​of APs 904 and 906 are detected, corresponding data will be discarded as outliers or data that does not correspond to a valid limited area with respect to PR.

[0142] In some embodiments, upon identifying a PR T1 , SR T1 ,TR T1 and PR T2 , SR T2 ,TR T2 (If SR is available, then there is SR T1 and SR T2 , if TR is available, then TR exists T1 and TR T2 ) and determine the change in PR between T1 and T2, t 1 time area.

[0143] Fig.10 A number of exemplary STA zones are shown that are possible for the described configuration of two available APs, where at time t2, AP 1002 is PR and AP 1004 is SR, while at time t1, AP 1004 is PR and AP 1002 is SR. Each of the illustrated STA zones 1008, 1010, and 1012 corresponds to a situation where the RSSI value of AP 1002 is detected to be increasing. Fig.10 Can be used with Figure 6By comparison, the main difference is the location of STA area 1012. STA area 1006 represents the possible location of STA at t1 when the RSSI value of AP1002 is increasing and the RSSI value of AP 1004 is decreasing. STA area 1008 represents the possible location of STA at t1 when the RSSI values ​​of APs 1002 and 1004 are increasing. STA area 1010 represents the possible location of STA at t1 when the RSSI value of AP 1002 is increasing and the RSSI value of AP 1004 is unchanged. Since the PR at time t1 is AP 1004, STA area 1010 is centered on the location of AP 1004. Although the location of the STA area is mainly based on the change of RSSI at each AP, the PR at time t1 is also taken into account, especially for the STA area, similar to STA area 1010, where the RSSI value of the PR at t1 remains substantially unchanged from time t1 to time t2.

[0144] Fig.11 A number of exemplary STA zones are shown that are possible for the configuration of the three available APs shown, where at time t2, AP 1102 is PR, AP 1104 is SR, and AP 1106 is TR. At time t1, AP 1102 is SR, AP 1104 is PR, and AP 1106 is TR. Each of the illustrated STA zones 1108, 1110, and 1112 corresponds to a scenario where the RSSI values ​​of APs 1102 and 1106 are detected to be increasing. STA zone 1108 corresponds to an increasing RSSI value for AP 1104. STA zone 1110 corresponds to a decreasing RSSI value for AP 1104, and STA zone 1112 corresponds to a substantially static value for AP 1104. It should be noted that the t1 end of the mobility indicator associated with STA zone 1108 clearly indicates that the STA is closer to AP 1102 than AP 1104 at time t1. In general, as previously described, changes in RSSI values ​​take precedence over the AP with the strongest signal at time t1. Thus, STA region 1108 is correctly located regardless of whether the PR at time t1 is AP 1104. Similar situations may occur when the STA remains connected to a particular AP or router after it is no longer closest to the particular AP or router, or because environmental obstacles reduce the received signal strength of the particular router or AP. In some embodiments, the STA detector device can be configured to ignore or reject RSSI change parameters that jump almost instantly at a certain speed, which is more likely to indicate that the RSSI change is due to leaving or entering an RSSI signal strength that is significantly higher or lower than the managed mesh. Network the area of ​​the rest of the house.

[0145] Fig.12 A number of exemplary STA zones are shown that are possible for the configuration of the three available APs shown, where at time t2, AP 1202 is PR, AP 1204 is SR, and AP 1206 is TR. At time t1, AP 1202 is SR, AP 1204 is PR, and AP 1206 is TR. Each of the depicted STA zones 1208, 1210, and 1212 corresponds to a situation where the RSSI value of AP 1202 is increasing and a decrease in the RSSI value of AP 1206 is detected. STA zone 1208 corresponds to an increase in the RSSI value of AP 1204. STA zone 1210 corresponds to a decrease in the RSSI value of AP 1204, and STA zone 1212 corresponds to a substantially static value for AP 1204. Fig.12 The AP configuration shown also shows a slightly different router configuration. In particular, AP 1206 is radially offset from AP 1204 by more than 90 degrees, rather than exactly 90 degrees as shown in the previous illustration. Angle 1214 shows the angular offset between AP 1206 and the main axis 1216. As shown, STA area 1208 remains approximately the size of a quarter sphere, forming an offset from axis 1216, which corresponds to the movement of the STA toward AP 1204 as the STA moves from the side of STA area 1208 closest to axis 1216 toward the CZ of AP 1202.

[0146] Fig.13 A number of exemplary STA zones are shown that are possible for the configuration of the three available APs shown, where at time t2, AP 1302 is PR, AP 1304 is SR, and AP 1306 is TR. At time t1, AP 1302 is SR, AP 1304 is PR, and AP 1306 is TR. Each of the depicted STA zones 1308, 1310, and 1312 corresponds to a situation where the RSSI value of AP 1302 is increasing and the RSSI value of AP 1306 is detected to remain substantially static. STA zone 1308 corresponds to the RSSI value of AP 1304 increasing. STA zone 1310 corresponds to the RSSI value of AP 1304 decreasing, and STA zone 1312 corresponds to the substantially static value of AP 1304. The movement indicator of STA zone 1312 is arranged tangentially with respect to the CZ of AP 1304. In this way, the movement indicators of STA region 1312 show possible STA movements that result in substantially static RSSI values ​​for AP 1304 and AP 1306.

[0147] It should be noted that although Figure 7A-13The associated movement indicators all show the aforementioned movement of the STA from the outside to the inside, but the above-mentioned STA area can also be used to describe the movement from the inside to the outside. Specifically, when the movement from the inside to the outside is detected at time t2, an analysis is performed to determine the position of the STA at time t3, which occurs after time t2, instead of analyzing the recent historical data to determine the position of the STA at time t1. Time t3 can be determined in a manner similar to the previously described time t1, using the least squares error equation Eq (1) to determine how long the STA has moved away from the CZ of the PR in a linear direction. In some embodiments, after the STA is detected to cross the CZ of the PR and move linearly away from the PR, the sampling rate of the RSSI data can be increased to more accurately identify the position of the STA at time t1 and accurately identify time t1. It should be noted that by reversing the direction of the arrow, marking the beginning of the arrow within the STA area as t2 and the end of the arrow as t3, it is possible to Figure 7B-13 The movement indicator applies to movement from inside to outside.

