Determining WLAN edges
View Patent ↗Determining whether a station is at the edge of wireless local area network (WLAN) coverage. In an IEEE 802.11 wireless network comprising one or more access points (APs) which may optionally be connected to one or more controllers, with wireless clients connected to those APs. Station S connected to AP A collects reports such as beacon reports which contains information on all APs station S can hear, including signal strengths. AP A collects a neighbor report which contains information on all APs in its neighborhood including signal strengths. These reports from A and S are observed and compared over time to determine when S is at or is moving to the edge of WLAN coverage. For example, if the only entry in the beacon list for client S is AP A to which it is connected, and the signal strength is decreasing over time, S is at the edge of WLAN coverage and is moving away from the WLAN. The process may be implemented at a controller, at a client, or both.
1. A method comprising:
identifying a neighbor list of access points within a wireless range of a first access point;
identifying an AP list of access points within a wireless range of a client device, wherein the client is within a wireless range of the first access point; and
determining that the client device is moving toward an edge of a wireless coverage area, wherein determining includes using a comparison of the neighbor list and the AP list, and wherein the wireless coverage area corresponds to a plurality of access points on a wireless network.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the client device is moving toward an edge of a wireless coverage area includes identifying a change in signal strength between the client device and one or more access points in AP list.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the AP list includes one or more access points detected by the client device over different periods of time.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the neighbor list is identified using wireless signals detected by the first access point.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the client device is moving toward an edge of a wireless coverage area includes determining that the client device is unable to associate with another access point in the plurality of access points.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
initiating a transfer of active calls or data sessions for the client device from the first access point to another device in a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN).
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying that a neighbor list of access points is within a wireless range of an access point includes determining that access points in the neighbor list of access points are within a wireless communication range of the first access point.
8. A computing device comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:
identifying a neighbor list of access points within a wireless range of a first access point;
identifying an AP list of access points within a wireless range of a client device, wherein the client is within a wireless range of the first access point; and
determining that the client device is moving toward an edge of a wireless coverage area, wherein determining includes using a comparison of the neighbor list and the AP list, and wherein the wireless coverage area corresponds to a plurality of access points on a wireless network.
9. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein determining that the client device is moving toward an edge of a wireless coverage area includes identifying a change in signal strength between the client device and one or more access points in AP list.
10. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein the AP list includes one or more access points detected by the client device over different periods of time.
11. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein the neighbor list is identified using wireless signals detected by the first access point.
12. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein determining that the client device is moving toward an edge of a wireless coverage area includes determining that the client device is unable to associate with another access point in the plurality of access points.
13. The computing device of claim 8 , further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:
initiating a transfer of active calls or data sessions for the client device from the first access point to another device in a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN).
14. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein identifying that a neighbor list of access points is within a wireless range of an access point includes determining that access points in the neighbor list of access points are within a wireless communication range of the first access point.
15. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:
identify a neighbor list of access points within a wireless range of a first access point;
identify an AP list of access points within a wireless range of a client device, wherein the client is within a wireless range of the first access point; and
determine that the client device is moving toward an edge of a wireless coverage area, wherein determining includes using a comparison of the neighbor list and the AP list, and wherein the wireless coverage area corresponds to a plurality of access points on a wireless network.
16. The computer-program product of claim 15 , wherein determining that the client device is moving toward an edge of a wireless coverage area includes identifying a change in signal strength between the client device and one or more access points in AP list.
17. The computer-program product of claim 15 , wherein the AP list includes one or more access points detected by the client device over different periods of time.
18. The computer-program product of claim 15 , wherein the neighbor list is identified using wireless signals detected by the first access point.
19. The computer-program product of claim 15 , wherein determining that the client device is moving toward an edge of a wireless coverage area includes determining that the client device is unable to associate with another access point in the plurality of access points.
20. The computer-program product of claim 15 , further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:
initiate a transfer of active calls or data sessions for the client device from the first access point to another device in a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN).
21. The computer-program product of claim 15 , wherein identifying that a neighbor list of access points is within a wireless range of an access point includes determining that access points in the neighbor list of access points are within a wireless communication range of the first access point.