Access Point Transmit Power Control via Active Client Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transmission power control methods for access points often result in over-coverage and over co-channel interference due to the reliance on inter-AP signal strength for optimizing cell size, which can lead to insufficient coverage for clients at the cell edge and excessive interference.
Innovation Solution
The use of active feedback from client devices or a coverage-assessment network device to dynamically adjust RF coverage by transmitting 802.11h TPC constraint frames, probe requests, and beacon reports, allowing access points to adjust their power levels to ensure sufficient coverage while minimizing interference, by determining the percentage of neighbor access points exceeding a client signal threshold and adjusting power levels accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If transmit power is increased to improve coverage for cell edge clients, then coverage is improved, but co-channel interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements active feedback from client devices (or coverage-assessment network devices) to access points, providing direct information about received signal strength and coverage quality. This feedback loop enables access points to adjust transmit power based on actual client experience rather than relying solely on inter-AP signal strength measurements, thereby optimizing coverage while minimizing interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the transmit power parameter based on feedback from multiple sources (inter-AP beacons and active client feedback). By adjusting power levels in response to measured coverage quality and interference conditions, the system optimizes the balance between coverage area and interference levels.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If transmit power is decreased to reduce interference, then co-channel interference is reduced, but coverage for cell edge clients deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Active feedback from client devices provides direct information about coverage quality at the client edge. This enables the system to maintain adequate coverage for cell edge clients by adjusting power levels based on actual received signal strength measurements from the client perspective, rather than relying on proxy measurements from access points.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts transmit power parameters based on feedback indicating coverage deficiencies. When feedback shows insufficient coverage for cell edge clients, the system increases power levels specifically to address these coverage gaps while monitoring interference levels to prevent excessive interference.
3Productivity
If transmit power is optimized based on inter-AP signal strength, then cell size optimization is achieved, but coverage accuracy for clients deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces active feedback from client devices or coverage-assessment network devices that directly measure and report received signal strength from access points. This provides precise measurement of actual coverage conditions from the client perspective, replacing or supplementing the indirect inter-AP signal strength measurements with direct client-side measurements for more accurate coverage assessment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses an intermediary coverage-assessment network device or client devices as mediators to measure and report coverage quality. These intermediaries provide accurate measurements of actual coverage conditions without requiring changes to the core inter-AP optimization algorithms, thereby improving measurement precision while maintaining cell size optimization capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to the use of active feedback from client devices to limit/regulate transmission power control of access points from the perspective of the client device. The instant transmission power control beneficially ensures that clients located at a cell edge still receive sufficient coverage from access points and have sufficient overlap with adjacent cells for seamless roaming for the wireless stations while minimizing co-channel interference. In some embodiments, the present disclosure beneficially leverages 802.11h TPC Constraint to dynamically report client's view of the RF environment and cell size estimation.