[0148] Figure 14A-14E Another exemplary method of estimating the size and placement of STA areas relative to multiple APs is shown. Fig.14A A first step is shown, where two concentric circles are drawn around an AP 1402 designated as PR to form a spherical STA region 1404. Because the RSSI value cannot provide the exact distance between the STA and the AP, the radii of the two circles may represent the two distances from the AP 1402 at time t1, which corresponds to the inaccuracy of the distance measurement based only on the RSSI value from the AP 1402. The shorter distance will always be equal to or greater than the CZ of the STA 1402. In an exemplary embodiment, the radius of the smaller circle may be 8m and the radius of the larger circle may be 16m. Fig. 14B It is shown how a first axis 1404 is drawn from AP 1402 to AP 1404 , where AP 1406 is the SR, and how a second axis 1408 is drawn through AP 1402 at an angle orthogonal to the angle of the first axis 1404 .

[0149] Fig. 14C – Fig.14E It shows how to define STA areas for various variations of RSSI values ​​configured for two APs. Specifically, Fig. 14C It shows a case where the RSSI values ​​of the AP 1402 and the AP 1406 are both increasing, and a hemispherical STA area 1410 is drawn on the side of the AP 1402 opposite to the position of the AP 1406. Fig.14DIt shows a case where a hemispherical STA area 1412 is drawn on the same side of AP 1402 as AP 1406 when the RSSI value of AP 1402 is increasing and the value of AP 1406 is decreasing. Fig.14E STA area 1414 is shown, which consists of two hemispherical areas on opposite sides of AP 1402, which represents the situation where the RSSI value of AP 1402 is increasing and the RSSI of AP 1406 is a substantially static value. The directions of the two hemispherical areas of STA area 1414 are arranged on both sides of AP 1402 orthogonal to AP 1406.

[0150] Figure 15A-15I The figure shows a case where the STA area is selected based on the RSSI value of AP 1502 with respect to a spherical contour (a two-dimensional ring as shown) having an inner radius and an outer radius around AP 1502 in the case of three AP configurations. Figures 15A to 15I For each STA zone discussed in , AP 1502 is designated as the primary router and AP 1506 is designated as the secondary router. Fig.15A STA region 1504 is shown corresponding to the illustrated configuration of APs 1502, 1506, and 1508, wherein the RSSI values ​​of APs 1502 and 1506 are increasing, while the RSSI value of AP 1508 is decreasing. It should be noted that AP 1508 is not located on the minor axis defined by the relative positions of APs 1502 and 1506, which makes it slightly different from most of the other exemplary AP configuration diagrams described previously. Although STA region 1504 has a quarter-spherical geometry, more complex STA region modeling schemes may cut off some of the periphery of STA region 1504 to make it smaller / more accurate based on the offset position of AP 1508. However, the quarter-spherical geometry is large enough to cover the possible locations of STAs moving from STA region 1508 to the point on the CZ of AP 1502, where the change in RSSI value of the described configuration of the access point is detected, and requires less processing power to determine its size and shape.

[0151] Fig. 15B A STA region 1510 is shown corresponding to the illustrated configuration of APs 1502, 1506, and 1508, wherein the RSSI values ​​of APs 1502, 1506, and 1508 are increasing. Fig. 15C STA region 1512 is shown corresponding to the illustrated configuration of APs 1502, 1506, and 1508, wherein the RSSI values ​​of APs 1502 and 1508 are increasing, while the RSSI value of AP 1506 is decreasing. Fig.15DAn elliptical STA area 1514 is shown corresponding to the illustrated configuration of APs 1502, 1506, and 1516. STA area 1514 is increasing based on the RSSI values ​​of APs 1502 and 1506, while the RSSI value of AP 1516 remains substantially constant. STA area 1424 is depicted as having an elliptical geometry that fits between the inner and outer diameters of the dashed annular shape.

[0152] Fig.15E A STA region 1510 is shown corresponding to the illustrated configuration of APs 1502, 1506, and 1508, wherein the RSSI values ​​of APs 1502, 1506, and 1508 are increasing. Fig. 15C STA region 1512 is shown corresponding to the illustrated configuration of APs 1502, 1506, and 1508, wherein the RSSI values ​​of APs 1502 and 1508 are increasing, while the RSSI value of AP 1506 is decreasing. Fig.15D An elliptical STA area 1514 is shown corresponding to the illustrated configuration of APs 1502, 1506, and 1516. STA area 1514 is based on the RSSI value of AP 1502 increasing, the RSSI value of AP 1506 decreasing, and the RSSI value of AP 1516 remaining substantially unchanged. The elliptical geometry of STA area 1514 fits between the inner and outer diameters of the dashed annulus.

[0153] Fig.15E Shows something like Fig.15D An elliptical STA area 1516 is shown, and this area is based on the situation that the RSSI values ​​of AP 1502 and AP 1506 are increasing, while the RSSI value of AP 1516 remains basically unchanged. Fig.15F A hemispherical STA region 1518 is shown on two opposite sides of the AP 1502, which corresponds to the STA region 1518 described above. Figure 4The left and right hemispheres are depicted. STA region 1518 corresponds to a situation where the RSSI value of AP 1502 is increasing, while the RSSI values ​​of AP 1506 and AP 1516 remain substantially unchanged. It should be noted that the size of the area from which a STA can approach AP 1502 without substantial changes in APs 1506 and 1516 is typically much smaller than the area shown in the figure. Providing STA region 1518 helps reduce computational processing and more closely corresponds to a dual router configuration in which the RSSI value of AP 1502 is increasing while AP 1506 remains substantially unchanged. Adding a substantially static value for AP 1516 makes the frequency of these RSSI readings relatively small, because most movements toward AP 1502 and ending at its CZ will result in some change in one or both of APs 1506 and 1516. However, this area may be useful in limited short-distance travel situations, or when some obstruction to radio frequency transmission results in static RSSI values ​​for access points 1506 and 1516.

[0154] Figure 15G A hemispherical STA region 1520 is shown and is based on the situation where the RSSI values ​​of AP 1502 and AP 1508 are increasing while the RSSI value of AP 1506 remains substantially unchanged. Fig.15H A hemispherical STA region 1522 located in the right hemisphere is shown and is based on the situation where the RSSI value of AP 1502 is increasing, the RSSI value of AP 1508 is decreasing, and the RSSI value of AP 1506 remains substantially unchanged. Fig.15I A quarter spherical STA region 1524 is shown located in quadrant 4 as shown, and is based on the RSSI value of AP 1502 increasing, and the RSSI values ​​of AP 1506 and AP 1508 decreasing.

