IP Library Granted Patent US 11,375,449
Granted Patent B2
US 11,375,449 · App. 16/864,576 · Granted Jun 28, 2022

Determining locations for range-extending devices

Inventors: Charles Stephens Moreman (Philadelphia, PA); Jon Cave (Philadelphia, PA)
Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
H04W48/20H04B7/15507H04B17/318H04W16/26H04W24/02H04W88/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,375,449
App. No.
16/864,576
Granted
Jun 28, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for determining locations for range-extending devices. Signal strength between devices within an area may be measured one or more times over a time period. Based on the measurements, signal loss over fronthaul links and backhaul links may be determined for each range-extending device in the area. A predicted improvement in signal quality may be determined. A direction and distance to move each range-extending device may be determined based on a comparison with the fronthaul and backhaul signal qualities and the predicted improvement in signal quality. The direction, improvement in signal quality, and/or user preferences for devices may be used to determine an improvement associated with moving one or more range-extending devices.

Claims (50)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a range-extending computing device configured to wirelessly communicate data between an access point and a client device, data comprising:

backhaul signal quality data for communications, via a backhaul wireless link, between the range-extending computing device and the access point, and

fronthaul signal quality data for communications, via a fronthaul wireless link, between the range-extending computing device and the client device;

predicting, based on the backhaul signal quality data, a backhaul signal quality improvement metric associated with a first movement of the range-extending computing device;

predicting, based on the fronthaul signal quality data, a fronthaul signal quality improvement metric associated with a second movement of the range-extending computing device;

determining, based on the fronthaul signal quality improvement metric, a distance to move the range-extending computing device;

adjusting, based on a determination that moving the range-extending computing device the distance will cause a backhaul signal quality of the range-extending computing device to be lower than a fronthaul signal quality of the range-extending computing device, the distance; and

sending a recommendation, based on:

the distance,

the backhaul signal quality improvement metric, and

the fronthaul signal quality improvement metric, that indicates a recommended movement of the range-extending computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data comprising the backhaul signal quality data and the fronthaul signal quality data comprise one or more indications of received signal strengths.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data comprising the backhaul signal quality data and the fronthaul signal quality data comprise data indicating, for a plurality of times, values for signal quality via the backhaul wireless link and values for signal quality via the fronthaul wireless link.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, based on the backhaul signal quality improvement metric and the fronthaul signal quality improvement metric, a score, wherein the sending the recommendation is based on determining that the score exceeds a threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, based on a comparison between the backhaul signal quality improvement metric and the fronthaul signal quality improvement metric, a direction for the recommended movement of the range-extending computing device, wherein the recommendation comprises the direction.

6. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the recommendation comprises the distance.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving comprises receiving the data via the access point and one or more additional range-extending computing devices between the range-extending computing device and the access point.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the distance comprises comparing the fronthaul signal quality improvement metric and a target fronthaul quality improvement metric.

9. A method comprising:

determining backhaul signal qualities for wireless communications, received by a range-extending computing device via a backhaul wireless link, of data sent from an access point to the range-extending computing device;

determining fronthaul signal qualities for wireless communications, received by the range-extending computing device via a fronthaul wireless link, of data sent from a client device to the range-extending computing device;

based on the backhaul signal qualities and the fronthaul signal qualities:

determining a distance associated with movement of the range-extending computing device; and

adjusting, based on a determination that moving the range-extending computing device the distance will cause the backhaul signal qualities to fail to satisfy a threshold, the distance; and

preparing a recommendation indicating the distance.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the backhaul signal qualities and the fronthaul signal qualities comprise one or more indications of received signal strengths.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the backhaul signal qualities comprise signal qualities of the backhaul wireless link for a plurality of times, and wherein the fronthaul signal qualities comprise signal qualities of the fronthaul wireless link for the plurality of times.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining, based on the backhaul signal qualities and the fronthaul signal qualities, a score, wherein the preparing the recommendation is based on determining that the score exceeds a threshold.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the determining the distance comprises determining a direction, and wherein the direction comprises one of toward the access point or toward the client device.

14. A method comprising:

receiving, for a plurality of range-extending computing devices, data indicating:

backhaul signal qualities for communications, at a plurality of times and via backhaul wireless links of the plurality of range-extending computing devices, with an access point, and

fronthaul signal qualities for communications, at the plurality of times and via fronthaul wireless links of the plurality of range-extending computing devices, with a plurality of client devices;

determining, based on the data, a score indicating an improvement from moving one or more range-extending computing devices of the plurality of a range-extending computing devices;

determining, based on the score, a distance to move the one or more range-extending computing devices;

adjusting, based on a determination that moving the one or more range-extending computing devices the distance will cause the backhaul signal qualities to be lower than the fronthaul signal qualities of the one or more range-extending computing devices, the distance; and

preparing a recommendation indicating the score.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the data indicating the backhaul signal qualities and the fronthaul signal qualities comprise one or more indications of received signal strengths.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining, based on the data, one or more directions for moving the one or more range-extending computing devices, wherein the recommendation comprises the one or more directions.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the recommendation comprises a recommendation to move the one or more range-extending computing devices toward the access point and the one or more range-extending computing devices toward a client device of the plurality of client devices.

18. The method of claim 14 ,

wherein the recommendation comprises the distance.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the receiving comprises receiving, for a first range-extending computing device of the plurality of range-extending computing devices, a portion of the data via the access point and one or more additional range-extending computing devices between the first range-extending computing device and the access point.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the determining the distance comprises comparing the score and a target score.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 2, 2020
From: MOREMAN, CHARLES STEPHENS; CAVE, JON
To: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 052813/0372 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210352579A1 · Nov 11, 2021
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