IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,550,052
Granted Patent B2
US 12,550,052 · App. 18/307,768 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Adaptive preferred scan channels in wireless networks

Inventors: Vishal S Desai (San Jose, CA); Young Il Choi (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
H04W48/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,550,052
App. No.
18/307,768
Granted
Feb 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed are systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media for adaptive preferred scan channels in wireless networks. A method includes: retrieving previous client device information connected to at least one access point (AP), analyzing the previous client device information for at least one property associated with wireless network usage of the at least one AP; and determining whether to configure preferred scan channels with additional channels based on the at least one property associated with the wireless network. Adding preferred scan channels to the default configuration can benefit wireless network performance.

Claims (44)

1 . A computer-implemented method for configuring preferred scan channels in a wireless network, comprising:

retrieving, over a network, previous client device information connected to at least one access point (AP);

analyzing the previous client device information for at least one property associated with wireless network usage of the at least one AP;

determining whether to configure preferred scan channels with additional channels based on the at least one property associated with the wireless network; and

in response to the determining, configuring the preferred scan channels with additional channels.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the previous client device information for the at least one property associated with the wireless network usage comprises:

determining whether the at least one AP can omit access by legacy client devices that transmit using a legacy wireless protocol based on the previous client information, wherein the preferred scan channels are configured with the additional channels when the AP can omit access by the legacy client devices.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the previous client device information for the at least one property associated with the wireless network usage comprises:

determining a network density associated with the AP based on the previous client information, wherein, when the network density is determined to correspond to a sparse density, the preferred scan channels are configured with the additional channels.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the network density information is determined based on a sum of neighbor signal strengths associated with neighbor devices and divided by a quantity of the neighbor devices.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the previous client device information for the at least one property associated with the wireless network usage comprises:

determining a channel reuse associated with the AP based on the previous client information.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein, when the channel reuse is determined to correspond to low channel reuse, the preferred scan channels are configured with the additional channels.

7 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

based on the channel reuse, determining whether a bandwidth of at least one channel is greater than a threshold; and

when the bandwidth is greater than the threshold, adding channels to the preferred scan channels.

8 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

based on the channel reuse, determining whether a collocated radio supports reduced neighbor report (RNR), wherein the preferred scan channels are configured with the additional channels when collocated radio is supported.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

when the preferred scan channels are configured with the additional channels, providing biasing information to a machine learning model for radio resource configuration, wherein the machine learning model determines a set of channels to use as the preferred scanning channels.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each antenna and transmission chain of the at least one AP are configured to communicate on a non-standard PSC channel.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the additional channels are used to by the at least one AP to transmit one or more beacons.

12 . An apparatus for configuring preferred scan channels in a wireless network, comprising:

a storage configured to store instructions;

a processor configured to execute the instructions and cause the processor to:

retrieve, over a network, previous client device information connected to at least one access point (AP);

analyze the previous client device information for at least one property associated with wireless network usage of the at least one AP;

determine whether to configure preferred scan channels with additional channels based on the at least one property associated with the wireless network; and

in response to the determining, configure the preferred scan channels with additional channels.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions and cause the processor to:

determine whether the at least one AP can omit access by legacy client devices that transmit using a legacy wireless protocol based on the previous client information, wherein the preferred scan channels are configured with the additional channels when the AP can omit access by the legacy client devices.

14 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions and cause the processor to:

determine a network density associated with the AP based on the previous client information, wherein, when the network density is determined to correspond to a sparse density, the preferred scan channels are configured with the additional channels.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the network density information is determined based on a sum of neighbor signal strengths associated with neighbor devices and divided by a quantity of the neighbor devices.

16 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions and cause the processor to:

determine a channel reuse associated with the AP based on the previous client information.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions and cause the processor to:

based on the channel reuse, determining whether a bandwidth of at least one channel is greater than a threshold; and

when the bandwidth is greater than the threshold, add channels to the preferred scan channels.

18 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein

based on the channel reuse, determine whether a collocated radio supports reduced neighbor report (RNR), wherein the preferred scan channels are configured with the additional channels when collocated radio is supported.

19 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions and cause the processor to:

when the preferred scan channels are configured with the additional channels, provide biasing information to a machine learning model for radio resource configuration, wherein the machine learning model determines a set of channels to use as the preferred scanning channels.

20 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein each antenna and transmission chain of the at least one AP are configured to communicate on a non-standard PSC channel.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2023
From: DESAI, VISHAL S; CHOI, YOUNG IL
To: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 063454/0700 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240365213A1 · Oct 31, 2024
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