[0155] Fig.16A flowchart 1600 is shown of a method performed by a STA detector when a particular STA or a STA hosting the STA detector does not enter or leave the CZ of an access point during a time period in which RSSI data is collected. The method described in flowchart 1600 can be used to determine the location and confidence index of a STA. The location of a STA can be associated with a particular confidence index using one or more different pattern matching calculations. In some embodiments, when a particular STA does not enter or leave the CZ during the time period, the current RSSI value and / or changes in RSSI values ​​of the STA can be analyzed / pattern matched at multiple different times during the time period to find one or more times when the RSSI value closely matches the location / area in a historical database of STA locations. In some embodiments, only times when wireless performance is poor can be analyzed / pattern matched.

[0156] Fig.16 Block 1602 shows that the two inputs to the pattern matching calculation include: (i) the current RSSI value of the STA for each associated access point, and (ii) the STA location database associated with the RSSI values ​​of the various STA locations. At 1604, the current RSSI value of the access point can be pattern matched with the database RSSI values ​​of those access points in the wireless mesh network that the STA communicates with. It should be noted that the STA may not always communicate with or be sensed by all access points within the mesh network. This is especially true for larger wireless mesh networks.

[0157] The current RSSI value refers to the RSSI value at a specific moment. In limited cases, the current RSSI value may also refer to the current rate of change of the RSSI value at a specific moment, but this data is generally rarely used because the rate of change tends to be more transient in nature and is therefore less consistent than the RSSI value averaged over a short period of time. When the rate of change data is used, it can be determined by monitoring the RSSI change over a period of time before and / or after the specific moment. When RSSI change data is stored in the STA location database, the rate of change information can provide additional relevant data points. When a suitable match in RSSI is identified between the database RSSI value and the AP RSSI value, the database RSSI value (e.g., associated with a specific STA location) can be used to match the PRD, SRD, TRD with the associated database value (e.g., PR, SR, TR, PRD, SRD, TRD, quarter sphere, hemisphere, radius, etc.) with the PRD, SRD and TRD of the STA. A suitable match is usually determined by identifying a previously defined STA area with an RSSI value that is closest to the AP RSSI value of the STA. However, the proximity of the RSSI value of the PR is weighted more heavily than the RSSI value of the SR, which in turn is weighted more heavily than the RSSI value of the TR. For example, a previous first STA region with closer SR and TR values ​​may be determined to be a worse match than a previous second STA region with a closer PR value but with less close SR and TR values ​​than the first STA region. In some embodiments, particularly in use cases where a large number of previous STA regions are available for sampling from the top two or three STA regions, these regions may be identified and subsequently matched to provide a more accurate location for the STA.

[0158] At 1606, when the match between the quarter sphere, hemisphere, and radius values ​​is suitable, the quarter sphere, hemisphere, and radius values ​​can be used to determine the current position and / or region of the STA. If no reasonable match is found, the process can be repeated for different STAs or the same STA at different times.

[0159] In some embodiments, after relocating the router according to the router location identifier, the STA detector may be configured to provide the STA location to the router location identifier, and the router performance analyzer may be configured to provide the router performance metrics (based on the relocated router location) to the performance root cause identifier for processing the router location data and sending the router location data to the router location identifier. The router location identifier may be configured to further process the router performance metrics after the relocation and provide a graphical display showing the performance difference before and after the router relocation.

[0160] Mobile App:

[0161] In some embodiments, the STA detector system may include: a mobile application (e.g., CMA (Cloud Mobile Application), an RSSI monitor (e.g., an RSSI monitor daemon on the device), a STA detector module (e.g., running as part of a processing module on the device), a server (e.g., a CBS cloud backend service), and a user device (e.g., operated by a user).

[0162] In some embodiments, the scope of the STA detector system may include: (i) finding a STA area (e.g., area shapes such as a circle, hemisphere, quarter sphere, and cylinder) for a STA moving toward or away from a router / AP, and (ii) finding a tilt representing that direction.

[0163] In some embodiments, input from the user device may include: (i) selection of a floor map, (ii) a basic floor layout, and (iii) the location of a router.

[0164] In some embodiments, the output may include a heat map of the STA area displayed on the mobile application over a selected time interval.

[0165] In some embodiments, the mobile application may have the following features: (A) during on-boarding, a floor map template may be displayed on a STA or UE, where the UE selects at least one floor map template; (b) during on-boarding, certain fields of the floor may be edited on the UE; (c) during on-boarding, a router may be set on a floor map using the UE, and (d) during operation, a heat map accessed by the STA may be used internally to verify functionality. In some embodiments, the backend server may have the following features: (i) during on-boarding, the mobile application may write the layout configuration to the backend server; (ii) during operation, the device may pull the layout configuration from the backend server; (iii) during operation, the device may send the STA area to the backend server; (iv) during operation, the mobile application may pull detailed information of the STA area from the backend server to build a heat map.

[0166] In some embodiments, the RSSI monitor may have the following features: (a) the RSSI monitor may operate on the device, (b) the RSSI monitor may collect the RSSI of STAs of all networks and periodically send reports to the STA detector, (c) the RSSI monitor may use a Block ACK control frame sent by the STA.

[0167] In some embodiments, the STA probe may be configured as described herein, including: a STA probe module, a router performance analyzer module, a performance root cause identifier module, and a router location identifier.

[0168] Fig.17 A flow chart indicating how a mobile application may operate is shown. Although the following description is similar to the attached Figures 2A-2C In the description of the method, it should be noted that Fig.17 The described embodiments are specifically for the operation of mobile applications. Since the following still involves similar processes, in some cases, Figure 2A –2C and Fig.17 The associated embodiments may be used interchangeably. At 1702, the mobile application may be configured to load an initial page. In some embodiments, the mobile application may take the form of a web application running on a web browser of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a portable electronic device, so that the initial page is loaded within the Internet browser. Alternatively, the mobile application may also take the form of a local application running on a portable electronic device.

[0169] Regardless of the details of the mobile application architecture, at 1704, the user who has completed the setup / configuration process is allowed to log in to the mobile application, where the dashboard page is displayed on the display of the UE or STA running the mobile application. The login process can take a variety of forms, including entering a username and password or activating and / or verifying a login link provided to the user. In some embodiments, the user can log in by running Fig.17 The multiple blocks shown are used to update or reconfigure the mobile application using the dashboard.

