Adaptive antenna pattern management for wireless local area networks

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network device comprising an adaptive antenna, a coverage area description and a wireless coverage objective for one or more wireless networks;

scanning, by the network device, one or more channels at a plurality of directions to detect signal levels from one or more other network devices that together with the network device form the one or more wireless networks;

identifying, by the network device, based on the scanning, a target area of the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed for improving wireless signal coverage;

coordinating, by the network device, wireless signal coverage over the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed, with the one or more other network devices;

determining, by the network device, that wireless coverage corresponding to the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed does not meet the wireless coverage objective in response to scanning the one or more channels at the plurality of directions, wherein failing to meet the wireless coverage objective includes the network device and the one or more network devices jointly failing to provide wireless coverage to a specified portion of the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed; and

in response to determining that the wireless coverage corresponding to the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed do not meet the wireless coverage objective, coordinating the wireless signal coverage over the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed with the one or more other network devices in the one or more wireless networks.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein coordinating the wireless signal coverage over the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed comprises one or more of:

switching the adaptive antenna pattern; and

reshaping the adaptive antenna pattern.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the network device, a configuration for an overlapping parameter;

in response to overlapping being configured, coordinating, by the network device, with the other network devices in the one or more wireless networks to provide overlapped wireless signal coverage over the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed; and

in response to non-overlapping being configured, coordinating, by the network device, with the other network devices in the one or more wireless networks to avoid overlapped wireless signal coverage over the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein coordinating the wireless signal coverage is based on a wireless network device installation method.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of network devices in the one or more wireless networks are divided into a plurality of groups, and further comprising:

coordinating, by the network device, antenna radiated patterns of adaptive radios on the plurality of network devices across the plurality of groups at different hierarchical levels.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein coordinating the wireless signal coverage further comprises coordinating radiated antenna patterns in a horizontal direction, a vertical direction, an angled direction, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein scanning the one or more channels at the plurality of directions comprises:

scanning, by the network device, in a first direction to detect a first signal strength level of a first wireless signal received from a wireless client device at a first location in the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed;

in response to coordinating the wireless signal coverage, scanning in a second direction corresponding to a changed antenna pattern to detect a second signal strength level of a second wireless signal received from the wireless client device at a second location in the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed;

comparing the first and second signal strength levels to determine existence of a physical barrier or an interferer; and

coordinating, by the network device, the wireless signal coverage over the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed, with the one or more other network devices, based at least on the coverage area description, the wireless coverage objective, the detected signal levels, the identification of the target area, and the comparison of the first and second signal strength levels, by at least one of directing the signals towards the target area and away from the undesired coverage area to increase wireless signal coverage in the target area and to reduce signal interferences in the target area such that the network device and the one or more other network devices provide wireless network coverage for the one or more wireless networks in the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed to meet the wireless coverage objective.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein scanning the one or more channels at the plurality of directions comprises:

scanning, by the network device, in a first direction to detect a first signal strength level of a first wireless signal received from a wireless client device at a first location in the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed; and

in response to coordinating the wireless signal coverage, scanning in a second direction corresponding to a changed antenna pattern to detect a second signal strength level of a second wireless signal received from the wireless client device at a second location in the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed, wherein the changed antenna pattern comprises a reshaped existing radiated antenna pattern, and wherein the reshaped existing radiated antenna pattern is formed by a coordinated change in an existing radiated antenna pattern for the network device and an existing radiated antenna pattern for the one or more other network devices.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining, by the network device, one or more characteristics of the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed based on the first signal strength level and the second signal strength level.

10. A network device comprising an adaptive antenna, the network device comprising:

a processor;

a memory unit;

a receiving mechanism operating with the processor, the receiving mechanism to receive a coverage area description and a wireless coverage objective for one or more wireless networks;

a scanning mechanism operating with the processor, the scanning mechanism to scan one or more channels at a plurality of directions to detect signal levels from one or more other network devices in the one or more wireless networks;

a coordinating mechanism operating with the processor, the coordinating mechanism to:

identify, based on the scanning, a target area of the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed for improving wireless signal coverage based on

active antenna radiated patterns for the network device and the one or more other network devices; and

the wireless coverage objective for the one or more wireless networks; and

coordinate wireless signal coverage over the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed, with the one or more other network devices; and

a determining mechanism coupled to the processor, the determining mechanism to determine that wireless coverage corresponding to the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed does not meet the wireless coverage objective in response to scanning the one or more channels at the plurality of directions, wherein failing to meet the wireless coverage objective includes the network device and the one or more network devices jointly failing to provide wireless coverage to a specified portion of the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed,

wherein the coordinating mechanism to coordinate the wireless signal coverage over the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed with the one or more other network devices in the one or more wireless networks in response to determining that the wireless coverage corresponding to the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed not meeting the wireless coverage objective.

