Access Point Link Balancing via Receive Sensitivity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless local area networks (WLANs) with multiple access points, asymmetric link budgets lead to inefficient bandwidth use, reduced throughput, and increased interference, as client stations often associate with distant access points and maintain connections even when closer options are available, causing unnecessary re-transmissions and probe response traffic.
Innovation Solution
Implementing systems and methods to control the transmit power and receive sensitivity of access points to achieve symmetric link performance, where the transmit and receive radii are equal, using hardware attenuators or software commands to adjust receiver gain, and modifying packet processing thresholds to ignore or partially process packets below a certain power level, thereby reducing interference and optimizing channel usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If access points use high transmit power to extend coverage range, then the coverage area increases, but interference between overlapping basic service sets increases and bandwidth efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the receive sensitivity threshold parameter based on detected packet power levels. When packets from distant clients are detected below a certain power threshold, the access point modifies its receive sensitivity to ignore these weak signals, thereby reducing interference from overlapping BSSs while maintaining coverage area.
2Adaptability or versatility
If access points maintain high receive sensitivity to detect distant clients, then long-range client connections are possible, but unnecessary probe responses and re-transmissions increase bandwidth consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial action by selectively processing packets based on power level thresholds. Instead of processing all received packets equally, the access point partially processes only those packets that exceed the adjusted sensitivity threshold, ignoring weak probe requests and management frames from distant clients while maintaining the capability to serve legitimate long-range clients.
3Reliability
If access points process all received packets regardless of power level, then no client connections are lost, but network throughput decreases due to processing of low-power packets from distant clients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms where the access point continuously monitors received packet power levels and adjusts its receive sensitivity threshold accordingly. This feedback loop allows the system to dynamically balance between maintaining client connections and optimizing throughput by adapting to the actual network conditions and client distribution.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for controlling the transmit power and the receive sensitivity of an access point for achieving symmetric link balancing is described. When an access point operates with symmetric link performance, the access point does not inefficiently use available bandwidth for transmitting or re-transmitting to a client station that cannot communicate with the access point. Moreover, the access point does not back off transmissions due to activity of neighboring basic service sets when not needed. The receive sensitivity can be controlled using a hardware attenuator or software commands that adjust a programmable gain in a wireless local area network chipset used by the access point, or it can be controlled using adjustable levels in the software for processing or responding to packets.