[0170] If this is the first login or setup is not yet complete, the process continues to 1706, where the user selects the option to create or complete configuration of a new account. At 1708, the mobile application may require the user to verify the user's identity before creating the account or completing account creation. The account creation may include collecting the user's email, password, and preferred user account name. At 1710, the user may be prompted to verify the entered email address by clicking on a verification link received in a verification email to the email. At 1712, other user details may be collected, including the user's time zone, country, etc. At 1714, the user may be asked whether a single AP configuration or a multi-AP configuration is desired, and for a multi-AP configuration, the user may enter the number of APs to be included in the multi-AP configuration.

[0171] In 1716, collectable Details (e.g. SSID, Pwd, etc.) or can be imported from a UE running a mobile application The mobile application may provide the user with instructions for restarting the master AP / modem / wireless gateway, as well as instructions for connecting multiple APs to the master AP to form a mesh. system instructions. It should be noted that according to the network structure Depending on the access point hardware and functionality of your system, it may or may not be necessary to reboot those APs.

[0172] After connecting to these APs, users have the opportunity to install The house of the mesh system provides a floor plan. In some embodiments, the user can manually provide a floor plan file describing the specific dimensions of the house. In other embodiments, the mobile application can be configured to obtain the floor plan from a house record library maintained by the developer of the mobile application or from a public library of house records. When the mobile application receives the floor plan, the method continues at 1720. When the floor plan is not available, at 1722, the mobile application can be configured to ask the user for the number of rooms, the size of the external area, and the desired room layout. These inputs may include the user selecting an exemplary floor plan corresponding to the initial input from a plurality of exemplary floor plans. At 1726, the user may be allowed to adjust (resize) and change the room layout of the selected floor plan. These adjustments / changes can be saved by a back-end server associated with the mobile application. In some embodiments, the user may be required to simultaneously input the location of an accessible power outlet. This can help the STA detector provide movement suggestions for the corresponding AP. For example, the AP movement suggestion can be limited to a threshold distance from the power outlet. For example, the threshold is a maximum of 3-6 feet.

[0173] At 1720, (ix) a QR scan code of the AP's MAC address may be requested, or the AP may be scanned using The connection collects the IP address, or you can use MQTT to identify the broker's IP based on the broadcast IP. This IP address information allows the mobile application to connect to the AP.

[0174] At 1728, when the AP is a first AP, the AP is identified as a root AP. At 1730, when the corresponding AP is not a first AP, the corresponding AP is marked as a mesh AP, the throughput between the root AP and the corresponding mesh AP is determined, and the metrics are saved to the backend server. At 1732, the initial placement of the APs is provided to the user. In some embodiments, the initial placement of the APs can be based on establishing an even distribution of the APs on the floor plan in order to maximize the signal strength throughout the house. Unfortunately, different characteristics of a house (such as walls and other signal attenuation features) often limit the ability to place APs evenly throughout the house. The ability of a signal to propagate as expected within a particular house. At 1734, a dynamic positioning assistance (DPA) system may allow a user to indicate on a floor plan where the user should place a corresponding AP. The placement is then sent to a cloud service for further consideration. The placement may differ from the initial placement assistance system recommended location. For example, a user may change the placement based on the availability of power outlets, the location of other related electronic devices, and / or the user's aesthetic preferences. In some embodiments, the DPA may be configured to continuously provide updated positioning suggestions based on measured received signal strengths as the APs are deployed. The DPA may also be configured to request that the user operate a STA through the house in order to provide initial data to the STA detectors and associated DPAs to indicate the mesh. The performance of the system in various areas of the house. When the user has sufficient time to manipulate the STA in this manner, the deployment process can include requesting the repositioning of the APs to achieve a more ideal AP configuration. At 1736, if there are more APs to be replaced, the process can return to block 1720. If all APs have been deployed, the setup is complete and the user will be sent to the user control panel.

[0175] Examples of performance characteristics according to some embodiments of the invention are provided below.

[0176] Example 1: Network view of a STA connected to a router

[0177] In one example, two STAs communicate with each other by operating on significantly different frequencies. The signal is connected to the main AP. One STA operates in 2G (i.e., 2.4GHz) and the other STA operates in 5G (i.e., 5GHz). The two STAs run data traffic between them. As seen in the network, the list of STAs is identified as follows, which provides for each STA: (i) Media Access Control (MAC) address, (ii) signal strength, and (iii) connection time, as shown in the following table (11):

[0178] Table (11): Network view of connected STA

[0179]

[0180] In the same example, the data traffic usage statistics of 2G STA are shown in the following table (12).

[0181] Table (12): 2G traffic usage statistics

[0182]

[0183]

[0184] The above table shows that about 72 Mbps of network throughput is provided to the 2G STA (ie, "peer_exp_tput": 72) and about 85% of the 72 Mbps of network throughput is used (ie, "peer_bw_usage": 85).

[0185] In the same example, the data traffic usage statistics of 5G STA are shown in the following table (13):

[0186] Table (13): 5G traffic usage statistics

[0187]

[0188]

[0189] The above table shows that about 203 Mbps of network throughput is provided to the 5G STA (i.e., "peer_exp_tput": 203) and about 31% of the 203 Mbps network throughput is used (i.e., "peer_bw_usage": 31).

[0190] In the same example, the application startup data traffic view of 5G STA is shown in the following table (14):

[0191] Table (14): 5G application startup of 5G STA

[0192]

[0193] Example 2: Mobile App Functionality

[0194] The mobile application is configured as a Cloud Mobile App (CMA). A few different libraries, such as "fabricJS" or "goJS", are used for rendering the user interface components in CMA. Using these libraries, predefined templates are created as images and stored along with equivalent Cartesian coordinates for subsequent rendering. These templates are displayed as images for selection in CMA.

[0195] The user is asked to provide the number of rooms at the installation location. Templates are displayed based on the number. After selecting an image, the equivalent template is displayed in an editable format on the next page. The outer boundaries of the layout are not editable, get their dimensions first. Each room has a text box to display the respective dimensions. The user can move the walls of the room or change the dimensions displayed in the text box. The edges of the room do not have walls that extend beyond the outer boundaries of the layout.