11. The network device of claim 10 , wherein the coordinating mechanism comprises:

a switching mechanism adapted to switch the adaptive antenna pattern; and

a reshaping mechanism adapted to reshape the adaptive antenna pattern.

12. The network device of claim 10 , wherein the receiving mechanism further to receive a configuration for an overlapping parameter;

wherein, in response to overlapping being configured by the overlapping parameter, the coordinating mechanism to coordinate with the other network devices in the one or more wireless networks to provide overlapped wireless signal coverage over the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed; and

wherein, in response to non-overlapping being configured by the overlapping parameter, the coordinating mechanism to coordinate with the other network devices in the one or more wireless networks to avoid overlapped wireless signal coverage over the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed.

13. The network device of claim 10 , wherein the coordinating mechanism coordinates the wireless signal coverage based on

a coverage objective direction.

14. The network device of claim 10 , wherein a plurality of network devices in the one or more wireless networks are divided into a plurality of groups; and

wherein the coordinating mechanism further coordinates antenna radiated patterns of adaptive radios on the plurality of network devices across the plurality of groups at different hierarchical levels.

15. The network device of claim 10 , wherein the coordinating mechanism is further adapted to coordinate radiated antenna patterns in a horizontal direction, a vertical direction, an angled direction, or a combination thereof.

16. The network device of claim 10 , wherein the scanning mechanism further to scan in a first direction to detect a first signal strength level of a first wireless signal received from a wireless client device at a first location in the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed;

wherein, in response to the coordinating mechanism coordinating the wireless signal coverage, the scanning mechanism further to scan in a second direction corresponding to a changed antenna pattern to detect a second signal strength level of a second wireless signal received from the wireless client device at a second location in the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed; and

wherein the coordinating mechanism to

compare the first and second signal strength levels to determine existence of a physical barrier or an interferer, and

coordinate the wireless signal coverage over the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed, with the one or more other network devices, based at least on the coverage area description, the wireless coverage objective, the detected signal levels, the identification of the target area, and the comparison of the first and second signal strength levels, by at least one of directing the signals towards the target area and away from the undesired coverage area to increase wireless signal coverage in the target area and to reduce signal interferences in the target area such that together the network device and the one or more other network devices provide wireless network coverage for the one or more wireless networks in the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed to meet the wireless coverage objective.

17. The network device of claim 10 , wherein the scanning mechanism further to scan in a first direction to detect a first signal strength level of a first wireless signal received from a wireless client device at a first location in the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed;

wherein, in response to the coordinating mechanism coordinating the wireless signal coverage, the scanning mechanism further to scan in a second direction corresponding to a changed antenna pattern to detect a second signal strength level of a second wireless signal received from the wireless client device at a second location in the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed, wherein the changed antenna pattern comprises a reshaped existing radiated antenna pattern, and wherein the reshaped existing radiated antenna pattern is formed by a coordinated change in an existing radiated antenna pattern for the network device and an existing radiated antenna pattern for the one or more other network devices.

18. The network device of claim 16 , further comprising:

a determining mechanism operating with the processor, the determining mechanism to determine one or more characteristics of the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed based on the first signal strength level and the second signal strength level.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing embedded instructions that are executed by one or more mechanisms implemented within a network device comprising an adaptive antenna to perform a plurality of operations which when executed by the network device cause the network device to:

analyze a coverage area description and a wireless coverage objective for a wireless network

scan one or more channels at a plurality of directions to detect signal levels from one or more other network devices in the wireless network;

identify, based on the scanning, a target area of the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed for improving wireless signal coverage;

coordinate wireless signal coverage over the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed with the one or more other network devices;

determine, by the network device, that wireless coverage corresponding to the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed does not meet the wireless coverage objective in response to scanning the one or more channels at the plurality of directions, wherein failing to meet the wireless coverage objective includes the network device and the one or more network devices jointly failing to provide wireless coverage to a specified portion of the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed; and

in response to the determination that the wireless coverage corresponding to the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed do not meet the wireless coverage objective, coordinate the wireless signal coverage over the area in which the network device and the one or more other network devices are deployed with the one or more other network devices in the one or more wireless networks.