Access Point Load Balancing via Probe Response Rules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless network access points lack the ability to dynamically manage client associations based on load balancing, leading to inefficient resource allocation and potential network congestion, as they respond to probe requests without considering the number of existing clients or their operational conditions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing discrete sets of rules on access points to determine whether to respond to probe requests from client devices, allowing them to selectively associate or decline associations based on predefined criteria such as maximum client numbers and throughput limits, ensuring balanced loading and optimized network performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If access points respond to all probe requests without load management, then client device connectivity is maximized, but network congestion and resource overload occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the access point's response behavior based on load conditions. Access points change their probe response parameters (accepting or declining associations) according to predefined rules that consider current client count and throughput, thereby dynamically adjusting connectivity parameters to prevent overload while maintaining optimal network performance
2Reliability
If access points use predefined rules to manage load, then network resources are optimized, but client association flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamics by making access point behavior adaptive rather than static. Access points dynamically adjust their association decisions based on real-time load conditions while operating within predefined rule sets. This allows the system to maintain flexibility for client associations while ensuring optimized resource management through condition-based rule application
3Device complexity
If access points lack load awareness, then implementation complexity is minimized, but inefficient resource allocation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by enabling access points to autonomously manage their own load based on predefined rules. Each access point independently evaluates incoming probe requests against its current client count and throughput thresholds, making self-directed association decisions without requiring centralized control. This self-service mechanism achieves efficient resource allocation while keeping implementation complexity manageable through localized decision-making
Data Source
AI summary
An access point to the Internet or another network is programmed with a set of rules for establishing or limiting a number or type of client device with which the access point may associate itself. The set of rules may be subjectively defined for a single access point in a network, or objectively defined for each of the access points in the network. The set of rules may further include static rules such as overall limits on numbers of clients, types of clients, or amounts or rates of data transfer, or dynamic rules that change over time, and may be modified to account for loading on one or more of the access points, thereby enabling each of the access points to be placed in an optimal configuration.