[0196] Once the user is done editing the layout, the next step is the current workflow of selecting a location name for the root router. After this, the UI page allows for QR code scanning or manual entry of the device. Next comes the deployment of the root node. Once the deployment is successful, CMA sends the details of the deployment process.

[0197] CMA again provides a palette of icons for the layout, such as NMesh routers and any static clients that can be displayed on the layout. The user clicks and points to icons on the layout. The user selects the deployed root node and any static clients connected to it. Once the user clicks the "Placement Help" button, the Cartesian coordinates of the room corners and external boundaries and the icons are sent to the Cloud Backend Services (CBS) for storage and further processing (using the representational state transfer applications programming interface (REST API).

[0198] CBS sends the layout, devices and other client details to the algorithm module to calculate dynamic placement assistance (DPA). CBS forwards the results back to CMA to be displayed on the chart. If there are changes recommended, appropriate icons in different colors are used on the layout of the recommended location. When the user wants to use or experiment with different locations of routers or clients to see the performance, the user clicks the "Placement Assistance" button. The process continues after the deployment and networking process of all mesh nodes is completed.

[0199] When the result from DPA is "too close" or "too far", and the user has candidate points for repositioning, the user selects (1 or 2) and sends the candidate points for help. Some optional items include candidate points for routers in the layout, available static clients, user-initiated or DPA-initiated items, and estimates of common locations for one or more clients.

[0200] Example 3: STA Detector Demo

[0201] In this example, the STA detector tracks approach motion by collecting data from corners walking toward each router. CMA is used to view the heat map. The STA detector outputs a cross-check of the "estimated STA area" with the "actual route".

[0202] Demo 1:

[0203] Fig.18AAn exemplary floor plan including APs 1802, 1804, and 1806 is shown. The floor plan and AP configuration may be used as Fig.17 1804 in the kitchen and back to AP 1802 multiple times. Moving the STA in this manner allows multiple STA regions and associated data to be established in a database of STA regions using the inside-out and outside-in methods described herein. In some embodiments, a user may select to use inside-out, outside-in, and other methods over a period of time. Fig.16 The method described in the illustrated text does not include STAs crossing the CZ, collecting additional RSSI data and incorporating it into the database.

[0204] Fig.18B Shown based on the use of Fig.18A and 18B The RSSI data collected during the configuration of the AP shown is used to generate the heat map. These STA areas can be color-coded according to the frequency of use and are called access zones. Darker access zones indicate areas where STAs spend more time.

[0205] Demo 2: Identifying areas of poor coverage

[0206] Fig.19A The diagram shows APs 1902, 1904, and 1906 and STA for evaluating the plan view. A floor plan of the path 1908 that is covered. Fig.19B A representative period of approximately 30 minutes is shown. A graph 1910 of coverage performance. In particular, performance is particularly poor for approximately 10 minutes from 19:35 to 19:45. This graph can be generated from log data that is also associated with STA region positioning data.

[0207] Fig.19C 1 shows a heat map generated based on RSSI data collected as described above, with markers overlaid indicating locations or areas of high usage. High usage areas 1912 and 1914 are marked with ovals. When evaluating the performance data, the area is considered to be in good There are no issues with coverage. This is not surprising given the proximity of the area to AP 1902. High usage area 1914 may correspond to the location of a couch or other resting / working area that is somewhat equidistant from access points 1902, 1904, and 1906. When the analysis is used to generate Fig.19B When the system detects the portion of log data corresponding to the high usage area 1914, the system identifies the high usage area 914 as being likely to suffer from poor This type of analysis is usually performed by Figure 3 The AP performance analyzer 304 in FIG. 1 is executed, which helps to identify and locate areas of the floor plan where the wireless mesh network performs poorly.

[0208] Demo 3: Identifying poor coverage areas using STA area data

[0209] Fig.19D Shown for Figures 18A-19C FIG. 19A is another exemplary path 1916 executed using the same floor plan and AP layout used in FIG. 1908 . Unlike path 1908 , path 1916 extends between access points 1904 and 1906 rather than between access points 1902 and 1904 . Path 1916 also differs in that its geometry is closer to a square, thereby allowing the path to cover a larger portion of the floor plan and more likely to generate RSSI data and performance data for multiple STA areas. By placing APs at adjacent corners of rectangular path 1916 , three of the four sides of rectangular path 1916 can be used by the inside-out or outside-in methods of the techniques described herein, while the RSSI value along the fourth side can be used Fig.16 Analyzed using the techniques described in .

[0210] Fig.19E , similar to Fig.19B The way in which the representation Graph 1910 overlays the performance, but for a time period of approximately 45 minutes.

[0211] Fig.19E The heat map shown in FIG. 19 shows that path 1916 results in the STA area being defined primarily relative to APs 1904 and 1906, rather than as Fig.19C 1902 as in the heat map shown. This is primarily due to the fact that path 1916 directs the STA through the CZs of APs 1904 and 1906 instead of the CZ of AP 1902. Fig.19D , Fig.19E It is shown that in some embodiments, the user may be required to walk path 1916 multiple times. Fig.19FThe heat map shown corresponds to the user manipulating the STA 15 times along path 1916, with a 15 second pause between each completion of the path). In some embodiments, the user may be asked to follow paths 1916 and 1908 where more detailed performance and location information is desired. Alternatively, the user may be provided with a path to all APs including a corresponding floor plan. The mobile application may provide multiple paths as an optional feature to avoid situations where the user finds the deployment networking process too time consuming. The heat map STA area also includes data in addition to the data generated from the user completing path 1916. Specifically, this additional STA movement information is why the STA area that deviates from path 1916 is shaded, which shows that at least some STAs are operating away from path 1916.

[0212] Fig.19F Also included are a plurality of dashed ovals identifying darker STA regions in the heat map. By analyzing data associated with the darker regions, the device is able to identify problem areas more quickly because the darker regions typically contain a majority of positioning data and are therefore more likely to have performance data below the minimum performance threshold. Specifically, ellipse 1918 illustrates a plurality of STA regions associated with positioning data below the minimum performance threshold. Specifically, performance data between times 15:48 and 15:56 may be associated with the plurality of STA regions identified by ellipse 1918. Ovals 1920 and 1922 also identify darker plurality of STA regions, but because these STA regions are close to APs 1904 and 1906, respectively, they indicate a plurality of STA regions that are not in a good position to perform well. The performance related log data does not show a performance degradation. Ellipse 1922 indicates a STA area that may have performance issues. This may be the case where the STA area indicated by ellipse 1922 corresponds to the time 15:56 to 15:58, which contains low Performance and medium A mix of performance.

