Cisco Technology, Inc.

Tak Ming Pang

Robert Charles Meier

Hui Liu

Yanxin Na

Hari Narayanan Rangarajan

Emburey Samrex Edward

Vishal Satyendra Desai

Paul Jeffrey Stager

John Matthew Swartz

John Martin Blosco

Douglas Chan

Brian Donald Hart

Matthew Aaron Silverman

Hang Jin

Allan Thomson

Sandeep Shetty

Neil Robert Diener

Evgeny Yankevich

Joshua David Suhr

Shobhit Sonakiya

Min Cao

Bhavik Fajalia

Jianxia Ning

Seung Hyun Min

Arnab Sengupta

In one embodiment, a method implemented on a computing device includes: selecting a wireless access point (AP) to process from among a deployment of wireless access points (APs), defining a neighborhood based on the AP and neighboring APs, where the neighboring APs are within a one-hop radius of the AP, calculating a client distribution optimal received signal strength indicator (RSSI), where the client distribution optimal RSSI (CD optimal) is a minimum receiver start of packet detection threshold (RX-SOP) setting for maintaining existing client device coverage by the AP, calculating a neighbor relations optimal RSSI threshold (NR optimal), where the NR optimal is a function of at least a transmit power control threshold (TPC) for maintaining visibility between the AP and the neighboring APs, calculating an RX-SOP setting for the AP as a function of CD optimal and NR optimal, and applying the RX-SOP setting to the AP.

Receiver start of packet optimization for wireless networks

A method is performed at a mesh access point (MAP) in a wireless mesh network including access points (APs) of a spanning tree being divided among multiple Internet Protocol (IP) subnets. The method includes receiving from a first parent AP to which the MAP is a child a first IP subnet identifier indicating the first IP subnet to which the first parent AP belongs. The method also includes obtaining a first IP address associated with the first IP subnet, roaming from the first to a second parent AP, receiving from the second parent AP a second IP subnet identifier indicating a second IP subnet to which the second parent AP belongs, determining if the first and second parent APs are both part of the same IP subnet, and determining whether to maintain connectivity with a current controller or establish connectivity to a new controller based on results of the determining.

Wireless mesh network including resilient backhaul links and WLAN traffic local switching

In an example embodiment, an apparatus comprising an interface configured to communicate with at least one wireless transceiver, and a controller coupled to the interface. The controller is configured to determine a predefined characteristic such as current load and/or interference for a wireless channel associated with the at least one wireless transceiver. The controller is operable to suppress sending a probe response in response to the at least one wireless transceiver receiving a probe request, wherein how often probe responses are suppressed is based on the predefined characteristic for the wireless channel.

Load based probe response scheduling

Access points and a wireless client device, such as a workgroup bridge, are configured to optimize a roaming algorithm of the client device for a high-speed vehicle scenario, such as a high-speed train. A static/dynamic neighbor list is generated and used to improve scanning efficiency. An improved parent access point selection procedure, metrics, and thresholds are provided to optimize client roaming along the vehicle's path, e.g., the train track.

Roaming techniques for high speed client device

In one embodiment, a method includes selecting at a network device, seed access points from a plurality of access points and assigning each of the seed access points to a wireless network controller. The seed access points join the assigned wireless network controllers before the remaining access points join the wireless network controllers. Each of the remaining access points is associated with one of the seed access points and joins the same wireless network controller as the seed access point. An apparatus and logic are also disclosed herein.

Wireless network controller load balancing

In response to receiving a probe request from a mobile client, an access point determines whether it should suppress a probe response. The access point receives a probe request from a wireless client device, and prepares a probe response to respond to the probe request. The access point determines whether the wireless client device is likely to associate with the wireless access point. Responsive to a determination that the wireless client device is unlikely to associate with the wireless access point, the access point suppresses the transmission of the probe response.

