Method and apparatus for selecting channel in wireless communication system

1. A method for operating of an access point (AP) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a signal from at least one adjacent AP;

generating information regarding each of channels based on the received signal;

generating respective expected values for each of the channels by considering at least one channel to be involved in channel bonding, based on the information regarding each of the channels; and

selecting a channel based on the respective expected values.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information regarding each of the channels comprises at least one of a number of adjacent APs using each channel, a signal reception strength of each channel, an amount of interference of each channel, and a load of each channel.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generation of the respective expected values comprises:

with respect to each of the channels, determining at least one adjacent channel which is predicted to be involved in channel bonding according to a channel bonding bandwidth; and

with respect to each of the channels, determining the respective expected values based on information regarding a corresponding channel and information regarding at least one adjacent channel which is determined for the corresponding channel.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the determining, with respect to each of the channels, the respective expected values based on the information regarding the corresponding channel and the information regarding the at least one adjacent channel which is determined for the corresponding channel comprises:

determining a weight for each of channel bonding bandwidths; and

with respect to each of the channels, determining the respective expected values based on the weight for each of the channel bonding bandwidths, the information regarding the corresponding channel, and the information regarding the at least one adjacent channel that is determined for the corresponding channel.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the weight for each of the channel bonding bandwidths is determined based on at least one of a throughput and a frequency of channel bonding.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the weights for the channel bonding bandwidths are set such that a weight for a narrowest channel bonding bandwidth from among the channel bonding bandwidths has a greater value than the weights for the other channel bonding bandwidths, and the weights of the other channel bonding bandwidths have a same value.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the weights for the channel bonding bandwidths are set such that a weight for a widest channel bonding bandwidth from among the channel bonding bandwidths has a greater value than the weights of the other channel bonding bandwidths, and the weight for a narrowest channel bonding bandwidth has a smaller value than the weights for the other channel bonding bandwidths.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the weights for the channel bonding bandwidths are set such that a weight for a channel bonding bandwidth having a highest frequency of channel bonding from among the channel bonding bandwidths has a greater value than the weights for the other channel bonding bandwidths, and a weight for a channel bonding bandwidth having a lowest frequency of channel bonding has a smaller value than the weights for the other channel bonding bandwidths.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting the channel based on the respective expected values comprises selecting a channel which has a lowest expected value as a primary channel that is a criterion for channel bonding.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: selecting at least one secondary channel which is located consecutively after the primary channel, and wherein a number of the selected secondary channels is determined based on a size of a channel bonding bandwidth.

11. An apparatus in a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a communication circuit configured to receive a signal from at least one adjacent access point (AP); and

a controller configured to:

generate information regarding each of channels based on the received signal;

generate respective expected values for each of the channels by considering at least one channel to be involved in channel bonding, based on the information regarding each of the channels; and

select a channel based on the respective expected values.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the information regarding each of the channels comprises at least one of a number of adjacent APs using each channel, a signal reception strength of each channel, an amount of interference of each channel, or a load of each channel.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to:

with respect to each of the channels, determine at least one adjacent channel which is predicted to be involved in channel bonding according to a channel bonding bandwidth; and

with respect to each of the channels, determine the respective expected values based on information regarding a corresponding channel and information regarding at least one adjacent channel that is determined for the corresponding channel.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to:

determine a weight for each of channel bonding bandwidths; and,

with respect to each of the channels, determine the respective expected values based on the weight for each of the channel bonding bandwidths, the information regarding the corresponding channel, and the information regarding the at least one adjacent channel that is determined for the corresponding channel.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the weight for each of the channel bonding bandwidths is determined based on at least one of a throughput and a frequency of channel bonding.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to:

set a weight for a narrowest channel bonding bandwidth from among the channel bonding bandwidths to have a greater value than the weights for the other channel bonding bandwidths; and

set the weights of the other channel bonding bandwidths to have a same value.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to

set a weight for a widest channel bonding bandwidth from among the channel bonding bandwidths to have a greater value than the weights of the other channel bonding bandwidths; and

set the weight for a narrowest channel bonding bandwidth to have a smaller value than the weights for the other channel bonding bandwidths.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to:

set a weight for a channel bonding bandwidth having a highest frequency of channel bonding from among the channel bonding bandwidths to have a greater value than the weights for other channel bonding bandwidths; and

set a weight for a channel bonding bandwidth having a lowest frequency of channel bonding to have a smaller value than the weights for the other channel bonding bandwidths.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to select a channel which has a lowest expected value as a primary channel that is a criterion for channel bonding.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the controller is further configured to select at least one secondary channel which is located consecutively after the primary channel, and wherein a number of the selected secondary channels is determined based on a size of a channel bonding bandwidth.