[0213] Example 4: STA detector enhancement

[0214] Input from the UE or STA can be collected by: (a) receiving the room name of the router during deployment; (b) adding a drag-and-drop option to change the position of the router in the topology map at deployment time.

[0215] like Fig. 20A In one example, input may be collected from a user equipment (UE) by first obtaining a floor map, floor dimensions, and access point locations from a user interface. In some embodiments, the user may also be asked about the location of power outlets to help the STA detector make feasible suggestions for AP movement.

[0216] Fig. 20AThe floor plan includes a kitchen 2002, an office 2004, and a bedroom 2006, each room including an AP. AP 2008 is located in the kitchen 2002, AP 2010 is located in the office 2004, and AP 2012 is located in the bedroom 2006. Fig. 20A After obtaining the data from the floor map shown in , the STA detector module and the router performance analyzer module can be used to identify areas of poor coverage.

[0217] In some embodiments, a topology map may be used to display relative access point locations, and the user interface may be configured to allow dragging and dropping of router locations within the topology map, such as Fig. 20B This may be a useful feature for users who wish to skip the step of entering a floor plan or floor dimensions. Fig. 20B Also shown is the case where AP 2010, as the main AP / router, is connected to an Internet service provider 2014. A variety of media can be used to deliver the services provided by the Internet service provider, including, for example, a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network, a fiber network, or a DSL network. In some embodiments, when the input distance falls outside the distance range indicated by the RSSI value from one or more other neighboring APs, the user can be asked to confirm the distance between APs. This may be helpful because the more accurate the AP positioning data, the more accurate the positioning of the STA area.

[0218] In some embodiments, the performance root cause identifier module 306 may be used to identify if router relocation is the cause of "bad coverage", and a static client list may be maintained and STA zones may be identified.

[0219] Although static clients are mentioned in passing, static clients are those that are Any STA that maintains a fixed location in the network. Examples of static clients can include desktop computers, printers, connected televisions, connected refrigerators, etc. In a home where a user always operates a laptop from a specific location, although the laptop is generally considered a portable electronic device, it can be considered a static client for the purposes of this analysis.

[0220] In some embodiments, the mobile application may be used to draw virtual floors around the topology map to send to the backend server. The AP performance analyzer module 304 may evaluate the performance of the APs and identify poor coverage time windows.

[0221] In some embodiments, for static clients: (i) a list of static wireless clients may be identified, and (ii) for each static client, a destination-based name (e.g., AC, printer, desktop, etc.) to identify the device name by the default name of the device or by a user-customized name, and (iii) the zone can be identified and saved on the back-end server.

[0222] In some embodiments, the STA detector module 302 may be configured to periodically identify the region of each connected wireless client.

[0223] In some embodiments, (i) for the case of a router relocation, a new area may be identified for the router, (ii) for multiple static clients, if one or more static clients are part of the new area, the same location in the new area may be used as the new location of the router using the reference of the static clients, and (c) when no static clients are present in the new area, no response action may be taken. In some embodiments, RSSI readings from static clients may be used to confirm that the new area should or should not include the location of the static client. For example, in the event that the RSSI value of the STA used to create the new area is significantly different from the RSSI values ​​collected from the static clients at the same time, the new area may be moved and / or resized so as not to include the location of the static client.

[0224] In some embodiments, a symbol may be displayed on top of the AP in the topology map to indicate that the router may be relocated to receive enhanced coverage (b), and text may be displayed to keep the router near the identified static client.

[0225] In some embodiments, Fig. 20C As shown, a "!" symbol 2016 can be used to indicate that the router should be relocated closer to or near the selected static client. In some embodiments, the static client can also be highlighted or otherwise displayed to the user so that the user can easily determine which static client the AP 2008 should be moved to. In some embodiments, the user can be instructed to move the AP next to or near the static client. Placing the AP and the static client together can eliminate the risk of not having a power outlet at the new location because the static client is usually plugged into a power outlet. It should be noted that the "!" symbol is used for exemplary purposes only, and any mark recognizable to the user can be used to request that the AP be moved closer to the selected static client.

[0226] In another example, Fig.20DAs shown, an exemplary arrow 2018 can be used to indicate a recommended repositioning and provide a moving direction for the router to increase the coverage and / or performance of the mesh wireless network. Arrow 2018 can be referred to as a repositioning marker that displays a selected time period (e.g., a few days), thereby reminding the user to move the AP / router to provide more or better coverage. In some embodiments, the size of the repositioning marker can vary depending on the amount of movement required. In the use case of displaying a complete floor layout, additional markers can be added to show the approximate location recommended for AP 2008.

[0227] In some embodiments, a change in the location of a router may be identified by: (i) determining whether a reference static client has a stronger RSSI when the router is moved next to the reference static client, or (ii) comparing the RSSI of other routers to determine a change in location. Once it is confirmed that the router has been relocated to a different location, the icon may no longer be displayed.

[0228] In some embodiments, when it is identified that the performance of the router has not improved after relocation of the router, the icon may be displayed again and a request to move the router to an appropriate location may be displayed.

[0229] In some embodiments, when the solution identification module does not identify an area of ​​increased coverage to which the router can be moved, a repositioning suggestion may not be displayed.

[0230] For simplicity of explanation, the methods and / or method flow described herein are depicted and described as a series of actions. However, the actions according to the present disclosure may occur in various orders and / or simultaneously, and may occur together with other actions not presented and described herein. In addition, not all actions shown may be used to implement the methods according to the disclosed subject matter. In addition, it will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art that these methods may be represented as a series of related states alternatively by state diagrams or events. In addition, the methods disclosed in this specification can be stored on articles such as non-transitory computer-readable media, so as to facilitate the transportation and transfer of these methods to computing devices. The term "article" used herein is intended to include a computer program accessible from any computer-readable device or storage medium. Although illustrated as discrete blocks, various blocks may be divided into additional blocks, combined into fewer blocks or eliminated according to the desired implementation.

