Adaptive beamforming configuration methods and apparatus for wireless access points serving as handoff indication mechanisms in wireless local area networks
In one illustrative example, a technique for use in operating a wireless access point (AP) for serving as a handoff indication mechanism in a first wireless network is described. The handoff indication mechanism is configured to communicate handoff indications in response to mobile devices leaving coverage of the first wireless network, via an RF coverage region of the AP, for mobile device handoff to a second wireless network. The AP is provided in an ingress or egress region of the first wireless network, where it receives RF signals from one or more communication devices and determines and sets wireless transceiver parameters for adjusting boundaries of its RF coverage region. The AP also operates with the adjusted RF coverage region to serve as part of the handoff indication mechanism in the first wireless network, so that the handoff indications are communicated in response to the mobile devices leaving coverage of the first wireless network, via the adjusted RF coverage region, for mobile device handoff to the second wireless network.
1. A method for use in operating a wireless access point for serving as a handoff indication mechanism in a first wireless network, the handoff indication mechanism being configured to communicate handoff indications in response to mobile communication devices leaving coverage of the first wireless network, via a radio frequency (RF) coverage region of the wireless access point, for mobile device handoff to a second wireless network, the method comprising:
providing the wireless access point in an ingress or egress region of the first wireless network;
receiving, by the wireless access point, RF signals from one or more communication devices, and determining and setting wireless transceiver parameters of the wireless access point for adjusting boundaries of the RF coverage region of the wireless access point; and
operating the wireless access point with the adjusted RF coverage region to serve as part of the handoff indication mechanism in the first wireless network, so that the handoff indications are communicated in response to the mobile communication devices leaving coverage of the first wireless network, via the adjusted RF coverage region, for mobile device handoff to the second wireless network.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) and the second wireless network comprises a wireless wide area network (WWAN).
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless access point is operative in accordance with an IEEE 802.11-based standard or an IEEE 802.16-based standard.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second wireless network comprises a cellular telecommunications network.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acts of determining and setting the wireless transceiver parameters of the wireless access point comprise an adaptive beamforming technique.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acts of determining and setting the wireless transceiver parameters comprise a minimax optimization technique.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acts of receiving the RF signals from the one or more communication devices and determining and setting the wireless transceiver parameters are performed during a configuration procedure of the wireless access point.
8. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
providing the wireless access point with the adjusted RF coverage region to serve as part of the handoff indication mechanism in the WLAN by:
identifying whether a mobile communication device is within the adjusted RF coverage region of the wireless access point; and
causing a handoff indication to be sent to at least one of the mobile communication device and the WLAN when the mobile device is identified to be within the adjusted RF coverage region of the wireless access point.
9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more communication devices include communication devices positioned at locations of desired RF coverage around the RF coverage boundary of the WLAN coverage region, and wherein the acts of determining and setting wireless transceiver parameters are performed such that RF signal coverage of the one or more communication devices is maximized.
10. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more communication devices include a first group and a second group of communication devices, the first group of communication devices being positioned at locations of undesired RF coverage around an RF coverage boundary of the WLAN coverage region, the second group of communication devices being positioned at locations of desired RF coverage around the RF coverage boundary of the WLAN coverage region, and wherein the acts of determining and setting wireless transceiver parameters of the wireless access point are performed such that RF signal coverage of the first group of communication devices is minimized but RF signal coverage of the second group of communication devices is maximized.
11. A wireless access point which is configured for use in an ingress or egress region of a wireless network, the wireless access point comprising:
an antenna array;
a wireless transceiver array coupled to the antenna array;
one or more processors which are coupled to the wireless transceiver array;
the one or more processors being configured to:
receive, by the wireless transceiver array, RF signals from one or more communication devices;
determine and set wireless transceiver parameters of the wireless transceiver array for adjusting boundaries of an RF coverage region of the wireless access point based on the RF signals; and
the one or more processors being further configured to operate the wireless access point in a handoff indication mode, with the adjusted RF coverage region, for causing handoff indications to be communicated in response to mobile communication devices leaving coverage of the wireless network, via the adjusted RF coverage region, for mobile device handoff to an alternative wireless network.
12. The wireless access point of claim 11 , wherein the first wireless network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) and the second wireless network comprises a wireless wide area network (WWAN).
13. The wireless access point of claim 11 , wherein the wireless access point is operative in accordance with an IEEE 802.11-based standard or an IEEE 802.16-based standard.
14. The wireless access point of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine and set the wireless transceiver parameters based on an adaptive beamforming technique.
15. The wireless access point of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine and set the wireless transceiver parameters based on a minimax optimization technique.
16. The wireless access point of claim 12 , wherein the one or more communication devices include communication devices positioned at locations of desired RF coverage around the RF coverage boundary of the WLAN coverage region, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine and set the wireless transceiver parameters of the wireless transceiver array for adjusting boundaries of the RF coverage region such that RF signal coverage of the communication devices is maximized.
17. The wireless access point of claim 11 , wherein the one or more communication devices comprise mobile communication devices.
18. A wireless communication network, comprising:
a plurality of wireless access points which define a coverage for wireless communications in the wireless network;
a wireless access point which is provided in an ingress or egress region of the wireless network;
the wireless access point being operative to serve as a handoff indication mechanism in the wireless network for causing handoff indications to be communicated in response to mobile communication devices leaving coverage of the wireless network, via a radio frequency (RF) coverage region of the wireless access point, for handoff to an alternative wireless network;
the wireless access point having:
an antenna array;
a wireless transceiver array coupled to the antenna array, the wireless transceiver array being operative for RF communications with use of transceiver parameters;
one or more processors which are coupled to the wireless transceiver array;
the one or more processors being configured to:
receive, by the wireless transceiver array, RF signals from one or more communication devices; and
determine and set the transceiver parameters of the wireless transceiver array for adjusting boundaries of the RF coverage region of the wireless access point based on the RF signals, to produce an adjusted RF coverage region of the wireless access point for operation in the handoff indication mode.
19. The wireless network of claim 18 , wherein the first wireless network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) and the second wireless network comprises a wireless wide area network (WWAN).
20. The wireless network of claim 18 , wherein the wireless access point is operative in accordance with an IEEE 802.11-based standard or an IEEE 802.16-based standard.
21. The wireless network of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine and set the transceiver parameters based on an adaptive beamforming technique.
22. The wireless network of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine and set the transceiver parameters based on a minimax optimization technique.
23. The wireless network of claim 19 , wherein the one or more communication devices include communication devices positioned at locations of desired RF coverage around the RF coverage boundary of the WLAN coverage region, and the one or more processors are further configured to operate in a configuration mode to:
determine and set wireless transceiver parameters such that RF signal coverage of the one or more communication devices is maximized.
24. The wireless network of claim 19 , wherein the one or more communication devices include a first group and a second group of communication devices, the first group of communication devices being positioned at locations of undesired RF coverage around an RF coverage boundary of the WLAN coverage region, the second group of communication devices being positioned at locations of desired RF coverage around the RF coverage boundary of the WLAN coverage region, and the one or more processors are further configured to operate in the configuration mode to:
determine and set wireless transceiver parameters of the wireless access point such that RF signal coverage of the first group of communication devices is minimized but RF signal coverage of the second group of communication devices is maximized.