Probe response suppression

A wireless mesh network includes mesh access points (mesh APs) and a root access point (RAP) forming a root of a tree of the mesh APs in which the mesh APs are linked back to the RAP through parent-child relationships over wireless backhaul links. A mesh AP provides access to the mesh network via connections to wireless clients in one or more wireless local area networks (WLANs) served by the mesh AP. The mesh AP stores mappings between the one or more WLANs served by the mesh AP and one or more virtual local area networks (VLANs) configured on a wired network and to which the WLANs are assigned. The mesh AP receives mappings between the VLANs configured on the wired network and WLANs served by the mesh AP as known by the RAP. If the stored mappings and the received mappings differ, the mesh AP updates the stored mappings with the received mappings that differ from the stored mappings.

A wireless mesh network includes mesh APs and a root AP forming a root of a tree of the mesh APs in which the mesh APs are linked back to the root AP over wireless backhaul links. The root AP has a wired connection to a wired network. An AP detects a loss of connectivity to a controller through which traffic associated with the AP is normally routed to and from the wired network. In response, if the AP is the root AP, the root AP operates as a proxy controller through which the traffic may be routed. The AP maintains connectivity with parent and child APs over the wireless backhaul links.

A first wireless device (e.g., an access point) receives a message from a second wireless device (e.g., a client device). The first device determines an angle-of-arrival of the message at a plurality of antennas of the first wireless device. The first device compares the angle-of-arrival with an angle-of-arrival threshold to determine whether to transmit a response message to the second wireless device. In one example, the first wireless device is a wireless access point device operating in a wireless network, the second wireless device is a wireless client device operating in the wireless network, the message is a probe request message and the response message is a probe response message.

Probe response suppression using angle-of-arrival in a high density environment

Techniques are provided for delivering data to a wireless client device in a wireless network via a plurality of access points as the wireless client device roams from one access point to another. A wireless client device receives data via a first wireless access point in the wireless network. An impending roam of a wireless client device is detected. A set of one or more candidate wireless access points other than the first wireless access point is determined to which the wireless client device may potentially roam. The one or more wireless access points in the set are assigned to a multicast group, and the traffic is sent to the multicast group. A message containing a synchronized context enables a new wireless access point to send data to the wireless client device from a point where the first wireless access point stopped sending data to the wireless client device.

Predictive caching and tunneling for time-sensitive data delivery to roaming client devices

The direction of movement of a wireless local area network client device, determined based on data generated by one or more sensors onboard the client device, is provided by the client device to its serving access point. Using the direction of movement information, a list is generated of neighbor access points that are likely to be in the path of travel of the client device. The list may be generated by the serving access point or another infrastructure device, e.g., a wireless network controller. The serving access point sends the list of neighbor access points to the client device to enable the client device to select an access point to roam to at the appropriate time.

Direction aware neighbor list infrastructure assisted roaming

Techniques are provided for delivering data to a wireless client device in a wireless local area network via a plurality of access point devices as the wireless client device roams from one access point device to another. A wireless client device receives data communications (i.e., traffic) via a first wireless access point device in the wireless local area network. An impending roam of a wireless client device is detected. A set of one or more candidate wireless access point devices other than the first wireless access point device is determined to which the wireless client device may potentially roam. The one or more wireless access point devices in the set are assigned to a multicast group, and the traffic is sent to the multicast group.

In an example embodiment, a technique that employs a SAP/SDP packet to communicate data to a client device when a request for a multicast stream, such as a video stream, is denied. Rather than announcing a program, the SAP/SDP packet reports a status to the client device. The SAP/SDP packet may suitably comprise data representative of the video name, and a reason code, enabling the client device to provide an output, e.g. a text string, to a user associated with the client device indicating the reason for the denial. In addition, contact information such as an email address and a uniform resource locator (URL) pointing to a predetermined web page may also be included in the SAP/SDP packet that can inform the associated user of the client device where additional information can be obtained for the denial.

Communicating admission decisions and status information to a client

In an example embodiment, a wireless distribution system obtains data for advertised data flows, such as multimedia traffic flows, by snooping attribute details of session description protocol (SDP) announcements. The wireless distribution system can use the data for functions such as admissions control, load balancing, and/or multicast to unicast conversion decisions.

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Tak Ming Pang