[0231] Fig.21A diagram of a machine in the form of an example of a computing device is shown, in which a set of instructions can be executed to cause the machine to perform any one or more methods discussed herein. The computing device 2100 may include a rack server, a router computer, a server computer, a mainframe computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, or any computing device with at least one processor, etc., in which a set of instructions can be executed to cause the machine to perform any one or more methods discussed herein. In some alternative embodiments, the machine can be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a local area network (LAN), an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet. The machine can run with the capabilities of a server machine in a client-server network environment. In addition, although only a single machine is shown, the term "machine" may also include any machine collection that executes a set (or multiple sets) of instructions individually or jointly to perform any one or more methods discussed herein.

[0232] The example computing device 2100 includes a processing device (e.g., a processor) 2102, a main memory 2104 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), such as synchronous DRAM (SDRAM)), a static memory 2106 (e.g., flash memory, static random access memory (SRAM)), and a data storage device 2116, which communicate with each other via a bus 2108.

[0233] The processing device 2102 represents one or more general processing devices, such as a microprocessor, a central processing unit, etc. More specifically, the processing device 2102 may include a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, or a processor that implements other instruction sets or a processor that implements a combination of instruction sets. The processing device 2102 may also include one or more special processing devices, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), a network processor, etc. The processing device 2102 is configured to execute instructions 2126 for performing the operations and steps discussed herein.

[0234] The computing device 2100 may also include a network interface device 2122 that can communicate with the network 2118. The computing device 2100 may also include a display device 2110 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), an alphanumeric input device 2112 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 2114 (e.g., a mouse), and a signal generating device 2120 (e.g., a speaker). In at least one embodiment, the display device 2110, the alphanumeric input device 2112, and the cursor control device 2114 may be combined into a single component or device (e.g., an LCD touch screen).

[0235] The data storage device 2116 may include a computer-readable storage medium 2124 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions 2126 embodying any one or more of the methods or functions described herein. The instructions 2126, during execution by the computing device 2100, may also reside completely or at least partially in the main memory 2104 and / or the processing device 2102, which also constitute computer-readable media. These instructions may also be sent or received over the network 2118 via the network interface device 2122.

[0236] Although the computer-readable storage medium 2126 is shown as a single medium in one example embodiment, the term "computer-readable storage medium" may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database and / or associated caches and servers) that store one or more sets of instructions. The term "computer-readable storage medium" may also include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set of instructions executed by a machine that causes the machine to perform any one or more of the methods of the present disclosure. Therefore, the term "computer-readable storage medium" may include, but is not limited to, solid-state memories, optical media, and magnetic media.

[0237] Fig. 22 A flow chart describing a method for determining the location of a STA operating on a mesh wireless network is shown. At 2202, for a set of access points supporting a mesh wireless network, a signal strength associated with a STA is monitored. At 2204, a processor responsible for monitoring signal strength detects that a first signal strength of a STA associated with a first AP exceeds a threshold, indicating that the STA has passed through a confidence region associated with a primary AP (i.e., a circle centered at the AP with a radius between 5-10 m). The received signal strength or RSSI can be measured at the STA or each AP.

[0238] At 2206, at a second moment offset before or after the first moment, the position of the STA relative to the first AP is determined. The second moment is selected because it is desired to measure the performance of the STA when it is farther away from the AP, because the network performance at the boundary of the CZ is usually at its peak or at least very good. This gives the analysis an opportunity to analyze areas where problematic coverage is more likely to exist. The second moment may correspond to a moment that is relatively close in time to the first moment, at which the STA is farther away from the main AP than the first moment. In some embodiments, this may be a fixed duration, while in other embodiments, the time period may be calculated based on changes in RSSI values ​​consistent with linear movement of the confidence region directly toward or away from the first AP. In some embodiments, the linear motion time period may be identified by determining when a discontinuity in the change in signal strength is detected, indicating a change in direction or linearity. In some embodiments, a maximum time interval, such as 5-10 seconds, may be applied where the AP has a particularly long range or the STA moves particularly slowly.

[0239] In some embodiments, the system may be configured to continuously sample RSSI readings. For example, when a CZ crossing from outside to inside is detected, the system may be configured to look at the set of RSSI readings before the CZ crossing. During the previous minute, the STA advances in a first direction substantially tangential to the PR for 10 seconds, and then in the next 30 seconds, turns and moves directly toward the PR until it crosses the CZ of the PR. In this case, the system will try to determine when the STA begins to move linearly toward the PR and effectively find the turning point 30 seconds before crossing the CZ. It can be configured by dividing the previous 64 seconds into 8-second intervals and looking back in time to see which of the previous 8-second intervals includes a change in the rate of change of the RSSI value to identify the end point of the linear movement toward the CZ. Once the 8-second interval is determined, the 8-second interval is divided into smaller time intervals until the exact time of the turn is determined, which is then marked as the second moment. Although a 64-second window is a useful way to divide time, it should be recognized that other shorter or longer intervals, such as 32 seconds or 128 seconds, can be used and are considered to be within the scope of the disclosed embodiments.

[0240] For the inside-out case, the second moment occurs after the first moment; for the outside-in case, the second moment occurs before the first moment. Position determination is based on changes in the first signal strength and / or second signal strength of the STA detected at or near the second moment. For example, when the first signal strength is lower than a threshold time period after the second moment and higher than a threshold time period after the second moment, the first signal strength can be characterized as an increase in strength at the second moment. An exemplary threshold time period can be, for example, between 1 and 5 seconds. These changes in signal strength can be used to perform calculations to determine the location of the STA. Although the location is not precise, as described above, the location takes the form of a STA area that is typically hemispherical or quarter-spherical.

[0241] Some parts of this specific implementation relate to different modules configured to perform operations. One or more modules may include codes and routines configured to enable a computing system to perform one or more of the operations. Additionally or optionally, one or more modules may be implemented using hardware, which includes any number of processors, microprocessors (e.g., for performing one or more operations, or controlling the execution of one or more operations), DSPs, FPGAs, ASICs, or any suitable combination of two or more thereof. Alternatively or additionally, one or more modules may be implemented using a combination of hardware and software. In the present disclosure, operations described as being performed by a particular module may include operations that a particular module may instruct a corresponding system (e.g., a corresponding computing system) to perform. In addition, the descriptions between different modules are for the convenience of explaining the concepts described in the present disclosure, and are not restrictive. In addition, one or more modules may be configured to perform more, less, and / or different operations than described, so that these modules may be combined or depicted differently than described.

[0242] Certain portions of this detailed description are presented in the form of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations within a computer. These algorithmic descriptions and symbolic representations are a means used by those skilled in the art of data processing to convey the essence of their innovations to others skilled in the art. An algorithm is a series of configured operations leading to a desired end state or result. In some example embodiments, the operations performed require physical manipulation of tangible quantities to achieve tangible results.

[0243] Unless explicitly stated otherwise, it will be apparent from the discussion that throughout the specification, discussions using terms such as detecting, determining, analyzing, identifying, scanning, etc. may include actions and processes of a computer system or other information processing device that processes and converts data represented as physical (electronic) quantities in the computer system's registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities in the computer system's memories or registers or other information storage, transmission, or display devices.

[0244] Some example embodiments may also relate to an apparatus for performing the operations herein. The apparatus may be specially constructed for the desired purpose, or it may include one or more general-purpose computers selectively enabled or reconfigured by one or more computer programs. Such computer programs may be stored in a computer-readable medium, such as a computer-readable storage medium or a computer-readable signal medium. Computer-executable instructions may include, for example, instructions and data that cause a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or a special-purpose processing device (e.g., one or more processors) to perform or control the performance of a function or group of functions.

[0245] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter configured in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

[0246] Unless the specific arrangements described herein are mutually exclusive, the various implementations described herein may be combined in whole or in part to enhance system functionality and / or produce complementary functions. Similarly, aspects of these embodiments may be implemented in independent arrangements. Therefore, the above description is given only as an example, and modifications in detail may be made within the scope of the present invention.

[0247] With respect to the use of substantially any plural or singular terminology herein, those skilled in the art may translate the plural to the singular or from the singular to the plural, depending on the context or application. For the sake of clarity, various singular / plural arrangements may be clearly set forth herein. Unless otherwise specified, an element in the singular form does not mean "one and only one", but "one or more". In addition, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public, regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly stated in the above description.

[0248] In general, the terms used herein, especially in the appended claims (e.g., the bodies of the appended claims), are generally referred to as "open" terms (e.g., the term "comprising" should be interpreted as "comprising, but not limited to", the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least", the term "including" should be interpreted as "including, but not limited to", etc.). In addition, in the case of a convention similar to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc.", generally speaking, such a construction is intended to enable a person skilled in the art to understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" will include but is not limited to a system including only A, only B, only C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B, and C together, etc.). In addition, whether in the specification, claims, or drawings, a phrase indicating two or more optional terms should be understood to include one of the terms, one of the terms, or both of the terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" should be understood to include the possibility of "A" or "B" or "A and B".

[0249] In addition, the use of the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. in this article does not necessarily imply a specific order or number of elements. Generally, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used as general identifiers to distinguish different elements. There is no indication that the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. mean a specific order, and these terms should not be understood to mean a specific order. In addition, there is no indication that the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. mean a specific number of elements, and these terms should not be understood to mean a specific number of elements.

[0250] The present invention may be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential features of the present invention. The described embodiments should be considered illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. All variations within the meaning and equivalent scope of the claims are included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: Monitor the performance of the wireless mesh network running on the premises; In response to identifying an area of ​​the premises where performance of the wireless mesh network is below a predetermined threshold, a movement recommendation is made to move at least one of a plurality of access points (AP) to improve performance of the wireless network in the identified area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Monitoring performance of the wireless mesh network includes monitoring a database including wireless network performance associated with locations on the premises.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The wireless network performance data is updated in real time or near real time.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: The movement recommendation is determined by identifying that the AP is the AP of the plurality of APs closest to the area of ​​the house where performance of the wireless mesh network is below a preset threshold level, and includes in the movement recommendation a recommendation to move the AP toward the area.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The movement suggestion includes a specific location suggestion that is closer to the area than the current location of the AP, the specific location being close to a power outlet and / or a static STA.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Prior to monitoring the performance of the wireless network, dimensions of attributes and location of each of the plurality of APs are received from a user.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Prior to monitoring the performance of the wireless network, dimensions of attributes and location of each of the plurality of APs are received from a user.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: Prior to monitoring the performance of the wireless network, power outlets and static STA locations are received from the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting a user to identify one or more static STAs from a list of a plurality of possible STAs having signal strength value variations below a threshold.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Prior to monitoring the performance of the wireless network, receiving from a user: a selection of a floor plan of the house, dimensions of the floor plan, and a location of each of the plurality of APs within the floor plan.

11. A STA detector, comprising: A processing device is configured to: Monitor the performance of the wireless mesh network running on the premises; In response to identifying an area of ​​the premises where performance of the wireless mesh network is below a predetermined threshold, a movement recommendation is made to move at least one of a plurality of access points (AP) to improve performance of the wireless network in the identified area.

12. The STA detector according to claim 11, wherein: Monitoring performance of the wireless mesh network includes monitoring a database including wireless network performance associated with locations on the premises.

13. The STA detector according to claim 12, wherein: The wireless network performance data is updated in real time or near real time.

14. The STA detector according to claim 12, further comprising: The movement recommendation is determined by identifying that the AP is the AP of the plurality of APs closest to the area of ​​the premises where performance of the wireless mesh network is below a predetermined threshold level, and includes in the movement recommendation a recommendation to move the AP toward the area.

15. The STA detector according to claim 14, wherein: The movement suggestion includes a specific area suggestion that is closer to the area than the current location of the AP, the specific area being close to a power outlet and / or a static STA.

16. The STA detector according to claim 11, further comprising: Prior to monitoring the performance of the wireless network, dimensions of attributes and location of each of the plurality of APs are received from a user.

17. The STA detector according to claim 11, further comprising: Prior to monitoring the performance of the wireless network, dimensions of attributes and location of each of the plurality of APs are received from a user.

18. The STA detector according to claim 17, further comprising: Prior to monitoring the performance of the wireless network, power outlets and static STA locations are received from the user.

19. The STA detector of claim 11, further comprising requesting a user to identify one or more static STAs from a list of a plurality of possible STAs having signal strength value variations below a threshold.

20. The STA detector according to claim 11, further comprising: Prior to monitoring the performance of the wireless network, receiving from a user: a selection of a floor plan of the house, dimensions of the floor plan, and a location of each of the plurality of APs within the floor plan.

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